Chapter 28- What is Reality?- Part 1
Chrysi tilted her head in confusion as she tried to focus on the images within the three sparking crystals, finding it impossible. Try as she did, the images kept changing, flashing and refused to stay in focus.
“You say I created these?”
Turning to look up at the towering presence of Lulu, Chrysi watched as the entity nodded its featureless head. It spoke, every word cutting Chrysi’s very soul like sharp, penetrating daggers.
“That’s right.”
Chrysi staggered from the almost incomprehensible pain, desperate not to keel over, yet again. She coughed violently as a congealed black ooze seeped from the gaps in her metal plating. Suddenly a swarm of locusts issued from her muzzle as she screamed, suddenly praying for death’s release. But it never came. And as quickly as the malady began, Chrysi found her breathing returning to normal, her wounds completely healed. That’s when she noticed the nearly transparent wings surrounding her, shielding her from the plague that had befallen her. A sickly sweet and patient voice whispered gently.
“Sister, must you be so hard on her?”
Lulu scoffed at the notion and stamped its hoof, causing cracks to appear within reality once more.
“It’s in my nature Tia, forgiveness however, is not. She will answer for what she has done, even if it kills her a million more times, sister. Do not interfere with my teachings again. Or you’ll be next.”
As her corpse once more rose up fully functional, Chrysi shivered as a wave of impending doom washed over her. The air grew thick with an aura of danger and chaos, as Tia spoke in its ever-gentle way, its warmth carrying a sudden, indescribable subtext of malice.
“Oh? Is that a challenge?”
In an instant Lulu replied, with absolutely no hesitation whatsoever, though its voice took on a rather submissive tone.
“Not even in the slightest, sister.”
Instantaneously the weight pressing down on Chrysi dissolved. The air grew noticeably calmer and more relaxed, as the entity known as Tia seemed to chuckle.
“Very good, now then little sister, perhaps you should allow me to explain to her the grievances she has caused us. Though you are more than within your rights to destroy your own creations and resurrect them as you please, we will be here until next eternity before you ever make your point.”
Lulu backed up several spaces as though stricken by the words but nodded its featureless face and mumbled in a just barely audible way.
“You make a fair point, Tia. So be it.”
At once a flash of light emanated from Tia, and all reality just shattered. There was no cracking, no shards remaining; it just broke apart and disappeared; revealing a single statue. The statue was grotesque, depicting the visage of three helpless creatures: a withered centaur with a gaunt face, a small Pegasus filly, and finally, a Changeling mare.
Hovering above it, Chrysi stared at the statue in disbelief. There was no mistaking it, that Changeling was none other than the same Queen of the Changelings Chrysalis, that the Celestial Beings seemed intent on showing her. But what did it mean?
She didn’t have long to ponder this thought, before the soothingly suffocating voice of Tia filled the air.
“Tell me, little one, you don’t recognize this statue, do you?”
Chrysi slowly blinked her metallic eyelids, her retinal scanners analyzing every facet of the odd art piece, her memory banks coming up empty.
“No, I’ve never seen it before.”
With a deep sigh, Tia spoke once more.
“I was afraid of that. Chrysalis, this is you. Not a past you, but the real you. You are currently entombed within that stone, and this is your reality.”
Chrysi shook her head in confusion, this didn’t compute, none of this made sense to her. What exactly did the entity mean by her reality? As if reading her mind Tia spoke up, its voice though gentle as always, seemed to hold a deep sadness within it.
“Reality is rarely what we desire, and so it is only natural to imagine how things could be. Everycreature does it from time to time. Free will is such a wondrous gift, from us unto you. And all are free to have such flights of fancy, as it were.”
Tia lifted its hoof and brought it crashing down onto the nothingness of the void, and it suddenly filled in, the statue vanishing from sight. Chrysi looked around. She was on a hilltop, watching a veritable army of Ponies, and various other creatures charging down it towards three creatures.
Chrysi’s eyes grew wide as she recognized those creatures. Only they looked a bit different. The filly Pegasus had been transformed into a well-tone Alicorn, her horn crackling with chaos magic. The Centaur was muscular, youthful and was letting out a raging roar towards the oncomers. And then there was Chrysalis.
