28 - Act 1 Epilogue
The Council Hive
What was once a chamber where the Changeling Queens would gather and hold council was no longer recognisable, the room having been restored to the glory of four thousand years ago. The seats for the various queens were no longer present, only a large dominant throne that cast its shadow across the newly revitalised throne room.
The entire hive, in truth, was in a far better condition than it had been in a very long time. The Empress has used her unrivalled knowledge of the structure to direct drones into restoring every inch of the place. Every single crack and faded wall was repaired seamlessly, the hive slowly becoming once again worthy of the one who held dominion over it.
And work had only just begun.
Empress Immortalis sat alone in the throne room, sitting contently in her throne. Her eyes were closed as she immersed herself in the hive mind, something that she had been deprived of for far too long. She had been sifting through the various Changeling Queens, learning about the world she had found herself in while directing her subjects. Four thousand years was a long time to miss out on, and she found herself… perplexed by some of the changes. Radio, steam engines, zeppelins; her changeling told her all the specifics. And, of course, she had learnt more about the affairs of the modern world. Zebrica, the Griffon Kingdom, the Dragon Lands, among many others. And of course there was also Equestria.
That, she wanted to speak with a particular Changeling Queen about face-to-face.
As summoned, Queen Twilight Sparkle opened the doors to the throne room and walked on in, her glowing red eyes meeting the Empress’. Twilight bowed on reaching the throne, before rising up again.
“You summoned me, Empress?”
“I did, I needed to hear some things from your mouth rather than across the hive,” Immortalis stated. “I have some questions about Equestria, and you shall answer them.”
“I will answer whatever I can.”
“Good girl. Now,” the Empress started. “What is this about the sun and moon being controlled by two ponies?”
“Alicorns. Two of the four currently known to exist,” Twilight explained. “Celestia and Luna are two members of the Equestrian Triumvirate, along with my sister-in law, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”
“How?” the Empress bluntly enquired. “How could any being control the sun and moon?”
“Over a thousand years ago, sometime before Celestia and Luna were even born, an unknown catastrophe disrupted the planet’s natural orbit around the sun and likewise the moon’s orbit of the planet.”
“You mean to tell me you simply forgot what caused it?” The Empress’ tone was somewhat mocking.
“It is before recorded history, much like you were,” Twilight continued. “Unicorns tended the cycle for a while. At least, until the population founded Equestria and Discord arrived a few decades later.”
“Discord?”
“A spirit of chaos. Once he was an adversary of Equestria, now he is an ally. And a powerful one. However, we do not know where he is. He goes away every now and then to parts unknown, likely seeking his own amusement.”
“An issue for later,” Immortalis noted. “What did he do?”
“He swept aside Equestria’s feeble defences, Queen Platinum lost control. Discord used the sun and moon as some of his playthings, raising and lowering them as he saw fit. That is, until his defeat at the hooves of Celestia and Luna, who were equally given the throne by Platinum at the urging of Starswirl the Bearded. They then took dominion over the celestial bodies.”
“And, are they specifically required for it?”
“No,” Twilight answered. “Any being with alicorn level magical strength could perform the act with practice and training.”
“So any Changeling Queen could theoretically do it?”
“Yes.”
“And me?”
“Most definitely.”
Immortalis hummed. “That is good to know. I wasn’t keen on the idea of leaving them alive.”
“Equestria are by far the greatest threat to your reign,” Twilight stated. “They must be targeted first!”
“Oh?”
“Even with the Elements of Harmony rendered useless, the alicorns are still a huge threat. And they have an army to back them up. Equestria is sizable, and changeling numbers have declined since your time.”
“Nothing a collection of keen, strategic minds cannot solve,” Immortalis stated with a smirk. “And your minds are mine now.”
“We are all up to the challenge,” Twilight assured. “I have always loved solving problems.”
“It is good to know you remain so faithful, Queen Twilight.”
“I have been enlightened,” Twilight stated, ignoring her own voice screaming out from the depths of her mind.
“And you shall see that it is for the best,” Immortalis remarked. “Our ascension is coming; the natural order of the world demands it.”
