Obsession
As defeat looms ever closer, Princess Celestia becomes increasingly erratic and lashes out at anypony unfortunate enough to be the subject of her rage.
In the war room of Castle Canterlot, Princess Celestia held a hastily scrawled letter in her hoof, her face eerily impassive save for the pulsing vein that twitched sporadically out the corner of her forehead.
The contents of the letter was short and succinct.
Lieutenant Long Haul, second in command to Lieutenant Colonel Blaze Hoof, had assumed command of the last sizable battalion in all of Equestria after the latter had been killed in an ambush attempting to sneak back into Canterlot and had decided to surrender to the human forces. In his letter, he urged Princess Celestia to do the same, citing that it is the only way to save Equestria from complete and total eradication.
Needless to say, Celestia didn’t take to the thought of surrendering to the humans all that well.
The Equestrian war council, which had shrunken considerably during these dark days with many of their members either dead or AWOL, watched apprehensively as she placed the letter down and brought a shaking hoof up to her face to remove her reading glasses.
“All members of staff outside of the war council, please leave the room until further notice,” Celestia spoke barely above a whisper. She was polite yet her voice carried all the tranquil fury of a storm gathering on the horizon.
Hurriedly, all members of the cleaning staff and catering fled the room. They filed out the doors in a huddled mass, rudely pushing and shoving others out of the way so that they may escape the scathing tirade Princess Celestia was about to deliver. Once they were all gone a deathly silence overtook the war room, putting everypony on edge. It was the calm before the storm, the moment before disaster struck.
“How...” Celestia breathed as the ambient temperature rose to sweltering levels. Flickering embers sparked around her form, flittering about the room before fading from existence.
“How...” she repeated, slowly rising from her seat, her mane covering her baleful gaze. The council grimaced and subconsciously backed away from their chairs, bracing themselves for what comes next.
“HOW!?” She exploded furiously, her flowing rainbow mane bursting into a torrent of billowing hellfire as she forcefully brought her hoof down onto the table in front of her, splintering it and showering her peers with flecks of charred wooden shards. The council recoiled from the ferocity she displayed, trembling like foals before a pack of timberwolves about to pounce upon them.
"HOW ARE WE FAILING?!" She bellowed. The royal 'we' was in full effect and the very foundations of the castle shook in terror of her dominant presence. She stomped towards her council, webbing cracks across the floor, carefully observing their every reaction with the eyes of a hawk. "TELL ME! HOW IS IT THAT WE EQUESTRIANS ARE FAILING AGAINST THE HUMAN MONGRELS! WE, THE RIGHTEOUS! WE, THE STRONG! WE, THE HERALDS OF FRIENDSHIP AND HARMONY!?"
Members of the council opened their mouths to speak but found their words to fail them. Even Twilight, the most eloquent of speakers, found herself with her mouth agape like a landlocked goldfish in the face of her raging mentor.
By some miracle, or suicidal bravery, it was hard to tell in the context of things, somepony did manage to get a word out.
General Swift Stream, an unimpressive sergeant of the Royal Guard that had been reluctantly promoted to the prestigious rank through process of elimination, mumbled something through quivering lips.
“Y-your majesty,” he began, swallowing thickly after. Celestia immediately turned her heated gaze to the trembling general and he could’ve sworn he saw his life flash before his eyes. Gathering what little resolve he had left, he continued with his speech. “The-there-there’s just too many of t-them. The h-humans, they outnumber us a-a hundred to one! Their range is g-greater than ours, their weapons more p-potent, their t-tactics beyond merciless. The magic killers they employ all but assures we cannot retaliate in the face of such brutal ruthlessness!”
“INCOMPETENCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE!” Celestia snapped, nostrils flaring, stamping her hooves In frustration. The shockwave she unleashed could be felt through the teeth as the various decor were knocked to the floor, shattering vases, picture frames and other antiquated baubles scattered throughout the castle’s winding hallways.
“WE FIGHT UNDER THE LIGHT OF HARMONY! OUR PEOPLE ARE THE UNYIELDING BULWARK OF ALL THAT IS RIGHT AND PURE IN THE WORLD! TIME AND TIME AGAIN HAVE WE BEEN ASSAILED BY DARK AND UNNATURAL FORCES, AND EACH TIME EQUESTRIA HAS REMAINED UNBOWED! OUR TRIUMPH AGAINST THE SINFUL STAIN OF HUMANITY WAS ALL BUT GUARANTEED, YET WE HAVE BEEN PUSHED TO THE BRINK OF ANNIHILATION!”
