Chapter 1
Princess Celestia watched Nightlight discuss his findings before the council of nobles. While he attempted to ignore it, the glaring looks of the royal houses burned him like salted knives. After her sister's defection to the Gryphon Kingdoms, the nobility found their lucrative trade agreements vanish in the span of months. That wasn’t even taking into account the dumping of the Equestrian bit by foreign governments and investors. Losing so much wealth in a short amount of time would make anyone ornery, but she still couldn’t have predicted what happened next to house Sparkle.
“I-In conclusion, while the hybridization program has failed in its original goals, we believe it might have given us a stopgap of labor. Without the current hybrids, our current agricultural output would have declined far more sharply. T-that’s not even taking into account the decreases in yields from lack of fully staffed weather teams.” While Nightlight attempted to sound positive and confident, the princess could see the beads of sweat trickling down his wrinkled brow.
Blueblood coughed. “That’s all well and good, I’m sure everyone here enjoys being well fed. However, what about the time and resources you wasted on the harvest and implementation of the hybrid program?” He leaned forward, arching his back like a vulture from his high seated position. “You had assured the members of this council, including the princess herself that the project was a success. That Canterlot Labs could instead focus its efforts on review and study of the foals development, along with the preparations for the now failed coverup. It seems you have failed by all measures.” The deep bags and greying fur on his once pristine muzzle seeming more present than ever.
Nightlight stood strong but his eyes betrayed him his pupils shaking ever so faintly from stress. “I’ll a-admit the original purpose of the hybrid project with specimen 16 has failed, we have restarted our efforts in other avenues.”
Fancy Pants pushed his glasses back up his greying muzzle clasping his hooves together. “As attempts to fix the issues with the second generation of hybrid foals have borne no fruit?” A deep frown covering his face.
“Our efforts in that area have been slow going... Canterlot Labs has decided to expand our efforts back into fertility research for generation zero....” He swallowed.
“You mean to tell us your spending your considerable resources on mares and stallions whose ages leave their prospects of conception dubious in the best of circumstances?!” Jet looked incredulous at the elderly researcher.
“Yes their ages do come with inherent risk factors, but as of this moment treating the aliments of gen-“ Nightlight was silenced as Blueblood stood up from his chair. Slowly trotting down from the raised pedestal like seating, while not the oldest member of the consul his joints hadn’t aged as well as others. Leaving him with what was known as the Blue gimp, a rather noticeable impairment they came to his family in their early golden years.
Bluebloods eyes never left the old blue stallion as he climbed down the marble steps slowly approaching him. He stopped scarcely a hoofs length away from the scholar, allowing him to gaze into his eyes. While the princess couldn’t imagine what he saw, the scholar's face paled deeply. The prince leaned forward and kissed the stallion on the lips, poor nightlights back legs collapse as the white stallion pulled away. Allowing her to see his face go from pale to white, his eyes had shrunk to pinpricks. The other nobles seemed to take this as the sign to leave, standing up from their chairs, following the prince out of the chamber. None bothering to ask her to leave, or to wish her a good evening. A subtle gesture compared to what Nightlight just endured... but the meaning was all the same
Celestia waited until the last noble left and slowly stood up from her throne. Her golden shoes echoing as she made her way down the steps toward the near-catatonic pony. “You... and by extension, myself have lost the support of the nobility.” She exhaled slowly, steam almost seeming to radiate off her. “The kiss has not been used in over 1000 years. But I don’t believe I have to tell you it’s meaning....”
“If I don’t find a solution soon....” He swallowed staring blankly forward.
“Then the burning of your family’s home was just a shot off the bow of what’s to come...” She shook her head, she knew the nobility were responsible, but they were experts at covering their tracks. Arresting them without evidence would only cause further unrest, something she had learned the hard way long ago.
“I know...” He shook his head as if hoping to wake up from a nightmare.
“Look me on the eyes Nightlight.” She ordered.
The stallion hesitantly raised his head, struggling to meet her piercing gaze.
“Can you fix the fertility problem? Tell me I haven’t gambled and lost my countries economic well-being, political relationships, and my pony's future using your solution.” Her stoney facade started to crumble, looking and sounding almost pleading.
“Princess! I-I assure you I just need more time! It’s a complex issue, but I assure you if we’re given some patience we’ll find the working solution!” He pleaded backing up, his old legs wobbling beneath him, the pressure of everything threatening to cause collapse.
“But how much time Nightlight? Jet Set is correct that the parents of generation 0 have begun to reach their final years of procreation. You’ve also admitted yourself that treatments for generation 2 have not borne fruit.” She stepped forward closing that gap. “We can’t wait 10 years, we’ve wasted too much time congratulating ourselves thinking we found the golden goose!” She forced her muzzle into his, preventing him from looking away.
“A-a year! I-I just need a year!” He sputtered.
Princess Celestia slowly pulled her head back, staring into him one final time before closing her eyes. Taking a deep breath she spoke. “Return to Canterlot Labs... I don’t think I need to tell you that trotting in the open now is dangerous...”
“Y-yes, princess....” He lowered his head submissively and hobbled out of the chamber leaving her.
He had lied to her... right to her face...
