Chapter 11: A Knight's trial part 7.1
After all of the husbands and Emily had disappeared, Beau was out cold from the sudden teleportation from the stranger they had never met. He muttered a couple of times, “The square of 906.01 equals 30.1.”
He slowly opened his eyes and noticed that he was near the shore.
“What the…?” muttered Beau. “Why am I at the beach?”
He slowly opened his eyes, and to his surprise, he truly was on the shore. He slowly got up and looked around.
“Where am I?” said Beau. He looked up and saw that it was night. “Hmm,” pondered Beau, “Good thing Twilight taught me astronomy when she, Moonlight, and I were stargazing together.”
He looked at the stars and studied them while he muttered to himself.
“Let’s see. According to my calculations, based on the stars, where current location, and the direction that I am on. I’m at…”. Suddenly, he widened his eyes in shock, looking back and forth between the ocean and the so-called large island.
“Wait…I’m on Mount Metazoa?” said Beau in shock. “But that’s impossible; Mount Metazoa is nowhere near the ocean; it’s like a week away from it.”
“That is correct.”
Beau looked to his right in shock and saw Bright Star approaching him.
“Oh, it’s you.” said Beau when he recognized her. He looked around once more and asked, “Where the heck am I?”
“What you see around you is the alternate world of Equestria.” said Bright Star.
“Alternate?” said Beau. “Like an alternate version of Equestria where the timeline flows differently?”
“That’s right.” said Bright Star.
“What happened exactly?” said a confused Beau.
“Remember Princess Luna’s return after Nightmare Moon’s defeat?” asked Bright Star.
“Yeah, and both Twilight and Spike chose to stay in Ponyville.” said Beau.
Bright Star sighed and decided to tell him the story, for she knew Beau would not like this.
“In this world of Equestria, Harmony is all but diminished.” said Bright Star, which Beau flexed an eyebrow. “In this world, Princess Celestia, after Princess Luna was restored to her former glory after her banishment, had grown jealous and paranoid of her sister becoming popular and would overthrow her.”
“What?” said Beau, surprised. “But she would never do that. Luna loves her own sister too much to do that.”
“Tell her that.” said Bright Star. “And it grew so much worse, she ignited the sun’s power, drying many lands and melting the ice, causing the world to slowly flood, forcing many to live on large islands to survive. Princess Luna begged her sister to stop, for sacrificing their lives was not the way. But Celestia didn’t listen because she was so deeply drawn into her own madness, she didn’t believe a word she said. And because of it, she struck her down and ended up banishing her to the bottom of the sea.”
Beau was horrified by this, for he couldn’t believe something like this had happened.
“But what about Twilight and the others? Or Cadance and Shining Armour?” said Beau with a panicked look. “Didn’t they try to stop her?”
Bright Star merely had a dreaded look on her face.
“They are merely former shadows of themselves.” said Bright Star. “All of them were traumatized after losing their homes and loved ones. Spike had remained in Canterlot because he was too afraid to stay by Celestia’s side. And since she took over, many in Canterlot, even Moondancer, hated him. Sure, he may have reunited with Twilight, but he feels he couldn’t do anything to help her. Rainbow Dash became a cruel woman, even if she is loyal to her friends. Fluttershy was afraid, and seeing that she only had a handful of rabbits, she didn’t want to let them out of her sight after she had lost so many. Rarity was somewhat generous, but she had also grown cold and became a leader of her own mercenary crew, aka her own friends. Applejack was heartbroken after losing Granny Smith and their farm, so she lied to herself, thinking that she was doing the right thing; even her brother and sister became former shadows of themselves.”
Beau couldn’t believe what he was hearing as she continued.
“Pinkie Pie tried her best to make her friends happy, but even she can’t fake hiding her feelings behind her own smile. As for Twilight…Twilight is too afraid to stand up to her own master because all she cares about is pleasing her, and didn’t want to disappoint. And she was so traumatized from the whole event that she hid on Rarity’s ship, thinking that Celestia could track her. And Rainbow continued to be mean towards Spike, despite him being the only family Twilight has left ever since her parents were forced to bow down to Celestia while her brother and Princess Cadance went missing.”
Beau was horrified to learn of what happened. He held onto his head, thinking he had fallen into a nightmare. A world of what would happen if it had fallen into despair.
Suddenly they heard loud noises, causing Beau to sharply look behind.
“The hell?” muttered Beau in confusion, making him move over to the rock to see what was going on.
When he took a peek, he saw ponies, but all of them were mercenaries. But to his shock, he noticed that all of them had guns.
“The hell,” muttered Beau when he couldn’t believe what he saw. “They actually have guns? How’s that possible?”
He then saw someone that he recognized.
“Wait, is that…?”
It was. Octavia Melody. But something was off about her. She looked cold and cruel like she was an assassin. He then heard shouting.
“Let me go!! Let me go!!”
He looked to his right, and to his shock, he saw Twilight and the others. Fluttershy and Rarity were tied up, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were unconscious, and Pinkie Pie was tied like a piñata. And, whoa, Spike looks a bit tall and buff. Ahem, and then Twilight, who was being frantic.
“Let me go!! Let me go!! She’ll find me if I’m out in the open!! Let me go!!”
He noticed two mercenaries nearby and crept behind them to overhear their conversation.
“So, where’s the infamous crew of the Rogue Diamond supposed to be again?”
“To Suri Polomare. Apparently, she and the crew’s captain have a history, and she wants to kill them to make an example out of them.”
“Think we should be part of it?”
“Not much choice. With her running the show, it’s hard not to. But truth be told, I’d rather follow Octavia than that whore. She knows the meaning of respect and tact.”
On the other hand, Beau gripped his hand in anger, for he was appalled by what was happening. For the ponies in this world really did suffer. He quickly backed away for him to find a safe spot. He saw Bright Star waiting for him, causing him to go over to her.
“What the hell happened to them?” said Beau. “They’re nothing like the friends I knew.”
“Remember,” said Bright Star, “In this world after the flooding, their homes and livelihoods were gone. Many whom you knew who your friends were dead, gone, or turned into villains, while every race in the world was forced into hiding.”
Beau walked back and forth, for this was really bad. He needed to do something. The Mane 6 were in danger for this world, and he needed to help them.
He looked at her and said, “There must be something we can do.”
“Correction,” said Bright Star. “There is something you have to do.”
“Are you nuts?!” exclaimed Beau “What can I…?!”
Bright Star gave him a look as if she was already giving him the answer. Beau widened his eyes in shock, realizing what she was implying.
“No, no. No way!!” exclaimed Beau. “I turned my back on that a long time ago!!”
“But you still remember the training.” said Bright Star. “You’ve been secretly training without your family and friends knowing. You even asked Shining Armour to train you and made him promise not to say anything. Why is that?”
Beau looked away as if he was feeling shame for some reason. He took a few steps to the left while looking down.
“I turned my back on that for a reason.” said Beau. “Sure, they may have fully trained me, and thanks to my photographic memory and reflexes, I became somewhat of a master. But I didn’t want that life. I know I was born into an important family. But…it’s just not me.”
“And now you must make that sacrifice for the greater good. And for your family and friends.” said Bright Star. “For in this world, you will be truly tested.”
Beau looked at her while Bright Star continued. “They were trying to turn you into a leader. As a leader, you need to make decisions for the good of others. You will continue to be tested from here on out.”
She stood near him and held onto his shoulder. “The training you received from Shining Armour and the Royal Guards, as well as the training you received from your father…so that you can be what your family represented.”
“You don’t understand.” said Beau. “When I turned twenty, I walked away from my family long ago. Plus, I’m still a bit rusty, so I don’t know how to fight like I used to.”
Bright Star took a few steps forward and asked, “Do you still remember your training?”
He was silent for a few seconds and said, “I do. I remember all of it. Even from every book I ever studied and learned from. How to survive and make what I can.”
“Then for the sake of others,” said Bright Star as she walked over to Beau and held onto his right shoulder, gaining his attention. “You must learn to put your fears and doubts aside and become who you are meant to be. You need to do what needs to be done.”
Beau thought about this. On the one hand, if he accepted it, he’d be going against what he stood for when he chose to stay away from it. On the other hand, if he didn’t, then the Mane 6 and Spike of this world would suffer. Not just them but Caribouria and his home Equestria. And for Twilight and Moonlight. Beau took a deep breath, let it out, and turned around to face her.
“What do I have to do?” asked Beau.
“Once I use my magic to reach out to your mind,” said Bright Star, “All that training and learning that had been taught to you will return. And in doing so, you will need to become someone else. You will need to become…something…else.”
Beau gripped his hands, for he had promised and vowed he would never walk down that path, even promised he wouldn’t tell Twilight anything, but he knew he had to break that promise and do what he needed to be done. He had to accept it…for them. Beau looked at her sternly as he had made up his mind.
“Do it.”
Within a split second, she placed her hand on his head and said, “It’s time for you to remember.”
Within mere moments, Beau’s eyes began to glow as the light began to shine out of his mouth, while all the training, fighting, and instincts had begun to pour through his head, helping him remember how to use it. He remembered every fighting move as if it were second nature to him, the weapons he used, every form of science he learned, and every gadget and invention he used to help him win in the long run.
Once it was done, Bright Star removed her hand from his forehead, causing him to groan and hold onto it as he had a temporary headache. But he remembered everything he tried to forget. He looked at his hands slowly, remembering his training on Earth.
He looked at Bright Star with determination and said, “I’m ready.”
“Before you go, you will need this.” said Bright Star as she instantly teleported something near him, but he couldn’t see because he blocked his eyes from the bright flash.
When he looked, he was surprised to see what was before him In front of him was armor, but it looked really familiar. He noticed that the outfit was nearly identical to that one art he saw one of the artists draw about that futuristic Assassin’s Creed outfit, combined with armor identical to Boba Fett’s outfit, minus the jetpack. He was amazed by the outfit.
“What you see before you are your family’s armor.” said Bright Star.
“My armor?” said a confused Beau.
“You remembered when the Caribou Prince said that humans used to live here before they moved to Earth?” said Bright Star. “Well, your family was one of them. They all came from the Rohan Clan, honorable humans who helped protect others during their beginnings. As well as this….”
She then gave him what appeared to be a sword.
“This sword is known as the Magicalibur,” said Bright Star. “It was forged by the Caribou using the power of the Element of Magic. They crafted this for your family long ago, but it was lost before the humans left for Earth. And now it is yours.”
She handed Silverbolt the sword, allowing him to accept it. He looked at her again and said, “I know what I need to do. I once vowed I would never walk down this path. But for the sake of the heroes in this world, I’ll do what I need to do.”
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From within Mount Metazoa, Suri’s guards were moving from one spot to another, ensuring the place was well secured. However, Beau could sneak past most of the guards as he walked through the entrance. He continued to go from one spot to the next, avoiding as many guards as possible. But for some guards in his way, he could knock them out and drag them into a spot where no one could find them. He soon made his way toward the one room where he figured she might be. He remembered Princess Celestia telling him that many leaders would come and communicate with one another, so he figured their Suri would reside.
