Prejudice
Twilight stared at Broken’s form for a few moments, before another explosion tore her attention away. She turned to watch as a giant fireball consumed the sky, burning the dust left from the tower’s collapse. More explosions began sounding further away, more sections of the castle falling in on themselves. A large detonation from somewhere close to them rattled the entrance building, sending dust and chunks of stone falling from the ceiling. A few of the columns rattled ominously.
“We need to get out of here!” Shining yelled over another close explosion. “If he set any bombs-“ Yet another explosion; this time a column toppled, close to the entrance. “-that could happen.” Shining finished. Celestia nodded.
“Do not wait for my command. Move!” The guards nodded, herding the others back to the entrance, moving carefully around the collapsed pillar and outside. Shining carefully lifted Broken in a bubble of magic, following the others. Celestia and Twilight remained in the building.
“Princess, you need to come with us…” Twilight said. Celestia gritted her teeth.
“I lost this castle once, Twilight Sparkle. I only left because I knew I could return to it one day. I will not let it be destroyed!” Celestia’s horn began to glow, threads of magic flying out the window.
“Princess, please! There’s nothing we can do!”
Celestia ignored her. The lines of magic whipped back and forth as more explosions sounded. The building shook again, another column falling. The floor caved in as it hit the ground, an echoing crash being interrupted by a torrent of flame. Sparks flew high, some drifting and landing on the Princess. She didn’t appear to notice, and Twilight watched in shock as dark spots began to appear on Celestia’s coat. She hurriedly brushed the burning particles off, but the damage remained. The Princess exhaled, the magic strands thinning or disappearing entirely, but still she would not move.
“Princess-“
“Would Milady wish for assistance?” Twilight turned her eyes, seeing Pip come up beside her.
“Assistance?”
“Yes, Milady. Broken Shield likely placed his explosives in areas that, should they be damaged, would cause catastrophic failure of the castle’s supports. I could check areas that have not already detonated to see if the explosives planted there could be disarmed.”
Twilight flicked her eyes back to Celestia. The alicorn’s horn was still glowing, and she was muttering something under her breath. The magic was strong, but clearly weakened from its normal state. Twilight bit her lip.
“If you can’t get to it without being hurt-“
“I shall place my bodily health at a higher position of importance than the castle’s structure, Milady.”
“Then do it.”
Pip nodded, and he suddenly wasn’t there anymore. Twilight turned back to Celestia.
“Princess! Princess!” The unicorn yelled, as another explosion rocked the building. One of Celestia’s eyes opened, focussing on Twilight. “Princess, Pip is stopping the bombs! We need to go, NOW!”
Celestia’s eye shut again, but her posture relaxed. The threads whipped back into her horn, and Twilight felt magic wash over her. Almost instantly she was standing outside, Celestia beside her. She felt a weight on her back, turning to find the Princess resting one wing on her.
“Princess?” Twilight and Shining asked simultaneously.
“I’m alright, my little ponies… just… a little tired.” The alicorn stood straighter, but her head fell slightly. Twilight noticed that her mane was sagging, coming close to actually obeying gravity.
“Princess, what was that back there?” Shining paced around to the front of Celestia, his brows furrowed.
“I… I was-“
“She was trying to stop the explosions, I think.” Twilight interrupted. “She said that she didn’t want the castle destroyed.” Shining nodded, thinking for a moment before turning back to Celestia.
“Princess, I’m invoking Labores Solis.” The other guards immediately snapped to attention. Twilight and Celestia both stared at the stallion.
“You can’t… I’m not…”
“You’ve clearly pushed yourself past what you can handle, Princess. For fear that you may harm yourself, and with you Equestria, I am placing you in custody.” Shining nodded at the two other guards, who quickly took up positions beside the Princess. She glanced at them through half-closed eyes before sighing, raising her head to give Shining a tired smile.
“I am at your mercy, Captain.” Her head lowered again. Shining nodded, flicking an eye at the unicorn guard. The stallion nodded, moving from Celestia’s side towards Broken. Shining took his place, his horn glowing. Celestia was lifted slightly off the ground, a floor of magic beneath her that quickly grew walls, encasing the Princess.
Shining sighed, turning to Twilight’s friends. “I’m in command while the Princess rests and recuperates. We need to get out of the forest.”
“Hold on now. What the hay is ‘lay… lah… whatever y’just said?”
Shining flicked an eye at Twilight. “You didn’t tell them about it?”
The mare shook her head. “I didn’t think we’d ever need it!”