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Sitting in her private bedroom at her desk allowed her ample view of Canterlot. From the great tower, it seemed nothing had changed in the gleaming beacon of pony civilization. Turning her head back to the desk she looked over the latest message from Zebrica, demanding the release of their kind. Canterlot Labs was only one of several facilities spread throughout Equestria’s, with stakes as high as they were they couldn’t risk having everything in one place. While they all operated under the same goal, they explored different solutions. The idea from the EverFree was to breed studs traditionally that would be suitable for breeding new ponies. The original donors had been released after the mind wipe... but their children had not. Zebrica wanted those children released to their custody, along with the ponies responsible for the research, Sweetie Drops among those listed in the letter. Setting it down in a pile of earlier correspondence she moved onto a message from the Gryphon Kingdoms.
The letter borderline threatened war unless they released their countryhens from the facility in Smokey Mountain and by extension the hippogriffs and centaurs, with whom they had recently signed an alliance. While the bitter memories of the past between the three races still caused issues, it was a worrying development. Like the zebra it was hopped by breeding with the hippogriffs, gryphons, and centaurs, they could inherit their reproductive capabilities. After breeding out the unwanted... non-pony traits to get them ready for harvest. It was admittedly a long shot, but the brood had been fertile. So while a more roundabout way than the work with zebra it looked somewhat promising.
But the two facilities Achilles’ heel was the use of time spells to speed up development... while they could physically grow the subjects to adulthood... the same couldn’t be said about their minds. The subjects were horribly developmentally stunted and exhibited signs of psychological problems. Sweetie Drops theorized that it was a combination of the lack of parental interaction, rapid physical changes, and environment. While her reports were professional, the princess could read through the lines, they would never be able to integrate into society. They also had been struggling to breed out the non-pony traits. Be it a zebras stripes, mane, and dietary “requirements”, or a centaurs extra limbs. If they used the fruits of the project too early would only cause problems when the populous started asking questions. That wasn’t even taking into account the high risk of sterility and cancer brought on by the rapid aging process.
Tossing the letter to another pile she looked over the latest message from the minotaurs. To say that Emperor Ironback was a colorful author wouldn’t do him justice. He was somewhat notorious for his saber-rattling at the Counsel of Kingdoms. But this time she wasn’t so sure he was all bluster, especially after one of his Navis Rostrata’s rammed an Equestrian merchant galleon who had been desperately seeking trade. No doubt the nature of the Galloping Gorge facility influencing his more hostile approach. With the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics they had hoped to use transformation spells to create suitable studs.... long term use of transformation spells had never been done before. Normally they wore off after a day or so... but for weeks... months... years?... it caused physiological and psychological issues they hadn’t foreseen.
The facilities while offering different approaches to the problem came to the same ends found at Canterlot Labs. Failure... over and over again... leaving them with subjects she couldn’t bring herself to order to terminate... but couldn’t release... but out of all the letters and threats she received one stood out. Grasping the dark brown parchment she unfurled it, 4 words from Dimondia awaited.
“Deliver Him To Us.”
While not threatening on the surface, their actions spoke volumes, a patrol of royal guards had mistakenly wandered over the border while tracking a criminal... they were found after five days. Backs tied to the mouths of cannons while masked canine centuries watched on and stood ready... what happened next traumatized the search party for life... cannons while clumsy could be devastating to fortifications... but to the flesh?... at such close range?... She had no choice but to order the guards to retreat at least a mile's distance from the nearest marker when word reached her. News soon spread about it despite all attempts to keep it under wraps.
“Princess....” a voice from behind her brought her out of her thoughts.
“Yes, General Battlement?...” She turned to look at the stallion, a few years ago he was a strapping rising star in the royal guard. But his time as commander of their guard during these trying times had aged him rapidly.
“I have come to deliver my report...” He maintained his professional demeanor, but she could tell he was exhausted.
“I see...” She stood up from her desk and made her way to the tea table by the balcony. Motioning for him to sit down as she began to pour two cups.
“Our trade routes in both the Shimmering Sea and Dryadic Ocean have been completely cut off. Any attempts to break the blockade have been rebuffed with ballista and rams.” He dropped two lumps of sugar into the cup. “The Crystal Empire is also lost to us I’m afraid... any attempts to make contact with Princess Cadence have not borne fruit. From what we can gather, she has destroyed the tracks collecting the Crystal Empire to Equestria and has opened up an alliance with the Yaks to the north.”
“What of Shining Armor?” She asked frowning.
“I’m afraid we don’t know... however after learning how we discovered the Crystal Ponies nature...” He shook his head. “I won’t make guesses, but I can’t imagine she took it well... especially knowing that her husband had been helping our scholars smuggle her subjects out of the country for testing...”
“I see... what’s the assessment of our military?... how long could we hold off the on slot?...” She wouldn’t lie to herself about the dire situation.
“Considering that we have enemy’s on all fronts?.... it depends...” He shook his head solemnly. “Equestria’s military hadn’t had the best service record when handling attacks from organized forces... The Storm King was far from a tactical genius, but his army was tenacious... they practically overwhelmed our forces in hours. Additionally, the reports Princess Twilight had given about the alternate timelines paints a grim picture. In the Crystal War Timeline, we were effectively pushed into a war of attrition against a single city-state. The Chrysalis Timeline was a complete loss...”