Meanwhile, from inside, the Mane 6 and Spike were at Suri’s mercy.
“Let me go, you asshole!!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “When I get out of this, you’re going to regret it!!”
“Rainbow, for once would ya’ll shut up!!” shouted Applejack.
Suri stood up and walked over to them from her throne as they were held at their mercy.
“So here we are at last,” said Suri “The infamous crew of the Rogue Diamond, finally here at my mercy.”
“Yeah, well, why don’t you untie these ropes so we can show you?!!” said Rainbow.
“Such fire,” said Suri as she looked at them. “I see why you would pair with this unlikely bunch, Rarity.”
“Leave them out of this, Suri!!” said Rarity. “I thought we were friends, and you ended up betraying me and literally stabbed me in the back!!”
“Oh Rarity,” said Suri teasingly, “You of all ponies should know that one would do whatever it takes to be on top. Something you were too afraid to do.”
She then stroked her hand under Spike’s chin and said, “And with you six gone, I will have a new dragon plaything with me.”
“Like hell I’d join you!!” shouted Spike. “I’d rather die than be with you!!”
“Hmph,” said Suri with a huff. “So be it.”
She turned to Tri-Horn and said, “Finish them off.”
“With pleasure.” said Tri-Horn as Suri walked back to her seat and sat back down.
“Just you wait!!” shouted Rainbow. “I’m going to kick your ass the moment I get out of this!!”
Just before Tri-Horn could make a move, the door blew wide open, taking everyone in the room by shock, even the Mane 6 and Spike, as they looked at the door being blown up. Slowly but surely, Beau slowly walked through the door, approaching through the smoke of the door. Beau stood there, looking intimidating with his armor and the extra gadgets and supplies he needed to fight. Everyone stared at him, surprised; even Spike and the Mane Six looked shocked to see him.
“So, you must be Suri.” said Beau as he held onto his weapon. “Here’s how this’ll work. You release the crew of the Rogue Diamond, or there will be more bodies that will be dropped onto the ground.”
Some guards felt intimidated; however, Suri laughed it off and said, “As if I would ever let go of my prize here. I’m a mare who gets what she wants.”
Beau retorted, “You talk pretty for a whore who dresses up like a slut.”
The servants and some of the guards gasped at what he said, with Suri perking up at what she said while she stood up and was angry. “What did you say?”
“Why are you exactly doing this?” said Beau “What do you get out of this, money?”
“Pff, please,” scoffed Suri “What would I need money for when I own my own private island and army.”
Beau flexed his eyebrow from underneath his helmet and said, “You’re not telling me that you’re doing this for the fashion world, are you?”
“Some of us who live to do a business will do whatever it takes to be number one.” said Suri.
“Sorry, but I don’t see any of that here.” said Beau as he insulted her by saying, “All I see is a worthless bitch who’s latched onto an excuse to steal others” ideas and who’s so stupid, she doesn’t realize that she’s being used by Fancy Pants.”
Suri snarled and was now really angry. “Oh, you are so asking for it. Octavia, Tri- Horn, kill him!!”
But just before Octavia could respond, Beau looked at her and said, “What the hell happened to you?”
She stopped and looked at him with a flexed eyebrow. “You used to be the most talented musician in all of Equestria. You even played the most beautiful music and songs. And now look at you; you’re reduced to being a murderer, a mercenary, a monster. I can’t believe Vinyl fell in love with you.”
Octavia actually showed a shocked expression on her face. She slowly looked down and said, “She…she loved me? Why didn’t she…?”
However, Tri-Horn didn’t like the way he talked to her.
“Don’t you dare speak to her like that!!” shouted Tri-Horn as he moved toward Beau.
“No. We end this.” said Beau as he charged towards Tri-Horn.
“You, end me?” said Tri-Horn in a humorous tone. “I’m going to enjoy….”
Before he could say anything, Beau pulled a knife from his wrist and cut the side of his leg, making Tri-Horn scream in pain, shocking many mercenaries, even Suri and the Mane 6, oh and Spike too. Beau instantly used a move called “Monkey jumps the fence,” landed in front of Tri-Horn, and jabbed the knife into its gut; he pulled the knife out and ended up climbing onto Tri-Horn’s back and jabbed the knife right into Tri-Horn’s neck a few times, making Tri-Horn spew blood and instantly collapse onto the ground.
Everyone in the room was shocked to see what happened, even this world’s version of the Mane 6 and Spike.
Beau then pulled the knife out and shook the blood off before putting it back into its holster. He looked at them again and said, “It would be wise to surrender.”
Suri got angry and shouted, “Kill him!!” to her guards.
The guards attacked head-on while Beau instantly took out a bo-staff and twirled it around. He fought them head-on as he used the bo-staff to smack the left one in the gut, then the head did the same thing with the right one while using his bo-staff to trip the next one while using the staff to knock the guard out. Beau used his bo-staff to pin the other one as it had nowhere to go.
“There he is!!” shouted one of the guards as they drew their guns.
Beau took the guard’s pistol and began to shoot at the guards point blank range to their heads before they had the chance to react. He shot the guard he was holding while Beau continued moving forward and shot every guard. When the guard could shoot Beau, to their surprise, the bullet bounced off of the armor. Beau looked good at
it and realized that the armor was special. Beau jumped towards one of the guards and backhanded him while he shot the other. He tripped one, shot him while performing a sweeping high kick, and killed the next one before they could react.
When there were about thirteen out of thirty remaining guards in the room left, Beau slowly looked at the leader while they noticed how many of their guards had fallen.
“This is your chance to make this right.” said Beau. “If I were you, I’d take it.”
The guards looked at one another and realized that their situation was inevitable. They had no choice but to accept, causing them to place their weapons on the ground. Suri, on the other hand, was steaming mad.
“No!!” shouted Suri. “I will not stand for this!! Octavia!! Kill…!!”
Before she could react, Suri felt like she was stabbed in the back, making her grunt in pain. She collapsed onto the ground within seconds, revealing Octavia had killed her.
“I quit.” said Octavia when Beau noticed that her tone and facial expression had changed.
Octavia looked at the Mane 6 and walked over to them.
“Oh, so now you switched sides?” said Rarity.
Octavia went behind them, and to their surprise, she untied her and helped her stand up.
To Rarity’s surprise, Octavia bowed and said, “I’m sorry for the pain and grief I caused you. And for nearly killing you. I wish to make amends for what I’ve done. Please, let me try to make amends and earn your trust.”
Rarity could tell that her expression seemed genuine. She extended her hand and said,
“Very well. You’ll get one chance.”
Octavia smiled and shook her hand.
“Or no chance at all.” said Rainbow.
Beau could tell that she wasn’t going to let up. Beau retorted, “The least you could do is show a little restraint.”
“Yeah, and who the hell are you?” said Rainbow.
“The bastard who just saved your cute little ass,” retorted Beau.
Rainbow immediately blushed bright red, causing her to blush and curse while mumbling. Beau knew that if Twilight were there with him, she would definitely kill him for saying something like that, but he couldn’t resist making fun of her. After all, he was pretending to be something else.
He went over and untied the others, with Spike being the first to shake his hand, and said, “Thanks for the save back there.”
“Least I could do,” said Beau. “You looked like you needed it.”
Twilight suddenly panicked, gaining Beau’s attention.
“I need to get back on the ship!! I need to hide!!” shouted Twilight as she was panic- stricken, “Princess Celestia might find me!!”
Beau slapped Twilight to calm her down, taking the others by surprise, with Beau saying, “Will you just shut up!!”
Twilight looked at him in shock, but he said, “Celestia can’t track others; she never did. She never mastered that technique. I mean, even if she did, don’t you think she would’ve found you guys by now, no matter where you go? You six are the ones who wielded the Elements of Harmony to save Princess Luna and stop Discord. Even if she did find you, all of you should’ve been dead long ago. Didn’t it even occur to you about that?”
Twilight lowered her eyes as she processed what he said. She suddenly widened her eyes in shock, then looked at him and said, “You mean to tell me that I’ve been hiding from Princess Celestia and panicked that she would find me for nothing? That I could’ve helped the whole time?”
“Well, duh.” retorted Beau.
Twilight was greatly embarrassed and ashamed while she lowered her head. She couldn’t believe she didn’t think about doing something like that in the first place. Her friends and Spike were greatly surprised that he got through to her so quickly.
“Wow,” said Fluttershy. “We’ve been trying for years to get her out of her trauma, and you instantly helped her get over it just like that.”
“What can I say,” shrugged Beau. “I have a habit of getting through to even the thickest-headedness of ponies.”
Applejack adjusted her hat, went over to him, and asked, “Who are ya’ll stranger?”
“My name is Thomas Rohan,” said Beau as he introduced himself, “But my friends call me Beau.”
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Soon after the whole ordeal, the Mane 6 and Spike sailed on their ship, the Rogue Diamond, with many of Octavia’s ships in tow, filled with Suri’s mercenaries who switched sides and all the enslaved people now working for the Rogue Diamond after they were promised freedom and that they would be able to make their own choices. On the Rogue Diamond, Octavia decided to sail with the Rogue Diamond so that they could keep an eye on her. And given what she did to them on their first encounter, she can’t blame them. She kept staring at the sea, watching the ocean. At the same time,
she noticed Spike approaching her and standing next to her. She could see that she was really nervous.
“Yes?” said Octavia when she noticed Spike.
“Hey, listen.” said Spike as he rubbed the back of his head. “I’m sorry about biting you in the shoulder a while back.”
“It’s quite alright,” said Octavia. “You were just trying to protect your friends. Not many creatures can do that.”
Octavia extended her hand to show no hard feelings. Spike smiled and shook her hand, showing that things were good between them. At the same time, Twilight walked up to Spike while being able to stand next to him.
“Hey,” said Spike when he noticed Twilight standing next to him, “Glad to see that you’re not confined to your room this time.”
“I’m just glad I don’t have to hide anymore.” said Twilight, while she looked down in shame and said, “I’m so ashamed. I should’ve been there for you and our friends. But I was a coward and hid away from the world.”
Spike hugged her and said “It’s alright Twilight. I’m just glad you’re outside and smiling again.”
Twilight smiled and hugged back. Octavia noticed someone wasn’t with them and asked “Where is Beau?”
“Hey!!”
They looked at Rainbow coming in, and she was mad for some reason.
“Where are my clothes Spike?!!” shouted Rainbow.
“What are you talking about?” said Spike.
“My clothes are missing from my cabin, you pervert!!”
“Rainbow,” said Twilight as she scolded her friend, “Spike would never do that, and he wasn’t anywhere near your room, so back off!!”
At the same time, everyone else came together.
“Has anyone seen my clothes?” asked Fluttershy.
“Mine are missing too.” said Applejack.
“Same here.” said Rarity.
“And mine.” said Pinkie.
“Uh, Pinkie,” said Spike. “You don’t wear clothes at all on the ship.”
“I do from time to time.” said Pinkie Pie.
They heard a loud whistle. When they watched, they saw Beau signaling them.
“You want answers?! Follow me.” said Beau as he walked away.
