A Beautiful Lie (Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Become a Totalitarian Dictator)

by Leondude

An Extremely Long Rant

Tom stood outside the throne room doors with the mind-controlled Starlight and Aryanne in tow. Considering how long he was waiting, he was thankful that he had the time to make a quick detour and purchase a cloak to cover up the amulet around his neck lest he wanted to be thrown in the dungeon with the Nazi pony he had subdued. After what felt like ages, the doors gently opened with a stallion wearing a turban and a pair of shades grumbling to himself. Tom shrugged and entered the throne room, where he witnessed Twilight rubbing her head as if she was having a migraine.

“What was all that about?” Tom asked Twilight.

“Just another visit from Ignoramus Enigma,” Twilight replied, “He used to write me question after question about when I’m going to change the future because he didn’t like some premonitions he had. Then he started pestering me about wiping Fluttershy and Discord’s memories because he didn’t like that they were an item and after I said no, he sent me a list of reasons why they really aren’t in love with each other. And now that I had banned him from every arts and crafts store in Equestria and burned every bit of paper in his house, he had the nerve to trot all the way over to Canterlot and ask for a position in the Royal Guard even though he doesn’t have the necessary qualifications due to being home-schooled!”

“And...what did he come over to ask for this time?” Tom asked cautiously in light of Twilight’s foul mood.

“To investigate Ahuizotl because he believed Ahuizotl was somehow lying when he was under the influence of the Truth Talisman,” Twilight replied, “Which is weird because it’s called the Truth Talisman for a reason.”

“Honestly, that last one is a legitimate concern,” Tom stated, “You never know. Ahuizotl might have found a way to cheat the Truth Talisman.”

“Maybe,” Twilight said, “But he’s taken up writing so, even if he was lying, there’s no need to investigate someone who’s reformed. Otherwise, I’d have surveillance on Discord twenty-four seven.”

“Even though he broke a couple of villains out of Tartarus?” Tom dryly asked, “Anyway, I would like to inform you that I have subdued the nefarious national socialist known as Aryanne.”

Tom turned around and gestured to the enthralled Aryanne to enter the throne room. As he looked back at Twilight, he noticed she had a bemused look on her face.

“Why does she look like she’s under the effects of the Cogeria, Fiducia Compelus, and Persuadere spells?” Twilight asked.

“Uh...because she is?” Tom sheepishly replied.

The expression on Twilight’s face did not change, which started to get on Tom’s nerves.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that!” Tom said irately, “Need I remind you that, before Discord reformed on his own terms, you were planning on reforming him by force? And the only reason you didn’t go through with it was because he ate all the reformation spells! Oh, and let’s not forget how you just so happen to have access to powerful mind-altering spells such as the Want-It, Need-It spell and the spells that I had cast on the Nazi that you are supposed to be prosecuting! Tell me, how often do you use the Want-It, Need-It spell? Especially considering you know that spell off the top of your head yet you needed to look up the reformation spells. Seriously, what the hell are you doing with spells like that?! Are those even legal?! Did anypony hit with the Elements reform on their own or did you have to nudge them while firing your rainbow laser at them?! It would make perfect sense because if anypony had a strong enough will to resist your tricks or is well-versed in mind-control magic themselves, they are either petrified or straight-up incinerated!”

Twilight was taken aback by Tom’s tirade, “Uh…”

“Ah, but if you were controlling everypony willy-nilly, how come Starlight was still causing problems even though she was under your tutelage?” Tom continued to ramble, “Simple. Because you didn’t use any magic on her. You allowed her to keep her free will. But that’s nothing new. Every now and then, a very naughty pony is spared. Because they smiled, because they got a nice cutie mark, because they begged for forgiveness. And that’s how you live with yourself. That’s how you can strip your enemies of their free will while telling yourself it’s for the greater good. That’s how you feel you have the right to give ponies hell for using the same spells you yourself have no problem casting. Because once in a while, on a whim and/or if the wind’s blowing in the right direction, you just so happen to be merciful.”

As Tom took a deep breath after his extremely long rant, he looked around and saw he was surrounded by royal guards. Perhaps it wasn’t a wise idea to accuse the ruler of Equestria of mentally dominating her enemies when no-one’s looking. But even though he was outnumbered, he was by no means outmatched. And with a quick flash, he bent everypony in the vicinity to his will...

Everypony except Twilight.

When the light dissipated, he saw Twilight had summoned a force-field around herself. It appeared that Twilight had learned to protect herself from being mind-controlled after the Accord and Cosmos incidences. While the smartest move would be to flee, Tom felt confident enough that he could take Twilight on by himself. In fact, he felt so confident that he believed he could actually take Twilight’s power for himself despite not knowing the magic absorption spell Tirek was well-versed in.

“Starlight!” Tom commanded, “Restrain her!”

Starlight complied and teleported into the room. With some assistance from Tom, she managed to break Twilight’s force-field and pin her to the wall. As tempting as it was to burst into maniacal laughter and inform Twilight about how the otherworldly power that gave Starlight a power boost and dumbed down those who didn’t want to be reformed was no longer on her side, Tom kept quiet and focused on absorbing Twilight’s magic. And given how much of a quick learner he was and how overpowered he was already, he took all of Twilight’s magic without even breaking a sweat. It felt good, as if he became a god among ponies.

Now the only thing left was to make everypony else see him as their god.

Author's Note:

WARNING: WEARING A MAGICAL AMULET KNOWN FOR ITS CORRUPTING INFLUENCE CAN CAUSE ITS WEARER TO JUMP OFF THE SLIPPERY SLOPE OF SANITY!

BTW, the last part of Tom's rant is loosely based on this bit in the Doctor Who episode Boom Town (more specifically, at the 0:42 mark):

Honestly, the idea of Twilight subtly influencing the minds of her enemies and having them turn over a new leaf by force or dumbing them down when they refuse to reform would make for a good fanfiction in of itself.

Comments

[GlitchyFox]

would chrisalis not being reformed be due to her being experinced with mind control? same with sombra. mabey tireks magic adsorbsion stopped any such spells? idk what to say about cozy, maby she is experinced enought with manipulation that trying would tip her off to it?

[Leondude]

10734038

[RDDash]

Absorbing magic? How does that even work?

[Leondude]

10739678
A combination of Tom being overpowered already and the Alicorn Amulet basically making its user do anything.

Well, almost anything. The only things the amulet can't do is duplicate a target, make a pony play ten instruments at once, and change a pony's gender.

[ThatGuyTookMyUserName]

10734038
Or maybe, in the case of Cozy Glow, mind control spells are a little hit and miss when cast on non-standard minds?