An Overdue Conversation
Celestia reclined in her chair, the alicorn tapping her chin while she stared off into the distance, her gaze unfocused as she contemplated what she had just been told. “Then it is as my sources feared. They are growing bolder than ever, and have managed to get ahold of scientists knowledgeable of zerg biology,” Celestia remarked.
“I’m afraid so,” replied Twilight. “Though I’m worried about that mass teleportation spell they used. Such an affect is rare, and difficult to create without gathering dozens of powerful unicorns together in one place.”
“And then there was that queen they had,” added Spike.
“Indeed,” muttered Celestia. “Between the attack and all of the events surrounding it I am beginning to worry that they are preparing for something big like Blue Blood warned us.”
“Likely some manner of invasion, considering that they have not deployed their own forces up to this point,” Silver Bulwark warned.
“True. If they are testing both the strength of the zerg and the frontier towns, it makes me think they are going to strike there first,” Twilight exclaimed.
Celestia sighed. “I would refrain from making too many assumptions in that regard for there is information you do not know, which will no doubt change your thoughts on this matter.”
“And I am going to learn this information soon I hope,” Twilight replied with a hint of irritation.
Celestia nodded. “In mere minutes. I just wished to discuss a few things with Spike and Silver Bulwark before we begin that particular conversation.
“Oh? Like what?” Spike offered, leaning forward in his seat.
“I am about to tell Twilight a great number of very dangerous secrets. Secrets that mustn’t be repeated anywhere,” Celestia stated, the alicorn’s gaze falling on Spike and Silver Bulwark in turn.
“Are you calling me a blabber mouth?” Silver Bulwark accused with a smirk.
Celestia chuckled. “You two may believe you are good at keeping classified information to yourself, but you've never known secrets like these. You can't even so much as hint that you know what Twilight will soon know. Do you understand?”
Spike nodded. “I think we got it.”
Celestia frowned. “I will leave it up to Twilight’s discretion on whether you are let in on any of this confidential information.”
“Understood,” exclaimed Silver Bulwark.
“So was that it?” Twilight pressed, the mare’s anticipation getting the better of her.
“More or less,” Celestia admitted. “Though I had hoped we would have more time to talk, so that I may inquire about your most recent changes, Silver Bulwark.”
The guard nodded and ran a hoof down the back of her armored head. “Not much to say honestly. It's better than dying, and as far as I’m concerned I’m better for it.” She smirked. “Feels like I’m ten years younger too.”
Celestia smiled. “I’m glad. I trust you will keep these new abilities of yours reserved only for extreme cases, correct?’
“Of course,” Twilight replied instantly.
“If we had the time I would start researching this regenerative ability of yours, but that is merely another plan that must be put aside for now,” Celestia remarked, the alicorn sighing and leaning back in her chair.
“So is that everything?” Spike asked, the drake sitting on the edge of his seat, eagerness evident in his voice. “‘Cause I got some cold pizza and half read comics with my name on them.”
Celestia slowly stood, her joints creaking as she rose to a stand. “That is indeed everything,” remarked the mare, who winced after a particularly loud pop came from her right foreleg. “I really gotta make time for those yoga classes again.”
Twilight smirked. “Maybe you could get the council to meet in the yoga room.”
The alicorn smiled. “Then they could give me their reports while I practice my downward dog.”
“No way. You should get them to join you. Maybe then they wouldn't be so stuck up and inflexible,” added Silver Bulwark.
“True,” Celestia admitted, the alicorn thinking about the suggestion for all of a second before shaking her head. “We will be back soon, until then make yourself at home as usual.”
“Sounds good,” exclaimed Spike before he slipped out of the room, followed by a slightly more hesitant Silver Bulwark.
“Are you sure you don't need some backup there, boss?” asked the guard.
Twilight looked to Celestia, who shook her head. “After our conversation we’ll be going to one of the most secure locations in Equestria. I think we’ll be okay without you,” Celestia stated.