“We’ve never needed the Hobble Protocol, either, that doesn’t mean guards don’t spend three weeks learning to untie ropes with their gen-“
“Ahem!” Applejack interrupted. The siblings turned to her again. “What. Is. It.” Both ponies coloured under their fur, though Twilight offered the answer.
“Er, Labores Solis is the order that can be issued by the Royal Guard Captain when one of the Princesses is acting in a way that is dangerous to themselves or to Equestria.”
Applejack’s ear flicked back, and another explosion occurred in the close distance. “That sounds rather worrin’ly vague…”
“It’s more complicated than that!” Twilight hurriedly said. “It is reserved for periods of extreme danger…”
“…such as the Princess exhausting her magical ability and herself while refusing to leave a collapsing building…” Shining muttered.
“… and there are a whole bunch of different criteria that need to be met, and there need to be several witnesses to see the Princess acting dangerously...”
Another explosion. Shining gave a near-glare to Twilight. “And we can do this later because I’m trying to keep everypony including the Princess alive here…”
Twilight tried to respond, but a third explosion rocked the doors of the entrance and sent flames bursting from the windows. After that, she simply nodded, beginning to quickly walk to the edge of the remaining ground.
The return walk, much like the trek to the castle, was mostly silent.
The earth pony guard walked in front, Applejack and Rainbow Dash a small distance behind him. Twilight had taken over carrying Broken from the unicorn guard, and she and Shining walked in the middle of the group with their burdens. From there, it was Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, with the unicorn guard taking up the rear. Shining bore a determined face, his expression clearly brooking no discussion or distraction. He didn’t appear to notice the now-faint explosions that sounded in the distance. Twilight flicked her eyes to his doppelganger – the damaged stallion was still unconscious, his breathing faint but steady. His horn lay lengthways between his teeth; the guard had placed it there to avoid losing it, and Broken’s jaw had locked around the appendage immediately. His leg still lay bent, but the platform she held him on remained stable even on such riotous ground as the Forest’s path.
The guard in front suddenly stopped, his ears flicking towards the right side of the path. One hoof rose, flashing through several complex movements. Shining stiffened, and the rearguard silently ran forward to stand beside his compatriot. Twilight glanced worriedly at her brother.
“Large animal. Probably a bear or a manticore. We need to move quick and quiet.” He answered the unasked question, raising his voice slightly so that the others could hear. AJ and Rainbow nodded, as did the guards. The two armoured ponies began to step forwards-
“RAAAAAAAAAA-gghg!”
A loud roar sent Twilight’s hooves to her ears, though not quickly enough to block out the offending noise. Her magic faltered, and she nearly dropped Broken before fixing it again. The roar cut off in a strangled choking noise, and after a moment faint sounds of tearing and wet smacking could be heard. Everypony looked at each other, forgetting silence and simply running as fast as possible.
A minute of sprinting was followed by two of rest. Twilight and the mares behind her gasped in breath, Rarity panting in a rather-unladylike fashion. The guards (and Rainbow and Applejack) breathed heavily, though they were more controlled than most oxygen-starved ponies.
“Well, looks like he found something else to eat.” Shining said. Twilight winced, and a tree branch rustled slightly as some animal moved from it. “We need to keep moving, no telling what might sne-“
“The task is completed, Milady.”
Shining and the other guards rapidly turned to stare at a point just behind Twilight’s shoulder. She turned her head, already knowing that she’d see a large, one eyed, cream-coated stallion with a completely unfettered expression.
The blood was new, however. He wore a bib of it, a stain of red covering from around his mouth to his collarbone.
“By Celest- Pip, are you alright?!” Twilight quickly checked his neck for wounds. “Where did this blood come from?!”
“There was a manticore lying close to the road a small distance behind us, Milady. I saw you approaching, so I disposed of it.”
Twilight sensed Shining begin to approach. “What do you mean ‘disposed of’?”
Pip blinked. “I dropped onto its back from the tree above it, breaking its spine and rendering it immobile. I then gripped its mane in my jaw as it roared, pulling it back before kicking it in the neck and severing its spinal cord, destroying its nervous system and killing it.”
Twilight heard Fluttershy whimper. “And… and the blood?”
“After confirming that it was deceased, I proceeded to tear out its throat with my teeth. I removed everything but the musculature around the spine before rapidly twisting the head and removing it from the body.”
Twilight heard Fluttershy crumple to the ground around the same time that she felt the vomit rise out of her stomach. Shining spat, and the guards began to approach Pip. He gave all three blank looks that came across as almost dismissive. His eyes returned to the now-green mare.
