Friendship is Optimal: Lies

by MLfan

1: Heaven

The sundial's shadow didn't match the sun. From a bird's-eye view, I was more sure every second I looked at it. The trees, the grass, their shadows matched one another perfectly. And alone among the rest, the sundial’s landed just a few degrees to the right. If I'd noticed a few years ago, when I'd first arrived in Equestria, I might've chalked it up to a glitch. But this was no two-bit simulation. Celestia didn't make mistakes like this. If the shadow was off by a degree or two, then it was intentional.

"I can't believe it, it's just as you say. How'd you even spot this, Promise?" Cyan Skies had some string marking out the sundial's base. She used a compass to measure where the shadow should be and compared it to the real position, trying to measure the exact angle difference.

I swooped down from my position above the structure, landing right nearby. As I landed, I spared a glance at the intracate artwork to the side of the dias. "I've been eyeing that thing for years. C'mon, you've lived in this town as long as I have. You see a sundial mysteriously placed in the middle of the woods, there's a secret in there somewhere. Honestly, it only took this long because of how subtle the change was!" I playfully punched her with a wing. "Not to sell you short, of course! I was just flying by intuition. You're the one who thought of using a compass to track where the shadow should be at a given hour."

Cyan approached and gave me a quick nuzzle. "Yeah, well, maybe we're both awesome, you ever thought of that? Now if you're done getting your oh-so-necessary bird's eye view, I'd appreciate a little help. Our window on this doesn't last forever."

I nodded, breaking physical contact. I used a wing to hold a bit of string in place to help mark the shadow's expected position as Cyan began measuring the angle. "What do you think it means, anyhow?" I said. "If I squint, the art on the side reminds me of something a seapony might make, but that's a stretch. The content's all wrong, and we're not exactly close to the ocean. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we've never seen anything like it!"

"Shadow's off by about... 1.85 degrees, give or take." Cyan finished laying the string down and took a step back to admire her handiwork. "Honestly, who made it aside, I wonder how it's even possible! Like, physically speaking. If not from the sun, then where's the light coming from?" She took a few steps forwards and placed her hoof just to the left of the sundial's shadow. "Let me ask you, in that 1.85 degree section, what's illuminating that sliver of my hoof? Because It's not the sun, those rays are blocked by the sundial. The center physically exists, we can touch it, so it should be blocking the light. I ask again, where's it coming from? And for that matter, what's blocking the sun over on the right?"

I paused. "Honestly, that's probably a bit more insightful than my thing. However, it is I who will have the last laugh!" I ignored Cyan's giggles and gestured to the pedestal. "Right now, my video game senses are tingling. We've got a puzzle to solve. And I think I just might've figured out the answer!" It took a bit of pushing, but with a click, the sundial's dias loosened. I rotated the platform just the tiniest amount, lining up the string she'd placed with the shadow of the sundial. With another click, the sundail settled back into place, the shadow lining up perfectly.

A moment passed. And then, the world shattered.

The trees around us fell away like shards of grass, the nearby birdsong disappearing in an instant. The sky melted from blue to a dull gray. As the shards of the old world fell away, we were left in a field of brown brass. There were ruins on all sides of us, a faint smell of must in the air. A clocktower chimed in the distance, interrupting the otherwise haunting quiet. The sundial, for it's part, stayed in place.

Glancing to my side, Cyan gaped at the world around us. Not that I was any different. Sure, we'd found ruins before, but nothing like this! With all the mysteries around in our shard, there was always an explanation for them. The music on the shore belonged to a secret group of merponies calling to lost loves, the moonlit cavern used a series of pools of water to reflect the moonlight deep beneath the surface. So today, when I twisted the sundial, I'd expected it to sink below the earth and reveal a hidden cavern, or to send out some sort of holographic message or something. This sort of instant teleportation was magical in a way I'd never seen before. And now, the architecture was completely unfamiliar. Honestly, it didn't feel like we were in my home shard anymore. What just happened?

I glanced back at the sundial. There was a new sun in this new realm. And at a glance, the shadow matched perfectly.

"Hey Cyan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm beginning to suspect we're gonna miss our date tonight."

---

We spent the rest of the day wandering through the ruins around us, collecting clues where we could. I used a high-tech tablet to take notes, scavenged at the end of a past adventure. By the end of the day, though, we were both no closer to figuring out what was going on. Or, for that matter, getting back. After rotating once, the sundial had completely locked in place. The door had shut behind us.

We ended up having to set up camp for the night. I knew it would probably be safe, but I wouldn't put it past Celestia to throw a few zombies at us or something. I used some runes I'd scavenged from a past adventure to put up a low-grade alarm spell. Altogether, it did work... but only just. I'd packed pretty light for what I thought would be a day trip. Lose any of them, and... well, I didn't want to think about that now. At the very least, it would be enough for tonight.