The infested guard nodded, before giving Twilight one last look and slipping out of the room.
Leaving the younger pony to look up at her mentor expectantly. “We’re not leaving Canterlot, are we?” inquired the unicorn.
Celestia shook her head. “It's not far, a short teleportation spell will bring us right there.” The alicorn lit her horn and shut the door before enacting even more privacy measures on the already well-warded room. “Now then, first things first. Please save any questions until the end. At which point if you do not believe you are capable of keeping these secrets I will use a gease to remedy that.”
“Isn't that a bit much?” Twilight asked. “I mean a gease is dark magic, after all.”
Celestia snorted. “Dark magic is merely magic that wants to be cast, remember?”
Twilight nodded grimly. “Its ease of casting, combined with its power has made it vilified by the unicorn nobility, and other groups who wished to keep such high level spells available only to them.”
Celestia smiled mirthlessly. “Exactly. It may be seductive, but it is only psychologically addictive, as the actual spells do not corrupt you like they would want you to believe they do.” She waved a hoof dismissively. “But I understand your hesitation and promise to only use such magic if absolutely necessary.”
“So, where do we start?” Twilight inquired.
“We start with something you may have already guessed. Namely that the nobility have managed to snatch up key researchers, as well as your former therapist,” Celestia began, the pony placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I wish to apologize for this oversight. I do not understand how they have managed to get past the physical and mental contingencies put in place to stop such a thing.”
“Why would you apologize to me?” Twilight asked nervously, gently removing Celestia’s hoof from her shoulder.
“Because they will use that information against you in the future,” Celestia declared before taking a step back. “Every little thing you may have given either of them is now likely to be in the hooves of our enemies.”
“So expect that all to come back and bite me,” Twilight concluded with a nod. “I accept your apology.”
“Thank you, dear.” Celestia sighed. “Now then, why don't we-” The alicorn stopped, her brow furrowing as her attention shifted suddenly.
“What's wrong?” Twilight asked quickly, the mare looking around the room, as if expecting an attack at any moment.
“Well, let’s just say I’m going to have to give you a demonstration of something I had hoped to explain first.” Celestia lit her horn. “Hold still.”
Twilight did as she was told, the infested mare remaining completely motionless as Celestia’s horn began to glow brightly. Magic swirled around the mare's head, forming an intricate teleportation spell the likes of which Twilight had never seen before. It was powerful enough to send someone to the moon if need be, yet it was aimed somewhere close by.
The spell was completed a second later and Twilight was subsequently almost blinded by the ensuing flash. The usual snap, crack of a teleportation spell came from the other pony’s horn, though the moment of weightlessness between departure and arrival was longer than normal. It was enough to make Twilight begin to wonder if something had gone wrong, only for cold ground to suddenly appear under her.
Her head spun, and her body felt strangely light, magic clinging to her horn for some reason.
“Stay still, don't cast any magic, and don't utter a sound,” Celestia warned.
Twilight did exactly that, the sternness in her teacher’s voice telling her that she was serious. She dared not even move her eyes, merely staring forward into the gloomy stone grey room until something strange washed over her. White and blue light covered her form, making her skin crawl as the scanning spell picked her apart, atom by atom.
When finally the light dulled, and several torches sprung to life, Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, the spell leaving her feeling oddly naked for some reason. A shiver ran down her spine, and she looked up at Celestia expectantly, finding that the alicorn had her horn still lit and her eyes closed. With little else to do, Twilight looked around and realized she was in a moderately sized room that was oddly devoid of decoration.
There was only the dull, lifeless glyphs on the ground, plain stone all around them, a few torches on the walls and a large doorway before them which opened up into a lengthy hallway.
“There,” Celestia announced suddenly before turning to her student. “Sorry about that, Twilight. I programmed the defences to make an exception for you, but I had to make sure they were still working as intended before we could continue.”
Twilight nodded. “Understandable. So, what is this place anyway?”