“Is there truly no hope?...” His frown continued to deepen.
“Maybe against one... or two at most... we could make the cost of victory too high... but if more than that attack?... I don’t think I need to tell you the outcome...” He looked at her seriously.
“Surely our forces have improved?” She poured herself another cup struggling to steady her hooves.
“They’ve improved somewhat with the more rigorous training... but we are at a disadvantage in terms of pony power. The average age of our population is ticking up fast. Meaning we have a shrinking pool of suitable recruits, in five to seven years we will have far more spears and armor then ponies to wield them.” She exhaled setting his cup down. “Has diplomacy offered alternatives?...”
“The only option given was the release of all the subjects... and scholars to their custody... I don’t think I have to tell you the issue with that.” She exhaled.
“While those scholars haven’t offered solutions yet... they are the most knowledgeable of the situation... losing them could cost us years ... years we don’t have...” He stared into his cup. “And if we don’t...”
Celestia just stared blankly into the distance. “Does that conclude your report?...”
“No, we have other problems...” He shook his head.
“What else could possibly go wrong?...” Celestia just felt so tired.
“Morale is low in the barracks, rumors are abound, and I struggling to keep up with AWOL forms...” He rubbed his muzzle shaking his head.
“You can’t squash this?...” She hated how that sounded but this was the last thing they needed.
“I can tell guards what to do... but not what to think Princess... It’s hard to motivate them if they feel like these are our final days....” He shook his head. “Sometimes it’s a struggle to get them out of their bunks.... others are demanding more leave with their family’s....” He sighed.
“Can we afford it?....” She asked biting her lip.
“Maybe... a hoof full going to visit their family’s each week.... but as it is we are understaffed.”
“See what you can do... Equestria has become a powder keg... we will need the pony power to keep it under control...” She rubbed her temples.
“I’ll try... but I’m not sure how long that will buy us...” He exhaled.
“Is that all?....”
“Yes, your Majesty....” He bowed his head.
“You may take your leave...” She didn’t watch him go turning her attention back out the window to the city. A look of longing covering her face as she stood back up from her pillow, making her way to the balcony. Looking over the City of Canterlot... in the past, it was truly the jewel of the world... but slowly the economic realities of isolation were creeping in. Shops once specializing in excess were now boarding up windows... pastry shops rationing baked goods as ingredients became rare or nonexistent with lack of trade... even mundane stores specializing in raw foodstuff were looking more empty than usual. No nation is truly an island... her ponies were quickly learning just how much they depended on other countries.
Her moment of quiet contemplation was interrupted by a young guard forcing his way in. “P-Princess!”
“What’s the meaning of this?!” Her eyes widened while the young stallion was tackled by the palace guards.
“Your highness please forgive our lapse he-“ The palace guard was interrupted with the guard stallions shriek.
“Sweetie Pie is missing!” The stallion managed to scream desperately while being crushed under the arresting guards.
At that moment Celestia’s heart stopped, motioning for the palace guards to remove themselves from him. “Explain... now...”
——————————————————————
Celestia found herself standing outside the Pie family rock farm, little had changed during the last two decades since she attended the wedding ceremony between Cheese Sandwich and Pinkamena Diane Pie. As well as she knew the mare she couldn’t fathom the motives she and her family could have for taking Sweetie Pie. Inhaling she slowly stepped forward motioning her guards to stay with the Sky Carriage, but just as she reached to knock on the door, it swung open revealing a familiar... if aged face.
“Princess Celestia?... I’ve been expecting you....” Pinkie Pie brushed her strait greying mane from her sad eyes.
“You have?...” She sounded surprised.
“I was hoping you would have made it in time for the ceremony... but better late than never....” She sounded so tired... far from the peppy grandmother, the princess had known less than three years ago. As hard as the Princess tried she couldn’t help but remember watching those bright eyes dull over the months in Canterlot Hospital. Going from a cheery soul chatting about all the things she would go with her granddaughter... to shambling shell trotting through the halls.
“Ceremony?..... Pinkie Pie... where is Sweetie Pie... surely you must know that taking her from the hospital is dangerous!” The princess was confused and deeply concerned.
“Dangerous for who?.... you... or her?....” She shook her head as if shaking the spiteful thoughts away. “Nevermind... Do you want to see her?....” It felt like a stab through the heart to hear something so spiteful from a mare she knew so well.
Struggling to swallow the pain in her chest she spoke. “Y-yes! Of course, I do!” Celestia looked horrified at what she was implying.
“Follow me... “ Pinkie made her way past the princess, the faintest skip in her limp leading the princess around the old home. But it looked more forced than out of habit... as if she was attempting to hide her feelings.
As they circled she could spot the familiar form of Cherry sitting on a hill. Her back facing them as they approached her head tilted down. A faint lullaby could just be heard, Celestia could feel her heart relax, the foal was ok. She just needed to convince them to let her rush her back to Canterlot Hospital. But as she got closer a pit started to form in her stomach, Cherry was sitting in front of... a stone?..
“What have you done?....” Celestia's eyes widened the sickening feeling in her stomach growing, as her mouth became as dry as the badlands.