The others and Octavia followed suit. They arrived at the cabin, and to their surprise, they saw their neat and clean clothes in their respective baskets; even the dishes were clean. Then they saw that dinner was made on the table. They looked at Beau, who was simply drying his hands before putting his gloves back on.
“Did you do this?” asked Rarity.
“I did.” said Beau.
“Why did ya’ll do that?” asked Applejack.
“From the looks of it, it looked like you hadn’t had a good meal in a long time. That and someone had been skipping laundry duty.”
The rest looked at Rainbow Dash with a glare, and she was taken aback by the stares. Pinkie went over to her shirt and picked it up while slowly rubbing her head against it. She hummed in delight when she felt the shirt.
“So warm.” mumbled Pinkie as she loved the softness of her shirt.
Rainbow gave a warning glare and said, “You’d better not be a giant pervert here.”
“Rainbow, I am not Gilda or Lightning Dust, and you have got to stop pretending I am.”
Rainbow was shocked to hear those names, and she slowly lowered her eyes, with him saying, “Now shut up and eat.”
Rainbow grumbled and walked over to her table, with Beau gaining Spike’s attention.
“Catch.” said Beau, causing Spike to catch something. To his surprise, it was a gem. Spike looked at Beau as he said, “Swiped it from Suri’s secret stash. Knock yourself out.”
“Wow, uh…thanks.” said Spike as he was taken aback by this kind of generosity, for normally no one would ever be this nice to him. But then again, it had been long since he had a gem. So, he took his first bite out of it and hummed, for it tasted really good, which caused Beau to snicker underneath the helmet when he saw how happy Spike was. At least he could put his mind at ease as the Mane 6 were enjoying their meals; even Rainbow enjoyed it, allowing him to walk away and check up on things.
As they continued to travel, Beau stood at the nose of the ship and watched the oceans. He knows where they are, which happens to be the once proud home of the Dragons, and he couldn’t believe how far Equestria had fallen.
“Congratulations for saving them.” said Bright Star, gaining Beau’s attention.
“It won’t be enough.” said Beau. He shook his head, saying, “I can’t believe how far they’ve fallen. They’re not like the friends I knew.”
“You have to understand,” said Bright Star. “When tragedy strikes this world, people change and try to survive. Remember the video game, Mad Max?”
Beau was surprised that she knew about that, but he was seeing where she was going with this.
“Plus, they’ll be tough nuts to crack.” said Beau “They’ll need some convincing.”
“If you want,” said Bright Star, gaining Beau’s attention, “I can help you with that.”
“You can?” said Beau as he looked at her.
“Yes,” said Bright Star, “I can tell you what to say to them. Words that can break any being. And in turn, how they will respond to your words will be up to you.”
Beau began to listen to her word for word for him to understand this world’s Mane 6 more.
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After many days of sailing, they had finally reached their island. They were able to find a place to dock all their ships, with the Mane 6, Spike, Beau, and Octavia to depart.
“Come,” said Rarity as she looked at Beau, “We will need to report this to Vinyl.”
“Formerly known as DJ-PON3, who was once known as the greatest DJ in all of Equestria.” said Beau.
They were taken aback by this as they looked at him in shock.
“How did you…?” said Rarity in shock.
“I keep tabs on all of you.” said Beau. “For example, Octavia was once known as the greatest musician to the Canterlot Orchestra until everything fell apart.”
Then he pointed at all of them.
“Rainbow Dash was once the weather captain of Ponyville and would dream of being part of the Wonderbolts, Equestria’s greatest flying teams. Fluttershy is one of the best animal caretakers in all of Equestria, who even tamed a Manticore as it was hostile towards them. Pinkie Pie is known to be the best party planner in Ponyville; she also had a secret party planning cave for all her friends and residence in Ponyville. Rarity is also known for being the best fashion designer in all of Equestria as she can make anyone beautiful. Applejack is the proud owner of Sweet Apple Acres, an Apple Farm that her family has owned since her grandmother Granny Smith helped found the town. Twilight Sparkle also happens to be the smartest in all of Equestria. She was Princess Celestia’s student and was sent to Ponyville to learn all about friendship, and her assistant was Spike, the dragon.”
He stood in front of Spike as if he was glaring at him.
“Which, by the way, if you actually had cared about her,” said Beau as he placed two fingers on Spike’s chest, making him flinch. “You would’ve disobeyed her and gone to Twilight and helped her when she needed it the most.”
Spike lowered his eyes in shame as he realized Beau was right.
“And how did you know about that, huh,” said Rainbow as she was now really suspicious of Beau. “Are you some kind of.…”
Beau instantly pulled out his knife and aimed it at her throat, taking her by surprise as she stood still. Beau looked at her sternly.
“I have no love for Celestia or for what she has done.” said Beau “So if I were you, I’d keep yourself in check; otherwise, you’re going to find your G-Spot in a bloody spot.”
Rainbow backed up a bit while he placed his knife away. “So…about Vinyl?”
“Oh, right.” said Rarity while she was still taken aback by his information “Right this way.”
They soon made their way through the districts. Beau looked around and recognized many of the inhabitants, half of them from Ponyville and half from Canterlot. He couldn’t believe how many had suffered because the world was flooded. The Celestia in this world definitely had a lot to answer for.
Soon they made their way to Vinyl’s place while entering. The guards stopped them until Beau grabbed both of them and knocked them out, taking them by surprise.
“We’re on the clock here.” said Beau as he entered the place, with the others still taking a back and following suit.
They soon approached the door where Vinyl would be, in her hot tub chilling. Minuette was waiting to open them until, to her shock, she saw Twilight. Though she pretended to not know her and wanted to wait for the right time to tell her who she was, she let them in. Pretty soon, Vinyl saw them come in.
“Ah, there’s the Captain of the Rogue Diamond.” said Vinyl as she looked at them. “And I see you brought your full crew.”
“Vinyl.” said Rarity while the rest looked at Vinyl.
“You seriously do business with her?” whispered Rainbow to Rarity before she was nudged by Applejack.
“There were some…complications.” said Rarity as she tried to word it right.
“Oh, what kind?” said Vinyl before she took a sip of her drink.
“We were returning after delivering the shipment,” said Rarity. “But we had a little run-in with Suri.”
“Really?” said Vinyl “And how that work out?”
Rainbow then responded with, “She’s dead.”
Vinyl spat her drink out in shock, then looked at them with wide eyes.
“How did that happen?” said Vinyl.
“Well…” said Rarity as she stood aside.
To Vinyl’s shock, it was none other than Octavia.
“You.” said Vinyl with anger in her voice. “What are you doing here?”
“Vinnie please,” said Octavia, “I’m not here to start a fight.”
Vinyl was surprised that Octavia used her nickname, something she hadn’t heard in a long time.
Octavia lowered her head in shame and said, “I came here to apologize. And ask for forgiveness. We were so good to one another. But ever since the world fell apart, we have changed. You became a missionary contractor, and I ended up becoming an assassin. We used to make so much beautiful music together. And the one thing I’ve always regretted.”
She looked at Vinyl with sadness and said, “Was not telling you how much I loved you.”
Vinyl widened her eyes in shock as she couldn’t believe the confession. But somehow…it felt so genuine, the real deal. Something that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Could we please start over?” asked Octavia. “I do not wish to do this any further. All I want…is another chance.”
Vinyl lowered her head, contemplating what Octavia had just said. Then, she slowly stood out of the tub and headed toward Octavia. At first, both were silent. Finally, Vinyl hugged Octavia, much to the mares surprise. Vinyl, on the other hand, was smiling and shedding a tear.
“I really missed you, Octi.” said Vinyl.
Octavia couldn’t help but chuckle and hug her back. “Normally, I would complain about making yourself decent in public. But I’m just really happy to have you back.”
Vinyl broke the hug after Minuette gave Vinyl her robe and wrapped it around her. She looked at the Mane 6 and said, “Thank you for your help and what you did.”
“Don’t thank us,” said Pinkie “Thank our new friend here.”
They saw Beau leaning against the door as he watched the whole thing. But they were impressed with the armor and gear he was carrying.
“I’m impressed.” said Vinyl as she looked at Beau. “You were able to take on Suri and her entire island. Now that she’s dead, there won’t be a competition to stand in the way.”
“So is Tri-Horn.” said Beau, which Vinyl flexed her eyebrow. “And half of her army. The other half and all of the servants chose to come with us. And they chose to follow Octavia because of her skills.”
Vinyl couldn’t help but chuckle while bumping her hip against Octavia and said, “Tavi always did know how to bring great talent together.”
Octavia blushed and held her close. Vinyl snapped her fingers, causing the rest to pay the Mane 6 and Spike for their work. They offered to pay Beau, and Beau then took the pay and walked over to Coco. He placed the pay in her hands, much to her surprise.
“Use it to do something good for yourself.” said Beau.
Coco couldn’t help but smile and shed a tear while quickly hugging him before leaving. They soon left, while Vinyl held Octavia close after she removed her robes.
“I think you know what comes next.” said Vinyl.
On the other hand, Octavia couldn’t help but smirk and pushed Vinyl into the tub, causing her to fall in. As she popped out, Octavia took off her clothes and smiled, for she needed this.
“Indeed, I do,” said Octavia after she climbed in and passionately kissed Vinyl, allowing them to enjoy each other’s company.
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Soon, the Mane 6, Spike, and Beau made it to the ship. And considering it was still day, they decided to talk to them while hanging out on the deck.
“Darling, we can’t thank you enough for what you did for us today.” said Rarity.
“Pff,” scoffed Rainbow “We could’ve taken them.”
“By taking them, you mean flailing and wailing and bitching after you got caught and couldn’t do squat? Yeah, you did a really good job.” said Beau.
Rainbow growled as she was just insulted.
“Besides, I came out here for two purposes.” said Beau “The first one was to save you lot, which I did.”
“And the second?” asked Twilight.
“To stop Princess Celestia.”
“WHAT?!” exclaimed the crew.
“Have you gone insane?!” exclaimed Rarity. “You don’t just go to Celestia and directly face her!!”
“She’s right.” said Fluttershy “She’s too powerful.”
“Wow,” said Beau with a snark, “The so-called bearers to the Elements of Harmony are suddenly too afraid to face a monarch. Makes me wonder how all of you had ever beaten Nightmare Moon and Discord when they first came together.”
Some were surprised by the tone he had just given them.
“The Elements of Harmony chose all of you a long time ago to help protect this world,” said Beau. “Ever since the madness started, all of you could’ve gone and helped Luna, but, instead, all of you cowered and ran away instead of doing something about it.”
He pointed directly at Twilight and said, “And you, you even abandoned Spike, your own assistant, no, your brother, when he needed you the most. And even after you reunited after all these years, you still tried to push him away. Some sister you are.”
Twilight wanted to counter or retort, but then she pondered his words and looked at Spike, and Spike to her. She could see that he needed her the most, and she abandoned him when he needed help the most, and she tried to do it again; after all these years, they were finally reunited, now and she was attempting to do it again. She lowered her head in shame.
“Darling, we couldn’t possibly attack Princess Celestia and Canterlot.” said Rarity.
