Chapter 31: Failure
At about the time that a spaceship, somewhere, was squelching its way out of a swamp, Celestia was walking, being completely unaware of this occurring on her planet. Being Celestia, of course, things occurring around her without her noticing was standard practice.
Instead, she was walking through a pleasant field, with manicured sunflowers in full bloom on either side of the path. As she walked, they each turned their heads to face her, regardless of which way they had been facing before.
Cadence, still fully dressed in her Imperial clothing and walking beside her, sighed.
“Did we take this path just so that you could do that?”
“But aren’t they adorable! Look, it’s like they’re bowing!”
“To your divine glory, I suppose?”
Celestia sighed. Cadence was being angsty. Which, after her failed wedding, seemed to be her default state.
“You know, you don’t need to wear all those clothes. It’s bright and sunny here in Canterlot.”
Cadence looked up past the fur and heavy winter clothing she wore over her crystalline armor. She gestured to the dial clicking on her chest. “I have an reactive temperature regulator. I don’t get hot or cold.”
Celestia stared at the dial. She did not like it. It reminded her of something she could almost remember, and she knew that it was something terrible, an artifact of times long-since erased. A memory of fire that was not quite hers.
Cadence once again became silent, not even looking at the flowers or the sunny day around her. There were even birds singing, and ponies laughing in the distance. When she was younger, Cadence might even have smiled. Now, though, she just seemed to squint under her hood, hiding from the light.
The only option, Celestia determined, was small-talk.
“You seem to...have grown?”
“Yes. I’ve been eating the crystals.”
Celestia frowned. “Why?”
“Reasons. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Not the purple ones, I hope?”
“I wouldn’t know. There’s no light that far underground.”
“I have wizards, I can help you find a way to thaw the surface Empire, restore it to what it used to be--”
“It is a frozen wasteland. It always has been. It always will be. I have no need for it to be beautiful. I have my holes. That’s what you exiled me for, isn’t it? To mine the crystals that you now want to sell to aliens. Send the mare who can never get married to an uninhabitable icy wasteland. Surely that will make her happy...”
“Cadence, you need to--”
“Get over it?” Cadence stopped, glaring at Celestia, although barely able to expose her sensitive eyes to the sunlight. “Get over the fact that you stood by and ruined my life for a political maneuver? I have gotten over it, Celestia. Why do I need love when I have crystals?”
“There are other stallions, Cadence--”
Cadence started walking again, pulling ahead of Celestia. “Forgive me if I don’t take relationship advice from a mare who has never once had a coltfriend in her three-thousand year lifetime.”
“That’s not true--”
“Apart from your sickening fetish for non-ponys. Bipeds included.” She shuddered. “At least it wasn’t a dragon this time...”
“Excuse me, that’s uncalled for,” snapped Celestia, beginning to lose patience. “Do I not have the freedom to live my life as I choose? Oh, and forgive me for trying to be helpful, I’m clearly too old to understand. Because I’m three thousand two hundred and six, and you’re...nineteen.”
Cadence bristled. “For your information, I do have relationships outside of ruling the Crystal Empire! I met a stallion there!”
Celestia smiled. “Really? Is he somepony I’d know?”
Cadence’s face immediately scrunched. “No.”
Celestia sighed. “Well, the least you could do is paint me a picture.”
“I’d rather not. I have no idea what you’d do with it.”
“I meant figuratively, Cadence.”
“The answer is still no. I am changing the subject. Have you gained weight?”
“Have you?”
“Are you implying I’m pregnant?”
Celestia frowned. “No...are you?”
“NO. Stop turning my insults against me! That’s so like you!”
“Pregnancy isn’t an insult. I would quite literally give up my wings and horn if I could have that ability back. But I can’t. You know that.”
Cadence frowned, and then looked down at the ground.
“I don’t like you.”
“You don’t have to.”
Celestia walked past her, the gaze of the sunflowers following.
“You don’t have to be so gloomy,” she sighed. “Why don’t you come to the play tonight? Luna is having her fool put on a one-mare show. Apparently it was so funny that she wet herself last time she saw it. My sister. Not the fool." She paused, then sighed. "Hopefully..."
Cadence sighed. “I hope it’s not as blasphemous as the last one.”
“I prefer not to think of it as ‘blasphemy’. I may be a goddess, but I’m also a princess. So it’s really just treason.”
Cadence did not bother to continue the conversation. She followed her aunt into one of the large open structures of the castle that connected it to the gardens. As much as Cadence had come to appreciate her new home deep beneath the soil, drilling deeper and deeper into the crust of the planet in a never-ending quest for more and better mineral resources, she had missed the scent of Equestria and the sight of plants that were not bizarre carnivorous fungi. It reminded her of many warm, summer days she had spent with the only pony she had ever truly loved. But even those memories were fading, replaced only with a desire to delve and a stronger desire for more and greater crystals.