Cherry seemed to twitch hearing her voice, turning her head she revealed her red irritated eyes, cheeks stained dark with tears. “I gave my daughter what you wouldn’t... Peace....” Her voice was raspy and weak seeming like she was ready to collapse from exhaustion.
“Y-you killed your own filly?!?” Celestia took a step back, the realization filling her with dread.
Cherry struggled to her hooves, closing the distance. “No... I did the hardest thing any mother can do... I let her go... while she was surrounded by her family in her ancestral home.” She ran her foreleg over her face, attempting to clean away the tears.
“Let her go?! What are you talking ab-“ She was silenced by a powerful hoofslap, the sound of her hoof colliding with her teeth ringing through her skull as she staggered backward attempting to process what happened.
“You made my daughter a sideshow you whorse...” She growled.
The slap didn’t hurt so much physically as emotionally, she had known this mare since before she had opened her eyes to the world. “W-what are you talking about?...” Her breath grew shallow as the feeling of emptiness started to come back.
“Luna sent a letter to us... along with a message from her grandfather... her real grandfather....” She inhaled shuttering struggling to keep herself from breaking down again. “I might not have known him... but Aaron deserved to be here as much as I and my husband Rock Slide...”
Celestia felt the breath stall in her throat. “Did he put you up to this?...” The faint flicker of rage building behind her eyes.
“Is that what you think?...” She lowered her head... and started to chuckle... before her back legs gave out behind her as she succumbed to full-on laughter, tears pouring from her eyes.
Celestia grew increasingly unnerved almost wanting to run from this place, but the feeling the gaze of Pinkie on her back she didn’t move. As if the elderly mare had some sort of power keeping her rooted to the spot. “You cost my family everything and you think I needed someone to tell me the only way it could end?!” The heartbroken mother practically screamed at her.
“I-I was attempting to help your family!” Celestia tried as she might she couldn’t make it sound genuine, the weight of this mares heartbreak weighing her mind down like a lead ingot.
“Celestia... with everything that happened... who do you think suffered the most from your help?” She wiped the tears from her eyes. Staring deep into the Princess pupils, looking at most as if she was attempting to see her soul.
“Suffered... from my help?...” Saying that left a bad taste in her mouth that made her want to retch.
“Was it my mother... whom you lied to about your treatment?...... was it my father thinking he had finally created a legacy with his own seed?..... was it me?... being denied the one thing that matters most to a mare?....” She just looked so tired, her neck slumping shaking her head side to side.
Celestia swallowed unsure what she wanted to say, seemingly trapped watching her break.
Cherry struggled to swallow before continuing. “It was Sweetie Pie.... a filly I loved dearly.... but should have never existed....” She raises her head back up. “She should have died years ago.... but you poked and prodded her.... forcing her to live on.... why?..... don’t lie to me!” Looking into those eyes Celestia knew she wouldn’t take anything but the truth. No matter how much it pained her to admit, or how painful it was to hear.
Celestia just started holding her tongue before exhaling. “When your daughter lived so much longer then others.... so many saw it as hope.... evidence that it wasn’t the end... before her... mothers across Equestria had begun to refuse to procreate... the heartbreak simply too much... agricultural and industrial outputs declined rapidly... our economy was on the edge of collapse.... social unrest was a hairs breath away from an inferno....” She tried to sound professional but it just came out as cold. “That couldn’t be allowed... Equestria must prevail... sacrifices had to be made for the good of everypony...” Saying that out loud made the Princess feel dirty... the kind of dirty that no bath could ever wash clean.
“Equestria is dying... who knows why... all you did was prolong the inevitable....” Cherry shook her head. “Just pay your respects and get out....” She slowly struggled back to her hooves before trotting to the house. Cheese opening the door and looking at the Princess with pity before closing it. Likely to try and comfort his adopted daughter.
She slowly stepped forward to the carved stone marker, it wasn’t anything partially flashy... The Pie family burial traditions disallowed anything seen as hubris in death. A simple Boulder with the filly’s name carved into the rock. The Princess didn’t even notice her own tears until they dripped onto the grave.
“Princess....” He heard the tired voice of Pinkie Pie behind her followed by gentle elderly hooves hugging her side.
Celestia slowly turned her head to look at the greying pinks mare. “P-Pinkie?...” She hesitantly wrapped her hoof around her.
Giving the Princess a tight squeeze for a few moments she slowly pulled away. “I... Can’t forgive you for what you did to my family... but... I won’t see someone suffer alone on my land...” She sighed shaking her head.
“... I was just trying to do what was best for my ponies...” Celestia said but it didn’t come out as strong as she had hoped.
“I don’t doubt it... but it doesn’t make what you did to us anymore right... I’m sorry... but I think this will be the last time we’ll have you as a guest...” She shook her head.
Celestia knew they couldn’t stop her from coming... but that wasn’t the point. “I understand...” She slowly trotted away leaving the old mare by the gravestone.
Seeing her approach the guards at the carriage stood at attention, one of them moving forward. “Princess shall we arrest them?”
“For what?...” She sounded distant, her eyes staring off into the horizon.
“Murder... they killed their own daughter!” He sounded incredulous.