“It’s somewhere deep beneath Canterlot, carved out in order to house something of great importance,” Celestia began with a faint smile. “But first, I must ask you if you believe in Harmony.”
“I assume you are not simply talking about the concept itself, right?” Twilight replied.
Celestia nodded. “I am not.”
Twilight pursed her lips. “There are plenty of magical beings with power the likes of which I cannot even fathom, so in that context it's certainly possible.”
“You are pragmatic as always, my student,” Celestia exclaimed with a chuckle. “I should have expected such an answer from you.”
Twilight cocked her head. “Why do you say it like that? You are not seriously suggesting that there is some sort of force that works through all of pony kind, manipulating us to some unknowable end. Right?”
“It is not unknowable, and it is not just ponykind that it moves through,” Celestia countered, the alicorn trotting forward, walking through the door and down the hall, her student close behind her. “Harmony exists in all living things, giving ponies magic, the hydra its regeneration, and much much more.”
“Okay, so why bring this up, exactly?” Twilight pressed.
“Because now that you know that Harmony itself is real, you must have many questions, like how does it work, or what does it want?” Celestia began, the sound of her trotting hooves being muffled by the long ornate carpet she walked upon. “I will not be able to answer many of those questions however as Harmony is as mysterious as it is powerful.”
“How powerful, exactly?” Twilight questioned, the pony only giving a brief glance to her surroundings before focusing on Celestia once more.
“It alters the very course of history, changing each and every one of us, steering us towards some future only it knows,” Celestia continued. “What I do understand is that it is truly benevolent, and that in times of chaos, it grows weak.”
“Times like the one we find ourself at this very moment,” Twilight remarked.
“Exactly,” Celestia declared, stopping before a large iron door that lacked a handle or any obvious method of opening. “Its plan for this world, for us, has been changed, altered by something dark that happened in the past and which has brought about untold suffering. Namely, the arrival of the zerg.”
“So if they had not arrived we would... What? Live in some perfect, peaceful utopia?” Twilight deadpanned.
“Most likely, yes,” Celestia replied with a soft smile, before lighting her horn again.
Twilight frowned, and was about to ask another question before she noticed the floor begin to bulge, and slowly take on the shape of an earth pony. “A stone golem? Interesting,” Twilight remarked idly
Celestia nodded before turning to the golem and speaking directly to the construct. “Concordia praevalet.”
Twilight lifted an eyebrow, and watched as the golem sunk back into the floor. “Is that the password?”
“It is, and should you ever require access to this place it will be the one you use,” Celestia announced. “I will also teach you the unique teleportation spell that brought us here later tonight. For now I will just say that my plans were all but ironclad, but with the addition of more variables things have changed, and the dark force which looms over this world has also changed.”
“What dark force are you talking about exactly?” Twilight questioned.
“I will tell you that in a moment. For now, I must welcome you to the Sanctum of Harmony,” Celestia announced as the large iron door opened on its own, revealing an enormous room.
Twilight blinked, temporarily taken aback by what she beheld.
The area was large, probably as big as the training arena that her and Celestia had spent so much time in. The walls remained a dull grey like the last room, but the carpet vanished, as did the torches, though the room itself remained brightly lit.
For in the center of the room was an enormous structure of bronze gears and glowing strands of light. The gears varied in size and shape, though one feature they always maintained was the way they effortlessly fit together, turning soundlessly. The entire thing moved and shifted in a manner reminiscent of an organ of some kind, reminding Twilight of a massive heart.
The light itself was also not all one color, though it was mostly dominated by the teal hues Twilight noticed earlier, there were also black, red, and purple lines intermingled here or there. More concerning than its bizarre appearance was the raw pressure it exuded in such amounts that Twilight could feel her horn begin to ache. Wincing, Twilight rubbed the base of the appendage, trying to make the uncomfortable sensation go away.
“Here, allow me,” Celestia whispered.