She glanced over her fearful generals, sneering at their blatant cowardice.
"COWARDS! ALL OF YOU, COWARDS!" She decried, descending into hysterics. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she raged, screaming and wailing to the shattered Heavens all the while her peers looked on in silent disbelief. The pony they all loved and placed their faith in was going absolutely insane right before their very eyes.
"GENERALS?! BAH! MY REAL GENERALS DIED DEFENDING EQUESTRIA TO THEIR LAST BREATH! THEY WERE LOYAL, BRAVE, AND ABOVE ALL ELSE, TRUE TO THE EQUESTRIAN IDEAL! YOU UNFORTUNATE LOT WERE THE LEFTOVERS OF GOOD STOCK SCRAPED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL LIKE THE SCUM YOU ARE! YOU’RE NO BETTER THAN THAT TREACHEROUS VALKYRIE! CHICKEN-HEARTED AND UNRELIABLE!”
"WE HAVEN'T BEEN FIGHTING AS HARD AS WE SHOULD! THAT IS WHY THE HUMAN SCOURGE ARE TAINTING OUR SOIL WITH THEIR REVOLTING TECHNOLOGY, DESTROYING EVERYTHING THEY TOUCH IN EQUESTRIA LIKE THEY DO! LIKE THEY ALWAYS DO!”
Celestia smashed another table, scattering more wooden debris across the room. The act did little to quell her volcanic anger.
“I WAS TOO LENIENT ON THEM!” She continued, stamping holes across the floor.
“I THOUGHT THEY COULD BE SAVED, THAT THEY COULD BE REDEEMED, BUT I WAS WRONG! HUMANITY IS INCAPABLE OF KNOWING LOVE OR KINDNESS! THEY ARE A DISCORDANT AND SELF DESTRUCTIVE BLACK HOLE THAT ONLY KNOW HOW TO TAKE AND TAKE AND TAKE UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT!”
“ONLY NOW DO I REALIZE THAT THEY SHOULD'VE BEEN ELIMINATED LONG AGO LIKE THE FILTHY VERMIN THEY ARE!”
“MAYBE THEN MY BELOVED SISTER WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!”
“MAYBE THEN CADANCE, FLURRY HEART AND THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE WOULD STILL BE WITH US!”
“MAYBE THEN MY BEAUTIFUL EQUESTRIA WOULD REMAIN UNMOLESTED BY THOSE DAMNABLE MONGRELS!”
“CURSE THEM!”
“CURSE THEM TO THE DEEPEST HELL THAT EXIST!”
“CURSE THEM IN THE NAME OF THE SUN AND MOON!”
“CURSE THEM FOR TAKING FROM ME ALL THAT I HOLD DEAR TO MY HEART!”
“CURSE THEM!”
”CURSE THEM!”
”CURSE THEM!”
Princess Celestia collapsed onto her haunches shortly after, burying her face into her hooves as she began loudly sobbing to herself. Pain and sorrow wracked through her body with each tearful heaving of her burning lungs. She laid there for some time, grief stricken and vulnerable. The burden of the crown had finally taken its toll on her. Everything that she had spent building up over the course of several millennia had been set ablaze by the flames of war. And throughout it all, she had been shown fear in a handful of ash.
Twilight and Spike watched the particular scene unfold before them, visibly shaken by the sheer rawness of it.
It just felt so wrong seeing Princess Celestia, the paragon of ponykind, fall apart at the seams like this.
Feeling Spike frantically nudge at her from behind, his way of telling Twilight to console her mentor, she tentatively walked over to Princess Celestia to comfort her. Before she even got a chance to speak, before she was even able to place a hoof on her back, Celestia’s hoof rose and angrily swatted away Twilight’s own.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Snapped Celestia, glaring daggers towards Twilight.
“P-Princess Celestia?” Twilight breathed, flinching as if she’d be physically struck by Celestia herself. “I-I was only t-trying to help.”