“What’s the matter, Diamond butt,” said Beau “Afraid to get poisoned by Basilisk Venom again?”
Rarity reeled back in shock that he knew about that but then shuddered as she thought about being poisoned and nearly dying again.
“You can’t blame her for what happened; it could’ve happened to anypony.” Said Fluttershy “Besides, no one is brave enough to stand up to her.”
“She’s right.” said Applejack “We don’t even have an army. We’re trying to survive, trying to live to see another day; we don’t go around trying to attack folks as if we were in the middle of a crusade; otherwise, we’d lose more than we already have.”
“Who the hell are you lot to lecture anyone?!” said Beau as he stood his ground. “All of you chose to hide and lock yourselves away in your oversized bathtub and gave up on all of Equestria entirely. Ever since the day all of you started this little crusade, all of you have done nothing but further discouraged yourselves into trying to save Equestria, and on the so many rare occasions that all of you decided to help and did so little, all of you may have chosen to do nothing at all!!”
All of them were appalled by what he said, with Rarity saying, “How dare you?!”
“Then tell me, “Said Beau. “On whose watch did the other kingdoms around Equestria fall, whose inactions had allowed Celestia to go so out of control that all of the Civilizations had been destroyed.”
He pointed at them and said, “All of you had faced Nightmare Moon and Discord with no thoughts for yourselves!! The Elements of Harmony had chosen all of you for a reason, yet you have squandered it over nothing!!”
He then walked towards Applejack and shoved the others out of the way.
“You!!” said Beau as he pointed his finger at Applejack as she took a step back. “You should be ashamed of yourself!! The Apple family had been the most respected family in all of Equestria!! Where were you when all of them had fallen!! You weren’t there for them when they needed you the most!! Hell, even Granny Smith’s family had founded Ponyville and made it what it was back then!! And now look at you, your sister turned into a slut, your brother turned into a killer, and you…you just sat there and did nothing. You threw away everything the Apple family stood for!!”
He leaned towards her with a death glare while she could feel it. Then delivered a gut- punching sentence by saying, “Granny Smith, along with your parents Bright Macintosh and Pear Butter, would be ashamed if they could see you right now.”
She widened her eyes in shock, then slowly looked down in shock, and at the same time, thought about what she had lost, making her shed a few tears. Then he went to the shy girl.
“You!!” said Beau, making Fluttershy cower. “You’re nothing but a coward for not standing up for others and not bothering to save the rest of the animals, who, like everyone in all of Equestria, also became a villain. You’re supposed to be the voice of reason, and look what the hell happened; Rarity almost died, Twilight was scared to come out, and Rainbow was a bitch!! Some gentle soul you are, and they call you the Element of Kindness. So, stop being a coward and grow a fucking spine!!”
Fluttershy whimpered in fear as she turned her head, madly shedding tears as she thought about what she had lost.
“And you,” said Beau, pointing at Pinkie Pie, “You’re so much of an idiot, you treat everything around you like it’s a big fat joke. You were supposed to help others smile, make them happy, help them find peace and happiness in those who have none, and instead, you act like a complete imbecile, and you did a piss poor job in helping Twilight get out of her trauma!! If you had bothered to take your element seriously, no one would have suffered!! Your parents, including your sisters Maud, Limestone, and Marble, would be greatly ashamed if they could see you.”
Pinkie’s mane deflated, and she felt the one thing she hadn’t felt in a long time; sadness and loneliness. She had lost everything and kept ignoring what she had and what she could’ve done to help.
“You!!” said Beau as he aimed his finger at Rarity, who reeled back in shock. “You lost everything, and all you have left is this poor excuse of a boat!! You had your friends, and you didn’t bother to help them!! You didn’t squat trying to help Rainbow and Twilight over their funk!! If you had really loved and cared about them, you would’ve done whatever it took to help Equestria!! Now because of your selfishness, both of your parents are dead, and your sister was sold to slavers!!”
Rarity widened her eyes in shock. Though she heard what happened to her parents, she didn’t know what happened to her sister, causing her to shed tears and nearly collapse, with Spike holding onto her.
“And you.” Said Beau, aiming at Rainbow as she had a hotheaded look but crossed her arms and turned her back on him. “You became a cruel bitch to everyone around you. You used to be the most loyal pony in Equestria, who’d never turn her back on her friends when they needed help. But now look at you, you became extremely cruel, pushed a lot of folks who cared about you away, you were even a dick to Spike, the only brother Twilight has left, and were finally reunited after being apart for ten years. You became worse than Gilda and Lightning Dust, who would do anything to ensure they’d stay on top and push everyone away. Tons of folks were rejected, and at least some of them still have friends, not to mention you constantly kept crushing on a guy who doesn’t even know you exist and didn’t even realize that he’s already married. Your friends at least still have a few loved ones left that they’re trying to keep safe, and they avenged as many as possible. They didn’t know how many they’d have to kill to protect. And frankly, they didn’t care either.”
“And your point being?” said Rainbow.
“Don’t make us feel sorry for you and your horse ass” existence.” said Beau. “Your friends did everything in theirs and Faust’s power to keep their friends and families safe. While you, you practically threw both your parents and Scootaloo away!!”
Some gasped and clamped their mouths shut the moment he said that, and his mentioning her parents and Scootaloo made her snap and want to punch him. Still, he caught her and dislocated her arm, taking her in shock and shouting in pain; then instantly, Beau punched her in the face, making her collapse onto the ground. She tried to get back up, but Beau crouched and looked her in the face.
“You’re nothing but a heartless bitch who’s always filled with excuses and tends to push those away who tried to love you because a little bit of love would keep reminding that big hole you have inside your own heart. And you’ll be as you’ve always been…alone.”
Hearing him say that, and what Beau said about her throwing her parents and Scootaloo away, she thought about everything she had lost since the world went to hell. She instantly broke down in tears and sobbed, causing Fluttershy to quickly comfort her.
Beau stood up and said, “And then there’s you.”
He pointed at Twilight, much to her fright, for the way she had seen Beau talking and breaking them down, now she was afraid to hear what he had to say.
“You’re such a coward; you spent so much time hiding that you barely noticed everything had changed.” Said Beau. “I mean, look around you. Do you even recognize the Equestria you’re trying to protect anymore? For a so-called prodigy of the Princess, you’re the biggest idiot on the planet.”
Twilight was shocked by what he called her, but Beau continued when she got mad.
“Oh, I mean yeah, sure, ninety-five percent when it comes to magic and science, you’re smart. But you’re not smart enough to realize that you’re still a rookie when it comes to making friends, and not everyone will agree with your methods, and not everyone will always agree with your plans, and you can’t have everything you want, and have them do things your way, you know that right?”
Twilight partially looked away, not wanting to face him.
“You spent so much time trying to please others you didn’t even notice that you basically screwed your own life. And don’t give me the “Oh, I lost everything when the flooding started” crap!! You could’ve just gotten over it and tried to help those in need!! Instead, you let your friends continue to screw around, and when was the last time you even bathed or had your clothes cleaned?! Even a dead-brained monkey could do better than that!!”
He took a few steps closer to her and continued talking to her.
“Look at you, the so-called leader, who let the world get screwed, and all of you wouldn’t have even been in this mess if the so-called leader of the Mane 6 had done her job right. You were supposed to try and reach out to friends, for it’s about the experience and not learning things from a book, and you’re constantly so obsessive it ends up being your downfall. And the worst part, just when you were reunited with Spike, the closest thing to a brother you have, you ended up wanting to abandon him when he needed family the most!! And you could’ve tried to search for Shining Armour and Cadance, and now you failed them, just like the friendship report.”
Hearing that made her really angry, with him mocking her and saying ““Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned I’m a prissy little unicorn who refuses to make any friends and learn anything about friendship, especially from those” Who actually knows what they’re doing!!”
Twilight snapped and tried to slap him, but because of his reflexes, he caught her in time, taking her in shock as he said, “You’re nothing but a worthless coward who would choose to hide like a scared puppy rather than actually trying to help those in need. Everypony in Equestria relied on you and needed you, and you abandoned them and betrayed their trust.”
He punched her hard in the face, much to Spike and the rest of the Mane 6” s shock. Spike got angry and went all beast mode.
“HOW DARE YOU?!!” shouted Spike.
Just as Spike had charged toward the human in disguise, Beau swiftly moved and kicked him in the groin, making Spike grunt in shock and drop to his knees. And within a swift motion, he poked every part of his torso and head using a monk technique. Within mere moments, Spike collapsed unconscious, taking Twilight in shock.
He picked Spike up by the head as he groaned and said, “No matter what you do, you’ll always be garbage.”
He punched Spike’s lights out, making the dragon collapse. He looked at Twilight, who got scared as he said, “You can blame others all you want. But at some point, in your life, you will have to take responsibility for your actions. Shining Armour and Cadance would be ashamed if they could see you right now.”
Twilight was shocked and stunned by what he said.
He stood up and walked toward the edge of the ship. As he stopped, he looked back at Spike and the Mane 6, all former shadows of themselves, not the ones he knew in the other Equestria. Oh, how far they have fallen.
“You can stay here, rotting in your own filth and stewing into your anger and misery all you want.” Said Beau, completely disgusted by the states they were in. “I’m going to do something to help Equestria rather than leave it in the dust like all of you did all those years ago.”
All of them looked down in shame and shed tears; even Twilight broke down and cried while holding onto Spike. Beau, on the other hand, didn’t bother to want to look back and jumped off the ship and made his way to the rest of the docks. He soon found the smallest and fastest ship. He punched the driver’s lights out and jumped into it, allowing Beau to hijack it and wire it to turn it on. He soon took the helm and drove. The Mane 6 all watched him leave, pondering what he had said, too sad, depressed, and broken to say anything.
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He hadn’t already been gone for more than a day and was still focused on reaching Canterlot. Beau could tell from the skies that he was about halfway to Canterlot. But he lowered his eyes, angry for what this world’s Mane 6 had become. Then again, it took his wife to unite the Mane 6 and the Rainbooms to help them fight the ultimate foe. Yet the Twilight from this world chose to do nothing all because of a stupid trauma. Then again, one doesn’t easily forget traumas. He wished he could’ve handled the situation better, but seeing what they were reduced to made him angry.
He tossed his helmet away in frustration as he was still mad. He continued his course until…
“That was really cruel of you, you know.”
Beau partially looked behind and saw it was Bright Star again, looking like she wanted to scold her child for misbehaving.
“I know you sent me here to help them, but…” said Beau as he lowered his head. “What they were reduced to.”
He turned around and looked at Bright Star.
“How could they just turn their backs on Equestria like that.” Said Beau, “They all relied on them, and instead, all of them chose to do nothing while how many were reduced to being….”
He shouted in anger and banged his hand on the dash. Bright Star sighed and walked over to him while sitting in a chair close to his. As she looked at him, Beau focused on the path ahead.
“I know how upset you are,” said Bright Star. “You have every right to be upset. But you have to remember that there are different timelines in every world. Each one of them is more horrible than the last. In one world, where Twilight and all of her friends are dead after the monster, they faced killed them because it was too strong. In another, they became bad guys. And so on and so on. You can’t keep trying to change the world for your desires.”