“Milady, I would recommend that we continue travelling. I highly doubt that the Everfree Forest is cognisant of the Princess’ and Broken Shield’s delicate conditions, and given your focus on maintaining their survival, it is unlikely that remaining here would be beneficial to you.” He turned to the guards again. “I hasten to remind the guardsponies present that should they make any aggressive move towards her Ladyship, my duty as First Guard requires me to subdue them.”
Shining held a hoof up, and the other guards halted. “What do you mean ‘subdue’?”
“At minimum, render them unable to perform any action that may lead to her Ladyship’s injury, up to and including removing their horns, legs, eyes, and teeth from their bodies, as well as simply killing them.”
The guards’ eyes widened at the same time as Shining’s narrowed. He turned his eyes to Twilight, who was raising her head back up. Upon Pip’s words, she gained a rather frantic look.
“No!” She shook her head rapidly, shakily walking up to stare Pip in the eye. “No, Pip, I don’t want you hurting anypony, okay? Don’t ‘subdue’ them or kill them, or, or anything like that!”
Pip blinked. “As you wish, Milady. How would you wish for me to deal with violent aggressors such as Broken Shield?”
Twilight brought her head back at the question. “Oh. Um… okay, if they’re trying to hurt you, not defend themselves or defend their friends or family or anypony, if they’re just coming out and attacking you for no reason, then… you can stop them.” She paused for a moment. “But try not to hurt them! Don’t kill them or hurt them, just make it so that they can’t hurt anypony.”
“As you wish, Milady.” He turned his eyes back to the guardsponies. Twilight was close enough to feel the wind shift as he moved – the space he left actually sucked some of the air out of her lungs – but before she could breathe in again he was back in his position, three clumps of hair clutched in his teeth. Twilight heard her brother and the other two guards curse in pain. Pip dropped the hair onto the ground before speaking again. “That was a warning. I can do far worse without causing permanent injury.”
Twilight sighed, turning around to face Shining. He had a hoof rubbing the back of his neck, and he stared at Pip with a mix of suspicion and surprised respect. “He’s not bad, really…”
The stallion scoffed. “Well, he hasn’t tried to kill anypony yet…” Shining shook his head. “We don’t have time for this. He stays in front of us.” Pip looked at Twilight, who nodded.
“As you wish, Milady. Would you like me to carry Lady Gaia?”
Twilight’s brows shot up as she remembered Fluttershy’s fainting, turning in alarm to check on her friend. Though the mare was conscious again, her legs still shook, and she leaned on Rarity for support.
“No, Pip, I think she’s fine without you.”
“As you say, Milady.” The stallion disappeared again, reappearing at the head of the group. He began trotting down the road, leaving the entire group staring at him for several seconds before they, too, began to move again.
The trip once more reigned into silence. Shining’s eyes were constantly narrowed, flicking between the sides of the path, Broken Shield, and Pip with regularity. Twilight felt that she should speak up in defence (of Pip certainly, and of Broken possibly), but whenever she tried the words locked up in her throat. She found herself hanging back from him, still holding Broken in place but moving further and further towards Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie.
“Is everything alright, dear?” Rarity asked, then tsked at herself. “Oh, of course it’s not alright, we’re wandering through the Everfree Forest at night after pursuing that ruffian into it, only to have him nearly collapse a castle on us and force Princess Celestia to overstrain herself. When he wakes, I shall have some sharp words for him…”
“Get in line.” Twilight snorted. “You’ll get him if Celestia and my brother leave anything behind to gnaw on…” Fluttershy whimpered. “Oh, sorry, Fluttershy.”
“No, it’s okay, you didn’t mean it, it’s just…” the pegasus shuddered. “Rainbow Dash mentioned that Broken was taking fish out of the pond and eating them, and Pip just said that he… killed… a manticore, and it’s just so wrong and ponies aren’t supposed to eat other animals and-“
“Fluttershy!” Twilight said, catching the slightly-panicking pony’s attention. “Fluttershy, I’m grossed out by it too, but… well, that’s how it is for them. Pip’s obsessed with keeping me alive, and I’m sure Dawn specifically told him to… do that, let’s say, just to make sure that the manticore couldn’t harm anypony. Does that make it any better?” Fluttershy rapidly shook her head, hitting Twilight in the face with her mane. The unicorn spat out several long pink hairs before continuing. “No? Okay, then, um, for Broken, he said that the earth ponies didn’t let the rebels get any food, right? So maybe eating meat was their only option during times when they couldn’t grow anything themselves, and he just needs some time to remember how to work with a proper pony diet.” This statement gave Fluttershy a confused look, but she slowly nodded.