“HELP? HELP?!” Celestia roared, rising back on all fours and towering intimidatingly over Twilight. “IF YOU HAD WANTED TO HELP YOU SHOULD’VE PERFORMED YOUR DUTIES AS THE PRINCESS OF FRIENDSHIP AND PREVENTED FLUTTERSHY FROM ESCAPING WITH THE DAMNED RESISTANCE!” She proclaimed pointedly, taking several steps towards Twilight.
“I CAN LOOK PAST MY GENERAL’S FAULTS! THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS GREAT, BUT OURS IS FAR GREATER THAN THEY CAN EVER POSSIBLY HOPE TO IMAGINE! YOUR DESTINY WAS TO ENSURE EQUESTRIA ASCENDS TO GREATER HEIGHTS OF PROSPERITY THROUGH THE LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNED! BUT HERE WE ARE, AT HUMANITY'S MERCY!”
Twilight’s pupils shrank to pinpricks at the accusation. Pain stabbed at her heart as she backed away from Celestia’s hostile advance, nearly toppling over herself backwards if she didn’t run into Spike.
“P-Princess Celestia, please! That wasn’t Twilight’s fault!” Spike defended, barely restraining the urge to fly to the hills. “Lyra was the one who tricked her into leaving!”
“THAT TRAITOR LYRA HEARTSTRINGS ONLY SERVED AS THE CATALYST FOR HER BETRAYAL! HAD TWILIGHT BEEN A BETTER FRIEND THEN FLUTTERSHY WOULD STILL BE ON OUR SIDE AND THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO OUR MISERABLE PREDICAMENT NEVER WOULD’VE HAPPENED TO BEGIN WITH!” Celestia rebuked.
"Bu-but I tried! I-I really tried!" Twilight sputtered, raising her hooves defensively. "Fluttershy was a lost cause, she just wouldn't see reason and fled with Discord before the girls and I could talk it out with her!"
"YOU SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THE SEEDS OF DISSENT HAD ALREADY BEEN SOWN BEFORE THEY TOOK ROOT! FLUTTERSHY CONSPIRED TO TURN AGAINST US LONG BEFORE YOU CONFRONTED HER THAT FATEFUL NIGHT! YOU HAVE HAD AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT HER FROM WALKING THE WRONG PATH, YET YOUR LAPSE IN JUDGEMENT HAS COST US EVERYTHING!” Celestia seethed, causing Twilight and Spike to shrink down into the floor.
“BECAUSE OF FLUTTERSHY’S DEFECTION WE LOST THE ABILITY TO UTILIZE THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY, EFFECTIVELY ANCHORING US TO THIS CRUEL REALITY WE ARE FORCED TO ENDURE! AT A TIME, WE COULD’VE SIMPLY TAKEN HER BACK BY FORCE, BEND HER TO EQUESTRIA’S WILL IF NECESSARY! BUT THE DESTRUCTION OF PONYVILLE AND THE SUBSEQUENT DEATHS OF PINKIE PIE AND RARITY SHE HELPED TO CAUSE HAVE ALL BUT ASSURED EQUESTRIA IS MAROONED ON THIS DOOMED PLANET FOR ALL ETERNITY!” Celestia's bloodshot eyes narrowed upon Twilight’s trembling form, who felt her blood freeze at the cold gaze.
“YOUR INABILITY TO MAINTAIN YOUR FRIENDSHIPS HAVE JEOPARDIZED OUR VERY EXISTENCE! TWILIGHT SPARKLE, YOU HAVE FAILED ME!” She scolded. Every word that left her mouth were like verbal nails embedding themselves into Twilight’s psyche.
"I-I... I" Twilight babbled dumbly, too shocked and stupefied to manage a coherent response.
Her expression was one of utter heartbreak. It was bad enough she had lost so much during the war, but being dressed down in front of the war council by her mentor and mother-figure was beyond despairing. Celestia was in agony, that much was understandable. But to think she would deliver such a harsh tongue lashing. Even Spike was left without words, having found himself rooted to the spot in white-knuckle terror with his grip on Twilight so tight his talons were digging into her flesh.
"Your m-majesty?" A general spoke up, an earth pony named Holdfast. "W-what if..." He paused, contemplating if he should even say it aloud. They'd already been chewed out for Steamer's meek reply. Swallowing thickly, he steeled his nerves and asked the one question that was without a doubt on everyone's mind but were too afraid to ask given what they've been exposed to in the last twenty minutes.