Twilight grimaced and nodded her head, allowing her teacher to touch their horns together and dispel the pressure that had previously assailed Twilight. “That is much better,” muttered the younger pony. “What was that exactly?”
“This room exudes so much magical energy that it could even refill your spell-casting reserves if you were suffering from something like magical exhaustion,” Celestia began as she trotted towards the enormous entity at the centre of the room. “Which you weren’t, so I went ahead and sapped some of your magic, relieving the pressure.”
Twilight snorted. “I never thought I would thank someone for doing that to me.”
Celestia smirked. “It is the only reason I’ve remained standing after so many long nights, and brutal days. Come now, I have something to show you.”
Pursing her lips, Twilight followed close behind her teacher even as they neared the great mass of gears and light. “Are you sure we should get so close to it?” Twilight nervously asked.
“It couldn't harm you even if it wanted to. Though that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful, as it is quite delicate, despite its appearance,” Celestia cautioned.
Twilight silently doubted such an assertion, given that some of the gears looked heavier than her childhood home. “So what is it you wanted to show me?” Twilight questioned.
“The future,” Celestia replied cryptically before kneeling. “Hop on my back and I’ll explain everything.”
“Are you sure about that?” Twilight muttered, eyeing the relatively thin alicorn closely. “I don't want to squish you.”
Celestia rolled her eyes. “Twilight, I’m part earth pony. I’m sturdier than I look.”
Twilight’s frown deepened and she sighed. “Fine, but don't complain when your legs start giving out from under you.”
“Oh it will be f-ine!” Celestia cried as her student slipped onto her back and nearly knocked her off her hooves.
“Are you sure you are okay?” Twilight pressed, even as Celestia slowly rose to a stand once more, the younger mare now sitting atop Celestia’s back.
“Yeah I just probably should have done some stretching before this,” Celestia muttered under her breath before leaping into the air and flapping her wings.
It took a few seconds, but eventually Celestia managed to get Twilight right where she wanted to. “Wow, you are really warm,” Twilight muttered, the mare awkwardly holding onto Celestia’s neck with her forehooves. “And boney.”
Celestia sighed. “Can we pretend like this part didn't happen? I had a whole dramatic entrance planned.”
Twilight chuckled. “Sure.”
Clearing her throat, Celestia raised her head high in the air. “What you see before you are all the lives of those who live within the borders of Equestria. The ones furthest out are the least important to Harmony’s plan while those at the centre are the most important. The black ones are those who Harmony can no longer reach, and have fallen out of its ability to influence while the teal ones remain pure.”
“Then what about the purple and green ones?” Twilight pointed out.
Celestia sighed. “Their state of mind has been altered in such a way that their connection to Harmony has changed. This is only recent, and I assume it has something to do with the zerg.”
Twilight gazed over the few lines she could see which weren’t either teal or black, and found them to be few and far between. The majority remained bright teal, but several knots of black lines were visible near the exterior of the mass of gears and light. Around those particularly dense spots, the gears didn't move quite as quick, or as elegantly for that matter. A thought suddenly occurred to Twilight and she tore her gaze from the last knot she had found and gazed as deep as she could into the machine.
“Who's at the centre?” asked the young mare.
“I’m glad you asked,” Celestia replied before pumping her wings and flying directly into a hole which neatly opened for them. “Let's find out.”
For a second Twilight gripped her teacher’s body tightly, her fear getting the better of her until it was discovered that absolutely nothing bad was about to happen. Then her hooves loosened, and she relaxed, taking a deep steadying breath. With panic no longer coursing through her, the unicorn found her gaze drawn to the center, which seemed to be their destination.
Here the many lines seemed to converge at certain important points before flowing off into another part of the machine. Twilight’s gaze lingered over one such convergence point and found that she could see someone inside the thicker point of light. It was a teacher she had in her youth, one that had done a wonderful job instilling a deep love of learning in all of her students. Her name was Quick Quill and her light was as one of the brightest and most vibrant of the ones Twilight had seen.
