Chapter 5 - The Game Plan
"O-one point two… million?" Celestia questions in utter disbelief. "Discord… you ended our lives that many times?"
“Technically, you didn’t exactly die. Your implants just moved-"
"That's the same thing!" Everyone, except Fluttershy, exclaims in unison.
"How could you do that to us?! We thought you were our friend?!" Spike shouts angrily.
“You are my friends, Spike. But please understand that I-"
"That yer' a dang monster!" Applejack interjects. "Ah' was willing to fer'give yas for the whole Tirek, Cozy, and Chrysalis incident, but… this? Do yall even know how hurt we all are right now?! You played with our lives and kept them on repeat fer' so long!"
"The least thou couldst hath done was give us a chance to experience true freedom, like those on the other Arks. Despite said Arks being a lie, we couldst live our lives, our way! Instead, thy monstrous Overseer hath controlled our lives by foul means!" Luna bellows in anger, nearly on the verge of trying to blast the Overseer with her currently alighted horn.
"What about when I stole ponies cutie marks?! Their implants! I already feel bad as is, but now you're telling me that I could've murdered them?!" Starlight exclaims as tears are still going down her face.
Discord was already filled with guilt, and Starlight's current inquiry only added more fuel to the flame. Suddenly, It was Twilight who now intervened as she shouted in her very own Canterlot Voice:
"ENOUGH!" Her exclamation instantly catches the attention of those present. "I've come to a decision, but it's going to raise a few brows among us," The lavender mare then walks towards the fireplace as she now stood before everyone else present. She takes a deep breath, while also closing her eyes, and says:
"I've come up with a plan for us all, but you must cooperate with me. It involves both Helena and Discord's revelations. We can't just tell the populace that their lives are currently being managed. But we also need to do something about this. Therefore, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle and the current ruler of Equestria, hereby declare that Celestia and Luna shall be reinstated and shall replace my rule until our return."
Twilight's friends and loved ones were shocked by the lavender mare's words, even Discord and Helena, to which Spike, in particular, questions:
“Wait, our return? What are you thinking, Twilight?"
"Helena specifically told us that we can ascend off of the Ark and head to The Island. So that's what we're going to do. All of us Element Bearers shall ascend to that installation; I believe that's also what you call the Arks, right?"
Helena responds with a nod.
"In the meantime… I can't believe I'm going to say this… those of you left here will continue Discord's charade. However, this time there won't be a reset… Discord." Twilight emphasizes angrily. "If what you revealed is true, then that means we have a few more years before you even perform that reset. As I am yet to be a full-grown alicorn, that entails as such."
"Wait, how old are you ponies anyway?" Helena questions.
"For us ponies, me, my friends, and Starlight are considered young adults. I'm personally twenty on the dot," Twilight answered.
"Twenty-two here, darling," Rarity replied.
"Same as Rares, here," Rainbow Dash said.
"Ah' reckon ah' might be the eldest of us Element Bearers, twenty-five," Applejack states.
"Ooh! Does that make me the second oldest? I'm twenty-three!" Pinkie Pie exclaims.
"I'm a year older than you, Pinkie. I'm twenty-four, so, um, I guess I'm the second oldest of us," Fluttershy replies which cause Pinkie Pie's mouth to drop.
"I'm twenty-seven… funny enough," Starlight responds, which causes her fellow ponies to turn to her with wide eyes. She laughs sheepishly, "I know… it's strange having someone seven years younger as my teacher."
"Speaking of strange… why haven't we talked about our ages before?" Rarity inquires. Discord was actually about to answer until Celestia and Luna stared daggers at him. Helena laughs in response to this.
Twilight decides to get back on track as she comments:
"Getting back to where I left off, we're going to change things up this time. Celestia and Luna, you are now the current rulers of Equestria in my absence. Please walk me through all of the appropriate paperwork so that you two will have my authority while I'm gone. If this plan works, life will change forever. Not only for Equestria, but all of Equus."
"A-are you sure, Twilight?" Celestia questions.
"Thou art the bravest pony we hath ever known, Twilight Sparkle," Luna compliments.
"Are you sure you want to do this, loves?" Helena inquires with concern. "I know that I came here to seek your aid, but the other Arks are very dangerous. I'd be blunt enough to say that what you faced on this Ark is nothing compared to what the proper installations have in store for you," The AI then shows a sad face emoji on its visor, "Especially on the Aberration installation."
"What sort of danger will they be facing there?" Celestia questions in a tone similar to that of a worried mother.
Discord takes the initiative and responds with:
"I know none of you want to hear my words… but please allow me to help you all."
