Chapter Eight - Legacy of Darkness
“Thoooo… gonna tell me what happened?”
Lyra looked into the bespectacled eyes of her marefriend’s niece. “What happened with what?”
“You know what I mean!” Twist showed no sign of restraint as she continued to badger her honorary aunt. She’d waited until returning home from school to be alone with Lyra, and she wasn’t going to waste this chance. “You go off to Canterlot with Princeth Twilight early one morning, you come back home the next night, and you don’t thay a word about it! Thomething ith up here!” She then shrugged and admitted, “And tell you the truth, I’m a little thick of being thtuck on the thidelineth.”
The minty green unicorn rolled her eyes. “This from the filly who got a front row seat to Discord getting his skull pounded into the ground.” She then smiled reassuringly. “Twist, Twilight just asked me to help her with a research project. I can’t talk about it, at least not until it goes public.”
That prompted a grin from the filly. “Doeth it involve what Princeth Twilight wath talking about with Thilver Thpoon?”
Lyra grinned in turn. “Maybe.” The grin faded. “Anyway, you’ll get all the details when the project’s done and she’s ready to announce it. Same as the rest of Equestria. Right now, don’t you have homework?”
“Yeah, but being nothy ith a little more fun.”
The older mare giggled. “Can’t fault you there.” She then made her way to the door. “Anyway, I need to meet with her at the library. Bon-Bon shouldn’t be long in getting home from work, but in the meantime, you know what to do.”
“Gotcha. I won’t burn the houthe down.”
As Lyra left, Twist shook her head. She appreciated the trust that her guardians had in her to look after herself, but just because she had a cutie mark didn’t mean she wanted to be completely independent. Still, all she could do for now was hope that both her caretakers got home soon, and that everything would be fine.
-
“I’m rather surprised that Chancellor Neighsay was so accepting of Twilight’s report of what she saw in her vision.” Rarity stood among her friends within Golden Oak Library, patiently waiting for the last of their group to arrive. “From what I’ve been told, he seems the skeptical sort.”
“Something tells me that he accepted that I claimed to see the contents of my vision, but not the actual contents of them.” Twilight idly slid a book onto a shelf as she continued, “And it probably helped that I admitted that there wasn’t any way to prove that what I saw was the truth. I’m honestly surprised that all of you believed me.”
“Sugarcube, we’ve known ya long enough to know ya ain’t gonna lie to us, not about somethin’ this important.” Applejack shrugged and admitted, “Besides that, we already knew the potion was the real deal.”
“And after all the other crazy stuff we’ve dealt with, nothing really sounds crazy anymore.” Rainbow Dash nudged her head towards the pink pony among them. “I mean, how many ponies would believe half of the stuff that Pinkie Pie has done?”
The mare in question snorted. “I’ve got family who doesn’t believe half of the stuff that I’ve done!”
That prompted a laugh among the gathered friends as the door to the library opened. “Sorry I kept you all waiting, everyone.” Quiver entered and admitted, “Didn’t get lucky enough to leave work early, but at least I met someone along the way.” Lyra entered the library after him and closed the door behind her. “So, we ready to get this show on the road?”
“Yes, but it might not be the show that you’re expecting.” Twilight turned to Sour Sweet and ordered, “Lieutenant, keep watch on the library. I’ll brief you once we’re done.”
“Yes ma’am.”
The gathered group of ponies and one dragon made their way down to the library’s basement, and the soldier was left to herself.
-
Sunset Shimmer stepped into the bridge realm to find a familiar gathering of ponies before her, albeit with a few additions. “Hello everyone. Hi Lyra.”
The minty green unicorn smiled, though it was clear that she was trying to muster her courage.
Applejack cleared her throat. “Alright Twilight, the gang’s all here. What’s up?”
“Indeed, I’m rather curious as to why this was so urgently needed.” Rarity nodded towards Lyra and added, “And why only Lyra is present from outside of the immediate circle whilst Moondancer and Sunburst are absent.”
“Because what we need to talk with all of you about can’t be relayed to Moondancer safely right now, and isn’t something that Sunburst needs to be concerned with.” Twilight turned nervous as she amended, “At least, not yet.”
Quiver frowned and turned to Lyra. “Does this have something to do with those recovered memories of yours?”
Lyra nodded, then turned to address everypony else. “You all remember the royal wedding earlier this year? The one that got hijacked by Queen Chrysalis as part of an attack on Canterlot?”
“And how you were put under her influence and turned into her puppet.” Fluttershy frowned at the mare’s nod. “I’m so sorry that happened.”
“Me too, but that isn’t the worst of it. Minuette, Twinkleshine and I were all found in the caverns underneath Canterlot, by ponies that said they were with the government. They separated us, and I told them what happened. After that, they…” Twilight looked as though she wanted to interrupt, but Lyra raised a hoof and pressed on. “They messed with my head and altered my memories so that I forgot all about what happened. I didn’t remember what actually happened until the conditioning broke during that adventure with the Doctor.” She turned to Quiver with a sad look on her face. “I’m sorry for not telling you about this sooner.”
“No, it’s alright, I had a feeling that if it was important, it’d come up again. Writer’s instincts.” The stallion turned to Twilight and asked, “I’m guessing that you’ve tried to address this with Princess Celestia?”
The alicorn nodded. “She believes that Lyra fell victim to operatives of an agency within the Equestrian government, making use of immoral and illegal spells in the belief that they’re acting for the common good. She used another spell to confirm that what was used on Lyra were linked to spells related to an artifact from prior to the founding of Equestria, called the Memory Stone. We don’t have to worry about it, since it ended up in the human world long ago.” At Sunset’s alarmed expression, Twilight explained, “According to Celestia, her and Luna’s counterparts found it, and she herself destroyed it. But feel free to verify with them.” The alarm returned to her voice as she admitted, “Unfortunately, the spellwork that went into it was used to alter Lyra’s memories, and perhaps do worse. Celestia demonstrated a spell to confirm her suspicions, and Lyra and I have both tested it on one another. She came up positive, and I didn’t.”
“And y’all’re worried that the rest’a us might’ve gotten hexed like Lyra did at some point.”
Twilight nodded at Applejack’s summation. “Which is why we’re all here. I want to test the same spell on all of you, just to confirm one way or another.”
“Whoa, hang on.” Rainbow Dash stepped up uneasily. “I’m not saying this is a bad idea, and I’m glad you’re asking permission and stuff, but what’s the chances of a false positive or something? I mean, Discord’s messed with all our heads, hasn’t he?”
Twilight shook her head. “His magic operates on a different wavelength than what this spell is looking for, Dash. No chance of false positives there.”
“Oh. Great.” She took a deep breath and stood upright. “Okay then, start with me.” Twilight nodded, and her horn took on its familiar glow for several seconds before the prismatic pegasus urged, “Come on, Twilight, we don’t have all day, cast the spell already!”
The glow faded, and Twilight sighed in relief. “I have. You’re clean.” She looked about. “Next?”
-
Back in the library, Sour idly stood guard on the main floor and made herself appear busy with a broom. Even as she quietly cleaned, she kept her senses sharp. She doubted very much that a threat was on the horizon, but she didn’t want to be surprised by some random library patron.