“You can’t kill what was already dead... we’re leaving this place...” The Princess climbed back into the carriage while the guards hooked themselves back up. Sharing glances at one another before they began to take off. As they did so she took one last look at the Pie Family rock farm with longing before closing her eyes.
——————————————————————
The princesses hooves echoed through the hallways as she made her way past the cells. Her eyes focused on a single destination, the massive vaulted door that held him. Taking the golden key she watched it slowly slide open, revealing the occupant sitting in the corner of his crystal enclosure. Dabbing his bush into a palette, while he worked on a massive canvas, seemingly having not noticed her presence.
“I was wondering when you would come for another visit...” He spoke slowly stroking his brush over his artwork.
“Expecting me?...” She slowly trotted up to the prison.
“Eventually... I’m not able to see the future... but I can make educated guesses.” He set the palette and turning around, making his way to the edge of his prison.
“Did you tell them to do it?...” She glared at him.
“Do what?....” He tilted his head a deep frown on his face.
“Kill their filly you cur!!!” She bellowed slamming her hooves against the crystal walls of his prison.
“So they made the choice?...” He looked melancholic. “No, I may have sent them a letter... I didn’t tell them to do anything to Sweetie Pie...”
“If you didn’t, then what was in that letter?!... tell me!” She growled.
He looked into her eyes. “An apology...” He sighed sitting back in his chair running his hand over his face.
“An.... apology?...” She sounded confused.
“Choice or no... it was I who helped cause their misery... and the suffering of their little girl... I might delight in your suffering but I don’t delight in the suffering of those who must deal with the consequences of your actions....” He looked serious.
“I was attempting to save my ponies!” She protested.
“I never said you weren’t... but the thing about desperation... you often see only what you want to see....” He leans forward. “A leader often has to make bitter choices... for what they consider the greater good of their people.... but it doesn’t mean those choices will work out....” He shrugged. “In your single-mindedness to solve the problem you created something much worse.” He tilted his head and smirked.
“You say you don’t enjoy their suffering yet you smile at my own...” She slowly sits on her haunches.
“Your the cause of it... though I wonder about your own motivations... are they truly as pure as you think?” He hummed.
“Trying to save my ponies isn’t a good motivation?” She growled, her frown deepening.
“No... it’s a good goal... but not the true motivation... Luna agreed with the goal... but not your motivation...” She shook his head.
“Don’t you dare talk about her... because of you she betrayed me.” She steeled her eyes.
“I did nothing, Luna had felt distant from you and your ponies for a long time... you placed her on the moon for over 1000 years and expected her to integrate back into your kingdom like nothing happened?” He chuckled at the absurdity of it. “I understand why you had to do it... but it was a bit idealistic a mare from such a different time would be able to so..”
“She had friends! She was adjusting!”
“She made friends with Twilight and the elements... who she saw... how many times each year?” He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe a handful of ponies entertained her... but you made her irrelevant in your country... Not by design, I’m sure... but the end result was the same... she was a vestigial relic of a different time.” He frowned sitting down in his chair, looking more depressed than anything.
“Things were getting better for her...” She slowly trotted around his prison in order to face him.
“Possibly... but she couldn’t stand what you had become... if it wasn’t the loneliness it would have been you...” He slowly started to pour himself a drink. “Crystal Wine? I understand trade with the Empire has been completely cut off... not many bottles of this left I’m sure...”
“This is too serious to drink... What are you talking about, how could I have pushed her out? After everything I did, just to bring her back!” She sat down in front of the Crystal wall watching him sip the wine.
“She left as she was all those centuries ago... when she came back she found her sister unrecognizable...” He shook his head.
“What are you babbling about?” She looked at him evenly unamused.
“....You gave up a lot for your ponies didn’t you?” He tilted his head looking up from his sparkling wine.
“Neither I or they would be here if I hadn’t...” She seemed to stare off before shaking her head.
“How much of yourself have you sacrificed for them? How much is even left after millennia of service to them?” He slugged the wine back before setting the challis down.
“Does it matter?” She exhaled slowly.
“It does when it affects how you see them...” He traced his finger around the rim of the empty cup. “You’ve hollowed yourself out... scarcely had time to sleep let alone a moments of peace... it’s hard not to see them as just an extension of yourself isn’t it?...”
“What are you saying... get to the point, Aaron!” She was growing tired of his voice.
“If they were to vanish tomorrow... what would you do with yourself?” He finally asked.
“That’s an absurd question...” She glared am empties started to graw at her stomach.
“Is it? Luna told me about your vacation together... she had never taken you as the adventurous type... yet there you were diving headfirst into danger... the mare who couldn’t even brave a chicken!” He chuckled amused.
“I hadn’t had a vacation in centuries, I don’t think it’s that odd I might want to try new things.” She huffed.
“Try new things... or fish for something else?...” He shook his head. “It’s no secret you’ve been grooming Twilight to take your place... having second thoughts?”
“I’m handling a crisis, it’s best to leave it inexperienced hooves, once it’s over we can begin the transition of power...”
“The transition of power to a mare who would follow your every direction.” He leans forwards.
“Be wary, I don’t care for how you describe Twilight...”