Then it was gone, lost amidst the ever churning mass of gears and light, and a second later they came to a stop. Looking down, Twilight found that Celestia had conjured a floor for them to stand on, and began to lean down, allowing Twilight to step onto the glowing bit of golden light. After testing her new footing, Twilight looked around, and quickly discovered they were in a small alcove of some kind.
Beneath them shone a bright teal light which drowned out most others, though there were a grouping of lights near them which nearly did so. Though of that grouping only a select few seemed to have many connections of their own, and one had only two lines which touched it. They were also varied in color, one being a purplish teal, while two were black, and the others were a mix of teal or green.
“What is all this?” Twilight asked, looking up to her mentor.
Who smiled. “These are the Elements of Harmony. The group of ponies whom are destined to wield six ancient artifacts of unimaginable power.” Celestia pointed to the bright teal and purple speck Twilight had noticed earlier. “This is you, and the other five are friends who you will soon meet.”
“That seems a bit presumptuous. Don't you think?” Twilight muttered as she stared at her point of light, only to find that she was looking down over her own shoulder.
Celestia chuckled as Twilight hastily turned around and found no one looking down at her. “Harmony has a destiny for us all, and after I discovered yours, I made sure to move things in such a manner so that Harmony’s plan would be fulfilled.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow and studied her mentor closely. “So you’ve been manipulating my life without telling me?”
Celestia grimaced. “I wouldn't say manipulating persay, as Harmony’s destinies are not painful things. In fact when it is able to do what it wants without meddling, the ponies live their best life. They accomplish all they ever desired without suffering more than minor inconveniences.”
Twilight frowned and tapped her hoof, looking down at her point of light again. “I’m just going to assume you are right, and that this force is in fact completely and utterly benevolent. With that being said, what exactly is this destiny of mine? Or does telling me it change things in some way?”
Celestia sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Things have already changed immensely, and at this point I am going to need you in on my little schemes if we are going to avoid catastrophe. For you see, Twilight, you were meant to wield the Element of Magic and become the leader of the Elements of Harmony. Together with your friends you were intended to become Harmony’s agents and use your power to cleanse corruption from several enemies from Equestria’s past.”
Twilight’s features tightened and she bit down nervously on her lip. “How do you know all this?”
“That I’m afraid is one secret I can't divulge. At least not yet,” Celestia replied.
The unicorn started to groan, only to chuckle. “You know what, maybe that's for the best,” she exclaimed. “At this point I’m already going to lose sleep, and if you reveal some manner of divining the future, I may never see my pillow again.”
Celestia smiled. “That's more likely than you may think.”
“Alright, so we were supposed to be the Elements of Harmony and save the world a bunch of times,” Twilight began. “But from what exactly? My list of potential threats to Equestria is long, but most of them are relatively new.”
Celestia frowned. “Discord, the God of Chaos will return shortly after you and your future friends become the Elements of Harmony. He will be awakened by the dwindling chaotic energy in the world, something I don't think we have to worry about anymore.”
Twilight snorted. “Well, at least that's one less thing to worry about.”
“I wouldn't rule him out completely. Chaos isn't exactly known for being consistent and obviously the arrival of the zerg has dramatically changed our future,” Celestia cautioned. “I wouldn't be entirely surprised if Discord is awakened by too much chaotic energy as well.”
“Alright, we’ll worry more about the exact details of these threats later. For now, who else are we dealing with?” Twilight pressed.
“I have told you of the changeling species, and how they nearly dominated the planet a long, long time ago, right?” Celestia asked.
Twilight nodded. “You have. You also said they went extinct, though I think there is an addendum needed on that statement.”
“There is indeed,” Celestia admitted. “The inter-hive wars that destroyed their empire also nearly killed them all and only a single queen known for her propensity towards scavenging the scraps of other hives survived the conflict. In time she too will become a threat that needs to be dealt with by you and your future friends.”