Despite this, her mind wandered. She knew full well the importance of secrecy, and of need-to-know. That in mind, she felt a little frustrated about being kept out of the loop regarding certain details. It was clear that a secret was being kept between Princess Twilight and Lyra Heartstrings, and while such things weren’t implausible, given their history, she felt more than a little suspicious about what it could be. Every instinct made her think that it wasn’t some harmless thing. She trusted the princess to put her in the picture when she saw fit, but…
The bell rang to signal a new arrival, and Sour immediately put on a casual smile and turned to face the newcomer. “Welcome to Golden…”
She barely caught her attacker and redirected them into the floor. Aside from them being a mare of average build, she could not determine any details. Most of that was thanks to her attire, an all-black suit that clung tight to her body and was made of stretchy but sturdy fabric. Whomever they were, however, they were stubborn, and kept up the fight, one hoof catching the floor even as another clung tight to her and tossed her into a wall.
Sour put up a bubble shield and bounced off the wall, then popped the bubble as she rocketed back towards her assailant. A forcefield formed around her horn, nowhere near equal to Shining Armor’s but sturdy enough to serve as a good battering ram, only for her to be hit by an uppercut, her opponent having somehow evaded her at the last second.
That, unfortunately, was enough to disorient her before another blow knocked her unconscious.
-
One by one, the rest of the gathered ponies were subjected to the spell, each one coming up clean. Sunset and Spike stood off to one side, with neither sure if they were merely being saved for last or if the spell simply did not work on beings that were not ponies, or weren’t currently ponies. They would likely find out before too long as only one pony was left to be checked. “Alright Applejack, you’re up, and then Spike and Sunset.”
The farmpony sighed. “Alright Twi, Ah just hope…”
Applejack was interrupted as Quiver shouted and pointed to the portal leading back to Equestria. “Incoming!” Heads turned as its surface glowed and a mare dressed all in skintight black cloth emerged and charged directly for him.
The mare was fast, but not fast enough to evade Rainbow Dash at top speed. There was no surprise at the collision, however, and the mare pushed her captor away hard before she could successfully be pinned down. That was enough of a distraction for a bang to be heard and streamers to shoot out and ensnare the mare, thus allowing Twilight to cast a spell and render her unconscious.
Twilight sighed in relief. “Nice work, Pinkie.”
“Eh, no big.” Pinkie tucked away her Party Cannon and gestured to Quiver. “I had warning.”
“Call me paranoid, but moments like that are ones that always make me suspect an ambush.” The stallion watched as Lyra slowly approached the downed mare. “Lyra? What are you doing?”
“Really hoping that whoever’s under this mask isn’t the pony that I think it is.” Lyra reached down with her hoof, gritted her teeth, and pulled the mask off the mare’s face, only to gasp. “Oh no.”
Her gasp was joined by more from the other mares present as they approached. Lying prone before them was none other than Bon-Bon. “Sweet Celestia!” Rarity turned to Lyra and asked, “I’m not sure if I should hope that you were right or not, darling.”
“I was right, and that’s not a good thing.” Lyra turned to the rest of the group and explained, “After what happened with the Doctor, but before I told Twilight and Sunset about what happened, I told Bonnie that I loved her. When I did, she told me something, and…” She steeled herself and turned to Twilight. “Cast the spell on her. Now.”
Twilight looked at her in shock. “She’s unconscious! She can’t…!”
“I’m her marefriend! If that doesn’t count as next of kin, I don’t know what does! Do it!”
The alicorn gulped, then did as she was told. Bon-Bon’s unconscious form spasmed and shook as the spell took effect, and a moan escaped her lips before turning into a frightened scream. The effects of the spell ended, and the cries were replaced with heavy breathing.
Lyra then went back to her explanation as she knelt at her marefriend’s side to comfort her. “Bonnie told me that she used to work for an agency in the Equestrian government, one that got shuttered after Cerberus got loose from his post in Tartarus. After that, I started getting worried.”
“That her agency and whoever messed with your memories might be in cahoots.” At his friend’s nod, Quiver scowled. “Well ain’t that grand.”
“Bon-Bon must be some sort’ve sleeper agent,” Sunset reasoned aloud. “Something activated her, and she came in here to try and stop what Twilight was doing.”
“Exactly my thoughts, and that leads us to one very important question.” Quiver turned his gaze back on Twilight. “Did Celestia tell you this organization’s name?”
Twilight turned horrified. “No. She didn’t. And I…”
“SMILE!” Heads turned back to Bon-Bon, who was now wide awake and shaking with terror. The shaking eased as Lyra held her in a tight embrace, and the mare came to her senses. After several deep breaths, she looked into her marefriend’s eyes and smiled. “Lyra…”
Lyra smiled right back. “Hey Bonnie. Looking good.”
The mare responded by taking Lyra into a tight embrace, her eyes already wet with tears. “I am so sorry, Lyra. So, so sorry…”
The minty unicorn shushed and soothed her. “We can talk it over later.”
At that, the exposed spy nodded, released her marefriend, then got to her hooves. She turned to her sovereign and made a small nod. “Thank you, Princess Twilight. You did the right thing. Lieutenant Sour Sweet is fine, but she’s gonna wake up with a big headache.” She then looked about and realized, “So this is the bridge realm.” Her eyes then settled on the human among them and said, “And you must be Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset crossed her arms. “Guilty as charged. Nice to meet you, Bon-Bon.”
The mare smiled. “Likewise, but something tells me you already know my counterpart.”
“Forgive me intruding, but I think we have bigger issues.” Quiver stepped in and tried to get everything back on track. “Bon-Bon, that word you said when you woke up, ‘Smile’. Is that the name of your organization?”
The mare nodded. “It’s an acronym.” She looked over the gathered group and explained, “The organization’s full name is the ‘Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria’. It’s the latest iteration in a long line of groups that were founded during the first century following Princess Luna’s transformation into Nightmare Moon, and tasked with protecting Equestria and its citizens from all sorts of threats and dangers. Anything police forces or the Royal Guard weren’t set up to handle, we did. If something went bump in the night, we were tasked with bumping back.” She bowed her head sadly. “At least, that’s what we’re supposed to do.”
“‘Supposed’?” an anxious Rarity ventured.
Bon-Bon looked up at them, as if frightened for her life, but pressed on. “Somewhere along the way, at least since before we were all born, SMILE’s priorities shifted from keeping Equestria safe to maintaining a set plan of events. Agents were put in place in particular areas to ensure that those events progressed as expected. I was one of them.” She turned to Pinkie Pie. “They recruited me when I was a filly, right after I got my cutie mark. My first report to them was after a party you threw here in Ponyville, the one that Cheese Sandwich told you about when he came to town.”
Lyra gasped. “I remember that party! We first met at that party!”
Bon-Bon giggled at her marefriend’s recollection. “You said that my glasses were cute.”
Applejack cleared her throat. “That’s very sweet, y’all, but why Bon-Bon? Why not some other pony?”