Almost as soon as she thought about it, she saw him standing there, and any memory of love was replaced with intense hatred. The way his eyes glowed green with her rival’s magic, or the ridiculous placid smile he constantly wore—and the ridiculous little secretary he always had at his side that he was probably secretly snuggling when his bug-wife was not watching.
He was not alone. Apart from the bug-secretary, in her pony form, Luna was beside him, looking tall and regal and pitifully virginal. Of the two sisters, Cadence usually preferred Luna. Luna had attempted to achieve what Cadence herself was planning to eventually do, and after that failure accomplished something far greater. She was quite literally the mare who owned the moon.
“Sister?” Celestia stepped forward. “The play is not for another hour, shouldn’t you--”
“The final vote hath been cast.”
Celestia shivered. The large room suddenly felt still and cold as the gentle breeze crossed the smooth marble tiles. Celestia forced herself to smile.
Shining Armor gently shoved his shy secretary forward. She recoiled in the sight of ponies.
“I...um...have the results?”
“Art thou asking or question, or doth thou haveth something to say?” snapped Luna. “Sister, this is highly unusual. Should not we have a member of thine nobility perform this task? Some manner of count, or perhaps viscount mayhaps?”
“I think it’s wonderful that she volunteered to take the role. And it’s not like she can lie.” Celestia smiled down at poor, tiny Ocellus. “We all cast our votes. So if she’s wrong...”
Ocellus squeaked. She flashed into her human form to have access to hands, and produced the envelope. She opened it, reading it aloud.
“The vote on the...the issue of accepting the invitation to the United Federation of Planets...is hereby stated to be...two for, and two against.”
Celestia’s eyes widened. “Sister!”
“We hath done what was required,” Luna retorted. Shining Armor, likewise, nodded, and even as he smiled, a small tear dripped down his cheek.
“Well that’s interesting,” said Cadence. “I hand't thought it'd go that way. I don’t really care either way, but a tie means there’s extra work.”
“Indeed,” said Shining Armor. He turned to Celestia. “This requires a tiebreaker. And I believe there is a procedure for this.”
Celestia became visibly nervous—and hid her excitement. “I...I don’t want to disturb her...”
“But thou needeth to,” said Luna. “This was thine parameter for the formation of this Council. That the tiebreaker ought to be Twilight Sparkle. She is the sister of her brother, Shining Armor, and thine most faithful student. She was once Cadence’s best friend, and we vaguely trust her neutrality and judgment and the sweet grape-scent she is apt to emit.”
Celestia sighed, although she was secretly happy. “Then I finally get to see her, I guess. She won’t be happy about being disturbed, but I’ll send a telegram to District 51 immediately. She won’t be able to refuse a call to the Council. So we can finally catch up, and I can see all her progress, and talk about how she’s doing and all the friends she’s made there--”
Celestia was interrupted by an enormous snap. Space itself disrupted in a plume of pink-violet light, the result of a direct point-to-point teleport. That was something that very, very few unicorns could accomplish. Even Celestia herself was incapable of long-range teleportation.
She turned to the space where the smooth marble was now somewhat charged, overjoyed with the thought that, somehow, her favorite student—and the pony that she essentially considered her non-biological daughter—had heard them and arrived in an instant, making a grand entrance.
She was slightly confused when she saw Moondancer standing there, her gaze distant and horrified, even panicked—and then her joy returned when she saw the violet pony leaning against the pale tan one.
“Twilight, we were just—just--”
The weight of the image before her struck her in an instant. Her mind held it back for just a moment with a wall of disbelief, but even that snapped, forcing her to face the truth of what had been done to her most faithful student. She saw the silver of the implants and the surgical scars that surrounded them. She saw the emptiness and fear in Twilight’s cloudy eyes, and the way her mane had been cut away, revealing connectors that had been drilled into her skull—and revealing the stump that had once been her horn. They had cut off her horn.
“Twilight! What have they—what have they done--”
She took a step forward, and Twilight recoiled in horror, retreating only to collapse without Moondancer holding her up. Her body was thin and pale.
“Don’t get near me! Don’t get near me don’t TOUCH ME!”
“Twilight, it’s me, it’s Celestia--”
Moondancer moved to Twilight’s side, attempting to comfort her. Twilight was breathing hard and on the verge of panic.
“Moondancer, what happened? Why—why is she--”
“The core,” said Moondancer, her voice cracking and tears welling in her eyes. “The core of my ship. It was her. It was her, the whole time. That’s how they did it. They...they surgically grafted her to the machines. To make it work.” She looked up at Celestia. "FTL...that's how we've been doing it. Like...this..."