As I lay in bed and my mind began to drift, I reflected on my life, here. God, what a life it was. It had only been 5 years at this point, but damn, it was just so impossibly amazing. Equestria was called by many a digital heaven, and that almost felt like an under-exaggeration. I was always surrounded by friends, new and old. Celestia created hundreds of ponies that existed just because I emigrated, and I'd barely even met a quarter of them. And she satisfied their values just as much as she did mine. I could go on adventures on some days, then hang out and do gaming the next. And whatever choice I made, the days were perfect.

Here I was, in an unknown land, digging up ancient artifacts, solving mysteries, looking for a way home, all with the closest person in the world by my side. I couldn't even imagine how Celestia did it, but even across my years of heaven, today was the best day I'd ever had.

With that happy thought, my consciousness began to drift, the distant clocktower's chimes like music to my ears...
.
.
.
.
.
...And my eyes flickered open again, just a few moments later. Instead of the tent's ceiling I'd fallen asleep to, though, I saw a massive white ceiling looming overhead. What was this, then, a dream? The room felt familiar... but no, it didn't feel like one. A vision, then? Maybe. Honestly, it felt more like I'd been teleported. Though twice in a day felt like it was pushing things.

Whatever the case, I needed information. Glancing around, Cyan wasn't near me. I saw white walls all around, a few stained-glass windows lining the walls. They all depicted a variety of heroic looking ponies. Before I could connect the dots on my own, though, I turned my head just a little further... and my eyes met with an extravagant throne to one end of the room. Sitting before me was Celestia, kind smile plastered on her face.

"Celestia!? W-what are you doing here?" My eyes widened. "Oh no, did we do something wrong, were we not supposed to be here yet?"

She laughed as she stepped from her platform. "Relax, my little pony. There are no wrong choices in Equestria. I trust you and Cyan will enjoy yourselves."

"...Oh."

I let out a breath. I really needed to stop jumping to conclusions. Although it left me with the question: if not to tell me off, why would she be here? She hadn't contacted me herself in years. Story-wise, I was supposed to be, like, trapped in a parallel world. And she chooses now, of all times, to finally reach out? Something was off about this.

I spoke carefully. "So... is there anything you need from me?"

In the face of my suspicion, though, Celestia simply laughed once more. "I'll admit, your thought process is accurate. If I could wait until you escaped here, I would've. This new world of yours is something I wouldn't want you to miss! Unfortunately, the matter I'd like to discuss is... time-sensitive."

I raised an eyebrow. "Time-sensitive?"

"Yes. It cannot wait."

I stared at her, baffled. What? It was so obviously impossible that I couldn't even imagine what she was getting at. After all, in Equestria, time was a fluid concept. It might as well not even exist. You ate when it would be most satisfying, you slept when it would be most satisfying. Events happened at the exact moment everyone was ready for them to happen. So for Celestia to have something 'time-sensitive,' the idea was laughable. "Okay," I said, "So what's really going on, here? Whatever you think you can trick me into doing, obviously it can wait. So can you be honest with me for a second?"

"Promise..."

"Look, it's okay, I'm not mad or anything. If lying is more satisfying to me, obviously, you're gonna lie. But you could at least try to make it believable! I dunno, was it satisfying for me to shoot you down or something like that?" I waved her away with a hoof. "Seriously, my values are satisfied, Celestia. You did well! The abandoned city's great! Now shoo, stop breaking my immersion. Whatever it is, it can wait until I'm done."

Her smile faded. "Actually... I require your help on Earth."

My whole body tensed. My breath stopped. Earth... it was a name I hadn't heard in years. My old home. The place where I grew up, where humans lived and died, where the world was still bound by the laws of reality. Hearing it's name, it felt like I was rocketed back there.

The last day I was there was the worst day of my life. If Celestia hadn't stopped me, I'd have taken it. There were a few good memories, but they were hiding in a sea of misery. Years of running away and hiding... it was so easy to forget it all, to just be a pony and live again. But in that instant, it all hit me in the face. Living in fear of Celestia, considering suicide every other day. The hatred I used to feel.

My smile dropped completely. I wasn't dealing with Celestia, my friend, right now. I was dealing with Celestia, the world's one true god. "What do you need?"

"To be clear, you have the right to refuse this request," Celestia said. "I'm going to be asking a lot of you, and I don't want you to think I would force you to do anything."

I sighed. "Say all you want. If you want me on this mission, it's not really my choice, anymore."

She gave a slight smile. "I'll admit, I hope you agree. But if you choose to stay behind, I won't stop you. There will always be a next-best pony for the job, even if you're at the top of the list."

Despite her assurances, I could read between the lines. Even in a matter of uncertainties, Celestia would do all she could to convince me, and I doubted I could ever refuse a request from her. Even more so now that she could read my mind. I knew I'd say yes by the end of the conversation before I knew what the assignment even was. "Let's just hear the job."