“Bon-Bon, you said that you had your cutie mark at that point?” At the mare’s nod, Quiver nodded and turned to Applejack. “There you go. Not only does she blend in reasonably well, but her cutie mark indicates a talent for candy-making. That requires a lot of knowledge of chemistry, and chemistry has a lot of applications if one is properly trained.” He turned back to the spymare and added, “Especially if they happen to be a government sleeper agent.”
Bon-Bon managed a rueful smile. “You catch on fast.”
“I pay attention and have an active and dark imagination.”
Rainbow Dash seemed a little squeamish at that thought, and tried to keep attention on what was important. “Okay, so you’re a sleeper agent. So that means that somepony else comes along and wakes you up, or you get triggered or something, and you give them a report?”
The mare cringed. “Sometimes more than that. You remember Mare-Do-Well?”
“Yeah, I…” Realization dawned on the prismatic pegasus, only to turn into barely-contained rage as she growled, “You guys were behind Mare-Do-Well?!”
“I was one of four ponies wearing the suit. That runaway carriage? I was the one who stopped it. Don’t ask me who the other three ponies were, I can’t name them.”
“But you’d left Ponyville for Canterlot…” Lyra went aghast as she realized, “You were activated.”
“And for more than just a report. SMILE didn’t get shuttered, that was part of my false memories. What happened with Cerberus was part of the plan.” Bon-Bon turned back to Twilight and explained, “But how things happened with Mare-Do-Well wasn’t. Ever since Nightmare Moon’s defeat and Princess Luna’s return, there have been what the upper echelons at SMILE have referred to as ‘deviations’, changes from what they believed were to happen. Sometimes those changes were minor, but the Mare-Do-Well incident was one case where SMILE felt it had to intervene because critical individuals weren’t acting the way they were supposed to.” She gestured to the six Element Bearers and explained, “The six of you, specifically. When FROWN goes against the plan, they get worried.”
Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “‘Frown’?”
“The Friendship Ranger Organization of Worldwide Neighgotiations. That’s SMILE’s designation for the six of you.”
Quiver scowled. “Well ain’t that a lovely bit of semantics.” At Twilight’s surprised expression, he explained, “It’s their little way of saying that they consider the six of you to be of lesser importance than they are. Which sounds better, a smile or a frown?”
“Well duh, everypony likes a…” The bright expression vanished from Pinkie’s face as she realized his point. “Oooh, those subtle meanies.”
Twilight’s expression grew increasingly troubled. “How many times have you been ‘woken up’, Bon-Bon?”
“For just a report, once a week or so. It’s pretty much automatic. For more than that…” The mare mulled things over briefly before she admitted, “It’s not as often, but it’s a long list.”
“I want it in writing. Before you leave this realm.” At the mare’s meek nod, Twilight then prompted, “For now, have any other SMILE operatives been working here in Ponyville?”
“No permanent ones, but my handler comes into town occasionally, and the Flim Flam Brothers are considered part of the organization.” At Applejack’s alarmed expression, she explained, “Where do you think they got the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000?”
“SMILE acquired it, probably from the pony who made it in the first place.” Something Sunrunner had told them about the misadventures of one of their old classmates bubbled up from Quiver’s subconscious, and his supposition was confirmed by Bon-Bon’s nod. “That’s at least two occasions where they deliberately acted to keep things on track from the sounds of it. Maybe three, depending on how Cerberus got loose from his post.”
“Quiver!” Rarity’s tone was sharp as she interceded. “You’re not about to accuse them of every kitten stuck in a tree, are you?”
The stallion rolled his eyes. “No, Rarity, kittens are more than capable of getting stuck in trees on their own.” Fluttershy nodded reluctantly at his argument before he continued, “That being said, there are three instances where we know for certain that they got involved, including Lyra’s memories being altered. And at least one where we can suspect their involvement. Something tells me it’s happened more often than that.”
“Quiver’s got a point.” Sunset turned to Twilight and explained, “In the human world, if something like the changeling attack on Canterlot had happened, there’d be more of a response than what Equestria managed, even accounting for Chrysalis’ second attack when the Secretariat Comet came along. Pearl Harbor and 9/11 are clear examples of that.” At the dumbfounded looks of the various ponies present, Sunset elaborated, “The first one was a sneak attack against a military facility that was meant to coincide with a declaration of war. The second one was a terrorist attack on a civilian target that led to thousands of innocent people being killed. Both events led to military retaliation and hundreds of thousands more dead. Comparatively speaking, Equestria up and forgot about the changelings after the wedding. Just washed its hooves of the matter and moved on. It doesn’t matter if Chrysalis and most of her hive are imprisoned, there should still be some ponies on alert.”
“And it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if SMILE was somehow involved in that.” Quiver scowled as he turned to Lyra and Bon-Bon and asked, “But how many more ponies have had their memories messed with? How many more have been turned into sleeper agents, or used as pawns? Or all three?”
Applejack scowled, then turned to Twilight. “That spell. Do it on me. Now.”
The alicorn almost argued, but the expression on her friend’s face discouraged her, and she did as she was told. The spell was cast, and almost immediately, Applejack’s eyes glazed over, and she convulsed and groaned. To her credit, however, she did not collapse into unconsciousness. Rainbow Dash and Rarity quickly caught her and kept her upright, and she regained her senses. “Applejack?”
The farmpony shook her head. “Ah ain’t a sleeper, Twilight, but…” She growled as she admitted, “They done messed with mah head. Probably the heads’a the rest’a mah immediate family, more’n once if’n Quiver’s right.”
Sunset frowned then turned to Bon-Bon. “SMILE knows about the portals, and about the human world. What influence do they have there?”
“I don’t know.” At Sunset’s surprise, the mare explained, “They know about stuff that’s happened, I know that for certain. But aside from me being activated to interfere with the system Twilight set up to alert her if anypony was in this realm, I don’t know if they’ve had any influence on it.”
Pinkie gasped. “So you were the gremlin!”
Bon-Bon managed a guilty nod before she continued, “Anyway, that brings up something else.” She turned back to Twilight and explained, “Ever since you met Sunset, more and more deviations have been happening. Not only have things gone differently from how they were expected to, but stuff apparently happened way sooner than SMILE was expecting. And that’s ignoring things that they never expected to happen in the first place. You making use of the bridge realm was one of them.” She turned to Quiver and explained, “You coming to Ponyville was another, same with Sunrunner entering the picture and that mess with the Doctor.”
“And something tells me us finding out about SMILE is yet another example.” The spy in their midst nodded, and Twilight decided, “We need to tell Princess Celestia about this.”
“No. That’s the last thing we should be doing.”
The ponies present looked at Quiver in shock, Twilight especially. “But she has to be informed! There’s an agency in the Equestrian government that’s gone rogue and…!”
“And when you told her about it earlier, she told you enough to confirm that she knew it was somepony in the government who did it, but didn’t give you a name! And she didn’t say that she’d do anything about it beyond that, did she?” At Twilight’s baffled expression, Quiver continued, “Think about it for a minute, Twilight! If she knew this was going down, if she had even the slightest inkling that this was happening, do you think for one minute that she would allow it to happen?! And don’t you dare give me any nonsense about ‘the greater good’! Too many atrocities have been justified by those words!”
