104 - Us Versus Them
"No," replied a female human sternly. "This hunk of rock is way too valuable." She hiked a thumb. "Have you seen the technology they have? It's a fair sight under ours, but they know how it works and they can fix it. They never went through a dark ages. They have factories, their people aren't scared of a light bulb."
"They also have fur coats," noted the boss. "But that doesn't really figure into it."
"No it does not." She crossed her arms under her chest. "You called me for an honest opinion. We'd be damned fools throwing away what they have on tap. We should be more worried about keeping them well away from others who'd rather protect their prissy little monopolies." A predatory smile spread on her face. "Imagine if we let those little colorful horses get a look at some real technology, and they started making more of it? We'd be at point zero for a bomb that will rock the entire universe."
"You need to work on your phrasing. Not sure I want to be anywhere near a bomb like that." He lifted his shoulders as he leaned back in his chair. "The church isn't going to let us have this."
"Who asked 'em?"
"They're already here, I remind. A ship larger than ours, several, parked over our heads and ready to vaporize the planet."
She wriggled a few fingers. "Good thing we're not alone. The Hawkwoods are here too, and they pissed on the planet first. This is theirs, but they, unlike the damn priests, want to play ball with us. Seems easy to me. We either run away and pretend we never saw the greatest opportunity ever, or we fight the ones trying to chase us away from it."
A soft knock came from the frame of the door, an unusual sound, as most ponies made more of a clopping noise than the sound of a knuckle striking wood. Laud was already looking there, having heard the footsteps approaching. Father Gregor stood there. He had no guards with him, a curiosity. "What brings you here?"
Gregor dipped his head as he entered. "I am informed you were injured in the battle against the demon."
Laud tensed faintly. "A battle we won."
"This I also heard. I am here to offer succor, and discuss future matters." He pressed his hands together in a symbol of prayer. "If you would accept it."
A few snippy retorts jumped to mind, but Laud pushed them aside gently. "That is kind of you. I am whole, but bed-ridden until the venom has run its course."
"That makes the prayer needed clear then." He sat down beside the bed on a simple stool some pony had left there. "Let's get you back on your feet. Our people have need of you."
"Our?" Laud would not get answers, as the priest had begun his prayers, calling on divine forces to banish the toxins plaguing him. He would have to wait for answers.
"Say what now?" Spike was peering at the little Chrysalis perched on his little chair around the map room. "Why is she here? The humans let her go? C'mon..."
Twilight shook her head. "As far as they know, she's dead. You are not to speak a word of this to them."
"I'm not lying to Laud." Spike crossed his arms firmly. "That's, like, instant disqualification to being a knight. What happened?"
"Since you insist." Chrysalis sat up in her commandeered chair. "Come here and listen."
So she told him the tale. He scratched at his cheek softly. "Wow... That was completely uncool. We really need to tell Laud! He will not be happy someceature got attacked for no reason, even Chrysalis."
Twilight wobbled a hoof at the disadvantaged former ruler of the changelings. "I don't disagree with you, Spike, but this is a little more delicate than something we can just run in shouting about. It would have been simpler if she had died." Chrysalis glared. "Not that I would rather you were killed, but now we can't just focus on 'never do that again'. We have what is, basically, a fugitive."
Applejack trotted into the room. "Ya know what ah'm gonna suggest."
Twilight smiled at her friend. "That we put all the cards on the table and be truthful."
"Darn tootin'." Applejack hopped up onto her throne and sat down. "Things always get more complicated when we try bein' sneaky. This ain't no exception."
Starlight put a hoof on the armrest of the chair Chrysalis was in. "So... since we're all here and talking, don't suppose we could move past the whole 'I swear ultimate revenge' thing? I'll forgive if you do." She inclined her head towards a window. "The changelings--"
"--are mine," cut in Chrysalis. "Even if they need to be reminded. Are you begging for mercy?" She turned without rising, shuffling in place. "Go on, beg."
Starlight's eyes rolled mightily. "Oh, yes. Great and terrible queen, forgive me my slights." She lowered her head, eyes covered by her hooves, which let her wink at the others in the room. "I tremble at your might. Please show mercy."