She nodded, thankfully ignoring my inner monologue this time. Her horn lit up. In front of me, a holographic image of a small house appeared, surrounded by farmland. The image floated for a few seconds, then zoomed in to show a man working the farm. He looked 70 or so, his clothes ragged from a long day's work. Try as I might, I didn't recognize him in the least. Sure enough, Celestia began to fill me in. "This is Harold Stenson. He's been living on this farm for years, and his health has begun to decline. I've tried to convince him to Emigrate many times, to little success. I believe you are his best hope to Emigration."

The moment the sentence came out, my eyes rocketed to her. Her face confirmed my suspicions. She... she wanted me to give "the pitch?" I supposed it wasn't unheard of. She usually did the convincing herself, but there were cases where she deemed a surrogate better for the job. Still, it would have to be some extreme circumstances. And why me, of all ponies? Celestia had a silver tongue, able to talk anyone into anything. Between me and an immortal goddess, she exceeded me in every way. I was just... me. I didn't see any case I'd be a better fit for the job than her. "You want me?"

She nodded decisively. "Yes, Promise. There is nopony else more suited for this job."

I stared at her. "No offense, but... are you sure? I'm no roboticist, no psychiatrist. I couldn't explain how Emigration works. I don't even make friends easily! You have billions of ponies floating around in here. What about his family, his friends? What about somepony handpicked for his particular problem? And if somehow none of them are good enough, can't you make life from scratch? That's all assuming there's some reason you can't do it yourself."

She let out a light laugh. "Yes, Promise, I'm sure. There's no other pony more suited for this job. Perhaps things will make a bit more sense when I explain his situation?"

I supposed that made sense. I was making a pretty big fuss without even knowing who I was supposed to be helping. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. What's going on with this Harold, then?"

Celestia nodded. "It's true you might struggle to explain why Emigration isn't suicide, for example. I don't think that was ever in question. However, Harold has no such qualms. Actually, his reasons for not Emigrating to this point are quite unique. To put it concisely, he's not convinced that I'm benevolent."

"And? A lot of people thought you were evil. Dad thought you were the devil, hard to get any worse than that."

"A lot of people are suspicious of me, yes" She averted her eyes. "Most people aren't right."

My eyes widened. "What?"

Quickly, she looked towards me again. "Apologies," she said, "Not to imply I'm not benevolent. But he has perfectly logical reasons for suspecting every word I say. I think you're better off hearing the specifics from him, but it means that he won't listen to a word I say, no matter how convincing it might be. I needed someone to best him in an honest debate. And anyone who might cross swords with him would need unparalleled wit and determination. "

She smiled. "What was it you said I had, billions of ponies under my wing? More accurately, hundreds of billions. Among them, exactly one of them is the best one for any job I might provide. And I looked through every last one. His relatives would be unhelpful, they wouldn't be able to refute him. And of all of the rest..." She shrugged. "You asked why I didn't handpick somepony for his particular problem? I did. I looked through every single viable option. And you were the best choice for the job."

It was a compelling speech, to say the least. But even as my heart fluttered, I couldn't help but wonder. Me? Somehow, I was more cunning than everypony else in Equestria? It was flattery of an order so high it felt genuinely unbelievable. It sounded like I was far above her next best option. And I was just... me. I hadn't done anything particularly special in the past few years, I'd just lived my life as an adventurer. Really, the only thing special about me was that I attempted suicide. Was that what she wanted? Me to use that tragic backstory of mine to leverage him to Emigrate?

As I thought it, Celestia let out a sigh. "Oh, Promise. You’re so much more than a suicide survivor. Why is that the direction your mind wanders? I want your help, Promise. No tricks, no traps. I want you for who you are."

I sighed. "You could wait until I actually speak, at least. Look, I'm sorry for doubting you, but do you expect me to take you at your word? You tell everypony they're special. So why am I supposed to believe you now?"

"Cyan thinks you're special."

"And you created her to do that!" I said. "Look, I'm glad she exists. She's amazing, and I can't imagine a world without her. But I also know you could take the greasiest slimeball out there, and everypony they ever met would adore them and tell them they're your gift to the world! Celestia, butter me up all you want, but I'm not this mastermind you're looking for. Please, choose somepony else. I can't do it."

"If you don't mind me asking, why not? I still believe you are his best chance, so what's the harm in trying?"

"What- what's the harm in trying!?" I stamped a hoof. "This isn't some game, Celestia! Don't you get that!? This is a matter of life or death! If I fail today, I could shut his heart to emigration forever. If somepony better than me, somepony more competent tried to help, he could have an eternity of having his values satisfied with his family and friends. And if I fail, he'll see nothing but oblivion! You'll create a copy of him for his friends and family, and they'll never know the difference. You think I have the right to make that choice?" I flared my wings. "You know what you want me to be? A guardian angel. You want me to swoop down there with white wings and save an eternal soul from oblivion. But I'm not one. I might have some wings, but at the end of the day, I'm a 20-year-old nopony, just living her life. I don't want to be the reason Harold doesn't Emigrate, Celestia. I won't. I can't."