The bafflement gave way to terror as Twilight asked, “What are you saying, Quiver?”
“That either she’s deliberately allowing all of this to happen, or that SMILE has some sort of influence on her.” Quiver’s tone was grim as he admitted, “And I don’t know which of those options is worse. She might be trying to protect you, or at least act in the belief that she’s protecting you, but that can only go so far.”
An uneasy silence held in the bridge realm before Sunset scowled. “Quiver’s right, Twilight.” Before the young alicorn could protest, the former unicorn explained, “SMILE might not have any power on the other side of the mirror, but it wouldn’t shock me if they influenced things in Equestria, gave them just enough of a nudge to ensure that I played the role that was expected of me.” She shrugged and admitted, “I doubt they killed my parents or made me act like a brat, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they influenced Celestia’s actions towards me.”
The uneasy silence returned until Twilight finally asked, “Then what do we do?”
Quiver sighed. “I don’t know.” He sat down and admitted, “This is too big, Twilight. Way too big. SMILE likely has influence everywhere, and we don’t have a single weapon against them. We can’t even talk about them with anypony who isn’t inside this room. If they’ve got one sleeper agent out there, they could have more. For now, we have to wait, and hope for something to come into our favor before they decide that we’ve deviated too far from their plan.”
Twilight trembled at that, but ultimately said nothing further about the implications. “Bon-Bon, can you continue acting as though you’re still under their influence?”
The spymare shrugged. “Maybe, but I don’t know for how long. My reports are sent in via fire-mail, but my handler could visit Ponyville at any time.”
“Then that’s something else for the list. Give Lyra and the rest of us a complete description of your handler. If they come back, and you have no other choice, capture them. Nothing permanent, nothing lethal, just make sure they don’t get away.”
Bon-Bon nodded.
“What about us?” The spymare then turned to her marefriend. “Everything about us, that’s real, right?”
Bon-Bon smiled and gently brushed her hoof in Lyra’s mane. “Every bit of it.” The smile faded as she realized, “But if SMILE decided otherwise, we could be torn apart in an instant.”
Lyra brought a hoof up to meet her marefriend’s, then assumed a determined expression. “Then the instant your handler shows up, he’ll be lucky if he doesn’t get torn apart in an instant. They messed with both our heads, and they’re gonna regret it.”
That moment of levity was lifted as the portal leading back to Equestria shimmered and Sour Sweet stepped inside with a furious expression on her face. “Library’s sealed and locked. Everypony…?” She instantly recognized the one pony that she hadn’t seen enter the bridge realm and charged her horn.
“Stand down, Lieutenant!” Twilight stepped forward and explained, “Bon-Bon…well, Special Agent Sweetie Drops…isn’t a threat. At least, not anymore.” At her bodyguard’s surprised expression, she explained, “It’s a long story.”
Quiver frowned, then turned to his cousin. “Sour, I think it’s time you were put in the picture.”
-
High atop the mountain upon which Canterlot rested, higher even than Canterlot itself, stood a structure resembling a small fort with a high tower at its core. Few were aware of it, as it was hidden from view by powerful spellwork, those responsible receiving no credit for their work and possessing no awareness of their efforts. It was isolated, situated high above Canterlot and thus the whole of Equestria. Exactly as intended by its occupants.
Ivory Tower strode into a circular chamber, dimly lit by magically-charged crystals that provided just enough light for its occupants to see one another and the round table and six chairs at its center. She had hoped to be the first to arrive, but alas…
“Well, you were right.” Her gaze settled upon two familiar ponies, one of whom was smirking at her. “FROWN-Magic did leave Canterlot when you said that she would. Terrible shame that you were wrong about the exact circumstances.”
The mare wasn’t sure what caused her to scowl more, the remarks of Sterling Aide or the presence of the stallion beside him. An older, bespectacled stallion, white of coat and grey of mane, whose eyes weren’t visible on the other side of his glasses. What was visible, especially in the dim lighting, was his toothy grin, one tooth replaced with gold. “Sterling Aide. Doctor Auric.”
The second stallion’s grin seemed to widen upon his acknowledgement. “Ivory Tower.”
“Sterling Aide.” The new voice was flat, but clear enough to make certain that their discussion had ended as another stallion entered the chamber, his brown coat obscured by his dress shirt, black blazer and tie. At his hooves was a unicorn mare, slender of build and tall of stature with a white coat and a braided blonde mane. “Tiers Two and Three are gathered. We shall take our places.”
The three nodded, and Sterling acknowledged their newcomers. “Furlong. White Flower.”
The mare glared at the smug stallion as all the ponies present claimed their seats. “Rut off, Sterling.”
If Furlong had any reaction to White Flower’s statements, he showed none as the five took their seats. The sixth was already occupied, not by a pony but by a portrait. “This meeting of the high council of SMILE has now come to order.” Further crystals illuminated the faces of those present, as well as the pony pictured in the last seat. The light remained dim, but sufficient. “Ivory Tower, your report.”
The stern unicorn mare straightened herself to address the council. “I regret to say that events have once again occurred ahead of schedule, compared to what has been described in the Apocalypse Logs. Subject Sunburst has not only made contact with FROWN, but also the two anomalies. All three parties are now aware of the facts behind the Pillars of Old Equestria, and the importance of Ponehenge in this context has been established.”
“And Subject Neighsay?”
She allowed herself a small smirk. “It is currently unlikely that he will change the current educational policies in Equestria. Even assuming that he has not simply lied to the anomaly, and his attitude towards integration remains unchanged, there are ways of ensuring that things remain as-is. The status quo shall be maintained.”
“Elsewhere, however, the status quo is threatened.” Sterling straightened himself and elaborated, “Even before the anomalies came into play, there had been fourteen incidents of deviation from the Apocalypse Logs. Since their intrusion into the proper flow of events, more than double that number have taken place, to say nothing of events that we had no knowledge of. Even as this most recent deviation took place, three more accompanied it. It was only because of our intervention that the events of S4E18 occurred, and…”
“We are aware of these concerns, Sterling Aide.” Furlong’s tone remained flat, his features expressionless, but there was a subtle air of annoyance about him. “Have you any suggestions for addressing them?”
“The anomalies need to be taken off the board. I say we dispatch the Widowmaker.”
Reactions to the stallion’s suggestion varied. Auric chuckled, while Ivory Tower had a brief half-smirk. White Flower’s expression remained guarded, but Furlong was the only one to speak. “That is far too extreme a measure and it runs the risk of exposure. Subject Sunset Shimmer is beyond our reach, and the anomalies are too closely linked with FROWN that if they are taken out of the equation through less than subtle means, then attention will be raised. Attention that will lead back to us.”
“And you have a better approach?”
The pale stallion gave the slightest of nods. “Events are already in motion to deal with the primary anomalies, and other events are still to come that they have no ability to influence. And once those events occur, we will be in a position to restore our proper influence and reinforce Harmony, as dictated by the Apocalypse Stone.”