She was a cross between an Alicorn and a Changeling Hive Queen; her laughter, wicked as it echoed throughout the rolling hills. She charged up her magic into a beam of utter destruction, preparing to fire. Tia’s voice cut across the ensuing battle.
“You, joined by Cozy Glow, and Tirek, declared war on Equestria. It was a mostly one-sided battle, that is until friendship prevailed and in the midst of sheer defeat seven stood against you. Rallying the creatures of Equestria, those seven harnessed the Elements of Harmony within and like Discord before you, turned you three to stone, ending the conflict decisively.”
Everything vanished, revealing just the statue once more.
“And so there you sit, currently entombed within.”
Chrysi tried to piece together what she was being told, voicing her thoughts out loud.
“But if I’m there, then why am I here? And shouldn’t I be dead encased in stone?”
“Were that the end of your story, we simply would have filed it away, another chapter in the long history of your existence. I can assure you, you are very much alive, little one. And this is currently happening, even as we speak.”
Chrysi stared in silence as the void around the statue began to fill itself in, revealing a room of hewn stone, with a floor of polished marble, and sconces lining the walls adorned with gold, silver and flames of bright purple. And soon after, several creatures appeared standing by the statue.
One was a rather large Dragoness, her orange scales glinting in the torch light. She had vibrant magenta hair, a remnant of her younger years. Her wings were nearly as wide as a full grown Alicorn’s, spanning over five feet unfurled.
Next to her stood a full-grown Yak, with a dark brown coat of thick wooly hair. Behind her ear sat a pink satin ribbon, threadbare and timeworn, a relic once given as a gift. She was quite large, with ever-sparkling olive-green irises. And at that moment she was exchanging a glance with a chiffon colored Earthpony stallion beside her.
He stood a half of a hoof shorter than the Yak he was gingerly nuzzling. His mane, from the trim to the color, resembled a patch of seaweed. His flank boasted a Cutie Mark of three little sea turtles, and his demeanor was calm, as though he easily went with the ebb and flow of any situation.
Just to his right stood an adult, blue-feathered Griffon male, clad in golden armor worn by the Royal Guard of Canterlot. In his talon he clutched a spear that Chrysi could almost swear was forged of actual sunlight. It shone so bright in the room, as he wearily set the haft onto the stone floor, as though having just completed some form of guard duty. However, almost the instant he gave a tired sigh, next to him a fully grown mare hippogriff energetically grabbed him into an intimate embrace.
She was taller than the griffon, her feathers a creamy pink, though her mane was a mixture of silver and grey. She laughed as she hugged him, her laughter was loud and full of excitement. Locking eyes with him, she gently tapped the golden bracelet she wore on her talon to the one he wore around his. The two shared a momentary look, before he too broke into a smile.
While Chrysi didn’t recognize any of them, there was one face that she definitely knew. There, standing next to the statue stood a full-grown Alicorn mare. She stood half as tall as the Dragoness and wore a beautifully forged crown of gold in the middle of which rested a faceted amethyst. Her fur was lavender, her mane and tail were a rich indigo. Her eyes were a shining amethyst, and held the patience once embodied by her teacher years before her.
Mom?
Chrysi swallowed hard, there could be no mistaking it, this was definitely Twilight Sparkle, but not how Chrysi knew her. Her flesh wasn’t metal, and she was smiling not of malice, but almost lovingly. It felt wrong, almost alien to Chrysi; this wasn’t her mother, at least not the one she had known. Chrysi felt nauseous, Twilight wasn’t threatening to maim or destroy somepony. The very thought of it made her metal skin crawl. Twilight began to speak.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice. As you know, Rainbow Dash was laid to rest beside the others last week. As the last living member of the original Elements of Harmony, the time has come to share the secret we have held for the past 35 years. I do ask, however, that you wait patiently for a few minutes as we wait for the others to arrive.”
“You won’t have to wait long, Princess Twi.”
All heads turned towards the entrance way, where an Earthpony mare stood beside an alabaster white furred Unicorn and an orange Pegasus in a flight suit. The Earthpony had slightly dingy auburn mane and tail, the mane flowing out from beneath a tattered, old Stetson hat. Her eyes were a vibrant orange, and her flank boasted a crusader's shield with an apple inside it.