“Maybe,” said Beau as he looked ahead and then at her. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t try it.”
“Like you “tried” to live up to your family’s legacy before running away from home?” said Bright Star with a flexed eyebrow.
Beau looked down, feeling slightly ashamed of that.
“I didn’t want that life,” said Beau. “All I ever wanted was to live a normal life away from my family’s so-called legacy. Plus, with my father being a reckless gambler and my mother out of town so much for business, they didn’t want to spend any time with me. Some legacy.”
“A legacy that once came from Equestria.” Said Bright Star.
Beau was quiet for a moment, but Bright Star continued to try and talk to him. Beau looked at her and said, “What happened that made the humans leave? If my family’s legacy came from Equestria, how come we don’t live there anymore?”
Bright Star sighed and said, “Humans used to live in harmony in this world long ago, long before the Windigos. But then Grogar came along and nearly destroyed everything. Your ancestor was the first Knight to have fought against him and his tyranny.”
“And you know this how?” said Beau.
“I was there.” Said Bright Star, much to Beau’s surprise.
She looked at the ocean horizon as she said, “Long ago, everything was peaceful, and every race of creatures, including humans, had lived in peace together. Some could even fall in love with others. It didn’t matter who they were as long as we were happy. But some didn’t like to be at peace with others. Then one day, we were summoned by the power of harmony itself. We would bring about thirteen creatures from each kingdom to gain the power of harmony itself, calling us the Knights of Harmony. I was one of its founding members, like Gusty the Great and a human named Achilles. We continued to protect our homes from those who would do us harm. And things were great so far. But then Grogar came along.”
“Wait, how did Grogar fit into this?” asked Beau as he looked at her.
“Believe me when I say he is more powerful than you can imagine.” Said Bright Star. “Grogar, his brother Salazar and many others, known as the legion of monsters, with monstrous armies of their own, rose up and attempted to burn the world and bring it into darkness. Myself, Achilles, and Gusty had gathered as many Knights as possible while also uniting the entire world’s races to combat against him.”
“And I assume Discord fought alongside him?” asked Beau.
“He did for a while,” said Bright Star. “I mean, he was the reason the Knights fell apart in the first place.”
“What do you mean?” asked Beau.
“When the Knights of Harmony had been formed,” said Bright Star, “We dedicated our lives to spread harmony all over the world. We were able to create other Trees of Harmony worldwide.”
“Like the one in Equestria?” asked Beau.
“Yes.” Said Bright Star. “With the help of the kingdom of Cunabula, they made the Trees of Harmony. However, while they did that, the Knights had created a Master Tree that could house all of the power of Harmony to those who protect a kingdom so powerful with magic, it could rival Equestria, but ten times better.”
Beau then wondered where until he widened his eyes and said, “Caribouria.”
“That’s right.” Said Bright Star, “When the kingdom had been formed, we created it so that when the world one day fell in despair, Caribouria would one day use their power to help those in need. So, while they did that, the creatures from Cunabula created other Trees of Harmony. One in Farasi, the kingdom of the Zebra and other desert creatures. One in Caninia, home of the Diamond Dogs. One in Abyssinia, home of all forms of Cat. And finally, one in Ornithia, home of all forms of Bird.”
“What about Equestria?” asked Beau.
“They were next.” Said Bright Star. Then lowered her head and said, “But they had already begun to spread havoc all over the kingdom. And seeing that he couldn’t beat them, he turned the citizens of the other kingdoms against them. They grew bitter and thought Harmony was a waste, so they tried to destroy them.
“They what?!” exclaimed Beau.
“No need to worry,” said Bright Star. “When we found out what they had planned, Gusty and Achilles tried to convince them that we are Knights, we do not sway from the path or give up, no matter what happens, for as Knights, it is our responsibility to ensure that no one would attempt to destroy the Harmony of the world, but they didn’t listen. Realizing they proposed madness, we quickly warned the kingdom of Caribouria. And thanks to their power and the Master Tree, they made them think they destroyed them while they were hidden the whole time.”
“If Cunabula couldn’t create the Tree of Harmony in Equestria, how did it come to be?” said Beau.
“Thankfully, after Discord mysteriously disappeared, the Pillars of Equestria came together with the help of the Caribou when they took a piece of their tree’s power with them and created a new Tree of Harmony. But after the Pillars left, the Caribourian Sorcerers and Warlocks made the tree grow faster to create the Elements of Harmony and to ensure that whoever used them would be worthy of its power.”
She lowered her head in anger. “But then the creatures of Cunabula betrayed us to Grogar and his Legion of Monsters. They raised an army, and seeing we had no other choice, we had to launch a full-scale counter-attack. We may have won the battle, but it came at a great cost. Many Knights had fallen, and the creatures mistrusted each other, causing them to go their separate ways. And humanity wanted to destroy them.”
Beau was surprised by this and said, “So what happened to the humans who lived in Equestria?”
“Half of them were living amongst the humans between Europe and Asia. The other half…well, they all traveled with the first Colonists of America.”
Beau was taken aback by this, for this was quite overwhelming information.
“I was even forced to say goodbye to the love of my life.” Said Bright Star in sadness.
“Wait, you were married?” said Beau.
“Before I became immortal by accident because of Grogar’s bell,” explained Bright Star, “I fell in love with the human Achilles. We both wed and had a child together. But because he was half-human and had a more human-like appearance, I feared for his safety. So I was forced to watch him leave. But he somehow ended up in a different year, the same year that World War I had started. The time after his child fought in the second World War, he got married to the Rohan Family, who were also descendants of one of the humans who came to this world, but about a hundred years before the French Revolution and when they were slowly building their wealth in that world.”
Beau felt funny; hearing this was too much for him to bear.
“What I’m trying to say is,” said Bright Star after she took a deep breath, “Your grandfather was only a baby…and a mother never forgets her child.”
It took him time to process this, but after a few seconds, he widened his eyes in shock and looked at her. The person standing right in front of him was none other than his great-grandmother.
“Y-you.” Said Beau as he took a step backward and sat back down while the ship was on autopilot. Bright Star was hesitant when she came over, but she took the chance and placed her hand on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry I had to tell you this,” said Bright Star. “I really wanted to tell you the moment I felt your presence. But…I wasn’t sure if you’d ever accept me. I wish I could’ve done a better job at that. And for that, I am sorry.”
Beau closed his eyes once a few tears had fallen from his eyes. He’d never imagined he’d meet his great-grandmother in this world. He slowly looked at her and asked,
“How are you…?”
“Still kicking?” said Bright Star. “I fought alongside Gusty when we fought against Grogar. But I ended up accidentally absorbing the magic contained within the bell. In the end, I ended up being cursed with immortality. I wanted to remove it after I found a way, but after I felt your presence, I wanted to meet you. I’m so sorry I didn’t reach out to you sooner.”
Beau sighed and said, “I wish I had known. But I can’t believe my dad never told me.”
“Your father should have.” Said Bright Star as she sounded disappointed. “I cannot believe he went down a path of gambling. He had a duty and legacy to uphold, same with your mother, who should’ve been there for you when you needed family the most.”
Beau lowered his head but slowly looked at her and said, “Could…could you please tell me more? Plus, I’d…like to know my grandmother if you’ll give me a chance.”
Bright Star couldn’t help but smile while shedding a tear and said, “Only if you give me a chance.”
“I just did.” Said Beau as he looked at her with a smile.
The two hugged and held onto each other, happy to have gotten to meet, even if it wasn’t what he had in mind.
So, during the travel, she told him about his heritage, legacy, and everything he needed to know. She told him about Twilight and the others” pasts so he could know them better. Then she told them about the rest of the Mane 6” s husbands so that he could also know them better and how they think so that he could help them in the future.
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After much traveling, the sun had begun to set, and the boat that Beau was driving on was nearly out of fuel, but during that time, he got to know Bright Star more as he got to know her. It was truly a blessing that he had met her, for he doesn’t feel so empty anymore.
But before he could say anything, it was already dark, and they could see the shores of Canterlot up ahead. Beau then had a habit of looking from within the water. To his shock, he saw Ponyville underwater. He began to tear up, seeing the one place he called home under the sea. This was like Atlantis, except this happened recently rather than thousands of years ago.
“I can’t believe everything’s gone.” Said Beau.
“It was hard for everybody.” Said Bright Star, “They chose a different path just to survive, and now everything they’ve ever known is gone, forever.”
“I wonder if things will ever turn back to normal?” asked Beau.
“It depends.” Said Bright Star.
“Depends on what?” said Beau as he looked at her.
“On how big your heart is to save everybody.”
Beau pondered for a bit and realized that she was right. He did care about Equestria ever since he got there, even if he is in an alternate world. Beau took another look and realized something.
“We’re gonna have to find some other place to land.” Said Beau, “Knowing Canterlot, the docks will be too fortified and heavily guarded. And seeing that it’s night. Best to sneak in there without anyone noticing.”
“Good idea.” Said Bright Star as she stood up. “I wish I could help, but this is not my mission. I will see you again soon when the time is right.”
“Alright.” Said Bea and did something that took Bright Star by surprise; Beau hugged her. “Stay safe, grandmother.”
Bright Star couldn’t help but smile and hug him back. “You too.”
The moment they broke the hug, Bright Star disappeared, allowing Beau to continue on his trip and was able to find a safe place to dock.
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As night fell onto the city, Beau began to sneak through the street and saw many innocents suffer.
“So much suffering.” Muttered Beau “How could Celestia have allowed this?”
He continued to sneak around the city until he made his way toward the wall. Thankfully, Shining Armour had taught him a trick or two when they talked about the Castle. Beau began to climb his way up.
“Still,” said Beau, “It’s going to be impossible to stop her without proper help. Twilight’s the only one who….”
That’s when he blinked in surprise while halfway up the wall.
“That’s it.” Muttered Beau. “She’s still around in Canterlot High. She’s also just as talented in magic. I just hope she’ll listen.”
Soon he made his way toward the upper wall. A guard was standing there at his post until Beau punched the guard in the face, knocking him out and throwing him over the wall. Beau climbed over and landed on the castle wall. He looked around and noticed Canterlot Looked exactly the same as the last he saw it. He jumped off and made his way from building to building while making his way toward the castle. He was about halfway until he hid behind the wall to hide from the patrols and said,
“Good thing this Canterlot is a lot like the Canterlot back home.”
He soon made his way to the castle, climbed the walls, and went to the window that led to the castle halls. The lights were still on, so Celestia would still be awake before turning in for the night.
“Alright, if I were an evil maniac, where would I store my most powerful artifacts?” muttered Beau to himself. That’s when he snapped his finger and said, “The Castle Storage room.”
He began to sneak down the hall until he passed the Throne Room. He took a peak and saw Princess Celestia talking to her loyalists before turning in for the night. He gripped his hand in anger when he realized this Celestia had caused so much pain. That was until he was surprised to see her using her magic. And her aura was green, not golden yellow.
“Something’s not right.” Muttered Beau, but then shook it off and said, “Never mind that. I gotta make it to the mirror.”