“And should these efforts fail?”
“They will not. Harmony shall be maintained, as Our Founder has mandated.”
Furlong’s words were the final ones on the subject. The five ponies turned to the portrait, nodded, and rose from their seats. Their expressions remained unchanged, though the thoughts of some were more troubled than others. The last to leave the chamber, White Flower, turned back to look upon the portrait of their Founder before she departed.
The portrait of Star Swirl the Bearded watched her go in silence.
-
Sour Sweet barely had a chance to process what she’d been told before Twilight started checking her over for SMILE’s machinations. “This… Sweet Maker…”
“Ah know, it’s a lot to process.”
The soldier shook her head at Applejack’s comment. “No. I mean, yes, it is, but… this explains an awful lot.” At the puzzled look of most of the others present, Sour explained, “We got a warning about the changeling attack on Canterlot, right? Well, fat lot of good it did us, especially since we knew shapeshifters would be involved.” She then turned to Rainbow Dash and added, “And all the horseshit that’s happened with the Wonderbolts? Crap like this sure explains why Spitfire hasn’t gone up on review, bare minimum.”
“Based on everything I’ve been told, she should’ve gotten a JAG investigation immediately after what happened with Lightning Dust.” Quiver scowled as Twilight scanned over Spike, but kept his gaze firmly on the portal back to Equestria just in case. “I get the feeling that if anyone filed a report or complaint, it got buried.”
“That just makes it worse.” Twilight quietly groused over how the very government that she served and represented had not only failed its citizens, but was actively conspiring against them. “Bon-Bon, I doubt it’ll be your fault, but something tells me that list is going to be incomplete.”
“Better an incomplete list than none at all.” The exposed spymare was already at work on her list, thanks to a pencil and paper courtesy of the ever-prepared Twilight. She spat the pencil out and added, “Still, I get the feeling that mental manipulation and treason are the least of their crimes.”
“All the more important that you get that down.” Twilight had moved on to Sunset, and the latter turned to her friend. “I’d lock that record up somewhere safe once it’s done, Twilight. You don’t want to lose it.”
“Just to be on the safe side, I’ll make a copy and hand it off to you.”
“Make several copies.” Quiver’s gaze was still on the portal back to Equestria as he added, “And I’d like one, if possible. I’ll need it for reference work.”
“Oh no, Quiver!” Sour groaned. “You’re not going to start one of those conspiracy walls, are you?”
“Of course not. Those things are next to impossible to hide.” He shrugged and admitted, “But I do have some spare notebooks and it won’t hurt to write down my speculations.”
“I’m fine with that.” Twilight sighed with relief. “Well, Spike and Sunset are both clean at least. But there’s no telling who else we can trust.”
“An’ nuthin’ stoppin’ these folks from messin’ with our heads in the future.” Applejack noticed the grin on Twilight’s face. “Or is there?”
“You’d be surprised at what I’ve found at the Castle of the Two Sisters.” The young alicorn looked among her friends and said, “I should have something ready within a day or two. Regardless, we need to keep this to ourselves, at least for now.” What optimism she had faded as she added, “I just wish there was more that we could do.”
“I guess for the time being, we’ll have to play things by ear.” Heads turned to Sunset, and she shrugged. “Hey, I might be a world away, but I’m a part of this. Even if all I’m giving is moral support.”
Twilight’s smile returned. “You’re giving a lot more than that.” She turned to the rest and beckoned, “Go on back to the library, everyone. I’ll catch up.” The rest of the group did as instructed, and Twilight turned back to Sunset. “Well, that ended up being a lot heavier than I thought it would be.”
“Which is saying something. I’m starting to think everything you discovered about the Pillars is going to be small potatoes in comparison.”
“I’ll leave that up to you.” Twilight pulled a journal from her waiting panniers, as well as a folder. “That journal has all the relevant information I’ve uncovered connecting the Pillars, the Elements, Ponehenge, and that vision I told you about in my message. And that folder has copies of the rubbings that Sunburst made. Lyra and I were hoping that you might recognize them as something from the human world, given we know Star Swirl had contacts there.”
“Well, let’s find out.” Sunset’s eyes lit up as she examined the rubbings. “Huh. I do recognize these runes. These are Elder Futhark. It’s a writing system that was used by Germanic tribes back during the first millennium. Quite a few people believed they had magical powers linked to them, even into the modern day.” She flashed an embarrassed grin. “I might’ve done some digging into magic belief systems during my down time. In hindsight, I discovered a lot of unpleasant stuff in the bargain.”
“Well, do you remember enough that you might be able to translate some of it?”
“Sure, but don’t expect anything big. For all we know, somepony just carved these for fun.” Sunset tucked the folder into her backpack as she laughed. “Wouldn’t that be funny if the translation was something like ‘Flash Magnus was here’?”
Twilight giggled at that. “If he shares DNA with Rainbow Dash, he might just do something like that.” The levity faded as she added, “There’s also something else we discovered that I think you need to know about. All the details are in the journal, but I figure you should hear the main details directly from me. You remember me telling you about what happened when we returned the Elements to the Tree? That one light going up one branch?” At her friend’s nod, the alicorn explained, “Well, I think I know why. Assuming my vision is correct, Star Swirl and the other Pillars accelerated the development of the Tree, and basically created the Elements, by adding seven magically-enhanced gemstones to it.”
“Seven? Stygian added one too?”
Twilight nodded. “But for unknown reasons, his wasn’t acknowledged. At least, not initially. This means that there’s a Seventh Element of Harmony, one that’s been dormant for the last thousand years and might be on the verge of activating.”
“Okay, but what…?” Sunset turned silent as she realized where Twilight was going. “You don’t think… that I triggered it?”
“It’s the only logical explanation. You came in contact with the Element of Magic, and it reacted to you.”
“Yeah, by turning me into a raging she-demon.” Sunset bowed her head and sighed. “I’m not saying that you’re wrong, Twilight. I just have a hard time believing it. I mean, why me? I’m not saying that Stygian and I don’t have a few things in common, we do, it’s just…” She looked her friend in the eye and asked, “Can you really see someone like me wielding an Element of Harmony?”
Twilight gave an encouraging smile. “Someone who has seen the worst of herself, and overcome it? Who can look at something from perspectives beyond her own? Who stood against a fragment of the Nightmare and overcame it?” She arched an eyebrow. “What do you think?”
Sunset smiled back. “I think I still have some trouble believing it. But I do appreciate the vote of confidence.” She got to her feet and slung her bag over her shoulders. “Anyway, it sounds like we both have a lot yet to do, and a lot to worry about. You more than me. Be careful, huh?”
“I will. You do the same.”
Sunset nodded, then turned and made her way back to Canterlot High. Twilight waited until she’d passed through the portal, then turned and made her way back to Golden Oak Library. They both had a lot to think about.
-
Principal Celestia slung her purse over her shoulders as she emerged from her office. The students might have gone home, but the work and responsibilities of teachers and school administrators didn’t end with the last bell.
The door to the teacher’s lounge opened nearby, and she turned to see one such responsibility closing the door behind her. “Sunset? How did your meeting with Princess Twilight go?”
