• Published 14th Aug 2020
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Interviews With Equestrians - Jmaster49



A look inside the hidden perspectives of the average pony by your average joe. Starting with the imprisonment of Cozy Glow, this pony sets out to expose the hidden problems of Equestria that its residents have a right to know.

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Subject 156: Fear

Just as I had suspected. I knew from the beginning that some mere illusory distractions wouldn’t be enough to stop us. And our enemy knew that as well. Which is more than likely why they decided to show their face now of all times. But just who were they? And did they have any relation to Grogar? We were about to find out.

The voice had no body. No size. No shape. No sort of definite mass that we could fathom. But we could hear and feel its presence.

“So you managed to get past the first challenge? I’m impressed. Despite being reduced to having the mental capabilities of a small child, you’re still stronger than I gave you all credit for.”

It was difficult to describe just how...disturbed this made us. Our manes and tails stood up on end, and all we could do was back into each other in a triangular formation. This way, we could cover each other’s flanks while stowing our fear so that this...whatever it was couldn’t get any stronger. Beings of Tartarus did feed off of fear, after all.

“Who...who are you?!” I shouted with as much effort as I could manage through the voice of a fourteen-year-old. “Quit being a scaredy-cat and show yourself!”

“What’s the point behind all of this?!” Cork added, “We know you’re plotting something!”

At last, Quick spoke up. “...Mane-iac’s plan to attack Hollow Shades isn’t even real! I bet you just wanna cause trouble by taking control of Tartarus...or something!”

The voice of the being loomed over us once more.

“Not bad. Those are good attempts at guessing what I’m after. And you were smart enough to venture into a place that contains unspeakable horrors and unknown evils too. I have to admit that this will make things all that much more...challenging.”

Despite the cryptic message of the voice, Corkscrew continued to fire off questions to retaliate. “Hey! Give us an answer! Are you the real Grogar or some petty dollar-store knock-off like the one before us? Huh?!”

There was a moment of silence before we would get a response.

“Since you are all so adorable, I’ll grant you a fighting chance. Grogar is...but a label placed upon a being that seeks to balance the world. He is not simply one thing, but a construct of many things that no pony, griffon, dragon, changeling, or draconequus has ever come close to figuring out. That is why he is so feared. That is why everyone can’t stand the unknown. For he is the unknown.”

Just as expected in a cruel and unsatisfying way. Ultimately, Grogar was something that we couldn’t ‘fight’ per se. It was something that we needed to purge from existence if we wanted life to be fair for all and keep everyone safe. Of course, it was impossible to get rid of the concept of fear. I knew that much. However, if someone dares to claim themselves to be the father of a that which cannot be stopped--it was our job to prove them wrong.

However, I had to wonder. Was this really Grogar or was it a mere representation of his will?

“...Okay, Mr. ‘Unknown,” I snapped back to mock the voice with a stomp of my hoof, “Then if you’re just so confident in yourself, then why don’t you just kill us all right now? Seems like you’re wasting a bunch of time talking down to us while we figure out ways to defeat you.”

“An astute observation. Though, you make error in the assumption that I would want to end your lives. I would do no such thing. Rather, what I will say is that strength cannot come from magic alone. In order for a being to become strong enough to incite wrath among the masses, it needs all of the chaos and confusion it can acquire. Say from...the manipulation of others, perhaps?”

Quick Draw rolled her eyes. “Uch. For real? That sounds just like Discord. Can you seriously not come up with anything more original?”

“You fool. You misunderstand. Discord causes chaos for the simple joy of chaos. I take no pride in action without cause.”

“And that cause of yours iiiiis?” Corkscrew asked as he flew around, albeit with a bit more difficulty due to his body being much smaller. Was he trying to locate the source of the voice?

“There is a balance of power within the universe. The alicorns seek to provide peace and harmony. Discord seeks to propagate disorder and chaos. What do I seek? Historic moments that can be documented for all to remember. Everything from Discord’s uprising, Luna’s betrayal against her sister, Sombra’s destruction of the Empire, Chrysalis and the changeling’s inception, Tirek’s rampages, and of course, Cozy Glow herself. All of it has made for some rather...entertaining history to document. The way everything unfolds for the future generations to decipher is most fascinating to say the least. And I am currently wishing to see all of what you and your friends are capable of.”

That just made things more confusing. If this being wasn’t ‘good’ nor ‘evil’, then just who were they? And why did they desire to document such important historical events? My little foal head spun with crazed, scattered perceptions and outcomes. So ultimately, I had to put it out of my mind so that I wouldn’t overwork myself.

Quick Draw was first to respond. “Okay...but why in the heck did you turn us into foals? What sorta purpose does that even serve?!”

“Don’t you all wish to understand the pain that Cozy Glow went through? The fact that a child had to endure unthinkable horrors down here in the underworld? You all experienced but a minor, minor fraction of what she did in the span of a few minutes. Meanwhile, she spent quite a long time down here. Even though she is currently freed from her imprisonment, do you think you could even begin to comprehend the state that her mind is in right now? How does that make you feel? To know that a corrupt system has doomed others who make similar mistakes to the same fate. Do children deserve to be imprisoned within the depths of the underworld and forgotten?”

My friends and I fell silent. I had no immediate comeback or retort. The state of being a child rendered my analytical mindset null. All I could do was helplessly imagine more children brought down here and tortured endlessly by the demons that roamed freely.

“Well?”

In the end, I threw the question out of the window.

“Your words don’t mean nothing!”

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