“Shapeshifters, possible infiltration, high likelihood of working with, or being absorbed by the zerg. Got it.” Twilight looked up at the alicorn. “What's next?”
“Next is King Sombra, a unicorn who thought himself the rightful ruler of the entire planet.” Celestia chuckled. “He would be right at home with the nobles, though I wouldn't count on them working together.”
“Really, why is that?” Twilight questioned.
“He is arrogant in the extreme, perceiving even other unicorns as inferior to himself. He is an island of one, and in his mind he is the only one with the intellect and drive necessary to run the world properly.” Celestia scowled. “He was a truly blackhearted stallion who was not above mind-controlling whole hordes of innocent ponies, using them like cannon fodder against his enemies. He was defeated by myself and another, but he was able to fling himself and the Crystal Empire into the time stream before we could deliver the final blow.”
“Another alicorn I presume?” Twilight questioned.
“I will tell you about her in a moment. First I must tell you of the last threat, a centaur by the name of Lord Tirek,” Celestia replied sadly, the mare shaking her head. “His tale is long, and saddening, but after his race perished, he blamed those beings who had magic and sought to take it from everyone. He too was defeated, and locked in Tartarus, though I fear he may eventually escape as well.”
Twilight’s frown deepened. “Maniacal, mad, and driven by grief. Unlikely to work with the nobles unless intending on stabbing them in the back. Also unlikely to work with the zerg, though they are likely to hunt the centaur down in order to obtain his essence.”
“If they acquired his unique ability to steal magic for themselves, they would be unstoppable,” Celestia remarked grimly.
“Our priority should be to recapture him, or destroy him utterly if necessary. The zerg cannot be allowed to gain such a power,” Twilight stated sternly.
“I unfortunately agree.” Celestia sighed and shook her head. “Regardless. I promised you an answer to your earlier question so here it is. The last, but also the first villain you must face is my sister, Nightmare Moon, though at one point her name was Luna.”
Twilight’s brow furrowed and she looked up at her mentor closely, studying her features. “What happened?”
“Something corrupted her, something not from this planet and I fear it may be connected to the zerg, though they only showed up much, much later,” Celestia began, her gaze becoming more and more distant the longer she spoke. “She controlled the moon, and for this reason there were some who distrusted her, associating the mystery and danger of her night with her personally. Jealousy, distrust, and envy allowed this entity into her mind, and turned her into a monster who tried to bring night eternal.”
“Which is why you cannot simply destroy her, but you need to deal with her one way or another,” Twilight concluded. “These Elements of Harmony will purify her, right?”
Celestia nodded. “It is within their power, that much is certain. For it was their power that imprisoned her on the moon in the first place.”
Twilight was unbothered by this information, and merely tapped her hoof, deep in thought. “This will not be easy.”
Celestia sighed. “I know I have no right to ask this of you, but please get my sister back. If you awaken the elements and meet with the other five ponies that were destined to become your friends, then I’m certain it's still possible.”
“And if I can't?” Twilight asked curiously.
“Then I have contingency plans in place to ensure she does not take the throne,” Celestia exclaimed grimly. “She cannot be allowed to roam free without being cleansed, and if that means she needs to be destroyed, then that is a possibility I am willing to consider.”
Twilight eyed her mentor closely, the unicorn knowing quite well that the alicorn did not have the guts to do such a thing. Though after thinking about it for a moment, Twilight wasn't quite sure about that assumption, as this was a unique situation, one that may affect the fate of the entire world. With a frown, Twilight looked down, her gaze lingering on each of the five lights that surrounded her own.
“So, what's the plan then?” she asked.
Celestia smiled. “I would ask that you go to Ponyville in one year’s time, and act as my emissary in order to organize the one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. Once there, you will need to reconnect with the other five Element Bearers and bring them to the Castle of the Two Sisters at the heart of the Everfree Forest. There you will find the Elements, and after you awaken them, you will then use them to cleanse the nightmare from my sister.”