“As you say, Empress.”
“Good,” the Empress replied. “Anything else you want to add about Equestria?”
“The Crystal Heart,” Twilight noted. “The power source behind the Crystal Empire, and in the possession of Cadenza. In our hooves our power could be unlimited, if the heart is properly maintained. However, the Princess of Love could use it against us, the sheer power of the love energy within can be weaponised. It destroyed King Sombra, and it could overwhelm us too.”
“The Crystal Empire is far north, in the middle of a frozen wasteland?”
“Between Equestria and Draco’s former hive, yes.”
“Then we shall leave it be for now,” Immortalis decided. “We can deal with them when the rest of the ponies’ civilisation falls.”
“And after that?”
“We expand. Each species will be brought under hoof, those who survive will serve us. Cannon fodder is always useful in warfare.”
“We have plenty of drones,” Twilight pointed out.
“I’d rather keep our population stable,” Immortalis stated. “But for now we have far more detailed plans to work out. Knowing our end objectives is good, but knowing exactly how we achieve them is better.”
“Are you going to be filling the other queens in on our end goals?”
“I already have,” the Empress informed Twilight, who briefly listened in and heard Immortalis’ voice pervading throughout the hive mind conveying their conversation.
“So I see,” Twilight remarked. “Well in that case, I already know of something that will assist in this campaign.”
“Oh?” the Empress sat forward, all ears.
“You have one advantage in particular against them. The Princess of the Sun specifically.”
“And what, pray tell, might that be?”
Twilight Sparkle smirked. “Me.”
End of Act 1
Stats
Page generated in 0.053 seconds
Total duration
1,004 users online
117,369 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Why do I get the feeling that someone close to Twilight is going to die at her own hooves.
8146201
I have that feeling too... and I don't like it.
This is bad. This brainwashing works so well that Twilight remembers everything about her friends and family and can use it against them. Dark times are ahead and I am predicting a lot of characters are going to die.
I think that after Discord, the dragons would be the next biggest threat.
now this is going to get turned sidewise really fast.
I like the last 2 chapters.
Wow... This chapter must not be butter... 'Cause I can't believe it! I would've never though a brainwashing would be so effective on Twilight. I also think I remember that Discord would not be in this story, sort of like why the Hulk wasn't in Cap'n America: Civil War. They're just too conveniently powerful for anyone to actually be a threat. I also like how much this chapter offers for the rest of the story, it leaves much to be desired, I can't wait for whatever evil plan Twilight has cooked up, because evil Twilight is best Twilight
Though... on a completely different note. This story finally got featured! Only took... let's see you started near the beginning of November and it's the first week of May now? so... 7 months! I also don't remember seeing any spelling or grammatical errors in this chapter or the last so, I'm done commenting for now, write on Tom! Write on!
8146324
It's not matter how complicated and hard to pick is lock, when you have a correct key.
8146201 8146224 8146233 I've been saying that from the beginning.
Things dont looking good ;-;
Discord is never around to disrupt a plot and end the plans of the enemy when you need him. He only shows up when things are solved, or when the enemy has grown strong enough to deal with him. The relative power of an actual god and this is what you do with it, Derpcord?
8146324
Truly dependable, is that guy Discord.
Huh?
This story hit number 1 briefly when it was first released, and it's featured every single update...
(Reads Epilouge)
(GoT is my go-to dramatic music, nothing more)
noooooooooooooooooo
Right now I can see two possible outcomes 1) Twilight kills Celestia and snaps out of the trance or 2) Celestia renders Twilight unconscious and when she wakes she is no longer under the Empresses control kinda like Black Widow and Hawkeye thing from the first Avengers movie
Jokes on you Imortallis! I have my "Not under mind control badge!"
Wait, that doesn't work against changelings? Aw s-
I'm calling it now: Twilight's love and friendship in regards to her friends and family is going to end up being stronger then her commitment/connection to the Hive Mind (as it was hinted at already) resulting in Immortalis' defeat...
8146587 But imagine what Discord would be like if his one true friend died because he wasn't around to stop this conflict?