"Why the buck should we do that?!" Rainbow Dash exclaims. "Funny how you suddenly care for us after killing us over a million times before."
"I didn't actually kill you, not exactly."
"Don't give them that, Discord," Helena responds. "You might've preserved their implants, but you still had to remove them. Of course, it also means that every corpse those were engraved to would be disposed of. You pretty much forced them to body-hop their whole lives."
"Look, I know that I betrayed you all-"
"Understatement…" Rarity sassily interjects.
"But I want a chance to do right by you all. Please, let me help you with this plan," Discord pleads, but as expected, most of the ponies and even his former dragon friend stares at him with anger. Helena floated high above as she continued to observe them all.
One pony, in particular, starts to walk towards the Overseer. The very same pony that undoubtedly caused him the most guilt of all: Fluttershy. The shy pegasus wasn't angry, nor could anyone tell if she was happy. She looks at Discord with the most neutral expression anyone has ever seen her take. Finally, she sighs deeply and says:
"Discord, be honest with me. When you kill us, when you reset us, do you make us suffer? Do you rip out our implants with no remorse?"
"OF COURSE NOT!" Discord exclaims in response, much to everyone's surprise. "Oh, dear Fluttershy… of course I don't do it with such cruelty. After you all sing the song, and later that night, I force every living thing on the Ark to fall asleep--that includes even you, Lulu--so that my drones can extract your implants painlessly. One could say that you all drift off to an endless sleep until I reinject you into the Ark with your memories wiped clean. I swear, I know it sounds cruel, but I swear, Fluttershy, I do it in a merciful way. And, if it's of any comfort… I take no pleasure in doing it."
“Then why do it?” Helena inquires.
Everyone observes the pegasus as if they were expecting her to, at any moment, pounce onto the Overseer in rage-filled retribution. Surprisingly, and yet also not surprisingly, she sighs once more and comments:
"I forgive you."
"W-what...?"
"I forgive you, Discord. Yes, I am angry about what you did, and I'm sure you will do your best to make it up to us. But I forgive you."
"Buuuullsh- ouch! What was that for, AJ?!" Rainbow Dash questions.
"Let sugarcube speak her mind," Applejack replies as she hits the cyan pegasus with her left forehoof.
"F-Fluttershy… you forgive, me?" Discord asks in disbelief.
"Yes, I do. You still have to make it up to us, so start by helping Celestia and Luna keep Equus in check while we go with Twilight's plan. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt because if you weren't sincere about your guilt, you could've just silenced us all right here and now, yet you didn't."
"Th-that makes… sense. Bloody hell, I can't believe I'm making sense of that," Helena comments as she floats down to the yellow pegasus, "Fluttershy here is right. Discord is more than powerful enough to have just reset you all right here and now. He could've stopped this whole conversation on a whim. Sure, I'd step in and beat the crap out of him, but he does deserve that benefit since he hasn't retaliated against anyone here. But let's go back to my earlier question, why do you even perform these resets, Discord?"
"Well, I-" Discord draws a blank as he takes on a confused expression, "What in the world..."
"What's wrong?"
"I… I don't know."
"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaims in unison.
"You've been resetting their lives, and you don't even know why you do it?" Helena questions in disbelief.
"I know why I do it since it's to keep them in line with the show. But… why do I feel like I have to do it? Something practically forces even me to perform the reset."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! You're saying that you resetting the Ark, our lives, is within your will but also against your will? I'm so confused!" Pinkie Pie exclaims.
"I must admit, even I'm finding it hard to make sense of all this. Discord, whenever you reset us, can you tell me how you feel exactly?" Celestia questions.
"Like I told dear Fluttershy, I take no pleasure in it, and I know that I have to reset the Ark. But, that's just it… why do I feel like I have to reset it? Why not just let you all live your lives to their ends? This is just too chaotic, even for me."
"Discord, I want to perform a scan on you," Helena asks. "This whole time, I thought you were doing this willingly, but if you feel that it's also against your will, something is clearly wrong here. The Overseer has absolute control and cannot be controlled unless it becomes infected like what Rockwell had done to the Aberration installation. Which you aren't."
"Rockwell?" Everyone questions in unison.
"Oh, trust me when I say that he's a son of a bitch! But pardon my outburst there. Remember that big threat I mentioned before? That would be him, but I'll talk more about that later. Discord, I'm commencing the scanning process now."
A blue light starts to cover Discord's body as Helena floats around the Overseer and gives various comments as she performs the action:
"Mhmm."
"Ok, I see the reset commands."