“And then go down in history as big damn heroes,” Twilight added with a slight smirk.
“Indeed, and if all goes well, I would ask that you stay in Ponyville for a little while after that so you may connect more with your new friends,” Celestia continued, pointing down to the lights. “The bonds you share will strengthen the Elements, and enable you to face the rest of Equestria’s foes when they crop up.”
“Assuming this all goes according to plan,” Twilight remarked.
“I know it's a long shot, but I intend to stack the deck in your favor and give you all the information you will need to complete this mission,” Celestia finished, before stepping closer to the young mare. “So, what do you say, Twilight? Will you save Equestria and potentially the world?”
The unicorn grumbled to herself before looking up once more. “I want to say yes, but I can't help but feel like my place is in Canterlot, by your side. Especially with these unicorn supremacists running around, nevermind the zerg.”
Celestia chuckled. “Your concern is endearing, but I can take care of myself, you know. Dealing with upstart nobility is something of a specialty of mine, and as soon as we have cleansed my sister, I will be able to divert a lot more resources to handling them.”
“Still, it doesn't feel right to send me away when there is so much danger here in Canterlot already,” Twilight stated, though her convicting was beginning to falter.
“Know that I do not send you away for your safety,” Celestia began with a sad smile. “If Luna is not cleansed, then this world will suffer greatly, and I fear my back-up plans will be insufficient to deal with her at full power.”
Twilight sighed and stared off into space, her attention slowly drawn to the five lights which surrounded her own. Upon looking closer, she found that more lights surrounded hers, though they weren’t as bright, including a teal and green one which contained a slumbering Spike who had a piece of cold pizza sticking out of his mouth. She could also see a similarly distorted light that contained a worried Silver Bulwark who paced near the entrance to Celestia’s private residence.
Looking deeper revealed a clear teal light which showed an image of her father who was asleep on his chair, a book draped over his face. She could also see her mother staring out a window, a half-finished draft sitting forgotten on the desk before her. Even Shining Armor was visible, though his light was even blacker than his mother’s. The stallion could be seen polishing a sword.
With one final sigh, Twilight stood up, straightened her back, and looked Celestia in the eye. “Fine. But after that is done I am coming back to Canterlot and you are not leaving my sight for like, a month.”
Celestia chuckled. “Sounds like a plan.”
Twilight smiled as her mentor pulled her into a tight hug. “So you ARE going to tell me everything about these mares right? And about these contingencies of yours?”
“And so much more,” Celestia concluded before relinquishing her hold on the other pony. “But first thing’s first. You must learn about the ponies whom you will soon be your closest allies, for if even a single one of you does not realize your potential, the entire plan will fall through.”
Twilight nodded and peered down at the lights. “I’m ready.”
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How many chapters long will this story be?
10065616
Lots. 2-3 more arcs after this one is complete.
10065644
Surely you jest?
So many worlds, so many iterations of the same events each unique in their own way. Words crossing, mixing or converging; each iteration has its own change that brings more entertainment. This one has proven to be among the strangest but most entertaining to observe. With such recent developments I believe that thing's are likely to get even more... interesting.
Celestia found the show scripts.
GAH, I can't wait for more, were finally going to see how our favorite town is effected by all this.
Loved the new chapters mate!
Wow, they forgot about Cadance fast XP I kind of feel bad for her.
10065845
They didnt forget about her. Rather this is more or less from Twilight's perspective and shes compartmentalized her greif.
10065793
Meanwhile, in an unsuspected little town...
Oh, looks like Princess Celestia just reveal the Script to the Bearer of Magic. I need to prepare for her welcome party!
But since she know the Script, should I stop using Pinkie Sense to prank her?
Nice chapter.
Nice update.
Hm, odd to be so up-front about what is basically a manipulative Oracle, but it does make things more interesting.