He went from hall to hall until he finally reached his destination. He walked towards the door, expecting to be booby-trapped. But the moment he placed his hand against the door, it opened. He made his way in and closed it.
“Wow,” said Beau. “This Celestia went mad with power but didn’t even bother to place a security system? Wow, overconfident much.”
He saw tons of stuff, figuring that most of them were from before Equestria was flooded. But then he soon found a tarp. He quickly went over and took it off. Lo and behold, it was the mirror.
“Great, the mirror is still here.” Said Beau. “I wonder if….”
He looked outside and recognized the stars Princess Luna had taught him one night. And if his hunch was correct. The portal should be opened…
Just as he placed his hand against the mirror, it began to glow, indicating that it was now active.
“Alright then, off to Canterlot High.” Said Beau. He chuckled; he remembered the last time Twilight took him to Canterlot High. It was when she wanted to introduce Sunset and the Rainbooms to her new husband. Sure, they suddenly gained teenage appearances once they came through the mirror. But what was interesting was that when he wanted to try an intimate night…no, now’s not the time. Mission first.
He soon walked through the mirror and appeared on the other side. He soon appeared from the other side, and to his surprise, he was still the same age.
“Whoa,” said Beau as he inspected himself. “Now there’s something you don’t see every day.”
He looked at the school and saw that it was still the same. However, since ten years had passed in this world, he wasn’t sure how much time CHS had passed. But seeing that he was dressed like he stood out, he quickly ducked into cover. He saw a janitor walking to the school, and with one swift motion, he grabbed the janitor and knocked him out while pulling him down into the bush.
Once he did, he placed his clothes in an empty duffle bag and took them to the roof to hide. Once he was done, he began to walk down the hall. To his surprise, he recognized all the students, but they all were the same when he saw them. When he walked down, he saw this world’s Fluttershy, and to his shock, she looked like she did before the Fall Formal. Could it be possible that his wife still needed to go through this world and help set things, right?
But he was brought out of his thought when he heard a loud threatening voice.
“Listen here, bub!!” he heard a voice.
He had a deadpan expression and said, “I know that voice.”
He walked over to the next hall and saw Sunset threatening Micro Chips.
“I’m hungry here, so I want some money, now!!” shouted Sunset.
Beau then squinted his eyes and walked straight towards her. At the same time, Sunset smiled with pride as he held onto Micro Chips” money after he ran off.
“Ah, it’s good to be….”
But she was cut off when Beau held onto her mouth and held him close, taking her by surprise, but before she could make a move.
“Don’t move.” Said Beau while he slowly placed a knife behind her back, taking her in shock as he said, “If you value your life, you will do as I say and not speak another word. Nod if you understand.”
She instantly nodded, feeling afraid for her life. He grabbed her sharply and made her move towards the roof. Once they were at the top, he closed the door behind him and thrusted her forward, making her drop onto the ground. She then stood back up as Beau instantly placed the knife behind his back and removed his disguise. Once he put back his attire on, Sunset was confused by what he was doing. She then cleared her throat and tried to get back to her demeanor.
“What’s this about?” asked Sunset.
“Does the names Princess Celestia and Equestria mean anything to you?” said Beau.
Sunset was taken by surprise when he said that, with Sunset asking “You’re from Equestria?”
“Yes and no.,” said Beau. “It’s complicated.”
She suddenly couldn’t help but smirk and said, “So Celestia is finally begging me to come back to Equestria and make me a Princess to rule Equestria by her side.”
“Equestria has fallen.” Said Beau, much to Sunset’s shock.
“What?” muttered Sunset.
“You…might wanna sit down for this one.” Said Beau.
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After an hour of explaining, saying Sunset was distraught was an understatement.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way.” Said Beau. “But it’s the truth.”
“I…” said Sunset as she shed a few tears. “I still can’t believe Celestia did all that. My home, everypony I ever knew. They’re all gone.”
Beau stood on his knee as he looked directly at her.
“Look,” said Beau, “I know you’re hurt by the truth. But if you cared about Equestria, you’d do what you could to honor your home and avenge those you’ve lost. Celestia’s already killed all of her students except one, Twilight Sparkle. But she’s too traumatized to stand up to her and face her. You’re still one of her best students; you also studied every bit of magic. It’s time to make good use of them.”
She suddenly swatted his hand away while standing up and said “You know what, why should I care, I got along just fine without her.”
“Wow, she’s stubborn,” said Beau, but he didn’t give up on her and said, “Oh, and what you did qualified was just fine? Running away from the only home you’ve ever known, turning your back on everything the founders of Equestria stood for, driving wedges between people you don’t know, risking exposing Equestria to this world and its neighboring dimensions? Oh sure, you did a good job, alright.”
“I don’t need a lecture from you.” Said Sunset. “I didn’t run away from home just to fall in line again, like some slave.”
“Hey, she adopted you and raised you as her own, then she tried to help you make friends so that you wouldn’t be alone anymore, for you. And you hated her for that?”
“And whoever said that I needed friends?! I’m better off on my own, and she’d better get used to it!!”
“You are not, nor will you ever be ready!!” shouted Beau. “You are reckless, you are impatient, you are selfish, you’re hot-tempered, and more importantly, they’re better than you.”
Sunset merely scoffed, crossed her arms, and said, “Why do I care?”
“Will you wake up already?!” shouted Beau, gaining Sunset’s attention. “Celestia wiped out everything most ponies cared about!! Everyone’s gone!!”
He then said something that hit her the hardest “Even Stellar Flare, Sunburst, and Starlight.”
Sunset widened her eyes in shock, shocked by the news, then she looked away as more tears began to fall.
“Celestia has taken everyone away; there’s no one left!!” said Beau as Sunset stared down distraughtly. But Beau could tell he was getting to her. So, he kept on trying.
“I know you walked down a path that there is no coming back from, but if you need to put your hatred and differences aside just this once and help them. You owe that to your family. Your friends. You’re home.”
He walked over to her and said, “Look, I know that you’re also one of her best students; I know that some of you still care about Equestria. Well, now it’s time to put whatever grief, anger, and greed you have aside and accept what they tried to offer you the whole time. You can find what you’ve been looking for, one you needed instead of wanting. But not so much over what you’ve accomplished and focused on what could’ve been instead of turning your back on it. Everypony’s lost everything they cared about Sunset.”
He grabbed her shoulders, making her look at him with a shocked expression as he set, “Don’t let the remaining ponies lose what little they have left.”
His hands were glowing, causing Equestrian Magic to go through Sunset, making her eyes widen. Not only was this Equestrian magic, it’s also Alicorn Magic. He watched as the darkness seeped out of her body and evaporated. He quickly let go of her.
He quickly stood on his knees and held her shoulders, saying, “Sunset?”
She looked up and shed tears. She felt instant regret, pain, sorrow, and guilt. She hugged Beau, sobbed, and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that there was another way.
“There’s always another way. There’s always hope. But you don’t have to be alone anymore, Sunset. But Equestria needs you now, now more than ever.”
Sunset broke the hug and wiped her tears. She said, “Alright. I’ll help. I want to come back. I need to make up for what I did.
He smiled while holding onto her shoulder, saying, “And we’ll do it…together.”
She then smiled and hugged Beau while she said, “Thank you.”
The two hugged, with Beau wondering how he could’ve easily convinced Sunset to help out like that. But he had to put that aside and focus on helping her for the time being.
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Sunset was back to her pony self but needed a new outfit, while Beau was back to his disguise but didn’t want Sunset to know who he was. He noticed a duffle bag next to him with a note that said, “Some proper attire for her. Bright Star.
He smiled and picked it up while presenting it to her, gaining her attention as he said, “Some proper attire for you to move around.”
She looked with a flexed eyebrow while he said, “No offense, but that outfit you wore is a bit outdated.”
She looked at her outfit, saying, “I didn’t pick it on purpose.”
“The mirror, I know.” Said Beau.
Sunset accepted it while she quickly changed, with Beau turning around to ensure he wasn’t looking. After putting on some clothes, Sunset said, “Done.”
Beau took a good look at her and realized that her outfit almost looked like his, but with her color scheme. She noticed the look and said, “What?”
“You look good in that color.”
“Uh, thanks.” Said Sunset as she placed the last of her wardrobe on. Once she was done, she asked, “So what’s the plan?”
“If we’re to beat her, then we’ll need to use the Elements of Harmony; it’s the only thing that can stop her.”
“We’re facing an Alicorn that can control the sun, agreed.” Said Sunset. “Where do we find them?”
Thankfully, Beau remembered what Twilight told him about where the Elements were stored before she had them and then the Tree.
“If I remember correctly, she’ll have kept them in Canterlot’s vault.”
“I know where it is.” Said Sunset while she guided him towards a wall, then pressed it, allowing it to show a secret passageway. “Follow me.”
She guided him down the hall while they traveled through the passage.
“You seem to know your way.” Commented Beau.
“Celestia once showed me these hallways whenever she wanted to get to between teaching her students and making it to the royal court.” Said Sunset.
They arrived at the other side and opened the door. They looked around and didn’t see any guards. They saw a door straight ahead, which was no other than the vault. Sunset attempted to open it, but the combination was changed.
“Darn it.” Said Sunset. “How are we going to get in?”
“Ahem,” said Beau, gaining Sunset’s attention as he said, “I got a way.”
He suddenly gave a few knocks on the vault, then banged it on the side. Within a split second, the vault opened, which Sunset watched as she gawked simultaneously.
“Wha…but…how?!!!” said Sunset as she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“I know a certain pink friend who taught me how to get into anything,” said Beau, then whispered, “And she knows how to break the 4 the wall.”
As he walked in, Sunset kept staring at him as he kept her mouth open, then she suddenly remembered a certain pink girl that also did all that. As she walked in, she muttered, “That explains so much.”
The two continued to look around, trying to find the contents in the vault.
“We’ll need to bring a few other artifacts with us,” said Sunset. “They’ll come in handy just in case.”
“Agreed.” Said Beau. He spotted a certain bag and said, “This might help with the packing.”
Sunset noticed and smirked while she accepted it and said, “Oooh, the Bottomless bag of Chancellor Puddinghead. Clever.”
“Thanks.” Said Beau.
As Sunset began to store many artifacts using her magic, Beau continued to look around for what he was looking for. That was until he spotted a certain chest that Twilight had shown him a while back.
“There you are.” Said Beau as he made his way toward the chest. He remembered a certain lock-picking trick Rarity had taught him a while back. As soon as Sunset was done packing in what she thought would be useful, she walked over toward Beau. He could unlock the chest and open it when she stood next to him. When they did, there they were, the Elements of Harmony.
“Beautiful.” Said Sunset, seeing them for the first time.
“Now we have a chance.” Said Beau as he closed it and picked it up.
But the moment he did that, the vault’s alarm went off, and Beau realized that the chest had pressure points.
“Oh crud, where to now!!” said Sunset.
“I got it.” Said Beau as he found the button underneath the pedestal that Twilight told him about, allowing the two of them to jump through the trap door. The moment it closed, the guards had arrived too late.
Soon the two of them landed in another tunnel and continued to move forward.