Chrysalis suddenly hopped free of the throne, landing right on Starlight's head and perching on her, the unicorn's horn serving as a resting place for the little queen's head. "Show you are sincere by serving as my chariot for the day. Not one word of objection."
"I would never dream." Starlight rose to her hooves and trotted the short distance to the table, barely two steps. "So what's the plan?"
Twilight pointed to the window. "Thorax will be back. When he gets here, we let him take care of Chrysalis while we go speak to Laud. Spike, how was he doing?"
Applejack tilted her hat forward. "Reckon that means Starlight ain't goin' with ya then, seein' as she just got conscripted to play Chryssie's ride."
Chrysalis tapped the head she was on. "I would speak to that human. Carry me there."
Twilight was quick to shake her head. "Carrying you through town? I'm vetoing that."
"I didn't see you respecting my rules when you were in my castle." Chrysalis was waving one hoof at Twilight agitatedly.
Twilight leaned towards Starlight and Chrysalis, a smirk on her face. "You didn't veto us."
Chrysalis went quiet, thinking back on the moment. "... Was... that all I needed to do?"
Starlight pointed up at her occupied head. "I'll work off my penance while you all talk with Laud. We can wait on introducing him to Chrysalis until--"
"--Queen." Chrysalis thumped Starlight with a hoof. "Queen Chrysalis."
"Yes, yes. We can introduce them when he gets back here." Starlight made a shooing motion with a hoof. "Go on, we'll be safe for now."
Twilight turned hesitantly, but was soon trotting with Spike jogging at her side. "Coming with?"
"Of course." He saluted sharply. "What if something happened to you while I let you wander off?"
Twilight smiled faintly. "Spike, that is adorable and touching, but I've been protecting you for a lot longer than you've even tried the other way around. I think I can handle a trot across town."
Bon Bon came in opposite of Spike, lurking just beyond the archway of the map room and matching the pace easily. "Not without me. I have things to discuss with him as well."
"That... gives me two out of three. Where's Lyra?" Spike looked around as if expecting the unicorn to appear out of thin air.
She did not disappoint, descending down the stairs on light hooves. "Right here! If you're going to Laud, I'm coming too. What kind of wife am I to not visit her hubby when he was hurt? A bad kind, that's what! So I'm in." She fell in behind the group, a big smile on her face.
Back in the throne room, Applejack was looking towards Starlight and Chrysalis. "Mighty fine hat ya have there."
"Made of the finest royal materials," joked Starlight, going with the flow. "Speaking of, how are you doing up there?"
"I demand a drink." Chrysalis tapped at Starlight's forehead with a dangling hoof. "A little sip of love would also be delightful."
"Not it," declared Applejack swiftly. "You know, the changelings who give love instead of gettin' it stop being hungry. They sure do seem happier fer it."
"Good for them," grumbled Chrysalis. "Bunch of weak-hearted ninnies, forgetting the glory of a successful hunt."
Starlight's ears twitched on either side of Chrysalis. "It's not as fun, I suppose, but have you tried it? Are you scared?"
"Scared?!" Chrysalis stormed to her hooves, glaring down at her 'chariot'. "Chrysalis fears nocreature!"
Applejack smirked, half-hidden by her hat. "Except tryin' something she doesn't wanna like. Then she gets a might put off."
"Pfft. Any love given would be, at best, a quarter as scrumptious as the dazed expression of a love-torn fool being drained." Chrysalis raised a hoof to her chin. "Mmm, that delightful glazed expression as their life flees them, wanting nothing but to experience it more, not realizing it is what is ending them. Such sweet torment..."
Applejack sat up, her hat almost falling off. "That is... right creepy, if ya don't mind mah sayin' so."
Chrysalis settled on the horrified Starlight's head. "It's a changeling thing. Of course a pony wouldn't understand it."
Starlight cleared her throat, trying to regather herself. "Still! You haven't tried it. Maybe it will be icky, maybe it won't be. Until you give it a shot, the changelings will think you're scared of it."
Chrysalis tapped Starlight on the noggin. "Have you tried jumping into a bonfire just to be certain it was too warm? Who knows, maybe it's actually just the right amount of snuggly warmth and you've been denying yourself this whole time. Wouldn't you feel silly?"