"W-what if we s-surrender like Long Haul suggested?" He concluded as she suddenly felt every eye in the room turn to him, Princess Celestia's chief among them. The look that she gave him would've incinerated him to ash in an instant. A pregnant silence filled the room, it was so quiet everyone could hear the blood pulsing in their ears.
Then, with a tone of finality, Celestia spoke.
"...Out," she muttered, her fiery mane growing brighter and hotter with each passing second. The flames began licking the floor and drapery, singing them coal black as they slowly caught fire. The war council felt their hearts beat wildly in their chest, pounding almost painfully against their rib cage as Celestia sucked in a lungful of air and send them flying out of the room with a single word.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOUT!"
Princess Celestia would continue to hold her defiant stance against the forces of humanity even as the home she loved so dearly burned around her. A cloak of despair would wrap itself around the ruined city of Canterlot, driving many to suicide or girding their convictions to die a glorious death for Equestria, seeing it as the only way out in desperate times.
And while Celestia did apologize to Twilight for the things she said, the damage was too profound to repair in a single encounter.
She will eventually die alone years later, hated by all for ages to come with the only comfort being that Equestria and her little ponies not only survived in the end, but thrived in their new environment.
Celestia always did play the long game... even if she was merely a spectator watching on the side.
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whats next, her execution?
10718575
That's already a story. It's called Truth
YIKES!
Seriously, Celly?! You're blaming Twilight for not forcibly dragging her friend into a prison cell?! Just proves that in the end, all that talk about friendship and harmony was just hot air and horse droppings. I'm surprised Twilight didn't call her out in Truth for her little tantrum. She was ranting and raving as a movie villain - yes, it's based on Hitler's historic breakdown, but somehow that breaks down any legitimacy or dignity she may have had left. But then again, it's not like this version of Celly didn't deserve her pitiful fate.
Also, great work on the chapter. It's incredibly cathartic to see the actual breakdown.
Hmph Celestia really does need a wake up call.
Okay, didn't pay attention to the Author's Note, but... damn, the more I think about that name, the more apt it is. It basically broke the illusion of magic by punching it in a weak point and breaking its power.
Note that the historic JGW killed Houdini that way by way of a ruptured stomach. Much like the Generators destroyed Equestria.
10718579
i did read that, i do mean the actual execution, her last thoughts after Twilight walked out on her for the final time. Right before she draw her last breath, but what IS next?
10718646
Standing in front of a firing squad and getting shot at by a dozen high-powered lasers until her body was reduced to ash. Twilight said that was the sentence passed on her. The ashes were then thrown to the winds to prevent a memorial from ever being made by her diehard followers.
Just read the author’s note... That’s very clever.
Celestia reminds me of a pampered baby here. So used to getting everything she wants and throwing a temper tantrum and blaming everyone but herself when some of those around her suddenly decided they weren't having it this time. Well, she's right about one thing. Everyone in the room with her are all cowards.
But hey, everyone who isn't has already left by this point.
Well, Celestia sure seems to go to the "NeVeR mY fAuLt"-phase here.
I have to wonder if she had any backup location for Equestria, it’s heavily implied that earth was their only option. So where could they go? Back to the world she left to die? If even a few survived well... it wouldn’t look pretty for them, from a morale point of view and just the threat of those who have nothing left lose. I think she was just looking for something to unleash her wrath on. Twilight stepping forward gave her a target, if it wasn’t her, some general would have gotten off far worse. She’s watching her world come crashing down, that fact she turned down surrender points to it all being about control. Even taking to account in cannon she was passing the torch to Twilight, she basically installed someone who would follow her every word and teachings to the letter.
Celestia’s mindset vaguely reminds me of Pol Pot, wanting a primitive agrarian society. While she had some industrialization, it’s implied it was minimal likely just to maintain a reasonable standard of living. Even then I bet she used underhanded tactics to prevent it from “getting out of hoof”. Then again if she kept propaganda going about the joys of a “simple” life they would follow it happily. She might also be attempting to maintain the social hierarchy. Unicorns, Pegasi, Earth Ponies, and then everyone else. Technology muddles the the neat little system, sure it can be messy, but it’s getting better as we learn more. Which terrifies her all the more, since if technology surpasses magic... then her “perfect” society is a failure. Which isn’t an option. It’s why she couldn’t just leave humans be, as long as her ponies can hear whispers about them, they are a threat.