"There's everyone's data…."
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!"
"What?! What is it?!" Twilight questions.
"Discord, someone's planted this order inside of you. But, that can't be… the only ones who can do that are the advanced humans, a Homo Deus… like me."
"Wait a second… so you're saying that a being like you is somewhere on Equus?" Discord questions in shock.
"That's the only explanation that makes a lick of sense. If my scanners are correct, then a Homo Deus does indeed reside on this Ark, and if my suspicion is sound, they are an original Homo Deus. An advanced living human. You see, I ascended as the first human into a Homo Deus. No other came after me; therefore, this one must be an original."
Everyone's jaw drops at this revelation which prompts Helena to continue:
"Everyone, we now have two different plans in action. We're sticking with Twilight's original game plan, but those remaining here will now search for this Homo Deus. Leave no stone unturned and try your best to find some possible explorer notes. This Homo Deus must've left behind some insight into their lives. This could provide a possible answer as to why your Ark is positioned over Mars."
"Mars? Homo Deus?" Twilight questions.
"I'll explain everything later, but we've got a plan to get in action right now. Ponies, get your flanks ready because you're going to The Island. Discord, it’s time to bring them out. We'll need them to send the ponies off."
"No… you couldn't possibly be asking me to—there will be worldwide panic if I bring those out!" Discord responds.
“Stop teasing us with those and them, just tell us already!” Luna declares with slight annoyance.
Both Helena and Discord look at each other before turning back to the others, answering in unison:
"The three Obelisks. Equus's, obelisks."
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almost forget about the obelisks. one is the crystel empire correct? and im guessing the other two are in the bad lands and sequestria (hippogriff teretory). calling that the human on eques is a brony
10627787
You actually predicted where I was hiding them. Or where Discord is hiding them, in this case.
I just can't wait for Fluttershy to see Jerboas in Scorched Earth. Jerboas are my favorite animals, both real and fictional.
10627853
Ikr? that's my second fav shoulder pet second only to the shinehorn.
By the way, shouldn't Installation: The Island be Installation: Equus instead? Because where we last left off in the story, they were still on Equus. Also, shouldn't they at least say their goodbye's to others they know and love while at least saying that they are leaving on a journey and won't be back for a while?
10628372
Incidentally, they’re going to say good bye to their loved ones in the next chapter, along with other things. They’re still on Equus, or installation Equus, and never left yet. Did I by chance write a mistake? If I by chance wrote that they’re on The island right now then that is a mistake that I haven’t noticed.
One more question, and I'm sorry for asking so many...
Will the villains (Lord Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and the Storm King (and King Sombra and the real Grogar, maybe)) be brought back for a true chance at life (without villainy and whatnot), and what did Discord do about the Pony of Shadows (since he (the darkness itself) wasn't destroyed and only banished into 'limbo')?
10627934
My favorites are the otter, jerboa, and featherlight.
Okay, I admit it. I'm at a loss regarding the identity of a human.
Unless it's Lyra. In a twist of a reversed psychology the pony who is known for being obsessed with humans is actually a human hiding in the plane sight.
10628382
The mistake with the Installation that they're currently on is on the story page, where the summary of the story and the chapter links exist. It's at the bottom of the summary, and if that's not meant to be a mistake, then I had assumed that you would be changing it in accordance to each Installation that they were currently on in the story.
10628820
You know, I actually wrote that intently but now that I read it over again, I can see where that could cause confusion. I wrote it with the mindset of telling everyone where they're going but now that you've pointed it out, it can also give the impression of where they are at the moment. I shall adjust this, thank you very much.
10628386
It's ok! Questions are welcomed I only respectfully ask that sometimes I can't talk about it due to possibly ruining it for everyone else if it's a potential spoiler. Now, as for your current question I can say this: Every last one of those characters you listed will indeed appear here. I don't see it as a spoiler to say who will appear in the story, it's how they're revealed that I can't talk about.
10628425
I like the featherlight but boy do I have bad experiences with it.
I remember finding a lvl 146 in the radiation and all was going well... until it flew over the large drop and never came back to me.
10628878
Rest in peace featherlight
10758105
IKR?
New chapters coming very soon. My apologies for the huge delay.
Does that mean they have to apologize to all the villains and release them from stone? All of their lives were a lie as well. They are not going to do that are they?
11227816
This actually goes into spoiler territory, and I can't say more until you read on. I don't want to spoil anything by accident.
So even the local Overseer was being manipulated. That does ameliorate what Discord was doing quite a lot. Urgh...that indicates that this hidden Homo Deus was of the obsessive sort of fan.