“That does kind of make sense…”
“I still don’t like it.” Rarity huffed. “There were some designers who would hurt innocent animals just for their fur – they called them pelts, just because it sounded nicer than torn-off skin – but they’ve long gone. If he needed food, I can almost understand it, but he has easy access to grass or wild plants. Those fish, and all the other animals he’s no doubt harmed while here, did nothing to him. No pony should kill for such trivial reasons as ‘they might’ve hurt somepony’. And that goes for Pip and Broken.”
Pinkie, Twilight, and Fluttershy all stared in surprise at the fashonista for her diatribe. Twilight coughed.
“Rarity, didn’t you kick a manticore in the face when we were trying to get the Elements of Harmony?”
The white unicorn blushed slightly. “That’s different, dear. He was observably threatening us. Before anypony did anything he tried to hit me with his claws! What that might have done to me…” She shivered.
“But he was being manipulated by Nightmare Moon!” Fluttershy protested.
“He still tried to cause me severe harm, dear. It doesn’t matter the justification to me, if you’re trying to hurt somepony before they try to hurt you, you’re in the wrong.”
Twilight nodded, turning to Pinkie. “How do you feel about this whole thing?”
“Well, I’m kind of wondering what manticore tastes like now.”
The pink pony continued her bouncing step, unaware or uncaring of the horrified looks that followed her. The three mares she left behind stood shocked still until the guard reached them and ordered them on.
After that conversation, there was little speech except between the guards until the group reached the edge of the Everfree Forest. At that point, they were accosted by several Night Guards accompanying the second diarch of Equestria.
“CAPTAIN SHINING ARMOR!” Luna roared, Royal Canterlot Voice in full effect. The stallion stepped forward, and the Princess spoke in more-hushed tones.
That is to say, she stopped yelling as loud as she had been.
“Might I enquire as to why my sister was unable to lower the sun herself this evening?!” Luna’s voice was terse; Twilight couldn’t tell whether she was angry or scared. Or both.
“Your Highness, Princess Celestia expended much of her energy attempting to secure Broken Shield, who escaped from custody while under the Princess’ eye.” Luna’s brow raised. “He was either able to overpower or work around the shield she placed on him, Princess. We can detail it later, when she’s in a… safer location, perhaps?”
Luna blinked at Shining before walking past him and to the platform containing Celestia. She rested her horn on it for several moments, taking a breath before turning to Broken’s. Luna exhaled as she saw his damaged form, then turned back to Shining.
“Did you-“
“Pip took his horn off. The rest…” Shining shrugged. Luna turned to stare at Pip, who had materialized behind Twilight. The Princess’ gaze rested on the unicorn mare for a moment before she turned back to Shining Armor.
“Is there any business left unattended in Ponyville?”
Shining shook his head. “Three guards at the hospital, but only one might need to stay. Just send one of yours, have them head back in the morning?” Luna nodded, turning to the Ponyvillians.
“I shall be bring my sister, as well as Broken Shield, back to Canterlot for healing and monitoring. In the morning I shall dispatch guardsponies to retrieve you to Canterlot for the day.”
“In the mornin’? That’s a little short notice, Princess.” Applejack mentioned, Rarity and Fluttershy both nodding in agreement.
“Nonetheless, I wish to gain a full perspective on the events that led to Broken’s escape, as well as the destruction of the Everfree Castle.”
As if activated by her mention, there was a faint boom in the distance. Twilight’s ears perked in memory, and she turned to Pip.
“Did you manage to stop any of the bombs?”
“I prevented seventeen explosive devices from activating, Milady, out of twenty-five that I was able to observe. Any explosions that may have occurred after my examinations were too dangerous to access. My apologies to the Princesses and to you, Milady.”
Twilight sighed. “Seventeen less bombs means seventeen less damaged areas, Pip. You did fine.” The stallion nodded. “What did you do with them after they were disabled?”
“I placed the dynamite and black powder in an area where it is extremely unlikely that they shall be able to be reassembled and reactivated. I was unable to safely access any of the diamondmaker, Milady.”
“And where, exactly, did you put them?”
Pip flicked his eyes at the guards and the Princess before responding. “Milady, I must ask whether you intend to expose the location of valuable supplies to those who may use the information to counteract the Revolution.”
Twilight’s brows furrowed. “Counter- you mean Princess Luna? Pip, there isn’t going to be a Revolution here.”