“She’s done a lot of truly amazing things... but how much can be honestly said to be from her own merit? It’s not hard to conclude you played a hand in her development, once her surge got your attention...” He clasped his nose. “She’s exactly as you groomed her to be...”
“Leadership isn’t something you're born with, it’s cultivated...” Her tail swished.
“...Agreed... but have you created a leader? Or just another follower?” He frowned deeply. “Twilight has learned to handle more singular enemies... I understand that one individual can be extremely dangerous in your realm... but it seems that collective threats are growing... what happens when she faces against those new threats using what she’s learned?”
Celestia twitched looking a bit uncomfortable. “She wouldn’t be so careless...”
“If it’s all she knows then what else does she have to fall back on? You got lucky with the Storm King and Chrysalis... but what happens when the supposed big bad.. is holding back someone worse?” He shook his head mumbling something... “She would have to fall back on you... the world is changing, you changed things...”
“With my countries research?”
“Yes and no... before that... your ponies helped show time and time again the risk of depending on a singular individual... it took quite a while to sink in but the lesson was learned....” He tapped his chin. “Victory has defeated you... your research offers an easy excuse to mobilize...”
“Enough...” She looked... tired... arching her head down, she knew this all already, but hearing it out loud was something else. “If you truly don’t want to see my ponies and your brood suffer... then tell me... how can I save them?...”
“Answer my counter-question and I will give you the answer... though I doubt you will like it...” He slowly sat up making his way to the wall, until he just had to tilt his head down to look her in the eyes. “Without your ponies.... what are you?” He gave her a deathly serious look.
She swallowed uncomfortably, sister was one of the first things that came to mind... but that was gone now.... a teacher?.... Twilight had graduated from her tutorage long ago... an aunt?... Cadence disowned her... and Blueblood had made his position clear...
“You sacrificed so much for them... they are as much a part of you as the wings on your back... without them... are you even Celestia anymore?...” He just stared at her with cold empty eyes.
Celestia felt the pit growing in her stomach, shifting uncomfortably she inhaled steadying herself. “An Alicorn...”
He didn’t look impressed. “You know that’s not the answer...”
“It’s the answer I’m giving...” She stood fast.
Sighing he spoke deciding to give her something out of pity. “The Galloping Gorge facility is futile.. the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics is fantasy... it fell out of scientific consensus as research was found to favor Darwinism and Gene Theory... keeping those subjects around only causes more suffering and aggravates Ironback further... throwing him a bone and the scholars under his wagon will placate him for a while...”
“You want me to throw my ponies onto his sword?...” She looked disgusted.
“Would you rather his ships pay your coastal cities a visit?... I have no doubt he wants to make a spectacle of the perpetrators, he can’t do that with just a few mutilated Minotaurs....” He shook his head. “No, he wants something to humiliate... to parade through the streets.... right until their execution.... don’t give me that look... the scholars here talk often about world events... it’s hard not to listen...”
“You sound like you know him well...” She raised an eyebrow.
“Luna kept me well informed about global politics...” He shrugs. “I don’t think I need to tell you it’s a temporary solution... it will placate him for a while... but the question is how long?”
“...I know...” She sat back on her haunches. “Anything else?...”
“...I heard about Dimondia... Blowing from a Gun is truly a horrible way to die... even worse to witness....” He shook his head.
“Your people used such a wretched execution?...” She stared at him.
“Not for nearly 100 years... It was normally used to send a message... I take you got theirs loud and clear?”
“Yes...” She looked into his eyes again. “What are you to them?”
“Hmm?” He tilted his head, showing those rows of unnaturally white crooked teeth.
“The other nations scarcely mentioned your imprisonment in their correspondence... more focused on their own...” She leaned her head in closer to the wall. “They didn’t even mention those we hold of their kind... just you.... why?”
“Why indeed...” He hummed his smile forming a frown of contemplation. “It’s quite a mystery, isn’t it? When I first arrived here you and your little foals playing scientist couldn’t make heads or tails of me... before all of this if you asked me what a Diamond Dog was I would think you to be referencing a musician... yet while I didn’t know of them... they seemed to know much about me and my kind.”
Celestia looked increasingly troubled. “...If I were to release you from this place... what would you do?” She shook her head looking directly into his eyes.
“Leave you to your fate, I’m no warrior or general Celestia, you may have denied me the release that waits for all men... But I have no true magical power like yours. I won’t rush at you with a sword to soothe my ego or get some petty revenge.” He sounded so dismissive. “Besides... what hell could I ever envision for you... would be worse than what you have created for yourself?” His frown formed back into an unnerving smile showing his rows of crooked teeth.
She stared at him for a while, searching those eyes for any hints of deceit in those pools of emerald green. Beyond his hatred, she just saw the tired emptiness that had filled him since the day she found him swinging from the ceiling. Turning around she made her way out, feeling those eyes burn into the back of her head, even as the vault sealed shut.
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Very good chapter. Are we gonna be able to see Twilight break away from Celestia and perhaps try to find a new solution, or is she gonna stay a follower to the end?
ooooooooooof.
I’m liking this very much! The political and economic fallout resulting from Luna releasing the contents of Nightlight’s journal in the previous story provides an interesting scenario. I’m very interested to see how this story progresses.
ooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, i wanna read more
Dis ll be fun.