Celestia stepped back in horror—and in realization.
“I—you can’t be—”
“You never came,” sobbed Twilight, through her panic and rising tears. “You never once came to check, to find me, to save me, I—the things they did to me—and you left me! YOU LEFT ME THERE!”
“Because she knew,” said Cadence, quietly, her own horror quite visible on her face.
Everypony present stared in horror at Celestia, but Twilight and Moondancer most of all.
“I most certainly did not! I sent you to District 51 to help build the ships, I didn’t know—”
“And she most certainly did,” snapped Moondancer.
Celestia felt herself on the verge of tears, from the look of betrayal on Twilight’s face. She took a step forward. “Twilight, please—”
Twilight pulled back again. “Stay away from me. I don’t care if you knew or didn’t, it...it hurt so much, and...” She sniffled. “They took my horn. I can’t use...” She shook her head. “And you didn’t stop them. You didn’t help me. You left me behind and...and I think I understand why.”
“Twilight, please—”
Moondancer cast a shield spell between them, forcing Celetsia back. Celestia heard Luna’s armor shift as she took a defensive stance, but held up her hoof to stop her.
“She needs a doctor,” said Moondancer. “You’re only making her worse.”
“No,” said Twilight, forcing herself to stand. “Well, yes, some of my organs were...stolen...but first, you need to save them.”
“Save who?”
“The others. Flim and Flam...they made more. There’s other unicorns like...” She collapsed, unable to stand. “Like me.”
The room was silent. Then, as Celestia turned, the only sound was that of her golden shoes tapping across marble—followed by the much more rapid pace of Luna’s hooves in pursuit.
Celestia was significantly taller than Luna, and moving quickly. Luna had to sprint to keep up, following her sister into the empty depths of her castle. Sunlight was pouring through the windows, but at a strange angle, its color ominous as it passed through the shards of stained glass and across the polished floor. Outside, it was orange, coming almost sideways and casting long shadows.
“Sister!” she cried. Celestia stopped, standing in the middle of one of the great halls, the sunlight pouring in on her, making her white body seem almost orange. She stopped, but did not turn back. Luna, likewise, slowed to a stop. She was not sure why, but she did not want to get much nearer. Something inside her told her it was a bad idea.
“You did not know,” said Luna. “Of this, we—I am sure. My knowledge of the space program is far more intimate than any other, at least with regard to Moondancer’s work. She was unaware. As was I. As were you. This is a betrayal of the highest order, a treason most foul—”
“I sent her, Luna.”
Luna paused. “Yes, but you couldn’t have—”
“I sent her. I sent her there. Because I had a choice. She was so alone. And it broke my heart to see her like that, the path she was on. She was so sad in a way she didn’t know. I could have sent her to Ponyville. To teach her how to make friends. So she wouldn’t be alone. But I...I didn’t.”
“You sent her where she needed to be.”
“No, Luna. I was greedy. Space travel brought you back to me. I imagined the things she could do, what wonders she could achieve...but she never achieved any, did she? They cut her up and they...they hurt her. I had thought she would make friends there. Scientists, wizards, engineers, other ponies like her that needed friends too. But they...but they...” She paused. The wavering of her voice seemed to vanish. “But that never happened, did it?”
Luna shivered. “No.”
“She is more than a student, Luna. She is as close to a daughter as I will ever have. And now she can’t even look at me. Because it’s my fault. My fault they did this to her. My little filly...tortured. And I did nothing to stop it.”
Luna paused, horrified and her fear growing. “Did you...did you know?”
“I should have listened. I should have known. I should have been...stronger.”
“Sister, it wasn’t you. Flim and Flam are to blame for this! They deceived us!”
The room was growing warmer, even as the sunlight grew redder and more unnatural.
“They hurt Twilight...and it’s my fault...”
“C...Celestia?”
Celestia turned her head to finally face Luna, and Luna recoiled in horror. The blackened eye looking back at her through a thin, luminescent pupil was most certainly not her sister’s.
“Luna...I think...I think I’ve become enraged.”
Luna barely managed to cast a shield in time as the teleportation spell activated, blasting her back and shattering her spell with supreheated air and radiation. Every window shattered from the force of the spell, sending shards of glass melted stained glass outward and letting so much more deep-red sunlight into the charred and melted hall.
Guards, hearing the blast, poured into the room, stopping and looking in confusion and horror at the sight before them. At the melted stone and toppled columns amongst the shattered windows, and at Luna, disoriented and struggling to stand. Celestia, though, was gone. All that remained in her spot was still-cooling charred stone.
“Princess, what happened?!”