“Nonetheless, Milady, I must-“
“Pip. Tell me.”
The stallion stiffened, drawing himself taller and staring off into space. He spoke in a tone that managed to have less inflection than his regular one. “Approximately 452 metres south-southwest of Everfree Castle, 18 metres underground, in a tunnel marked by three oak trees and a dragon’s lower jaw.”
“That’s Diamond Dog territory.” Shining noted.
“Pip, didn’t you say the explosives were somewhere they couldn’t be used? Diamond Dogs might be able to do something them.”
“Highly unlikely, Milady. I disassembled the dynamite into its base components, the black powder has been mixed with dirt, and the entire stash has been watered down. Even if the Diamond Dogs manage to overcome their racial handicap and properly assemble the explosives, the resulting devices would be so unstable that they would be more liable to explode while being carried and placed than at any other time, thereby removing the threat of the Diamond Dogs and disposing of the explosives without any casualties.”
Luna, Shining, and Twilight all gave the same look at the stoic stallion. “’Racial handicap’?” Shining finally asked.
“Yes, the mental retardation inherent in Diamond Dog biological development that comes from their inbreeding and lack of proper nutrient intake, as well as the natural degeneracy and savageness inherent in all non-equine species and non-pony races.”
Twilight’s mouth fell open in shock, and the quiet conversations that had sprung up in the background ceased instantly. She turned to look at Luna and Shining, who both wore faces tinged with disgust. “Pip, you can’t just say that all non-ponies are savages!”
“My apologies, Milady. I was unaware that the natural superiority of ponies has not been commonly recognized yet.” The stallion blinked, and the entire group waited in silence for somepony to speak. Finally, Applejack coughed.
“Ah need t’ get some things set up if Ah’m gonna be gone for the day.”
“... I should probably set up the food for the animals a little early…”
“I need to get some rescheduling in…”
“Cakes are going to want to know…”
“Something about clouds, gotta fly.”
Within thirty seconds, Twilight was the last civilian present. A guard took over carrying Broken, and she found herself facing Shining and Princess Luna once more.
“Do… do you want us to take him?” Shining asked hesitantly. Twilight thought for a second, then shook her head.
“He’d just come back anyways. I can handle him.” Shining nodded, turning and walking back towards the guards. Twilight looked at Luna.
“I have seen… disharmony… in your dreams, Twilight Sparkle. Such images may be idle thought, but if you would acquiesce to a discussion…?”
Flashes of Fluttershy and blood appeared under Twilight’s eyelids. “That might be good, Princess.” She mumbled. Luna nodded. Her horn glowed, and everypony but Pip and Twilight disappeared.
The library’s door creaked open, Twilight tiphoofing in with Pip close behind. No words had been spoken since the Everfree, and in the time between Twilight had been mulling over Pip’s statements.
“I’m the one who said that, aren’t I?”
“Said what, Milady?”
Twilight waved a hoof. “That… that non-ponies…” She couldn’t bite the words off. Pip turned his head.
“It is the official position of the government of the Pony’s Democratic Republic of Equestria that ponies are superior to all other races and species due to our close physical and mental similarities to Faust; it is acknowledged that we are essentially ‘designed in her image’, and that we have received the most of her attention, as is befitting her true children. Non-pony equine races such as zebras and donkeys are simply mutations or experiments on the pony design that Faust allowed to survive. Inequine life is not inspired by Faust, leaving them without her grace and thus unable to hold on to a proper mental state that is not corrupted by selfishness and degeneracy.”
“But there are really kind non-ponies in the world! Pinkie’s friends with two donkeys, they act exactly like any pony their age would! Zecora might not act like a typical pony, but that doesn’t make her ‘savage’ or ‘degenerate’! Spike, he’s still young, but he’s a kind, caring, loving dragon all the same! And there are really selfish and evil ponies too, like the Flim-Flam Brothers, or Sombra!”
“As is common in nature, aberrations against the normal form exist in everything. Lady Thalia’s donkey friends were both raised in urban pony areas, and thus were inundated with proper perspectives on the world from an early age. Spike has lived essentially as a pony from birth, and has had to forcefully overcome both his natural selfish instincts and the pressure from other dragons to act like them – completely focussed on power and wealth, with no care for anyone but themselves. Zecora’s habits of living in the Everfree Forest and refusal to accept modern medical practices in favour of naturalistic poultices and remedies point to her refusal to join proper civilization, nearly a textbook example of the definition of savageness.” Pip took in a breath. “While there are obviously ponies who reflect negatively on the race as a whole, the simple fact that they are so widely recognized and reviled points towards the fact that the common pony has a moral compass that is inherently pointed towards goodness and harmony, a fact reinforced by the Elements of Harmony themselves.”