Wow. Excellent job capturing the essence of the first story, and refining it into something that can make more. I love all of this, tensions rising and the drums of war can be heard on the horizon, and if he isn't freed soon, the dogs will come fast and hard, to get back their best friend.
There were a few grammar and spacing mistakes here and there, but other than that well done. I'm looking forward to more!
Damn that's good writing. More please
Man, how fcked up is this version of Equestria.
Essentially they had to have contact with humans
Maybe magic influenced, mutated dogs from earth?
Maybe when they got transported to this world ,some humans got with them too or some pictures, drawings of humans and dogs together?
And he should keep giving answers like that ,that don't involve helping them with their repopulation problem.
Him giving her an advise to release scholars to minotaurs was acceptable because it's didn't gave them anything.
Maybe even speeding things up.
If Ironbark will get to kill the scientists faster then he will pressure them more to get more even faster
Hyped for future chapters, and a great start! I was hoping this would be continued, hehe.
while this is very interesting, and I love the story and can't wait to see where it goes, you use a lot of ellipses. and it's honestly... kinda distracting. every time a character talks, their sentence ends with one. maybe cut down on them a bit?
I hope the ponies are saved, for their *sake. Pinkie did the right thing, in my opinion. Very good chapter. Also, there were a few spelling and grammatical errors that distracted from the chapter
Several spelling issues, but the idea came across fine. I can't remember, why are ponies having fertility issues again?
10652486
Nobody knows
10652486
Not revealed. My guess maybe too much big-magic-rads used at some point?
Very good start for a story. One of the very few stories that actually forces readers to think.
I really don't hate the Celestia of this story very much. Agreed what she has done is repugnant, and she should be punished. But she is like a mother to the ponies, and what crazy lengths would a mother go through in order to save her dying children? Rare for me to feel sympathy for the bad guy.
Aaron, however, feels like a disapointment. I get that he hates Celestia, and he is more than justified in hating her. But delighting in her torment is kinda messed up because such torment comes at the suffering of millions innocent ponies, the extinction of a species, and the potential for war that will get many innocent people killed - both ponies and non-ponies. What kind of person is happy to get what they want at such a price? Also, when Celestia finally does snap and becomes Daybreaker, the whole planet could be destroyed as she uses the sun to vent her rage and sorrow. I get Aaron is a victim of Celestia's experiments, but he seems to be praying for the situation to go from terrible to a downright genocidal disaster. Very rare, but a part of me dislikes this 'good guy.'
Looking forward to future chapters.
10652611
Well it's simple, he's not a good guy, not even close. This story doesn't really have good guys, just people in a horrible position making thigs worse with the best of intentions. Anon really isn't in a position to make things any better, and he really hasn't done anything to make things worse.
That's all on Celestia.
So, as an alternative to suicide, or going mad with hate/spite/despair, he's supping from the bitter cup of schadenfreude. It's all burning down anyway, he may as well appreciate the fireglow...
Congrats on creating such a popular story.
10652648
to point out he actually tried to commit suicide and why it didn't work is part of why he hates Celestia and her administration.
That phrase "swinging from the ceiling" tends to be the most common description of someone who's committed suicide via hanging, as no one likes to address suicide out in the open, either the person doing so (either because they're doing so out of fear of death or to avoid people reading too much into their intentions and trying to stop them) or the people finding the bodies.
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Radiation?
Magic radiation?
.......oh
10652540
......fuck I'm not the first one to guess that using the rainbow power can have consequences on your balls......
1:16
Maybe it's alicorns magic?
The problem seemed to escalate the longer Celestia stayed as a ruler
10652325
The ponies that are alive right now are doomed ,you can't save them , there is no cure.
Maybe their close contact with magic caught up to them , who knows for now?
The only ones who can be saved are hybrids and a new generation of ponies if they are successful in creating them,they souldn't have any contact with Celestia ,especially if it's nature of alicorns magic at fault
10652720
Precisely. He tried suicide, and he wasn't permitted to die. So, as an alternative he's chosen to cultivate a deep and abiding hatred for the one mare he considers responsible for all this. Spite can be an amazing motivator, it might be the only thing keeping him stable.
Goodness knows he isn't receiving proper psychological help...
10652814
"You won't let me die?"
"Ok then,NOW it's super personal and I will make you regret this decision "
"Let me create for you the worst possible timeline "
10652814
my apologies, the way I read your initial comment I interpreted it as "he chose not to commit suicide and instead chose to enjoy the show" as opposed to trying and failing. Thank you for clarifying
Whike good, what really bothers me is that Aaron is far too nice to Celestia, too willing to forgive and believe she actually has pure intentions. She's just evil and fucking selfish. From the start she qnd her cadre have thrown morality under the bus, disregarding the life and wellbeing of everything that isn't a "Pony". It isn't enough that they crossbreed, she has to crush and destroy every trace of a non-pony in her little toys, because she only cares about having them for herself. Likewise all the nonponies she's using are abused and their suffering is never allowed to end.