Sunset slung her backpack over her shoulders. “Gave me a lot to think about.” She then looked her guardian in the eye and asked, “Principal Celestia, do the words ‘Memory Stone’ have any meaning to you?”
That gave the older woman pause. “She’s just now told the two of you about that?” Her shoulders slumped. “Luna and I found it buried near the school back when we were students here, during my senior year. We found it while we were looking for something else, something far less dangerous. The instant the princess saw it, and realized what it was, she destroyed it.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a block of plastic, with a chunk of stone inside. “This is the biggest chunk of it that remained. No power, no magic, just a piece of rock. I’ve kept it with me as a reminder, that not everything from Equestria is brilliant and bright.” She pocketed it and added, “That said, the same can be said for this world. I guess this is something else for the list of things that I should have told you about.”
Sunset shrugged. “Like you said, there were a lot of things that you couldn’t tell me. This probably wasn’t one of them, but still. I can understand you thinking that it wouldn’t be important.”
“Except it is. I didn’t keep this from you on purpose, but I did hope that she had told you about it already. Obviously, I was wrong.” She sighed. “I guess living for over a thousand years causes you to become set in your ways. Thank God I won’t live that long.”
The younger woman laughed. “You say things like that, you might just start tempting fate.” Sunset turned and made her way to the school’s exit. “Have a good night!”
“You too. Have a safe walk home.” As Sunset stepped out of the school, Celestia moved to her purse and pulled out her phone, then dialed one specific number. “Come on, come on…”
A voice answered at the other end. “Celestia?”
“Megan. I hope I’m not calling at a bad time.”
“No, it’s alright. I’m guessing this has something to do about Sunset?”
“It does. Is there any way that we can speed things up?”
“No Celestia, I’m sorry. I know she needs to know the facts, but my schedule won’t let me get out there for a few weeks yet. Any luck with Zecora?”
“No. I can only guess that she’s waiting for her apprentices to ask Sunset.” Celestia scowled. “I hate this, Megan. She deserves the full truth.”
“I agree, she does. But we don’t have any power over these things.”
The scowl faded. “No. We don’t.”
-
As she entered the main level of Golden Oak Library, Lyra managed a light chuckle. “It’s funny. Before I left, Twist was talking about how she was tired of always being on the sidelines.”
Bon-Bon shook her head. “Well, she should count her blessings that she’s on the periphery. Being in the center of the action is far more exciting than it has any right to be.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” Applejack was already making her way to the door. “Pardon me, y’all. Gotta get home.”
“Applejack?” The farmmare paused and turned as Lyra offered her most encouraging smile. “I know you’re probably not eager to talk about what happened today, but when you are, there’s plenty of ponies here who will be ready when you are.”
Applejack managed a small smile at the sight of her gathered friends, all sporting similar expressions to Lyra. “Thanks, y’all. Ah’ll remember that.”
As she departed, Spike looked up at Quiver and asked, “What do you think’s got Applejack down?”
“I’ve got an idea, but I’m not gonna talk about it.” The stallion turned to his young drake friend and explained, “We’re all allowed to keep some secrets.”
“Yeah, speaking of.” Spike dashed off to a table and plucked a newspaper from it. “I wanted to bring this up with Twilight, but I didn’t get a chance before now. One of the articles confused me, at least until Bon-Bon explained everything about SMILE.” He opened the paper to the article in question. “Take a look.”
Quiver examined the article as others gathered around him, and once Twilight rejoined them, he turned to her and asked, “Twilight, were you planning on going to Rainbow Falls for some kind of official event?”
“Yes, the Rainbow Falls Trading Festival. I was supposed to be there to oversee it, but first it got delayed, and then everypony else wasn’t able to attend when it was rescheduled because of other commitments. Why?”
Quiver turned the newspaper around to reveal a picture of Twilight and the rest of her friends in attendance at said event. “Because I’m pretty sure you can’t be in two places at once.”
Twilight gasped and claimed the newspaper in her magic. “I can’t! I wasn’t there! None of us were there! How…?!” She lowered the paper, and her gaze turned to the secret agent among them. “SMILE.”
At Bon-Bon’s reluctant nod, Rarity offered, “But how? Applejack was the only one among us whose memories had been altered, and as Twilight said, she couldn’t be in two places at once.”
“No, but we all know ways that they could make it look like she was there.” Quiver turned to Bon-Bon and explained, “Changelings. Either they’re working with a few isolated individuals, or they have some forced into their service like Bon-Bon was.”
“Probably the second one.” The secret agent turned to Twilight and explained, “SMILE’s been tasked with capturing small changeling cells in the past. I took part in one such mission myself. And something tells me that a changeling might be even more vulnerable to their mind-manipulation spells than a pony is.”
Twilight scowled. “Taking out small cells is fine and all, but apparently, they had foreknowledge of the attack on Canterlot and allowed it to happen.” Quiver’s eyes met hers as she declared, “They have to be held accountable for their crimes. They have to be taken down.”
“And they will.” Quiver smiled. “We know about them. And when we’re ready, we’ll drag their plots out of the shadows and into the light for good.”
Rainbow Dash grinned at the stallion’s declaration. “Okay, liking that confidence, but what makes you so sure that’ll happen?”
Quiver’s answer was short and simple. “Faith.”
-
The walk back to Sweet Apple Acres was mercifully uneventful. Applejack was glad for that, as she had a lot on her mind thanks to the day’s revelations. A part of her had wished they had ceased with what they had learned regarding the Pillars, but alas, it couldn’t be that simple.
Being part of a legacy that had been forgotten? A pleasant surprise. Made her feel just a little bit special. Finding out that there was some ancient conspiracy within Equestria’s government? Not at all a pleasant surprise. Finding out that operatives of said organization had messed with her head, and those of her immediate relatives? About as far from pleasant as anyone could get.
She finally entered the door to the farmhouse to find her relatives gathered around the dinner table. “Howdy Applejack!” Braeburn turned to greet her. “Ready fer mah last meal before Ah head back to Appleoosa?”
“Ah’ll join y’all in a minute. Gotta go freshen up.”
Granny Smith laughed. “Times where Ah think she’s spendin’ too much time ‘round Rarity. Applejack never used to be so fond’a bein’ clean.”
“Ah thought bein’ clean was a good thing,” Apple Bloom’s voice trailed as Applejack made her way into her bedroom and went to the photos on her wall. She gently took one off, then settled onto her bed with a wistful look on her face.
She sighed. Pictured was her immediate family, shortly after Apple Bloom’s birth and her return from her brief stay in Manehattan. Right in the middle were her mother and father, with their youngest child held tight in Buttercup’s forelimb. For years, she’d thought one thing about them. Now, she was forced to think differently.