8146741 And I'm calling that Twilight will be able to break Immortalis' hold. but only after she kills someone she cares about and loves.
Well this feels forced. Twilight being so willing without resistance is kinda sutpid.....
Also by any right, Celestia has no weakness to twilight. Any actual fight at this point would be celestia completely overpowering twilight and rendering her unconcious and capturing her.
Why? Cause the last time she held back against a brainwashed loved one she ended up having to imprison her in the moon for a thousand years.
Soooo yeah. On one hand it would make sense tiwlight has no actual understanding of htis. On the other i doubt you are taking into account Celestia knowing better than to hold back here...... Also that her power difference between Celestia and tiwlight would be far too steep for twilight to overcome...... Or any changeling queen to overcome.
'.
8146945
Have you been paying attention? It was not willing in the slightest, but like Draco and the others she CAN'T resist. Twilight was forced into Immortalis' hive mind, and her true personality buried. She might smile on the outside, but inside she is screaming:
Nope. One, Nightmare Moon WAS Luna, not an evil entity taking her over or anything. Two, Celestia could get emotional, she loves Twilight dearly. Three, you're putting forward your own headcanon power level for Celestia here, in this verse she is powerful but hardly god level. Twilight is a magical prodigy and a Changeling Queen (changeling alicorn equivalent), and as she is now completely ruthless. Combine that with other factors to a potential fight, like how many queens they would face and possibly the Empress herself?
Even if Twilight couldn't win in a one on one, she'd know that, and would strategise accordingly.
In other words, wait and see and don't jump to conclusions.
8146650
Oh... Well, first time I've noticed it... congratz on the refeature?
8146364
You know... Never thought about it that way. I guess an ultimate changeling with complete control over every hive mind makes a good key
Though... I have to wonder when Twilight will change the locks, just like Crepuscule!
8146983 Twilight and strategist does not really go hand and hand dude. Mainly cause she overplans everything to the point of it not being functional. Her battle plan with celestia would be bogged down by things like 'getting hit by a stray meteroid' and 'celestia spontaneously become a nightmare during the fight'. She has no gorunding.
Alslo would count it as willing dude. her subconscious would be cause her to resist giving any extra information.
Ultimately the one who has far more experience in planning would, ultimately, be Celestia. The easiest strategy honestly would be to have luna disguise herself and celestia and knock out twilight. And that is only if celestia does not just knock tiwlight out herself.
Also one could reunite twilight with the element of magic. In the process she would be freed as the element interacted with her and miss dominion pants here has to somehow overpower the will of something FAR beyond her. Another strategy
Also with Nightmare Moon it is shown as something inbetween. The darkness was constructed by Luna's own jelaousy and loneliness, but it overtook her and took control. So she was brainwashed, just by her own self. Her free will was being subverted. Much like Twilight is right now.
8147082
Are you thinking about season one Twilight rather than a fully grown, and now experience, Changeling Queen? One who wouldn't be like that anyway as Immortalis wouldn't allow it.
You really have no idea how any of this works, do you?
Once again, you're going by your own headcanon. That's not how things are in the changeverse. She knew what she was doing, she became corrupt and evil. She then found redemption on her return.
All of your comments are like this, constant criticism only with so many logical flaws, they're not even constructive. I can't decide whether you're legit, or just after a reaction. If it's the latter, well...
And from what I've seen on your page, I'm not the only one. Not by a long shot.
8147114
Actually, that Luna was taken over by an entity latching on to her angsty weakness was originally intended by Faust but she was not allowed to make that the case by Hasbro marketing guys due to 'scaring the target audience', and eventually ended up becoming canon to comics.
That said, Luna could have been an anthromorphic banana in your universe and no one can tell you any different, so for the purposes of your story you are absolutely correct and the other guy might need to come back in a few years when he's a tad wiser.
What we need here is a high powered version of the spell Twilight used to free her friends of Discord's influence during their first meeting.
Cadence, Celestia, we need both of you to learn it so that one of you can use it on Twilight while the other keeps her occupied.
Hopefully, it will strengthen her own will enough to free herself from the control she is under.
