I stared at the alicorn across the cabin from me before turning to look at the one next to me. I then turned back to stare at Celestia.
“...Are you high?” I finally asked as I shook my head, “No, wrong question. And am I high? Were there some mushrooms in that salad or something? Because I could have sworn you just said that you set Discord on defeating Lord Tirek?”
Celestia nodded, “I did't. We sent him to find Tirek. If we find him early enough, we have a chance to defeat him. Discord's power is a great boon to Equestria and he did help us in the past and if he don't find Tirek in time, he might be our only chance.”
Luna frowned, “I don't like it. But it is the best option in this case.”
“He helped you from a trap he set himself!” I exclaimed and then let my breath out. Fine. “What about the elements?”
“They are unavailable, they are merged with the Tree of Harmony, healing it after it was drained heavily by the strangle vines.”
THEY ARE FUCKING WHAT!?
I just gaped at her.
Not only did they put a spirit of fucking chaos in charge of stopping what sounded like a unstoppable demon lord, but they didn't even have his leash anymore!?
“Discord is off his leash?” I finally managed to ask, looking up at Luna.
She sighed and pressed her lips together, “It was necessary to save the tree of harmony. When it regained it's power, it destroyed the strangle vines and released my sister and me. Twilight Sparkle had to make a choice.”
I felt like screaming.
Discord released the strangle vines, possibly sometime in the past, and as a result it eliminated the only way to defeat him.
“You seriously don't see that he manipulated events so that he would be released?” I asked, turning to Celestia, “Are you that fucking dumb!? Were you blonde before you turned rainbow!?”
Her ears flicked back and she frowned, “Page...”
“Don't you fucking Page me!” I snarled at her and jumped off the couch, “Because of the fucked up security measures, Tirek is free. Discord is free. There is no way to defeat either of them and if you think Discord won't turn on you the moment your back is turned you are so fucking deep in denial, you can see the pyramids!”
“Page!” Luna exclaimed, “That's enough!”
“And you are just as bad!” I yelled as I turned to her, “What in the fuck, Luna!?”
“It was the only thing we could do. Lord Tirek is already too powerful for me and Luna to defeat and without the elements..” Celestia said quietly as Luna stared at me with wide shocked eyes, her ears folded to the sides of her head.
I just shook my head, “I... I just can't... Discord is a chaos spirit for fuck sake! You are relying on a chaos spirit to do the sane thing!? You know what, no. I can't take this right now. I'm going out.”
“Page, wai...” Luna said but I slammed the door to the train cabin behind myself, finding myself in the corridor of the royal train.
Turning to the left, I headed back through the train.
We were all fucked. There was no way this would end well. Discord would fuck us over, I knew he would. There was no way he wouldn't. It was in his nature and now his leash was done.
The question was just if he was going to twist the world into a pretzel or all the magic is going to be eaten by Lord Tirek.
I was just pissed. I was angry with Celestia, I was angry with Luna and I was fucking pissed about this entire situation. It was selfish. I knew that, but... I had been happy. Now things were going to shit and there was nothing I could do about it.
Ponies were going to be hurt. Griffons, dragons... minotaurs. A lot of different creatures were going to pay for this. Luna...Skitter, Celestia, Swift, Cloud, Silver... Twilight and Rainbow. Everyone was going to pay for this.
I reached the end of the train and stopped, looking out the window at the landscape moving past quickly. The sun was shining outside over the frozen landscape. It didn't look like the end of the world. Not yet.
Looking around I found the train car empty. A bit odd considering the significant support staff. Then again me storming through the train while armed likely did it.
Sighing I sank down on one of the couches, resting my head on my frontlegs. What do we do now? I honestly had no clue.
There were years until the mirror open again so we can't even get out of the universe. If Tirek really was powerful enough that they thought Discord was the only one that had a chance to defeat him...
We are screwed.
I just stared out the window for a long time before there was a sound and somepony jumped onto the couch to settle down next to me. I glanced to the side to see Luna next to me.
Sighing softly I leaned silently against her side, “...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. I'm just... afraid.”
Luna settled her wing over my back and then rested her chin against the top of my head, “I know, My Page. I forgive you.. But... you were also right. My sister and I have ruled Equestria for a long time, even before my banishment. There have been mostly peace since then with only minor conflicts. Celestia... no, not Celestia. Both of us... we were complacent. Even before my banishment, I think it's part of what drove my fall.” She said quietly against my mane, “We thought ourselves... undefeatable. In some part, I suppose we still did.”