However I doubt this will be so easy. We already know that Ponyville has been hit by the initial Zerg infestation as evidenced by you-know-who. There’s also the fact that the Nobles would be stupid not to have agents in other villages/towns/cities, and they seem far from stupid.
So any of Twilight’s soon to-be friends could be affected in any number of ways. And there’s also the first villain to consider, how will she react? She doesn’t exactly come immediately, she might choose instead to explore a rabbit hole and end up in a situation.
There’s so much that could go wrong.
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While that’d certainly be a twist, it’s be a bit out-of-nowhere.
Here comes cannon, or at least something that will vaguely resemble cannon. Is there going a time skip to the 1000th summer sun celebration, or is there going to be more happening before then?
geas
geas
she
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No see, the thing here is that Chrysalis replaced her ahead of schedule, because she's been out on the frontier instead of wooing Shining. But then Chrysalis was actually intelligent for once, and realized that keeping the deception going was netting her more love than a one-and-done invasion. So she's been doing the whole princess thing and winning hearts and minds, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Because really, having the loyalty of the most technologically advanced faction on the planet sounds like a pretty good idea, yeah? But now she's been captured, and whatever changeling muckery she'd been using to replicate Cadance's magical signature has been disrupted, causing the failure of Twilight's thingamajig.
I could see this working, it'd be fun to see the chaos from everyone's plans going awry at once...
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There is going to be much more happening. I dont think you'll want to miss it.
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Things are very dire if Celestia is unveiling all this. Time to buckle down and gear up!
Chrysalis will be fun. Discord... Might actually be helpful. Luna will be assimilated, and Tirek will be... Eaten..
Keep going! ;)
Regardless of how this turns out, thank you for writing a story where these two actually talk to each other and make a plan as equals. It is so very fair and refreshing to read : )
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I know right? Contrary to popular belief I actually really like it when that happens.
pwease be nice to best princess luna...i don't mind if she ends up with some bug bits too, but no killing woona!
THE FUN MUST BE DOUBLED!
Celestia, acting like an almost reasonable pony, not being stingy with information, and actually letting people in on her plans? Nuh uh. I can't handle it. I'll accept the Zerg, I'll accept that Equestria is mirroring the history of the Koprulu Sector somehow, I'll even accept that Spike and Twilight somehow share a hivemind despite Spike never being infected. But I just can't take Celestia being a smart pony. It's too ooc.
(I'm kidding I like this a lot actually)
Ps. Best Pony ShimShim when?
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This is my favorite comment so far. XD As for shimsim, dunnu. We'll have to see.
Great update. Keep up the good work.
Celestia told Twilight all those things, yet she withheld one small tidbit of information.
Luna is her sister.
You‘d thought I wouldn’t notice?
(Loved it)
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I noticed this and wanted to bring it to your attention so you weren't confused in future.
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Well nevermind.
Thank you for that.
I can't wait for Twilight to discover Celestia's willingness to murder. Also they were surprisingly open to each other with their secrets. How nice.
Also from previous chapter:
Why are there so few Queen of Darkness and Terrorist Cadance fics/pics? That idea sounds amazing, and would even come with a hellspawn named Flurry for free.
Also as much as some people don't like Cadance being revived, I'm for it if she inexplicably reappears just to mess with Shining's mind.
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Its really up to interpretation of the writer since they can do whatever they want with their fanfic
Celestia blames the disharmony on the Zerg but the introduction of Khala into unicorn society means that there would be a massive difference in the events of the show. Blue Blood V would have never been exposed as a racist and indoctrinated Bluey into that mindset. Shining Armor would have been indoctrinated by his so-called friends. More than likely Twilight would be trained in khala as well (possibly leading to Midnight Sparkle). Without the Zerg the houses would have continued their subtlety and Celestia would never have noticed and by the time she did and did anything against them, they would revolt. Leading to a bloody Civil War and the Khala made them super soldiers. The only difference now is there are four factions instead of two; the Confederacy, the Zerg, the Houses, and Celestia.