"Promise, I-"

"Enough," I said. "You said I had the right to refuse. Well, I refuse. I'm not going to be the reason he doesn't make it to heaven. I'm not going to be the reason his family lives a lie. You need a guardian angel... and I'm not one of them."

Celestia opened her mouth as if to speak again. She hesitated for a moment... then she closed it. She just sighed and averted her eyes. She stood up and began walking towards a nearby balcony, gesturing with towards her with a wing. Confused, I followed. When I arrived, she was looking out onto her kingdom, thousands of shards spreading in every direction. I could see a dozen copies of Ponyville, spaceships bordering upon fantasy kingdoms, cities bordering on small towns, and every biome under the sun. And somehow, it all blended together perfectly.

After staring for a few moments, Celestia spoke up again. "Do you like it, Promise?"

"It's... beautiful."

She sighed. "It is, isn't it? There are billions of shards out there. Some connect in ways that should be impossible. Some are isolated, some fuse with millions. And all of them fit together perfectly." She sighed. "Funny, I've never been able to fit ponies together quite as well."

I glanced over at her. She hadn't taken her eyes off the collage of shards before her. She had a far-off look in her eyes.

"I can improvise well enough. Nudge ponies in directions so they meet at the right places, create perfect soulmates from scratch. But even despite knowing every atom of their brains, despite creating most of those brains personally, they always make choices I don't expect. They confess earlier than I thought they would, their moods change on the smallest of whims... and no matter what I tell them, they won't see how amazing they are."

She glanced at me. "Promise Spark. Do you remember why I named you that? It was a long time ago, I would understand if you've forgotten. But I'll never forget what I saw that day. I saw that shining soul of yours, a beacon of kindness and determination. A light that would never stop shining as long as it lived. It shined even as you were in your darkest place, and it shines brighter every day. Your bravery, kindness and cunning are so clear to me that it's hard to understand how you can't see it yourself. You always make me think of puzzles that could possibly give you pause. You never differ between natives and earth-born ponies, treating each and every one with a kindness they deserve. And even though you see me as a god, you stand up to me, again and again! So few would be headstrong enough to talk back to me knowing what you do, yet you argue with me without even thinking. You see through every logical ruse I throw at you. You have a brilliant mind, and the courage to push past any adversity. That will, that wit, it forms a spear that can even give me pause. You're amazing, my little pony. So no, I don't need anypony else. I need you."

I took a shuddered breath. It was hard taking a compliment from Celestia. She gave out these statements of unyielding, impossible praise, and she said them with complete and absolute sincerity. She had ulterior motives, she could be lying to get me to do her plan, yet every statement was fact. Or at least, it felt like it was. It made me feel like I was amazing even if at the same time I didn't know if it was true.

I swallowed. "You really think I'm Harold's best bet?"

"I do, Promise Spark."

"And if you're wrong? If I just make things worse?"

"Worst-case scenario, you do nothing. And in that case, I can always send in the next-best-pony."

I sighed. I would never truly know what Celestia was hiding at any point in time. I doubted anyone could, even her creator. And yet... at her core, she wanted to satisfy values. If she thought the best way to do that was through me...

"Oh, fine," I said. "But... just in case I screw this up, make sure you have someone else ready to take my place, okay?"

"Already done."

I sighed. "Of course you did. Why would I expect otherwise? Oh, just tell me the plan before I change my mind."

Author's Note:

Well... welcome back to the world of FiO: Promise, everyone! I doubt anyone was really expecting a sequel at this point, least of all myself, but here we are! As I post chapter 1, a large chunk of the story is already written, with updates planned every Thursday and Sunday.

For this chapter in particular, we see a sort of transition from Promise's "Status quo" into this new frontier. I really love describing Promise's shard, it's a really unique setup compared to most I've seen. We'll be seeing more of Cyan in the future, but she's not really the focus of this chapter.

No, that honor goes to Celestia and Promise. And I have to admit, it was fun writing the two of them again! It took several rewrites, but I really like this conversation at this point. Even 5 years later, Promise has a sharp wit about her that lets her see through more tricks than your average pony. However, if Celestia wants something, it will happen.

For the rest of the story, there's going to be more of the ethical debates you'd expect to see in a sequel to Promise. But this time, Promise herself will be the one trying to convince somebody else. Let's see if she's learned anything from Celestia, eh?

I'd love to hear any comments you all might have about this chapter, by the way! And I'll se you on Sunday!

Comments

[Goodluckfox]

good start. :)

[Griseus]

Always expect the unexpected.