Frowning, I nuzzled at her neck. That made a scary amount of sense.
“What do we do now?” I whispered and pressed closer against her side.
“We hope.” She answered softly, “We hope Discord is capable and that his chaotic nature causes him to reject his nature to betray us just to be surprising.”
That was just depressing.
Luna nuzzled gently, “When we survive this, I promise you... nothing like this will ever happen again. I will deal with it personally... with you by my side.”
I nuzzled back with a nod before I cringed, “...Now if you excuse me, I think I need to go apologize to Celestia.”
Luna just nodded and lifted her wing off my back to let me off the couch.
You know, reading this chapter, I can't help but wonder if Discord will actually not betray them, just to go counter to the expectation being put forward by Page.
I also expect, if the betrayal does occur, that Page won't even feel any inclination to say "I told you so", because of how depressing it is.
For the first time I feel the need to comment. Page was fucking right! He still is and he had every right to yell at both Celestia and Luna. It not only their live they gamble with, but that of everyone else to. The lives of a whole planet. Any other leader would be forced out office the very next day. Well, maybe not if you're American, then you get reelected.
I can get him apologizing to Luna, because of their relationship, but not Celestia. She doesn't deserve one.
'Bout time someone talked to the Royal Sisters like they needed. Maybe now they'll listen to the semi-aquatic ape in a pony's body when he starts getting paranoid.
Remember, kiddies, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you.
7388317 Is it really paranoia if they ARE out to get you though?
7388353 nope, that's called 'Being Prepared'
Fits the mood, no?
7388453 Nice, but there's nothing like the original flavor:
As much as I like this story, this chapter made me think of a certain Harry Plinkett: "What's that there on the ground? Is that the script?"
Come on Page! You've still got some time! Go find yourself a fireworks outlet, a bell maker, and, I dunno, a bowling ball manufacturer! You're a human being! Remember your roots! And remember: Plan B is automatically twice as much explosives as plan A!
The arrogance of immortals, stagering that they have no plan B.
I have no problem with them giving second or even tird chanses to creatures, if things go to shit they can swoop in and pummel the snot out of the problem maker if the guard cannot handle it. But this kind of thinking of everything Will bee fine on à global lvl, destroys al logical thought
Well I did say that our entertainment from this ark is Pages reactions and how he handeles the situation.
-BFBL
7388021 I seem to have forgotten that. Thanks for correcting me.
I think the only thing Page should apologize for is being slighly impolite and non-constructive.
Really, he's been more whining and chewing them, than being helpful and offering solutions. Uncool.
They should make brainstorm. Ignoring all other duties. Make the alicorns to do construction work. Magical rail cannon with non-magical projectile can be done by couple of motivated alicorns .
Also, Luna can always grab Celestia and get to the moon, out of Tirek's reach. And maybe leave her there. Joking .
Anything that prevents Tirek from absorbing alicorn's power and make him easier to handle would be nice.
I've given it some thought and I've an alternative explanation for Discord's behavior. It's not that he will betray them so much that he must betray them, to see what might happen.
Discord is a save scummer. He probably replays events by going backwards in time repeatedly and trying out all the various choices. He is addicted to possibilities.
His only weakness is when a choice locks him in, like the Elements of Harmony turning him to stone and preventing him from using this power. It might even be restricted by how much time passes from the event in question.
He would betray them to see what happens with every intention of resetting time and trying it again with a different choice, not even considering the long term consequences, only to have Tirek steal his powers and by extension locking that choice in.
Whether it's true or not, that the concept never occurs to the Princesses...
No no nO NO NO! Don’t apologize! What are you apologizing for? Why did you apologize⁈ What is wrong with you, you spineless fuck⁉
Is it me or is Page a bit...spineless. He had every right to yell at those two idiots for not only letting things like this happen but for also allowing them to repeat themselves over and over again. They know Discord couldn't be trusted because he is the very embodiment of chaos but then decides to trust him entirely to deal with Tirek. Then comes all the security problems they have been having, Page tells them that they need to update themselves because of what happened with Sunset, Chrysalis and Discord, yet they ignore him. I am surprised no one has conquered Equestria yet because a kid with a butterknife could possibly take over easily.
7388742
OOooo! I never even considered that possibility is what drives the crazy to do what he does.