Also, her fear of pony culture being “tainted” is an admission that human culture is more powerful. If this wasn’t the case then pony culture would have over run earth. Western Ideas might be the biggest threat to her, I’m sure many of you can guess why. Too many questions, some questions Celestia couldn’t answer easily without inadvertently making a point against herself.
10718718
While there is a largely unicorn aristocracy, there seems to be quite a few of the other breeds blended in. They're mostly leftovers from the Old Equestrian system, grasping on to what little power and influence they have after an immortal demigoddess monarch moved in to stabilize the country during the dark years (most likely when Discord was wreaking havoc). The Pegasi form the backbone of the military because it's also a leftover from Old Equestria, when the Pegasi were a military junta/army disguised as a country; they're just too fond of tradition to let go of the Pegasus hold on the military, and Celestia was happy to oblige them. Earth ponies seem more numerous, and they get a fair shake under Celestia, so they're not exactly the bottom of the Equestrian society.
It's just everyone who isn't a pony got fucked over. The populace of Equus got left behind to die, and humanity was just one more corpse on the pile. I get the feeling that once Celestia had abandoned the other races to die, exterminating or converting humanity got easier because she had already gone too far to turn back, and she didn't particularly like humanity to begin with.
Despite her most sincere efforts against it.
Yeah, some serious 4th dimensional chess skills you have, Tia.
10718641
But Houdini was no magician. In fact he spent years exposing frauds and the fact that "magic" like spiritualism was but trickery and scam. If anything, he was a rationalist.
10718778
That's true. But he was still considered a magician by most, so the Achilles Heel imagery of someone taking him down by a solid punch is still applicable.
10718752
I wouldn’t say Earth Ponies are at the bottom, rather they each have a role to play. Unicorns seem to hold more administrative and higher academic positions. Pegasi are split between the military and weather production. While Earth Ponies largely handle agricultural and food production. Obviously some ponies go outside of these roles, but generally they fall into these groups by staying close to related fields. Even Filthy makes most of his business selling staple food goods at his store. Celestia might find the concept of “Creative Destruction” reprehensible, as it would upset this established system which has given her stability.
A lot of the wonders they enjoy might only be viable under her system aswell, hinting she leans on “Awesome But Impractical”. Take Clousdale for example, from the looks of it the town/city is heavily dependent on the Weather factory to exist. While I’m sure they get some money from general weather control, I’m willing to bet the real money is in irrigation. If too many farmers move towards mechanical irrigation it would hurt their wallets. It might ruin the city, even if they get some money from the Wonderbolt Academy. This is just for an example, I’m sure you can come up with others. There’s always economic winners and losers with innovation after all.
But the biggest threat would be to each races identity, as technology would muddle the lines between the races. What happens when an earth pony can fly faster then a natural born pegasus? Or can manage countless machines without so much as a magical aura? Obviously they would adapt in time, but it would be unfamiliar to Celestia. She likes what she knows, like a picky toddler at dinner. More importantly, as technology advances, it becomes harder to control, take the 3D printed gun issue. They have come a long way from the curios that broke after a single use. With some people combining various techniques to make fairly reliable semiautomatic firearms, they will only continue to improve. Then you have other emerging DIY anarchism, like Biohacking, while in their infancy now, will only continue to grow and flourish. Especially with high insulin prices pushing some to try and find alternatives to make it affordable for all. Science and innovation today outpaces even the most professional politicians ability to regulate it. Uber, cryptocurrency, personal drones, and automation just to name a few they love to gripe about, but can’t ever keep up with. If ponies gain that kind of technology... she might not be able to get them back against her protective bosom.
You are failing because you let the pride of past victories blind you and now you're paying the price for your lack of vision.
10718796
Also, by screaming the ponies should have just exterminated humanity from the start, she makes it abundantly clear it's not really about making the humans harmonious and peace-loving after all. Sometimes, it's what we say in our weakest moments that betrays who we really are.
Of course, if forcibly converting and brainwashing the humans brought out all these dissenters out of the woodworks, I shudder to think how many ponies would have objected to flat-out, open-faced genocide.