“How do the Elements make ponies better than the other races?” Twilight asked, her morbid curiosity outweighing her attempts to respond to Pip’s claims.
“Simple, Milady. The Elements were designed by Faust herself, an alicorn, who represents the three tribes of the pony race united in one being, and passed along to Princesses Celestia and Luna, both alicorns. They were then passed on to you and your friends, Milady, all of you ponies; two unicorns, two earth ponies, and two pegasi, representing the three races doubly, as the Elements did when wielded by the two alicorns. At no stage were they ever affected in any way by a non-pony race or a non-equine species.” Pip took in another breath. “Their being designed purposefully by the Creator to maintain the world’s peace and harmony, and her entrusting of these most powerful tools to one specific race – the pony – points towards our natural state as inherently more peaceful, more harmonious, more deserving of power, and more able to handle and use that power for common good rather than selfishness and evil. This unassailable line of thought points towards the fact that ponies are inherently superior to other races, as judged by Faust herself.”
Twilight blinked at Pip, her mind flashing through a dozen different rebuttals to his claims, none of which lasted long enough to say out loud. She closed her eyes and rubbed between them, trying to focus on one vein of thought long enough to form a coherent argument from it. She could easily see why the idea would sound solid and appealing to most ponies – the idea that they were favoured by Faust herself, that they were simply naturally better than other races, would certainly feed both the egos of individual ponies and those of pony society. There was even a voice in her head that popped up between the flashes of arguments that said “He’s right, that makes total sense…”. Such thought scared her, and she purposefully quashed it down, unwilling to go down such a self-pandering line of logic. She grabbed an idea at random and threw it out of her mouth.
“Dawn said this stuff, right?”
“Of course, Milady.”
“Why did she say it?”
“Because it’s true, Milady.”
“No! What was going on, what was happening in the world? Did she just wake up one morning when everything was fine and say ‘Hey, I just realized anypony who isn’t a pony sucks!’?”
“When you first publicized the logic of pony superiority, Milady, the Draconic Kingdom and Gryphonia had recently declared open war on each other. Simultaneously, Gryphonia invaded Zebrica in an attempt to gather resources for the war. Refugees were attempting to enter Equestria at every border, with crime becoming rampant amongst the chaotic hordes gathered along the land borders and on their ships as they docked in the ports.”
“Aha!” Twilight seized the thread Pip had let loose. “So Dawn said that non-ponies were bad at the same time that a huge amount of them were trying to-“ Twilight blinked as she processed Pip’s statement. “Wait, ‘refugees’? ‘Trying to’ enter Equestria? We have an open border, especially for civilians escaping conflict.”
“Incorrect, Milady. One of the laws introduced soon after the Revolution was to completely cut off immigration into Equestria until the social and economic problems left behind by the Princesses and the ruling nobility were eliminated.”
“So, what, she was trying to justify leaving innocent beings in the border territories? Those places haven’t been settled, Pip, they’re almost as bad as the Everfree! How long were they there for?”
“If I remember correctly, Milady, the last stragglers exited our borders approximately six months after their initial attempts to enter. Those on the boats who had refused to sail back to their nations of origin had typically starved to death by that time.”
“We… we let them just sit there and die?”
“Of course not, Milady. There were labour and education camps set up for those who could properly contribute to Equestrian society without bringing their corrupting influences near our citizens. Only those who refused to go to the camps were left on the boats or border, and even then they were never restricted from leaving our shores and returning to their proper places.”
“At least you let them in…” Twilight muttered, before shaking her head. “But they don’t have a ‘corrupting influence’, Pip! Different cultures and races aren’t bad just because they’re different!”
“Of course not, Milady. They are ‘bad’ because their existence threatens the peaceful harmony and order of Equestrian society. Their ‘difference’, when compared to our culture and society, shows their inherent disharmoniousness; the majority of interactions between ponies of Equestria and races of other nations are tainted with a mutual distrust of each other, and friction between our views and their views on what is proper and right in a society. As we ponies are inherently the most harmonious and peaceful, it stands to reason that their views, being different from ours, are more disharmonious and violent.”