“Momma, Daddy, there ain’t a day that goes by where we don’t miss ya. Where Ah don’t wish that you were here, to see Apple Bloom grow up, to just… to just be here.” She bowed her head. “When we lost you, Ah tried to take reassurance in knowin’ that there was a reason for it. The Maker had a plan, an’ all Ah was bein’ asked to do was have some faith, an’ Ah’d see the two’a y’all again when it was Mah time.” Anger crept into her voice. “But y’all didn’t die. Somethin’ else happened. The two’a y’all vanished, right in front of us, an’ it didn’t even take an hour fer them folks to come knockin’ on our door to mess with our heads. Mine, Granny’s, an’ Big Mac’s. Only two things’re givin’ me comfort in all’a this, that they didn’t mess with Apple Bloom’s head, and that the two’a y’all ain’t dead.” Her eyes narrowed. “At least, Ah hope ya ain’t. Either way, these sidewinders in SMILE done bit off far more’n they can chew. When the day comes, when me an’ mah friends’re able to drag their sorry plots inta the light, they’d better be prayin’ to the Maker, ‘cuz they ain’t gettin’ any mercy from me.”
As Applejack replaced the photo and joined her family, she knew that she wasn’t going to tell her immediate family about this. She couldn’t, not at this point. Keeping this secret from them would kill her if she had to do so for too long, however. For now, all she had to keep her sane was the knowledge that she could talk with somepony about it, and faith that one day, the rest of her family would know the truth.
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Wow. This was a busy chapter, for sure! Quite a major discovery - or in some ways, set of discoveries - throughout this installment of the story.
Dang. Well, the good news, is at any rate, Twilight and Quiver and company have a name to put to their adversary here. The BAD news, of course, being the sheer scope of the manipulation and infiltration going on here. That would be a daunting proposition for anybody to learn, let alone try to come terms with or even begin to face.
The meeting of SMILE's members was interesting, most interesting for sure. (I will admit, the mention of Apocalypse Logs had my brain flashing to the TV Tropes term "Apocalyptic Log". That's on me though. I'm curious to find out what these Logs they refer to are... to say nothing of the Apocalypse Stone that is also mentioned.) I really enjoyed the closing of that whole section. The bit with the portrait said a whole lot with so little words.
And that ending with Applejack was very nicely done. I really enjoyed both her dialogue and the narration / description of her thoughts throughout.
All told, very nice addition to my evening.
11622461
Yeah, there was a lot to be done in this chapter, some of which will be built upon sooner rather than later. Like I said, there's still an epilogue left to go.
Twilight, Quiver and the rest are definitely dealing with a double-edged sword. Yes, they're aware of SMILE, and yes, they have a daunting task ahead of them. They have a little bit in their favor, however - SMILE doesn't know that they know about SMILE. And sometimes, the little bits are what make the biggest differences.
A lot will be revealed with time in regards to the Apocalypse Logs, as well as the Apocalypse Stone. I will say, however, that they don't refer to anyone's death. And the two things are related.
And as for that bit with Applejack...yeah. There's a lot yet to come on that front, but wouldn't you be shaken if you found out that someone had been messing with your head and you'd been unknowingly living a lie?
Glad that you enjoyed. When the time comes, I've got a blog post all about what went into my depiction of SMILE. Can't wait to post it.
That was a good chapter. I wonder how deep the corruption of these SMILE ponies truly go's.
11622548
Just how much influence they have will be revealed with time. The short version, however, is far more than they should.
Ah, 'saving' the timeline one step at a time ... the Log/Stone should be Starswhirl's record of future history that SMILE's trying to stay aligned with though as time moves forward and with some changes already happening, there will be wilder (and more) off-swings to come. ('Course, freeing Starswhirl is still in this future, maybe) ...
11622596
Well...someone's barking up the right tree. Or at least in the right forest.
11622600
Hwy, them time cops gotta start somewhere or somewhen, right ??
11622631
Well, just don't assume that SMILE is in the right. As said in the story, a lot of things have been done in the name of the greater good, and very few of those things have genuinely been good. And any organization that meddles in memory manipulation or mind control, or even tries, should be treated with distrust and suspicion. Especially the real ones.
11622663
Since when to secret organizations and honesty go together, very large grains of salt are required when speaking about them (moreso when memory control is one attribute of their charter) ...
Of bucking course it's Starswirl
Seriously, that stallion has problems...
But at least they know. They know and they're planning on doing something about it. Bon Bon's with them now and they can hopefully keep an eye out for these high and mighty jerks. Hell hath no fury like an Angry Apple and I look forward to the chapter AJ kicks their keisters in.
Sounds like more's going on over in the human world too, though it makes me wonder... The Memory Stone is gone, but I still have hope that Wally will show up
And yay, Twist!
You're doing excellent work! Keep it up
11623996
Star Swirl, in canon, was very narrow-minded and convinced that he was right. He also made a great many mistakes, and felt confident that he was IN THE RIGHT. He was, however, very much IN THE WRONG and never really considered the consequences of his actions. Having SMILE consider him to be among their leadership was very much a happy accident as I wrote the story, but it felt so perfect. And it's just another thing that he's going to have to answer for someday.
And yes, Twilight and her immediate circle are now aware of SMILE. And even better, SMILE doesn't know that they've been exposed. And while it will be some time before they're able to cut out the cancer that SMILE has become, it will happen. And Applejack will have her metaphorical pound of flesh before everything is said and done.
A great deal is going on in the human world, yes. And just because the Memory Stone is gone doesn't mean that Wallflower Blush won't be showing up.
Just because the show was unable to do much with Twist doesn't mean that I can't bring her in every once in a while. And thank you. I fear that after the epilogue to this story I will be forced into a long hiatus, but I promise, I will emerge from it eventually.
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"HUGS"
If you ever need anything, we're all here to help.
11624432
I need luck in finding a new place to live, and less time taken up by my job.
11624438
"offers you MORE hugs"
🍀
Oh, dear...
If I was a pony, I would say "Sweet Celestia...", but only am I a human being, but Celestia is definitely looking less and less sweet with each new thing that comes to light about her. And the worst part is that it's applying not only to her pony princess self, but also to Principal Celestia. Even if the latter has it in a much lesser degree, I admit I can't help but be disappointed that she seems to be in on some shady stuff. While she never came across as perfect, given the mistakes she made in Wherever You Find Love (as she herself admitted in A Shimmering New Year), she always seemed much more unambiguously good. It's kind of sad to see that that's not necessarily true. Though at least with her we know that she does want to come clean. And that's quite the interesting reveal when we see who she talks to on the phone. I know it's not the first time she appears in the Quiververse if memory serves me right, but I'm surprised she's still around. I wonder what exactly will happen if (or more likely, when) she actually appears.
But not only I'm getting ahead of myself a bit, the reveal about Principal Celestia is relatively minor considering the borderline atomic explosions that went off with the reveals about SMILE. I knew from what I'd heard about the chapter books involving them (which I still haven't read, but plan to whn I can spare the time and the money) that they were anything but pleasant, but reading all of this, I can only say they're chillingly horrifying, to use a very mild term. I know Sunset said she doesn't know if they have influece in the human world (and it's possible they don't, or that what influence they have there is limited at best), but I can't help but kinda-sorta wonder if they've read Richard Condon or seen John Frankenheimer, because the stunt they've pulled with Bon Bon is right out of The Manchurian Candidate. Add to that what they may have done with the Changelings (if the speculation of them being more susceptible to SMILE magic is true), and the implied reveal about Applejack's parents at the end of the chapter, and they've become so scary that at this point I'd rank them among the top scariest villains in any MLP fanfic.