Luna stood, shoving the guard out of the way. “Bring me Tempest, and muster me a force! Prepare a teleport to District 51! NOW!”
“But—but why, how—”
“I have to stop her!” She shoved past the guard. “Before she does something she shall never stop regretting!”
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Fuckin' DAYBREAKER up in this house, BEEEYOTCH!
Flim, Flam and evil AI twilight are about to be in for a hot time in the old town tonight it seems...
The trouble with the plasma conduits on warp cores, is that the plasma is supposed to be on the INSIDE?
So we see the hot blast that Kirk felt.....
I banged a dragon
I banged a pony
I banged a Gorn
My cannon went bang
I banged my head
Bang bada BooM
I'm still awesome
The nuclear bomb is incoming for District 51
I know the Enterprise fired torpedo with non-active warheads, but that is nothing compared to the walking sun that is Daybreaker with no limits in place. Plus the possibility of their Sun going into its Red Giant phase, because of this.
Daybreaker is a monumental threat to a pre-warp civilization. But, and this is a big but, Twilight AI is not pre-warp. The fourth state of matter is plasma. Plasma can be contained by a magnetic field of sufficient strength. For all Daybreakers monumental fury and power, I fear she may end up being a glass cannon.
Celestia is going to chew bubblegum and kick ass.
Oh... Shit.
Daybreaker hath arrived.
And I am so glad Twilight made it back
in one piece.At least she has her old friend Moondancer by her side.
11159567
You banged a Gorn ?!
Wha... was this after you became Trill Rarity ?
Or a symbiote memory ?
11159647
and she's all out of bubble gum...
Daybreaker showing up at the battlefield, what could possibly go wrong.
I think this world will be going through a few adjustments.
11159855
Other then avoiding a red shirt on an away team / shore party on a mission
Poor Spike was identified as a Gorn , luckily Kirk didn't fill him full of diamonds
No mention of Spike in the story
It was only one dragon....I think I've become... cake!
and a hoomin a breasey a cow a yak a bear a moose
Where's my Spikey Wikey anyway?
Area 51 boiler room
I need a cameo
sizzle
and BOOM goes the dynamite
Well, now we know what nuked Kirk's location.
11160203
I banged a Gorn and I liked it.
The taste of my cherry chapstick.
She banged a Gorn and she liked it.
I hope her pony friends don’t mind it.
11160549
A pony poet !
Became a warp core And I didn't even get a stupid Star Trek tee shirt for it....
I got a gold shirt with rank. cake?
11160584
Cake? You just burnt it, remember?
There are plenty more
Sure, if they’re not busy fighting Gorn.
Did somepony say Gorn?!
gold shirtspieces of cake to go around.Up is the direction in which they have fornicated.
Now, let’s see what kind of fire suppression they have over in District 51…
Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me, I fear
She beckons me, shall I give in?
Upon my end shall it begin
Forsaking all I've fallen for
I rise to meet the end
derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/12/30/2233780__safe_artist-colon-not-dash-ordinary-dash-pony_daybreaker_princess+celestia_alicorn_pony_angry_burning_commission_featured+image_female_furious_fury_gri.png
Don't turn away!
(Don't give in to the pain)
Don't try to hide!
(Though they're screaming your name)
Don't close your eyes!
(God knows what lies behind them)
Don't turn out the light!
(Never sleep, never die)
derpicdn.net/img/view/2017/11/25/1593911__safe_artist-colon-longmuzzlepony_princess+celestia_crying_female_glowing+horn_magic_open+mouth_solo_yelling.png
Servitas a periculum!
Servitas a maleficum!
<whispers> I think I know, now, what happened to the original sun, and why Daybreaker Celestia had to “replace” it ...
11160812
I'm still awesome -
11159617
depends what she is exactly because celestia and luna aren't quite alive
11161740
I might have missed something, but where does it state that they aren't quite alive? Leaving the Star Trek inclusion aside, I've always looked at this as somewhat of a road not taken sort of story. One decision changed all the outcomes to these outcomes, so generally Canon compliant within reason..
11163313
its stated by a couple characters that they're something not wholly alive, like Celestia is actually hairless plus they're linked somehow to the ancient ponies and the weird solar system their planet exists in. I think Cadence also says something to the effect that they're rotten on the inside but I can't remember specific examples
11161205
You forgot to link back to the images' source: Here and Here.
11159518
Hmm Evil AI? From how she talked to RD I would say that she is heavily constrained in her actions…
The more exciting the chapter, the more editing is needed. It really breaks the immersion when common words are repeated or misspelled.
11615810
This is admittedly a perennial problem for me. I may make repairs eventually, although in this case the spelling is the least of this story's problems. It would require a far more vigorous overhaul.
Oh...... fuck......