The Unicorn wore her silky pink mane and tail coiffed in the style of her late sister, a designer dress of ruby hemmed with the finest silk, and sparkling ruby earrings. She carried an air of importance, and just behind her, holding a tablet, was a mare with a bright red stone around her neck. Without so much as turning around, the Unicorn spoke to this mare.
“Adagio, darling, reschedule all my appointments and cancel all my calls. If any creature asks, I’m in a meeting.”
The mare cowled her head in a relatively submissive bow replying.
“Very good, Mrs. Belle.”
Reaching up a hoof, Adagio spoke softly into the headset she wore. Her voice, though condescending, carried tones of an almost seductive nature.
“What’s the status of the fashion show, Aria? I see. You tell them that unless they want a very angry Wendigo knocking down their door, they will have that stage ready for Mrs. Belle on time. Make it happen, no excuses. Hm? Yes, yes, love you too. Got to go…Sonata, talk to me, girl. How are we on the catering? No, that is not nearly good enough, I want five hundred tacos for that buffet, do you hear me? No, cost is of no concern to me, I’ll personally pay you double. Yes, from my own purse. Make it happen or else.”
While Adagio chatted away on the headset, the orange Pegasus next to her whispered to Sweetie Belle.
“Isn’t she a bit intense to be a secretary?”
Sweetie Belle chuckled and whispered back.
“She is very loyal, something I thought you of all Ponies would appreciate Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo stood there in silence for just a second. Her tattered flight suit was torn and shredded from much use, the Pegasus mare’s underdeveloped wings jutting from within. On the flank, a faded marking of a rainbow-hued lightning bolt rested; dull and lifeless from many years of use.
The silence was broken as Scootaloo sniffed, slowly at first, before her eyes welled with tears. Sweetie Belle’s face fell as she grabbed Scootaloo in a loving embrace, whispering frantically.
“Shh, Shh, I didn’t mean it like that, Scootaloo. She's with my sister now, probably being forced into a dress against her will as we speak.”
“An’ y’all can’t forget mah sis is probably snickering away in the corner, laughin’ at how frou-frou she looks, while Rarity shoots her a death glare.”
Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle turned to see the yellow Earthpony approaching them. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled softly back at the two. Scootaloo chuckled.
“Yeah, that sounds-
Scootaloo sniffed as she gazed at the old stetson on the Earthpony’s head.
“- About right, thanks Applebloom.”
Applebloom silently reached up and brushed a hoof lightly against the brim of her hat, before giving a heavy sigh and lowering her hoof once more.
“We miss ‘em too, Scootaloo. Ya ain’t alone, y’know.”
Chrysi stared down at the scene. Watching as Scootaloo nuzzled both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, Chrysi felt an intense bitterness; yet had no idea why. A feeling of momentary spite, that crawled, just beneath her metallic plating. Like an itch she couldn’t scratch. Something about this heartwarming scene caused her to slowly loathe everything. She hated herself. She hated them. It rose within her, slowly at first and then faster and faster, an animosity like she had never felt. It flowed throughout her processor, seizing hold of her registry. Error after error started popping up within her display. She felt like she would short-circuit as her emotions took control, and unable to withstand it any longer, she momentarily forgot her situation and turned to roar at the two beings behind her.
“Why am I here? What did I do? I was enjoying my meager life on Exuus, I didn’t hurt anyone. Okay well I did, but it’s not like they could die or anything. I didn’t harm anyone or cause anything. Why make me suffer? This isn’t fair!”
“Isn’t it?”
Chrysi fell silent as the suddenly booming voice of Tia echoed in her mind. To her surprise, the two entities seemed to grow in size; towering over her as Tia spoke in its gratingly patient tone.
“Who is it you cry out for when things go wrong? Us. We, who created you. And since we created you, it is clearly our fault what happens to you, right? It’s not that you caused your issue, no, it’s that the reality which we painstakingly craft with our hooves is completely stacked against you. You who expect everything to be wonderful because we are watching, you who get hurt from your own actions and curse our existence.”
Chrysi was at a loss for words, as Tia continued its lament.
“But clearly it isn’t fair of us to do the same? We gave you the will to choose your own path. To perform your own actions and in return face the consequences that came with them. Who was it that denied our reality to create her own through delusions of grandeur? You. Who was it that caused time to jumble up and become entangled by her desires? You. Yes, Chrysalis, it is fair. You caused this, and you will fix it. Now, stay silent and observe-”
The air grew colder than even the arctic of Equus, turning the coolant in Chrysi’s body to solid ice as Tia added.