“We’d better get going.” Said Sunset. “There’s no telling how long it’ll take them to discover us.”
“Agreed.” Said Beau.
They suddenly made their way to another room, which to their surprise, was filled with thorny vines.
“Whoa,” said Beau, “Where did all this come from.”
Sunset looked around, but when she looked up, she was shocked. Beau noticed and said, “What’s wrong?”
He looked up, and there was a pony. She looked pale, ragged, and drained. Beau noticed her dress was over ten years old.
“That’s impossible.” Said Beau, “That can’t be Princess….”
He then suddenly remembered seeing her aura wasn’t golden yellow when she used her magic; it glowed emerald green. He widened his eyes in shock and horror when he looked at her. He knew there was only one creature who had that kind of aura.
“The one on the throne is a fake.” Said Beau.
Sunset looked at him with a flexed eyebrow. “Fake, what do you mean?”
“See her dress,” said Beau as Sunset looked. “From what they told me, they said that Celestia flooded the world ten years and six months ago. But from the state of her dress, it’s about ten years and nine months old, which meant that the real one was taken prisoner and held down here….”
Sunset also realized it and widened her eyes in shock as he looked at Celestia. “Then the fake was the one who melted the ice and flooded the world, even got rid of Princess Luna.”
Beau looked at her and said, “We need to get her out of here.”
Sunset looked to the ground, still contemplating, but she said she needed to make things right, and that’s what she’ll do…starting with Princess Celestia. She used her magic to cut the thorns and levitated Celestia over to them. The two of them held her arms around their necks.
“Who did this to her?” Said Sunset.
“I know who it is.” Said Beau. “I have a theory, but we’ll do that after we escape.”
“Agreed.” Said Sunset while the two of them made their way to the hallway. The two of them looked around and saw that the coast was clear. Just as they thought they were in the clear…
“Hold it!!” said a voice loudly, making the two stop while Sunset and Beau turned around and saw what appeared to be a Sergeant. He said to them, “You are both under….”
But as he looked, they were holding a wounded Princess Celestia. Then he looked in the throne room and saw the other staring out the window. But before they could react, the guard overheard more guards coming, causing the said guard to grab them and teleport them to his private quarters.
“What is going on here? Who are you, and why is Celestia wounded?” demanded the soldier.
“Look, we don’t have much time to explain,” said Beau as he gently placed Celestia on a chair while Sunset held onto her. “But long story short, the Celestia you see here is the real Princess Celestia that had been held prisoner since a few months before the world started to overflow with the flood underneath the castle. The one sitting on the throne is a fake and the one who’d likely start the whole thing.”
The soldier blinked at this, instantly realized it, and said softly, “I knew something was wrong. Princess Celestia would never hurt her own sister.”
“And who are you?” said Sunset while she ensured Celestia was stable.
The Captain saluted and said, “Night Watch, Captain of Princess Luna’s Night Guard. Or former, considering what the faker had done.”
“And Twilight and the Element Bearers are still alive.” Said Beau.
The former Captain was once again shocked by the discovery. “Oh, thank Faust,” said Night Watch. “I had hoped they were still alive.”
“And we have the Elements of Harmony, the only ones that could help stop the faker on the throne,” said Beau. “But if we’re going to take back Canterlot, then we will need an army and a fleet.”
“Many of my former Night Guards are still loyal to Princess Luna and some guards to Twilight, considering her brother and girlfriend are still alive.”
“Wait,” said Beau, “Shining Armour and Cadance are still alive?”
“Yes, I can focus on releasing them.” Said Night Watch, “I’ll have my guards gather as many as we can and evacuate many people who are loyal to the old ways to the docks. Plus, I know where we can get the ships we need, for Fancy Pants have at least five yachts under his command.”
“Alright then,” said Beau as he instructed the Captain, “While you do that, I need you to gather as many artifacts as you can if we’re going to take the fight to them, including people that can help us. Oh, and Discord, of course.”
The guard was shocked by this, with Beau saying, “Don’t worry, I have an idea about that. So…we good?”
The Captain was initially reluctant, but after seeing this and realizing certain events, he was onboard.
“We’re good.” Said the former Captain as he shook Beau’s hand.
“In the meantime,” said Beau while looking at the Captain and Sunset, “You two take Celestia to safety.”
“Wait,” said Sunset when she saw Beau leaving. “What are you going to do?”
He stopped and looked back at them, saying, “Making a distraction.”
Beau soon left and made his way to places where he could make a proper distraction. At the same time, the Captain and Sunset carried Luna to safety.
The Captain secretly called all of his night guards together and told the guards what he had found out, much to their shock. So they decided to set their plans into action. They gathered many of their own guards, as well as many citizens who were in the poor slums, and helped them escape while making their way to the docks, while at the same time, a couple of guards went to get Discord in his petrified state. The Former Night Guards soon made their way toward the yachts. They also killed the guards while having the yachts’ crews join them.
At the same time, Beau went to Fancy Pants” home and saw it was heavily guarded. He snuck from spot to spot and killed them, while at the same time, he had found a few explosives that would come really handy while placing them in all corners. As soon as Beau was in position, he took out a dynamite or two and lit them up. Within a few minutes, the explosives went off in all corners, shocking everyone as they watched, even Fancy Pants, as he was now wide awake.
Sunset watched from the ship and saw many guards heading in that direction, with Night Watch watching by her side.
“Beau’s plan is working.” Said Sunset as she watched the whole thing.
“Now’s our chance; we’d better get the soldiers, supplies, and civilians onboard.” Said Night Watch as he quickly signaled his men.
Within mere moments, the former Night Guards boarded with the civilians as they
boarded the five yachts. At the same time, Fancy Pants walked out of his room and shouted, “What the devil is…?!!!”
He felt something against his hoof. He looked around and saw that his guards had the same fate. He quickly ran back to his office and shut the door. Then he pulled out a pistol to defend himself.
But before he could place the magazine in, the door violently got kicked open; much to his shock, Beau, walked in and aimed a pistol against the rich nobleman. Fancy Pants stared in shock as Beau walked to the center, still keeping his sights on him.
“Don’t bother arming yourself.” Said Beau. “Your gun’s been sabotaged. And your men will be too distracted with the fires all over the place just to get to us. Meaning, I got enough time in the world for you.”
“How dare you?!” shouted Fancy Pants. “This is an…!!”
Beau shot the study lamp near him, making Fancy Pants yelp as he dropped the gun. Beau still kept his stare on him.
“Me breaking into your home is an outrage? You wanna know what’s really an outrage? You turned your back on Equestria, its citizens, and everything your kingdom stands for? Friendship, Harmony, and Trust.
“I didn’t have any other choice,” said Fancy Pants in fear. “Celestia took everything away from us, including my own beloved.”
“That’s still no excuse for what you did, even planning to kill the remaining island citizens just so they could survive.” Said Beau.
“I didn’t have any other choice.” Said Fancy Pants. “Celestia lost it since she comatose Luna and imprisoned her niece and boyfriend.”
Beau perked up by that and said, “What did you say?”
“I said she comatose Princess Luna and imprisoned her niece and boyfriend.”
“You’re lying,” said Beau. “Princess Luna is dead, and Shining Armour and Cadance disappeared after the floodings happened.”
“No, she’s still alive, and Princess Cadance and Shining Armour are imprisoned here.” Said Fancy Pants.
Beau was surprised by this until he shot Fancy Pants’ shoulder, making him yell, while Beau walked over to him and said, “Explain.”
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna fought, yes, but even Celestia couldn’t kill her own sister, considering how powerful she is. So she put her in an unconscious state and made sure she stayed that way by putting her in a container filled with magic to make sure it kept her alive. Cadance and Shining Armor discovered this and tried to help, but Celestia caught wind of this and ended up draining their energy and storing them at the Tower, which happens to be at the edge of the city, just south of my home.”
Beau was shocked to hear that. Not only learning that Shining Armour and Cadance are imprisoned in Canterlot, but also that Princess Luna is alive.
“Now, I’ve told you everything I know.” Said Fancy Pants as Beau looked at him. “Now I beg of you, please release….”
Before Fancy could say anything, Beau shot Fancy Pants in the head, killing him. Beau walked towards Fancy Pants and stared over his lifeless body.
“Sorry Fancy Pants.” Said Beau. “But you lost all right to beg for mercy since the day you turned your back on Equestria.”
With that, Beau left and had two priority targets to rescue.
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As the city was in shambles, Beau made his way toward the large tower. He saw that it was well-guarded, but he didn’t care. He pulled out the two pistols he took from the guards but also ensured that they were well-loaded and carried some extra ammunition. But he couldn’t kill them; it just didn’t feel right, so he loaded them all with rubber bullets.
“I vowed I’d never do this.” Said Beau. “But I have no other choice.”
He closed his eyes and said, “Become someone else. Become something else.”
He sharply opened his eyes and ran towards the guards while shooting them simultaneously. Before they had the chance to defend themselves, the guards were all taken down and knocked out before they even had the chance to defend themselves.
He soon made his way toward the cell of the tower. He looked at the first cell, and to his surprise, he saw Cadance, but she was barely fed. He knew a remedy he had cast in the bread just in case of an emergency to restore their strength, thanks to his learning of alchemy in secret. He just hoped it would be enough.
He used an energy stone he had placed in his pocket and fired the lock, blowing it up. Cadance woke up and was shocked to see a stranger come in, thinking he was one of the guards to torture her.
“Get…get away from me.” Said Cadance.
“Easy there.” Said Beau. “I’m not here to hurt you; I’m here to help.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth.” Said Cadance.
“Three things actually,” said Beau “First part….”
He pulled out a knife, which she flinched, but to her surprise, he removed the inhibitors from her horn and wings.
“The second one…” said Beau as he broke her chains, much to her relief.
“And the third…” said Beau as he tore off half the bread, hoping that half would be enough. She grabbed the bread and ate it whole until it was all gone. Before she realized it, to her surprise, her magic was fully restored, as well as her strength, complexion, and no longer lack of starvation.
She stood up while Beau helped her up. “Um…thank you.” Said Cadance. “But why
did you help me?”
“Does the name Twilight Sparkle ring any bells with you?” said Beau.
“Twilight?” said Cadance in shock, then she held onto Beau’s shoulders and said in excitement, “She’s alive?!”
“She is.” Said Beau, but then he looked down and said, “But she’s not the same as you remember.”
She was confused by this and said, “What do you mean?”
“I’ll explain later,” said Beau “Right now, we need to get Shining Armour out and escape. I’ve already got a ton of folks to help out. They’ve taken them to the five yachts they plan to escape.”
“But if they do that, then Fancy…” said Cadance before Beau cut her off.
“Is dead.” Much to Cadence’s shock, Beau said, “He won’t trouble anyone anymore. Now come.”
Cadance and Beau quickly went to Shining Armour’s cage. With great haste, they did the same thing for him, and after he regained their strength, Beau told them to get to the yachts and fast, which they did while Cadance was carrying her husband with her magic, now that her strength had been finally restored.
Beau soon made his way toward the spot where Luna was thrown.
“This is it,” said Beau. “This is where she was thrown into.”