7388600 There is no Overkill. There are only Open Fire and Time to Reload!
7388905 He has the right to yell at them, but his words aren't particularly constructive. And he is in a relatioship.
You don't FUCKING DISAGREE with your female partner whether or not you're right. You can argue however you like but that is the general rule when arguing. You can talk about what is right or wrong AFTER all the emotions are out of the picture.
Then there is also the unconstructive criticism. I'd like to think he apologized for that more than any other reasons.
7388742
...
Why does that make so much sense?
7388600
Two times zero is still zero, though.
7389035
Nice use of the maxim.
7388905
Well, it is basing the logic on the canonical events, and actually considering them. In truth it was a horrible plan, for a number of reasons. Frankly it's difficult to understand why Discord is given another chance after that, though it's kind of funny that Page's position is basically setting up a "well I didn't expect you to do right in the first place, so I can't be disappointed" response.
I suppose the bigger question is what happens now with all the changes
The Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Crystal Empire events were unchanged.
The Wedding invasion was seriously changed, but only the outcome after Cadance was freed.
The Equestria Girls outcome was 100% completely changed, with no activation of the 'power of friendship', nor the element of magic, and Sunset being brought back to Equestria.
I don't believe the Alicorn Amulet event happened in this story-line either, though it's entirely possible it was background stuff taken care of in Ponyville without Page's knowledge. If so though, that's still a thing that could be brought up to page, as if it followed canon, is in Zecora's possession.
It's unclear how much was changed with the Plundervine event, there were consequences in that Page was effectively leading for a bit, but beyond that I don't know.
I've been thinking, and here, to my knowledge, are all the things that could possibly have an impact on the outcome of this event. I'm sure most of them are just red herrings, but...
1) The fact that Blank Page is a transformed human instead of a native pony.
1a) The fact that his previous species had no magic and it's possible his magic may be sucked out by Tirek, how it would affect him compared to everypony else.
1b) The fact that his previous species had a mentality that is more conductive to using dark magic without the drawbacks.
1c) Blank Page's knowledge of human history, technology, and tropes from stories (which is why he is adamant that Discord will betray them)
2) That Blank Page knows how to cast some Dark Magic. Specifically, how to cast it without relying on the emotional triggers, and can easily do so. That the dark magic is described as bubbly and corrosive, and we don't know the effect of Tirek absorbing that magic will have on him.
3) That Blank Page has been trained in some of the Warmage arts, which focus on a lot more offensive stuff and use physical projectiles and dismantling magical attacks. This is shown with his training with Sunset where while she is a lot stronger than he is, she has no combat training so she still loses compared to him, and his comment that Twilight would suffer from the same issues as Sunset, and Twilight was Tirek's match in fighting ability from the canonical episode...
4) Chrysalis and the Changelings are based in Canterlot, as is a vulnerable Skitter undergoing a transformation. Chrysalis was very upset that she wasn't told about Discord's release and I can't see her tolerating Tirek at all for multiple reasons. It's entirely possible she might actually side with him, but I think much more likely that she'd be opposed as well and infinitely more practical than the Princesses in planning for this.
5) Sunset Shimmer is also around and was exposed to human stuff, and is living in Canterlot too.
6) Objects that are locked up for how dangerous they could be were referenced, and if they are also dangerous to Tirek, Blank Page could argue for their usage.
7) There is the impact of those four stories that Blank Page wrote on Pony culture.
8) The more minor stuff: Blank Page's dream-walking abilities, and the Timberwolf pup.
Am I missing anything from this list on stuff that have been brought up in the past that could possibly be relevant now, that differs from canon?
7389047 So he has been whipped already, shame because I argue with my girlfriend and everything ends up alright. I told her when we got together that whether or not if one of us is right you can argue all you want, it won't change the fact that the other was right while you are not. Hell I lord that over her all the time whenever I am right and she does the same thing whenever she is right. And Page needs to freaking grow a spine already and straight up tell those two that at the rate of world ending entities are appearing because of their poor planning and containment of powerful relics and artifacts that eventually something will come back to bite them in the ass and their won't be anyone to rescue them.
God don't be such a self righteous dick page.
He's being a bigger man than I would be, I might apologize for being such a dick about it, but I wouldn't take back a single thing I said. This is a colossal fuck-up that could have been easily avoided.
Pretty good series. Tracking
We need DOOM guy
Or the postal dude....
7391054 DOM guy is cool with his chainsaw... but I prefer Gordon Freeman with the crowbar to jack st up... its more fun.
7388742 I had tried to argue much the same thing that Discord had planned things to go that way, but others have argued that it's not logical...except...