I have a feeling Pinkie has talked to the other girls and they are probably hating Celestia just as much as she is. Except Twilight of course. Right now the only possible solutions via magic might be a youth spell and the mirror pool to create viable clones and breed them. Physically the other option is to surrender to another kingdom and ask for all the help in the world. The other thing is to find out what has done this to there child bearing population. Radiation? Magic? Everyone ate Poison Joke?
The internet loves genocide.
I have nothing against ponykind in this story, but I'm kind of hoping that they die out as a species for no other reason than that the World is trying really, really hard to get rid of them. I'm of the opinion that the world itself has some form of intelligence, and that ponies get their cutie marks based on the world having an understanding of their place inside itself. So if the very world is trying to gently bring ponies to extinction, without causing any direct suffering whatsoever, just preventing new generations from popping up to fill in the gaps, maybe it has a reason for doing it.
10652803
Definitely magic acting like radiation.
Just watching the show and you see it (magic) bring used everywhere to solve every problem. Need to grow crops? Forget fertilizer - Earth pony magic. Weather on demand, control over day and night, etc- ponies use magic with the same ease that we humans use electricity, chemistry, and at one point lead and radium.
And like humans the ponies don't completely understand it. Enough to use it? Sure, but not enough to be aware of any potential long term downsides. And nothing is more long term than a slowly expanding mass sterility. My bet is that the birth rate was already dropping decades ago and this is just the time when no one can ignore the elephant in the rom.
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i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/001/453/054/02d.png
10653450
Remember how the "Tree of Harmony" was in all actuality an artifact of pony creation? Who is to say the sun and moon's dependence on Celestia and Luna was also an artificial creation? How the changing of the seasons and the weather control as well? We've seen some places where the world refuses to be controlled in the North and the Everfree Forest. Maybe the magic itself is just tired of their nonsense?
Since Grogar and the Smooze is still a thing, what if generation 1 ponies had help in the form of a blonde haired human girl to aid them? If the ponies forgot about this once great heroine but the rest of the world didn't?
10653685
Considering said Human girls Brother taggged along on some of her Adventures Humanity may have crossed with the ponies before.
To go even deeper the spell originally was to give cross specie couples children point at the above sentence.
10653685
The suggestion that Ponies have enslaved the natural order of the world and have been defiling it for the last several thousand years make me hope they die off even more.
Realistically, what is lost if the last mortal pony dies off of old age in 50 years? Is it so horrible that the turnip farm down the road is plowed by a diamond dog instead of an earth pony? That a middle aged griffon hen is buying that black tourmaline bracelet instead of a unicorn?
Having ponies around is nice for the sake of variety among the sapient races, but they are hardly necessary, and the lengths they have gone to to try to stick around is starting to turn them into monsters anyway. I don't know how many rape-scientists a species is allowed to have before you have to just label them all as a lost cause, but ponies are very close to that number.
10653637
I dont get it.
10652648
Strange. I point out how the author did a really good job at stirring thoughts about judgement/condemnation of his characters (which is what makes it a really good Tradegy, which the author tagged it as such. There is no clear good guy winning/bad guy losing) yet everyone seems to hate the comment.
This was never going to have a happy ending.
Oh, dang... I just realized. They do have one pony left who could provide viable genetic material (though she'd need to be a bit older before she can provide it). I'm talking about Cozy Glow, presumably still preserved in stone. It's only a matter of time before they realize this and once they do, I feel sorry for her (assuming they haven't freed and locked her up in a lab already).
"No cost too great."
If Celestia is the Fork King, is AAron the Hollow Knight?
10654445
Pale King from Hollow Knight.
So, is the issue that for some reason ponies are sterile now so they have to make hybrid ponies to maintain the existence of their people and a future for ponykind, but their being hybrid causes terrible defects as it usually does?
Jesus Christ is this dark. Unnervingly so. But really well done, honestly. How satisfyingly horrifying!
10657137
Not terrible defects, unless with a human donor, they just have traits of both species/tribes when they are born which Celestia sees as undesirable for some reason.
10670222
Ah, thanks for clearing it up. Definitely a problem that ponies can't make more ponies, but rather obviously hybrids aren't the solution because that's not pure pony, and human hybrids are unfortunate permacripples that shouldn't exist.
"Breed out the non-pony traits"...
I wonder if our hero will tell Celestia about kennel clubs back on earth. So called "Purebreds" actually being 'inbreds".
Aron's advise helps doom equestria all the faster. And he didn't even need to lie to do it.
Jesus Christ this is dark, I love it.
Anyways, if you guys want to see how that execution thing goes, here's a reenactment.
(WARNING: GORE)
Question: were the Crystal Ponies having more kids, thus why some were being kidnapped?
And also...did Celestia also use Thestral's (Bat Ponies) and hide it from Luna? Surprised they did not outright rebel after Luna fled.
10653042
Oh that last part is easy if you been keeping up with the IDW comic line,
You see discord one brought Fluttershy and the CMC to help the fertility Goddess Bast against a possessed Anubis, during this time Bast noticed Shy's closeness with Discord and took exception to her ex and the bearer being together, since he had traveled through time to do so she had to wait to strike and that time is now.
10746321
Shame we probably wont ever find out. Seems this story isnt getting worked on.
...Celestia, what the fuck have you done?
10736918
Many people in the fandom don't believe that Threstals canonically exist. So I don't think they're included here.