I am looking forward to the story of when Celestia wakes up from her coma and finds out that her ponies want her dead as much as the humans do, with her being considered to be worse than Hitler and the other worst humans in history.
10718796
TCB!Equestria's defeat draws many parallels to the Axis powers in WW2: their beliefs about 'racial superiority' and 'triumph of the will', combined with their overreliance on 'wonder weapons' never stood a chance in reality against the Allies' superior manpower, economy and logistics in the long term. Germany and Japan only really lasted for years because they were willing to throw their entire population into the meatgrinder before letting their leaders surrender and face the consequences of their actions.
Equestria depended entirely on their Barrier, magic and Crystal Cannon to win: once their strategic arsenal was rendered useless, the war was already concluded. No amount of propaganda or ideological posturing about 'Harmony' would change that.
10718718
no wonder Flim and Flam, some of the greatest innovators of their generation, were reduced to two bit con men.
I really want to see Celestia and Discord having a final conversation before the siege of Canterlot, to reflect how their position have been reversed.
Suggestion: a chapter about the incident that caused Celestia's coma.
Calm down holy shit
10718901
I'm assuming you're referring to the last chance negotiations between Discord and Celestia, the one Halberd Wings mentions in one of his last journal entries in Warfare. However, I think that happens during the Siege of Canterlot (or the last one anyways), and before that, Discord was pretty much persona non grata in Equestria for the duration of the war because of his siding with the humans.
10718930
Yes, that one. I feel these two long time adversaries need some sort of closure.
Wait... Is this the Hitler meme?
Damn. Reading this chapter made me think about two things.
1. If Celestia had not been aging and weakened, would she have gone full Daybreaker?
2. I can't help but wonder about the Map of Friendship. Had it gone nuts from Human conflicts across the planet? Or was it no longer affected due to being on Earth? One would think the map would have given warnings about Lyra and Fluttershy, letting the rest of the Mane 6 realize that the ultimate Friendship Problem was occurring under their noses.
10718983
1. The alicorns (and Discord) lost much of their power in Earth, so no Superpowered Evil Side.
2. Asuming Harmony still exist, it was probably VERY pissed out with the whole "leaving Equus and everycreature on it to die". Not to mention the whole of Equestria going into a genocidal war with even the support of most of the Bearers.
Maybe it just became too weakened by both the ebbing of magic and the betrayal of ponykind to being able to intervene.
10718944
Yes. It was also a meme that was referenced in one ofthe later chapters of Warfare. I think it’s the second to last one where Halberd is in Canterlot.
10718804
Well considering New Foals were sterile I think that had been hinted a long time ago. Even if you didn’t consider transforming humans in ponies genocide, I’m pretty sure mass sterilization counts. Twilight herself was horrified by the idea when she realized it. But all the evidence was right before her, she just didn’t want to see it at the time. Celestia likely didn’t see New Foals as equal anyway, just marginally better then humans, perhaps as a short lived second class to handle grunt work for a generation. After that, well it will only be Celestia fearing pure ponies to rule the earth.
Personally I like the denial aspect of Twilight better then the “Ponies are superior” aspect. It’s implied in the original story she was aware something was wrong with the New Foals, but blocked it from her thoughts. Likely due to both her adoration her mentor and the war at time. Twilight seems to have an unhealthy attachment to her, considering she’s basically a second mom, no one wants to believe mom has gone nuts after all. We also get hints Twilight might not be that close with her biological family in the series, considering they weren’t mentioned unless it was something big. Then with the war aspect, it was likely one of the few weapons that had notable effect on humans. Partially with morale, as they see it as a fate worse then death. So denouncing it would be unthinkable, especially as their other weapons are proving impotent.
10718868
You should see them in “The Rise of Darth Vulcan”, the author really captures their understandable frustration and bitterness about it. Sadly it had to move to another fiction site since some authors didn’t care for it, partially how it portrayed Celestia and company.
10719267
Celestia told Twilight she never meant to make Newfoals sterie thralls, and begged her former student to fix that mistake.
Hard to say if she was being honest, or just lying to both Twilight and herself one last time.
10719276
yeah I've read it, it was good to see them being given a more empathetic treatment than most of the fanbase ever gives them. i actually reread it just a couple of months ago, oddly enough mere days before it finally updated again. weird how these things happen.
incidentally, from what I've heard it wasn't just that some authors had a problem with it, the author was apparently being maliciously targeted by the admins and decided to jump ship entirely to a different website.