Twilight managed to form solid thoughts as Pip spoke, recognising the chinks in his speech’s armour; his entire position hinged on ponies being the most ‘harmonious’ race, a claim that was far from demonstrable no matter the anecdotal evidence, and the idea that harmony was inherently good and favoured by Faust. She realized, however, that she couldn’t ‘win’ the argument with him. The Diamond Dogs were regularly inbred and didn’t eat well, which (coupled with a lack of formal education) did contribute to lower average IQs in comparison to ponies amongst those of them who had joined pony society. Other than that, the claims were philosophical and subjective, not scientific. She could argue against their use as justification for actually treating beings differently, but she doubted that his mind would really be changed on the matter.
Unless…
“Milady, are you alright?”
Twilight blinked, coming out of her revere. “Hmm? Oh, yes, Pip. I have a question for you, though.”
“Milady?”
“Why do you believe that ponies are inherently superior?”
“As I explained earlier, Milady-“
“No, Pip.” Twilight raised a hoof, silencing the stallion. “I don’t want Dawn’s explanation. I want yours.”
Pip blinked. “Milady, I-“
“No, don’t ‘Milady’ or ‘your Ladyship’ me. I want a straight answer. Why do you think that non-ponies are naturally ‘worse’ than ponies?”
The stallion stared at her. He stood in silence for a minute, taking steady breaths in and out. Then he swallowed, and his mouth opened.
“Because you said so, Milady.”
“And what if I said that non-ponies were the same as ponies? Or better?”
“Then non-ponies would be the same or better than ponies, Milady.”
“And you don’t have any problem with saying that? Not after your longwinded speech not a minute ago extolling the greatness of ponydom in comparison to the non-ponies? As soon as I say so, all of your claims instantly become wrong, and you have no trouble admitting that whatsoever?”
The stallion blinked. “No, Milady.”
Twilight stared at him. She slowly walked forwards, closing the distance between them until their snouts touched. “What do you really think, Pip?”
The stallion swallowed again. “That non-ponies are inferior, Milady.”
“And why do you think that?”
“Because you said-“ He cut himself off at her look. “Because of what I saw in the camps, Milady.”
“And what did you see in the camps?”
“Fighting. Theft. Murder. Crime was rampant amongst the detainees, despite the best efforts of the guards to maintain peace. Several had to be cleansed because the situation simply spiralled out of control. All of which demonstrates how chaotic and disharmonious the non-ponies inherently are.”
“But weren’t we in charge of the camps, Pip? If harmony and order failed in the camps, was it not because of us?”
The stallion blinked again, this time deliberately. His eye searched hers. “No, Milady.”
“Oh? So the ‘detainees’, the aberrations that Faust never deigned to touch, managed to gain power despite the ‘superior’ guards’ best efforts? Doesn’t that mean that the non-ponies were better in some way than the ponies were, better organized, better inspired, better fighters, better in their… Revolution, lets say, against our rule?”
“Of course not, Milady.”
“So then your answer should have been ‘yes’, the camps failed because of us, correct?”
“Yes, Milady.”
“But if we were so superior, so much greater, more intelligent, more civilized, more peaceful, more harmonious than the non-ponies, then how could we have failed? How could we, superior beings that we are, fail to control the obviously inferior beings held at the camps? Why was there still crime, why could the guards not handle it, why were the detainees able to beat the guards, why did we fail, Pip?”
Twilight knew her argument had holes in it large enough to ride a dragon through; she had purposefully structured it to sound like the kind of argument Pip might make if he had visible emotions, and that meant fallacies and leaps in logic galore. She was banking on the idea that his pony-supremacy idea was universal; that there was nothing non-ponies could do that ponies couldn’t do better. He had been kind enough to provide an example where that wasn’t the case: Ominousness of the term ‘cleansing’ aside, his words made it clear that the non-ponies in the camps had somehow beaten the pony guards.
Pip remained still, his breathing almost a metronome.
“I don’t know, Milady.” Throughout the entire debate, his voice had not changed from its regular pattern. Now the lack of tone remained, but the stallion sounded out of breath.
“I want you to tell me why, Pip. We both know that there’s only one possibility that makes logical sense.”
The stallion remained still. After another pause, he said one word.
“Please.”
Twilight’s brow furrowed. She lost an amount of her smug satisfaction at having backed the pony into a corner. “What?”
“Please, Milady, tell me. I can’t understand it.” His voice remained monotone, yet now the breathlessness was somehow added to by desperation. “I can’t, I don’t, I-“ His speech cut off. Twilight looked into his eye again, and saw it blossoming pink; every blood vessel had burst. His eye stayed flat, his voice stayed calm, and yet she could hear how horrified he should have sounded, she could see how this contradiction in what had apparently been a fundament of his ideology was affecting him. She placed a hoof on his shoulder and spoke gently.