He pulled out a stone and said with a smirk, “Good thing I swiped the stone that would allow me to breathe underwater.”
He made a makeshift necklace of the stone and wrapped it around his neck, allowing him to jump in and swim with all of his strength to get to the bottom. After swimming with all his strength, he spotted what appeared to be a crate. He looked around and found what appeared to be a Unicorn Spear, allowing him to grab it and plunge it hard into the side of it. After much struggle, he was able to break it open. Within mere moments, he saw Princess Luna drifting out of the cage, allowing Beau to quickly grab her and swim back to the surface.
He brought her up to the docks and instantly began to feel a pulse. To his relief, she was alive.
“Thank heavens.” Said Beau. But then he looked at the yachts and said, “Now’s not the time. I gotta get back before I miss my ride.”
He grabbed Luna and quickly made his way to the docks before he missed his ride.
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At the yachts, the Captains were waiting for the signal until Shining Armour and Cadance saw Beau coming, and to their shock, carrying an unconscious Luna over him, with him saying, “No time to dawdle, it’s time to leave now, we’re out of time.”
Shining Armour nodded and said, “All Captains, take off.”
That said and done, all five yachts sailed away from Canterlot and made headed toward the destination that Beau had sent.
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An hour after they left, many of the citizens were in the yacht rooms provided by the Night Guard and Yacht workers, as well as some food, blankets, and towels. Meanwhile, the doctors were treating Princess Celestia and Princess Luna at the infirmary while Shining Armour and Cadance were talking to Beau.
“I still can’t believe the Celestia we knew was a fake the whole time,” said Shining Armour. “And the real one was imprisoned under the Castle the whole time.”
“Believe me, even I was surprised.” Said Beau. “But I know who she really is.”
They looked at him surprised as Cadance said, “You do? Who?”
“All in good time.” Said Beau, “Until now, I have to see how the others are doing.”
Before he left, Cadance stopped him and asked, “What did you mean Twilight is no longer the same?”
Beau stopped for a moment, then said, “When the floodings happened, the whole ordeal traumatized her and her friends. They’re no longer the element bearers but a group who turned to pirate and mercenary work. They didn’t care how everything fell apart; they just hid.”
Cadance and Shining Armour were shocked by this, with Beau saying, “If you want more, you can ask them yourselves.”
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Later the next morning, Beau left to check up on the others while Cadance and Shining Armour pondered what he said. Beau soon walked into the room and met up with a doctor while Sunset held onto her teacher’s hand.
“How is she doctor?” asked Beau.
“Don’t worry,” said the Doctor. “The Princesses are strong and are stable for now, but I would recommend a long rest for her.”
“I’m sure you must have mixed feelings about this.” Said Beau.
“I didn’t want to believe it, but I was scared to face her when she attacked Luna. But hearing she was imprisoned while the fake took her place.”
“Sorry you had to go through all that, but we’ll make things right.” Said Beau as he reassured the doctor. “For now, make sure that Princess Luna is alright; we still have a long journey ahead of us.”
“Understood. And thank you.” Said the Doctor before she left.
Beau then went over to Sunset and held her shoulder, but she was too focused on Celestia.
“I hated her for not wanting to make me a princess.” Said Sunset. “But to hear what happened, what she went through because of the fake….”
“It’s never easy letting go of one’s old feelings.” Said Beau, “The only thing you can do is be prepared for it.”
But when she looked to her right, she saw an old student of hers, Sunset Shimmer. She widened her eyes and began to tear up.
“Sunset?” muttered Celestia. “My little phoenix. Is that you?”
Hearing her call her old nickname, Sunset also shed tears, allowing the two of them to hug after so long.
“It’s really you.” Said Sunset “You’re the only one who ever called me that. And…you’re still you.”
“How is this possible?” said Celestia after she broke the hug. “When I last saw you, you jumped through the mirror. I thought I’d lost you…forever.”
“I owe it to somepony who brought me back.” Said Sunset as she looked at Beau.
Celestia looked at Beau while his arms were crossed. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You might want to save your strength.” Said Beau. “We still have a long road ahead of us. Princess Luna and Twilight are still alive, but you’ll have to be cautious. I mean the fake you were responsible for causing all this.
Celestia widened her eyes and said, “You know about the imposter?”
“When I broke in, I saw the color of her aura. It was Emerald Green.” Said Beau while
he explained, “Yours was Golden Yellow. This means the one currently on the throne
is a fake, and nobody noticed it. Shining Armour and Cadance saw through the fake’s lies, but the fake Celestia caught on and captured them. I was able to free them and brought as many with us to the yachts.”
Celestia said, “My sister’s alive?”
“She is.” Said Beau, with Celestia shedding tears of joy “Luna tried to fight the fake, but she was defeated. The fake couldn’t kill her, so he put her in an unconscious state while sealing her in a container and ensuring it was at the bottom of the ocean. So I rescued her.”
Celestia then said, “I am forever in your debt.”
“We’re not out of the woodwork just yet.” Said Beau. “You still need to face Luna, and she will be afraid of you.”
“I understand.” Said Celestia, but she got up, with Sunset and Beau quickly helping her. “Which is why I wish to see her now.”
Beau and Sunset carried Celestia to the cabin where Luna was resting. Once they entered the room, Sunset was able to place Celestia on the chair while he walked over to Luna and pulled something out of his pocket, with Celestia asking, “What are you doing?”
Beau smirked underneath his helmet, for this was going to be partially fun. He pulled out something and placed it on her chest while moving it like a snake.
“Luna, wake up,” said Beau in a whispered tone. “You are about to be attacked by a piece of moldy cheese.”
Luna groaned a bit, then smelled something, then opened her eyes, and right on her nose, she suddenly screamed in fright and jumped up on the head of the bed and shouted, “MOLDY CHEEEESSEEE!!!”
Sunset stared in bewilderment, while Celestia looked at him in shock and said, “How did you…?”
“Trade secret.” Said Beau once he tossed the cheese out of the window.
He helped Luna sit back down as he said, “Sorry about that. The only way to wake you up.”
Princess Luna slowly looked at Beau, wondering who he was. “Who are you?”
“Name’s Beau.” Said Beau, until he said in a mocked tone, “That’s real gratitude for ya; I jumped in the ocean to rescue you from your watery grave, and this is the thanks I get.”
Luna was shocked to hear this and said, “You saved my life?”
“I did.”
Luna looked down for a bit, then said, “How long have I been gone?”
“Ten years.” Said Beau, much to Luna’s shock.
Luna looked down in sadness and said, “So the world has truly fallen, and my sister turned into a monster.”
“Actually…” said Beau as he motioned to Celestia, who still had her bandages.
Luna gasped in shock and leaned back, but thanks to the dampening ring he put on her just in case, he quickly calmed her down.
“Calm down, Luna.” Said Beau.
“She tried to kill me!!” shouted Luna.
“The one that tried to kill you was a fake.” Said Beau.
Luna looked at him in confusion and said, “What?”
Beau then explained, “The one who defeated you and put you in a comatose state for ten years was none other than an imposter. The real one sitting before you had been imprisoned the whole time, shortly after Discord had been defeated.”
Luna was shocked to hear this as Beau continued.
“While I sought somepony for help,” said Beau, “I bumped into Celestia’s old pupil, Sunset Shimmer. When we escaped with the Elements of Harmony, we stumbled upon a secret prison where we found the real Princess Celestia. When we escaped, we convinced your old guard to help gather as many as they could on their side and transport all of the civilians who wished to escape the catastrophe. Then Fancy Pants told me that you were comatose while Shining Armour and Cadance were held prisoner on their tower.”
“Fancy Pants told you?” said Sunset, remembering his name.
“He said he was forced to do what they said he should do, but he was just looking for an excuse ever since his wife died.” Said Beau.
“And where is he now?” asked Princess Celestia.
“Dead.” Said Beau, surprising the group in the room. “He lost the right to beg for mercy since the day he turned his back on Equestria.”
“I see.” Said Luna as she looked down a bit, then to Beau. “And where are we going now?”
“We’re going to the island where Twilight and the Element Bearers are hiding.” Said Beau.
“They’re still alive?” said Celestia in relief.
“They are.” Said Beau. “But they’re not the same as you knew them. They’re no longer the same.”
Celestia looked down and said, “Oh my pupil, I’m so sorry.”
“I’m gonna go to the Captain to see if they’ve removed any tracking chips.” Said Beau. “In the meantime, you two have some catching up to do.”
Sunset also decided to leave as soon as he left to give the two sisters some space. Celestia and Luna looked at one another; despite their dress/outfit ruined, despite their injuries, the two of them couldn’t help but shed tears and rush toward one another, allowing them to hug one another in the process. The two of them cried in each other’s arms, never wanting to let go of one another again.
“Oh, Lulu, I’m so sorry! I failed you! I’m sorry!”
“No, Tia, I’m sorry! I should never have thought you flooded the world; I should never have doubted you! I was too weak to stop her! I’m sorry!!”
From outside, Beau walked to the Captain and said, “Are the tracking devices removed?”
“Yes, they are.” Said the Captain “And the rest of them from the other ships have done the same. We’re in the clear.”
“Good,” said Beau, handing him a note with coordinates on it. “Tell the ship and the others to go to this destination. We got a long way to go.”
“Yes, sir.” Said the Captain as he went to give out the order.
“Hey,” said Sunset as she approached Beau, gaining his attention while saying, “Thank you. For bringing me back here. And for helping me face Celestia.”
“Least I could do.” Said Beau. He looked at her and said, “But once the crisis is over, what will you do?”
Sunset then looked at him and said, “After this is over, I need to go back to the human world. I need to make things right. I need to apologize.
“That’s pretty noble of you.” Said Beau.
“I guess you kind of rubbed off on me.” Said Sunset. She looked at him and said, “Also, do you think Twilight is still traumatized.”
“She is.” Said Beau “Though I hope they’ll come too after the tough love I gave them.”
“Tough love?” said a confused Sunset.
During the trip, he told her that he yelled at them for abandoning Equestria when it needed them the most, how all of them had left the entire kingdom to rot and chose to hide rather than do something; they even became mercenaries/pirates. Many of their loved ones were gone because of their carelessness.
After the story, Sunset was shocked by what he had said.
“Wow.” Said Sunset. “That was a little harsh, don’t you think?”
“I know,” said Beau. “It’s just…what they became….”
“Remember,” said Sunset as she explained, “Through every single scenario of what I watched back at the human world, whenever the world gets thrusted into a type of apocalypse, they resort to animalistic ways to survive. It’s not pretty or ideal; they’re just doing what they can to survive.”
Beau sighed as he looked ahead. “Still. Wish they could see sense.”
“Something tells me they will. I’m sure of it.” Said Sunset.
Beau looked at her and asked, “You think so?”
“I know so.” Said Sunset while reassuring him.
He thought about it, then nodded to her, saying, “Thanks. When we get there…we’ll need to have a talk.”
“And what about between Twilight and Celestia?” asked Sunset.
He took a deep breath, then looked at her and said, “I guess we’ll have to be cautious when we need to be.”
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