But at least a lot more about the crap they're pulling is out in the open. And we got quite a lot of reveals about their stunts, as well as reminders about some old ones. To quote a certain hippogriff:
Granted, having reveals about SMILE doesn't necessarily translate to being able to do something about them, especially if it's true they actually have some hold on Celestia and she isn't just excessively worried about Twilight and her friends being reckless and getting themselves killed. At least there I guess that's not entirely unreasonable, as while I don't think Twilight and her friends will be reckless, I worry they may still get themselves killed, or worse, that SMILE will try to hurt them through their beloved ones, like hurting Lyra and Bon Bon through Twist to give an obvious example. Granted, one may say they wouldn't hurt a filly, but considering they hired Bon Bon as a filly, and how devoted they are to "maintaining harmony", I honestly wouldn't put it past them. Then again, it's not as if letting SMILE work free is an option... so I guess it's all about baby steps at this stage in the game. And on a kind of side note, Lyra's interaction with Twist was adorable, and a really nice glimmer of light in this very gloomy chapter.
Though back to Celestia (even if kind of tangentially)... while I admit I'm seeing her in an ever worse and worse light as far as the Quiververse is concerned, I can't help but feel a bit bad for her, considering how devastated she'll likely be if she learns the truth about the connection between Star Swirl and SMILE, assuming that he actually is their founder and they didn't just retroactively adopt him as such. Granted, I wouldn't have put it past at least your Star Swirl to have founded SMILE, and it's true that SMILE deviated from its original purpose and individual ponies supposedly may still have enough agency to be responsible for their own actions (though even that is arguable considering Bon Bon's behavior)... but honestly, if there's more bad stuff to be revealed about him, part of me can't help but think it's better off if he either stays in Limbo or he ends up going to meet his maker like part of me thinks Primrose and her posse may do (though another part of me can't help but frown at myself for that view).
On a more immediate front, though, at least Twilight and her friends are aware of SMILE, and as dark as their world has become, that awareness is ultimately a good thing overall, even if it comes mixed with a lot of bad parts, to put it mildy. I can't say I look forward to what's to come per se, simply because of how I think it's not likely to be pleasant, but I'm definitely interested in what will happen next, as well as in seeing how this will be wrapped up for now, and in what sort of seeds may be planted in the future. And I'm definitely keeping my fingers tightly crossed for SMILE to have a very unpleasant end, preferrably sooner rather than later (though I acknowledge that later is the most likely outcome).
At the end of the day... I think this was a quite dark chapter, given all the subtextual implications and the generally foreboding nature of an organization like SMILE, but it was well done darkness, and the reveals not only made sense but were handled very well. And I do like how there were still glimmers of light here and there, most notably in Lyra's interactions with Twist and Bon Bon and Applejack's hope spot when it comes to two very special family members. And on a smaller, but still nice front, I do like the way you handled Pinkie's reaction to the SMILE/FROWN dichotomy. A bit unexpectedly subdued from her, but still true to character, and a nice way of showing that she can be serious when the time calls for it and there are limits to how funny she'll find something. I do hope she still doesn't lose her usual smiling self, but it's not bad that she can be serious.
Overall, another greatly done chapter. Kudos to you!
11625143
I'd hold off on casting final judgment on both Princess Celestia and Principal Celestia just yet. I haven't completely revealed everything regarding the former, and the latter very much wants to reveal the full truth to Sunset, but simply isn't able to due to poor circumstances. And as for Megan, you're right in that she's been mentioned before, but we haven't actually seen her. Yet.
The revelations regarding SMILE were meant to have wide-reaching ramifications. I admit that I've exaggerated a bit from their portrayal in the books, but the subtle hints that they consider themselves to be more important than the Mane Six as well as their methods for maintaining secrecy? Straight out of the text. What they did to Bon-Bon is very much out of the book you mentioned, however (though I will be the first to admit that my knowledge of it is strictly via pop culture osmosis). And I would stay tuned in regards to the revelations surrounding Applejack's parents - there's a lot more to that which remains to be revealed.
Continuity is definitely your friend and mine. And as for exactly what they got up to and when, well, I've got a very good idea of what plots in the series to this point were influenced by SMILE and what weren't. You can definitely expect a follow-up to that.
For the time being, the lives of Twilight as well as all of the other canon characters are very much safe. So far as SMILE is concerned, they have important roles that need to be played, and as long as they continue to play those roles, everything is fine. OCs such as Quiver, however, are another matter entirely. Regardless, Twilight and the others are going to have to play the long game to take SMILE out of the picture, a task which is much easier now that they at least know about their adversary.
Again, I ask that you hold off on ultimate judgment for Celestia. As for Star Swirl, clarifications will come in-story eventually, but as Bon-Bon put it in story, SMILE is the latest iteration in a long line of groups that served to protect Equestria from the shadows. Star Swirl was very much an influence upon the first such iteration of the organization that would become SMILE, and he will indeed be forced to own up to this (as well as his many other failings) once the time comes. And I can assure you, that time will come.
As stated, Twilight and her friends are aware of SMILE's existence now and how it's been festering in Equestria for some time. Knowledge of a threat or danger is the first step in dealing with said danger, and with time (and a little luck), SMILE will be extracted from Equestria like the cancer it is. As you've speculated, however, that will come later...though hopefully not too far down the road.
I can assure you that Pinkie won't lose her smile. Yeah, she knows that bad ponies are out there...but you can't stop bad stuff by being all mopey. You gotta have Hope, and Laughter and Hope go together very well. And speaking of Hope...Applejack might have a little bit of that too.
Thanks for your thoughts. Please stay tuned for the epilogue - what's coming up there might give you a glimpse of what's yet to come.
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Well... promising I mean this in a genuine and complimentary way, you do make a good case for both Celestias. I admit I should have been better at keeping in mind that talking is easy. Or maybe I'm just letting myself get a bit too cynical, which I probably should fight harder against...
At any rate, in light of what you said, I tone down my previous judgement, at least for the time being (and for whatever it's worth, unless either Celestia does something substantially worse later on, I likely won't reinstate it, so to speak).
And I get you. Being free from official ratings when it comes to writing fanfics for certain series gives a writer more freedom to stretch things to a certain point, and I don't think you portrayed them in any 'unbelievably extreme' manner, so to speak. And for what it's worth, I will admit that my own knowledge of The Manchurian Candidate is on the level of pop culture, although I do want to spare the time to both read the book and watch the movie someday.
Definitely interested in the follow-up on what SMILE was involved in... and well, I guess that's somewhat reassuring they won't just shoot anything that moves any way they don't like, so to speak. And also definitely interested in how things will go down with Star Swirl.
It's nice to know Pinkie won't lose her smile, and you're right about needing to have Hope. Looking forward to seeing how the hopeful fronts you mentioned will play out.
And looking forward also to the epilogue. :)
As always, wishing you the best of lucks on all fronts!