10719267
10719279
My personal take is that the mass brainwashing was deliberate, an attempt to remove all the "sinfulness" of their human nature. Celestia saying she didn't intend it is just her lying to herself. Others could perhaps take it as in "TCB: Not Alone", where Celestia genuinely believed that's how all ponies believed and effectively fucked up the minds of sapients in an attempt to make them nicer, but given everything Celestia's done in this fic, I don't believe that for a second.
The sterilization, though, is ambiguous. Could be she genuinely didn't intend it, the conversion process screwing up the reproductive system,
or perhaps she just wanted to see if these newfoals could prove themselves as loyal before she "graciously" allowed them the ability to breed again. The fact she used them as cannon fodder or abandoning them once the barrier came down doesn't really speak well of her.
Then again, maybe she though several billion newfoals was too much for her new kingdom - even one that spans a planet - and was just trying to wait for the majority of them to die out before allowing the rest to breed again. Again, while humanity's been guilty of eugenic beliefs, this is a scale that would boggle even the Nazis or the original US eugenicists (yes, eugenics originally started in the US, it's an ugly history).
10719276
10719289
Sadly, in this setting I can see them use the newfoals as slave labor for whatever get-rich-quick scheme they're trying to do. I know Flim and Flam built the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, which is quite impressive in and of itself in a most agrarian setting (especially since this was in Season 1, where the more 'advanced' aspects of Equestria hadn't been introduced), but they went on to make fake medicine, set up a fake college, and various other scams just to rip ponies off.
Getting real "Downfall" vibes from this:
10720048
Eventually, they will make a Downfall movie of Equestria, and of course dozens of internet memes of Celestia throwing a tantrun over cakes, videogames, etc..
The ultimate insult.
10720017
Sort of. It's in the same universe, the Negotiations-Verse (TV Tropes page here), in a different fanfic. AJ mentions Lyra "confusing" Braeburn in the chapter "Defection" here in this fic, but the one you're referring to is Useless, by Rated Ponystar, part of the same 'verse.
10720048
Rated Ponystar mentioned the original mental breakdown in the final chapter of Warfare, but we only see the actual scene here. Rated says the parallels are deliberate; he wanted to paint Celestia as a desperate tyrant at the end of her rope and driven mad by the complete collapse of the war effort after Equestria had spent so long with the advantage (which again parallels the Axis forces during WW2).
10719393
10719279
Celestia really didn't want to sterilize them that was just an accident that she really did want to fix so that they could breed and help populate the planet. Celestia really did think she was doing what was best for humanity by turning them into new foals so they could be treated like ponies, the problem was that over time her hatred for them grew as the war went on and she lost more of her loved ones. It could be different in this fic, and I'm fine with that if the author wants to go that route.
10720863
So if that's the case, when and why did Celestia write up her plans to make a pony-only utopia? One that would clearly discount the humans, as well as any non-ponies who were still with them during the transition. That sort of thing clearly shows ulterior motives to the whole "save the humans in spite of themselves" bit.
10722511
Celestia believed that co-existence with humanity was impossible and that turning them into ponies was not only for their best interest but also her people's best interest as well. As for the other races, she figured they would just remain docile under Equestria as they always have been. They pretty much have little to no power in Equestria as it is, so really it didn't make sense at first to worry about them. It was only after they started complaining about what was going on the Celestia realized that they were becoming a problem and so she locked them up until they could be pacified later since her focus was on the war with humanity that she saw the bigger threat.
Someone animate the Downfall Hitler rant with horses. You already have your script.
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Hmm... this is by far my favorite chapter.
was waiting for celestia to start shouting "NEIN! NEIN! NEIN!" while slamming her hooves on the table.
Obsession reminds me about the song "Possession" by Sarah McLachlan:
It is about a stalker who harassed her. Celestia is like the stalker and Equestria is like Sarah McLachlan. These lines from the song are very chilling:
One of the ways predators kill their prey is to clamp down their mouth over the mouth and nose of the prey and asphyxiating the prey.
The relationship between Celestia, her little ponies and the humans is not an healthy relationship.
When you listen to the song, I recommend wearing headphones or earbuds. The song will send chills down your spine. Celestia is just like the stalker.