Applejack snorted at that. "Don't reckon that's quite the same thing. Not like yer gonna get hurt jus' tryin' to be nice for a moment. Love doesn't cost nothin' to give."
"Then why aren't you giving me yours?" Chrysalis leaned forward on her pony mount. "I'm still thirsty, for love and water." She resumed tapping Starlight. "At least one of those you should be fixing, loyal chariot."
"Aye aye." Starlight began to trot towards the kitchen. "Some pure water, just for you."
Luna closed the door behind herself, horn glowing. "What is it, Sister Mine? You do not often summon me with such urgency, nor to this place." It wasn't the throne room. It was dark, moodily lit. Only the two of them were in it. "Has some new tragedy befallen us?"
"A letter, from Twilight." She pointed a metal-clad hoof to a scroll on a small platform. "She had it sent the moment Spike was at her side. It would seem our 'guests' have shown a violent side."
Luna hiked a brow. "Now you believe me then? How do we repel these hairless apes?" Her horn glowed, casting off light in all directions as they became surrounded with an image of the night sky, interrupted only where Celestia's form blocked the light. "Strike their ships with the moon?"
"You are hasty by half, Sister Dear." Celestia approached at a slow walk. "That risks the moon, and their reprisal could be swift and terrible even as we move to strike again. Besides that--" She inclined her head towards the platform. "--we have not yet proof that all of them are deserving of such violence. We would be no better than them to lash out in such a way so quickly."
Luna raised a hoof to point as the image shifted around them, zooming in to show the floating vessels that orbited their planet. "While we consider, they prepare. The element of surprise will be lost to us if we hesitate too long."
"We will not sacrifice what we are." Celestia raised a hoof to her chest. "Harmony will guide us, but only if we act harmoniously. Neigh, I called you not to attack them."
The lights faded, her image dispelled. "Then what did you call me for?"
"I am sending you, if you are up for it, to Ponyville. I need a pony on the ground, to determine what the next step should be."
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I couldn't tell you why, but if I weren't at work, this chapter would have me squealing in delight.
Hehe, Chrissy has a point: giving love can be more easily said than done. Applejack should put her heart here her mouth is.
Factions are forming! Communication is key.
Celestia is almost wise, this is important.
The battle continues on multiple fronts!
Keep going! ;)
Good to see that somebody appreciates what they've got here. This is gonna be big.
Hmm, sending the Princess with the lowest view of humanity to Ponyville is a gamble. Either she sees the good in those who stand with her, or her bias will colour the actions and rationalizations of them into condemning them as a whole.
10241558
Give people everything and the only power left is to take it away from others.
And to them that believe it their right to power, power is the only thing.
And then they complain when you give them All the power, as in unconstrained kinetic, chemical, nuclear or vaccuum energy.
10241783
Ah, was this addressed to me?
10241794
Sorry, was just thinking of the various levels of conflict between the Houses, merchants, Church etc and reasons over the centuaries why.
Aside from that, I continue to enjoy the back-and-forth with Chrysalis.
...Honestly sounds like a convenient plot device excuse to not use the moon to just swat the pains in the ass out of the sky. Even if the moon of Equestria is not the size of Earths, it would still take a lot of firepower to destroy a planetoid sized object. Luna could easily smash their ships and even if the moon ended up with extra craters, it would not be destroyed. It's not "harmonious"? The upcoming Inquisitorial omnicide against the planet doesn't strike me as particularly harmonious either. In fact I'd call it the opposite of harmonious. Apparently rather than eliminate a threat they'd rather risk extermination... that's not a particularly good survival strategy. They better hope the Hawkwoods arrive in force soon or Equestria is SOL.
10242528
Bear in mind none of the ponies are aware that the church is about to go all Exterminatus on them. But I'm wholly down with some Moon- or Sun-powered planetary defense.
I continue to enjoy this story. :)
Like I said before, Luna should smite the church's ships. Celestia could always blame great demon Nightmare Moon.
10244807
Hurl them into the sun. Or convince the church Amalthea is the mother of the sisters?