“Or I will terminate your very existence, here and now.”
Chrysi stood, frozen in terror as much to her surprise, she watched Lulu move towards Tia. Gently, almost lovingly, the destructive entity rubbed its featureless head against Tia’s assumed neck, the latter murmuring.
“Lulu...”
Lulu continued on, whispering solemnly.
“Tia, no.”
Suddenly, the air grew considerably warmer and comforting, surrounding Chrysi and melting the ice that held her heart captive. Tia turned towards Chrysi, as Lulu lowered its expressionless face to seemingly lock eyes with her, though Lulu had none. It spoke.
“Watch and listen, you will understand.”
Chrysi suddenly found herself staring directly at the statue once again, as Twilight spread her wings.
“For decades, Equestria has flourished under our hard work. Together, we have united the various cultures of our land. One by one, our greatest foes-”
Twilight glanced pointedly at Adagio, who flinched slightly, before continuing.
“Have become invaluable contributors to the well-being of our society. From the mighty Wendigos to the Tartarus-born Sombra, each has found their place and flourished. Just the other day, Princess Flurry Heart wrote me a letter stating how wonderful having Sombra as an advisor has been. And you, Adagio, and your sisters, have found your niche as well. Sweetie Belle raves over your dedication. One by one, every dragon, every griffon, every Changeling has found their way, that is, every creature but these three.”
Pausing, Twilight gestured towards the statue with a wing while looking rather downcast.
“These three, that we gave up on, our greatest failure. No one remembers them, or what they did. No one but me, and I forgave them a long time ago. And yet, here they remain.”
As she spoke, Twilight’s voice cracked, and a grimace of self-loathing appeared on her face. Taking a deep breath, she raised her gaze once more to those present.
“But I refuse to believe that’s the end for them, though. But I can’t do it alone, I need your help.”
Low murmuring filled the stone chamber, as all present were filled with muffled confusion. Them? What could they do that Princess Twilight, an Alicorn could not? As they whispered and conversed, Twilight stood silently observing them. But it wasn’t just her, Chrysi watched on with curiosity as well.
“Us help? Who are we helping exactly?”
Spreading her wings, Twilight brought the room to order as a hush fell over every creature present. As the silence fell, she folded her wings once more and began to speak, yet again.
“Listen to me every creature, for it is very important. You’ve forgotten them. Every creature has…because I made sure of it.”
At once, a loud gasp filled the air. Twilight did what?
“That’s right. 35 years ago, this very day, these three were turned to stone, or so it was believed. The girls and I held a conference, and we deemed it best that everything be forgotten. That way when the time was right, they could rejoin our world with a clean slate. The truth is, this statue is nothing but an illusion, and these three are frozen in time, in a stasis. They will never age and thanks to my enchantment, until they decide to rejoin Equestria as citizens, not super villains, they will remain so.”
Turning to look at the statue, Tears pooled at the corner of Twilight’s eyes. She turned away and seemed to glance off in the distance for a moment. Chrysi gasped as Twilight seemingly locked eyes with her, though it was over in a flash. What just happened? Twilight turned swiftly to the onlookers once more.
“Each of you has found your way in this world. Please, I ask you to share your ventures with them. Let them know they can co-exist with the rest of Equestria, give them the encouragement they need to set them free. The strength they need-”
Once again, Twilight turned her head and locked eyes with Chrysi before smiling, that same kindred smile once worn by her mentor before her.
“To return to this plane of existence.”
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Nice chapter! I like the twist of reality!
mind-fu**
M. Night Shyamalan, eat your heart out. Because this plot twisted so hard it broke my pelvis.
My review
https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/1012222/review-mechaniquus
11560254
Well that is a shame, but you are right, it is a mess. Though as with most psychological writings, it will only come together in the end. Since you didn't finish past chapter 15, I'm afraid you'll never understand the "fractal of trainwrecks", to steal a comment left by another reader, that you just witnessed. And that's okay, my stories aren't for everyone. What matters is you tried. <3
11557351
I love this comment so much, even my family, who hates me writing MLP fics found this particularly humorous.
11560261
I'll take that complement.
All of this has been a lie!?