... Immortalis needs to be destroyed... permanently... ¬_¬
There is one way I'd like to see immortalis defeated, Twilight and the other queens, along with EVERY drone they command, turning the tables on Immortalis, every changeling connected to her messaging her through hive mind all at the same time! >=3 overloading her ability to control them and losing that control entirely, burning out the part of her mind that holds the 'hive mind', destroy that and she'd be powerless.
8147203 That is definitely true for the comic continuity, though that is generally separated from the show continuity a bit. Whatever the case may be, in the Changeverse continuity there is no entity and never will be.
Which is pretty much what you said anyway, so thanks for understanding that.
8147312
Wouldn't work. The method of control is entirely different.
We are the Empress.
Lower your weapons and surrender your will.
Your hive will adapt to service us.
Resistance is futile.
8147312
Discording isn't mind control. Discording is essentially inverting their personality traits which made them the best bearers for the Elements. Like opposite day, for ponies.
This is mind control. Everything that Twilight Sparkle is is being twisted into sheer loyalty to Immortalis, and apparently making her somewhat evil if that attitude is anything to sneeze at. The part of Twilight that can't be controlled is still in there, a prisoner in her own body, watching as she does things she'd never want to do, gives up secrets she'd normally take to the grave.
Oof. So much passive voice. You wrote almost the entire first three paragraphs in passive voice, and most of the chapter besides. My English teacher would have an apoplexy.
8146408
8146408 Im putting my bits on Shining Armor.
Well shit.....
8148802 She was a pegasus, note I said 'raised' in an earth pony village. Her canon backstory is she was found in the woods by an earth pony couple who adopted and raised her. A dark unicorn named Prisma attacked the village where Cadance, still a filly, tapped into her love based magic for the first time and defeated Prisma. She ascended into an alicorn right after and met Celestia in the same realm where Twi ascended in canon.
8146587
Thanks for the ship name.
i.ytimg.com/vi/jBAB0v1f5WQ/hqdefault.jpg
8150398 In short, you wouldn't. Unless you were unique/had a genetic mutation allowing such a thing.
8150655
d.facdn.net/art/zearoupon3/1436826101/1436826101.zearoupon3_zearoupon3_refsheet_july2015_v2.png
Twilight seems to not be dead, just rewritten with a remembrance of who she was squirreled away somewhere. I am surprised that the lack of freewill won't hinder Twilight's capabilities in some fashion. I also feel she may be uniquely protected in some fashion due to the Elements and Rainbow Power (can't remember if that was included in this story).
I suspect getting Twilight in close proximity to Celestia could be a good thing if the locked up portion has any sort of influence. Immortalis would of course do what she can to lock this up but it is a new situation for her (Elements and Rainbow Power) and she has only just regained her strength.
8153703
Attribute it to general confusion following what happened to Twi, mixed with continuing troubles in Equestria itself dividing attention. And even without a queen the hive should have been relatively safe, they do not yet know that it was breached and attacked.
It's a mixture of reasons, but now they realise something else is wrong.
What Twilight needs is either a purification from some magical artifact or maybe somepony versed in hive-mind returning to disrupt things maybe a certain undead queen could turn the tables? #Chryssyriseagain
I just now noticed the burning canterlot on the cover art.
hey, anyone else how Twilight keeps referring to "Cadence" as "Mi Amore Cadenza"? Even though "Twily" INSISTS on calling her sister-in-law by the former?
something tells me this is going to play into things later...
Dammit twilight you Gotta fight it !
8160345
Lol
Fuck!!! I know I've already said it before but, FUCK!!!!!
Well this just laid a lot of possibilities for the future.
The way Twilight is so cooperative is not just disturbing but it seems contradictive to her own resistance. I'm just saying her "complete" mind control sounds like a rewrite of the character thus no return to sanity should be possible.
8405310
Keep reading, you'll see how it works.
8405338
that can't possibly end well
and crud i though celestia would be a little more rash in her actions.
well is suppose when the time comes
Make this bitch hurt please
Dear God, help them all... A war is coming...
P.S. I can't believe I'm soooo late on reading this! You already finished it!