“The non-ponies were better than us, Pip. Non-ponies are not inferior, and ponies are not superior. And that’s okay.”
There was no actual shift in Pip’s demeanour, but Twilight felt him shift back into his regular pattern. He blinked.
“The non-ponies bested us, Milady.”
“Are non-ponies inferior to ponies, Pip?”
“No, Milady.”
“Are ponies superior to non-ponies, Pip?”
“No, Milady.”
“Good. I’m glad that you recognized that, Pip.”
“Thank you, Milady.”
Twilight should have been happy that she had changed a pony’s mind for the better, that she had managed to help Pip realize that his ideas were wrong, and now he could look upon the world with a less tainted eye. Instead, she felt like she had just told a young foal that the Tooth Fairy didn’t exist, and then mocked them for believing in it. There was a satisfaction, but it was hollow, and she felt worse for its existence. Sighing deeply, she turned and ascended the stairs. Pip followed a few seconds behind her.
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I'm a bit conflicted about this chapter. One on hand, I sort of agree with Dawn's ethics on other races, though not al of them, mind you. Diamond dogs have been shown to kidnap and enslave ponies and dragons have no qualms about killing off an entire ecosystem. If I were to conquer a land and began to iron out its flaws, I wouldn't want creatures with such mentalities to interfere with the fragile state of the country.
On the other hand, Dawn pretty much commited a form of genocide through neglect. Nothing can justify that.
Congratulations, you made me think about such things. Also, Pip is best racist pony
why do i get the feeling Broken's lost his horn before and leaving it with him is a bad idea?
Someone's been playing Bioshock Infinite...
2424932
Actually, he hasn't. This is just based off of conversations with actual racists he and I have had to deal with in our lives.
Though now that I look into it, there are a lot of parallels.
2424964
Oh, I actually figured that. Bioshock is more... surreal about their representations of racism. Yours is more about breaking down prejudices, while Bioshock is more pointing at what has happened in the past and screaming GUILT! YOU ARE WHITE AND MUST FEEL GUILT! REPENT, YOU RACIST BASTARD! REPENT!
2424884
Yeah, basically. I wanted to make some of Pip's ideas sound valid so that the rest of his completely insane argument couldn't just be dismissed out of hand. Not saying that any part of it is necessarily true, but there are elements of it that could be seen as making sense.
Not all of the Zebricans and Gryphonians went to the border, and there were a significant number let into the camps. Some of those camps were 'successful' according to Pip, but others did go bad. Plus, there's going to be varying reports between Broken and Pip on what exactly 'labour and education' means.
It'd be a bit far to say 'genocide' on those races in total, but there's certainly not going to be as many of them in Equestria and the world, and leaving them to die is certainly deplorable.
And my brother agrees that Pip is best racist pony.
2424892
First one, yes. Second, [spoilers].
2424932
As Jade said, I've never played any of the Bioshocks. Pip's speeches were mostly based on actual racists I've met or read of, particularly the ones who claimed that 'God favoured the white man because blah blah blah...' I've read some things about Infinite, but it wasn't on my mind when writing him.
2425013
Partially. I've had to cut some of Pip's lines to stop making him sound like a T-101.
And I just realized that this is 17, not 18. I skipped a number in the AN. Dangit.
Amazing story and brilliant names for Shining Armour and Twilight Sparkle (the ones in the future
) and that Pipsqueak is so awesome. I hope you don't cancel this because it is so AMAZING!!! 
2425134 Yeah, genocide may have been a bit too strong of a term. Criminal neglect perhaps?
2430792
Thanks! I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon (until the story winds itself down, which at my pace may take a while) so no need to worry
.
2431429
That'd probably be closer. Not to say she wasn't trying to lessen the non-ponys' numbers, but she didn't outright send Pip down there to kill them or anything.
...
I actually did something like that once. Crushed a person's faith. Not a child, fortunately, but still an innocent.
I'd rather have a bitter cynic than a true believer. The cynic I can make bargains with. The believer is dangerous.
Dear god, future Equestria really is Nazi Germany and Twilight is their Hitler!
Oh Twilight, can't you see he's locked in there screaming...
Shades of Dawn here.
3408824
fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/292/b/b/my_little_nazi_pony_by_cleverasinine-d4dc75k.jpg
HEIL HARMONY!
This story has an amazingly well built narrative.
Now I can't help but wonder if Pip would have a mental breakdown if the Young Six existed in this story's continuity.
Edit:Yeah, kinda like that one that happens later in this same chapter