...this truly makes the logic work!
7388742 Oh my god, he's a completionist
He's that guy who chooses both sides of a quest to fuck everyone over for the most payout
I'M PISSING MYSELF
7388742 OK, this is a headcanon that I must accept as wholeheartedly true...
Oh my GOD that wordplay
8208232
I didn't get it until I read your comment.
7422310
Hm, it really does.
The scary thing, though, is that the canon events as portrayed here DO really point out that it might have all been his plan.
The ending of the quest to defeat Tirek makes it appear that Discord did it for the greater good (possibly intentionally and on purpose from the start of betraying them to Tirek) to allow them to open the box, etc, but that was never confirmed for sure. All that is known is that he's somewhat better behaved afterward, and that he did repent this time.
That makes me wonder at what point he actually reformed, and if the Plundervine incident WAS planned...
So, let me get this straight...
And THEN they decide to tell Page, who still hasn't been allowed to do the very security audit meant to prevent this crap from happening, that the Elements of Harmony are no longer usable.
DID I LEAVE ANYTHING OUT?!
I'm not sure I would even bother apologizing to the princesses for pointing out their stupidity. At least not until they've had a full day (or two, or three... or twenty million) to let my words sink in.
You know... I'm not sure why I'm surprised by any of this. I've seen the TV show, but somehow the constant stupidity of the alicorns never quite sunk in.
i don't get it?
9154455
Denial -> De - Nile
Like the Nile River in Egypt. It's near the pyramids.
I know, this is supposed to be intense.
HOWEVER!
8984543
actually, that giant 3-headed dog, Cerberus, was guarding Tartarus, BUT he left his post for a while during the episode "it's about time".
8984543
I'm with you, I agree with you, I think sunbutt is braindead, moonbutt has a bit more sense, but they both are dumb as all hell
9818464
Yup. Thank goodness Star-butt (Twilight) is so often capable of cleaning up their messes, despite not even being told what the other princess' messes are.
He's not wrong...
9998978
Nope he is not wrong about the security...
Nightmare Moon: she told no one. Not her student, not her officers, not her guards. We don't even know if Nightmare Moon was responsible for her disappearance. She could easily be sitting in some unknown bunker sipping tea and eating cake while her ponies were running scared. They needed a responsible leader; they got nothing.
Discord: it took Celestia, her sister and the elements to take him down. She lost the elements and her sister. She is utterly defenseless and vulnerable to him and what does she do? Leaves him out in the open where anyone could release him on accident. She then feeds her student to him and hopes for the problem to go away. Twilight, predictably, crumples under pressure as she always does (it takes Cadence to show her a coping technique in adulthood, something her parents should of taught her long ago) and the best Celestia does is send letters to Spike (showing that she knew she would crumple) and hope that she can fix it. They needed a responsible leader; they got nothing.
I could keep going. Could almost write a book.
Celestia is nothing.
The most responsible ruler (both on the show and this fic) is the Queen.
10140626
I actually love how in this fic, Chrysalis is an actually sensible and competent leader, if a bit of a manipulator.
Page did nothing wrong ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So the question is: (「•-•)「 ʷʱʸ? Tirek of all should have a activ team watching him or his prison...
Celestia needed to hear those words, I think. They both did.
The problem is, there's nobody to say them. Alicorns are seen as gods (or very close to), so nobody has the audacity to walk up to them and tell them they're making a mistake. Hell, most of the population will probably wave any blunders away with "The princesses work in mysterious ways." or some similar bullshit.
Face it: the ponies have become conditioned to wait for an alicorn to save their sorry plots. The fact that they usually do, and that they're usually right, doesn't help... They don't fail often, but - much like with high technology - when they do fail, it's Fucking Spectacular.
Oh, and read Page in an English (perhaps a lil' chavvy London, or slight Scots) accent - it enhances the experience. The right description would be "fucking incredulous". All that is missing is "U fockin' WOT?!"
11065963
Page with Scottish accent is just as good of a mental image as Scottish Spike from Mentally Advanced series.
I love it.
He‘s not even wrong…
PS: “… you are so fucking deep in denial, you can see the pyramids!“ I gotta remember this one.
This is going to end in tragically coming, totally avoidable desaster. Personally i don't like sugar coat suff like that even. I Personally would guess thousands if not ten of thousands will die to exposure and predators alone.