13- Zeus
"The audacity! The nerve! The unmitigated gall!"
With an overhead slam, the metal target was cracked into seven pieces by God-Splitter. A moment later, I pulled over another target and was already swinging away. A stationary target was far from an adequate training partner but it was all I had. I couldn't exactly risk swinging God-Splitter at a changeling or pony, not when it would break any protective dueling enchantments.
"Phasma, please!" Bray pleaded from the sidelines of my training area. "We're now three hours behind schedule! You're going to buck up the entire week if you keep this up! Lacewing, please, talk some sense into our friend!"
Lacewing glanced at my aide, "You're barking up the wrong tree. If I cared enough to spar, I'd be in there, too."
"To think he even suggested pardoning the motherfucker!" I hissed, still spinning and swinging away, dodging imaginary attacks.
"Coxa, can you talk some sense into both of them?" Bray asked.
Coxa looked up from the book he was reading, "... I can try. Look, Phasma, Lace… Thorax is right. Sort of. We can't hold a retrial for Tarsus; we don't have anyone able to actually judge him. I would be all for locking him up and throwing away the key, but we can't. Not without compromising everything we've fought for."
"Bullshit," Lace said, voicing my thoughts.
However, just like me, she had no counterargument.
“Blinding him was too far,” I conceded. “If it wasn’t for that, everyone would have accepted his banishment without question. That was the poison that ruined the whole judgment… But ultimately, the military trial goes against the precedent I’ve been trying to create.”
'Would the drones actually care that I assassinate the traitor? I doubt it. Not at first, anyways. But this would be the first act of our united Hive… It could be a seam, a fault that could split the Hive in half a decade from now. The drones could just as easily wipe this from their collective memory and not give a single damn, but why should I take the risk? Damn it! The last thing I want is for that bastard to be causing me problems for years to come! I just want him dead! Gone! History! Instead, he might be a martyr for a cause which may or may not arise!'
I knew they had a point. I knew it instinctually, like how everyone older than a toddler knew that one day, they would die. No matter how much they raged against the inevitable, the end always came.
However, that line of thought merely reminded me of why I was here in the first place, as well as why I hated Tarsus so much.
"Never!" I yelled. "I'd rather die again than let that bastard go!"
Perfectly unbiased legality be damned, I was going to make sure that bastard paid the price. If it costs me a bit of my soul, then Panar take it.
"Oh mare," Bray sighed. "This is definitely some deep psychological stuff that's beyond what I'm capable of helping with. Phasma! I'm going to go get Princess Luna! Don't rush off! Or if you do, then rush off to complete all the stuff you've fallen behind on, okay?!"
I paused to catch my breath as Bray galloped off.
"It's not going to happen, Coxa," Lace insisted. "And quite frankly, the fact that you flipped so easily kinda pisses me off."
"As I said, I'd be all for locking him up if we had the chance," Coxa explained. "And we did. And we fucked it up. Thorax is right, we've put ourselves into a corner and the only way out that doesn't cause future problems is pardoning the traitor. Executing him or keeping him exiled might not cause any problems…. or it might cause a resurgence in Chrysalis loyalists, threatening another civil war."
"Do you really think the life of one drone matters that much?!" Lace mocked.
"It does to me," I grunted. "It certainly does to the ponies. It does to Thorax. If it eventually doesn't matter to the drones, then I've done something wrong. But I can't pardon him. I can't."
"None of us can judge him," Coxa started, "none of the lings can hide him, and certainly none of the ponies can be trusted to judge him. So…."
"We need a third option," Lace insisted. "We cannot pardon him, and if we cannot kill him, then we'll find another way to get rid of him."
"A third option," I agreed, chest heaving from the intense workout. An idea struck me and I turned God-Splitter over in my grip, "What if we had a judge? A neutral judge, uninvolved in any of this but still a changeling?"
"The war included every member of our species, Phasma, and every changeling owes fealty to you. Even if we found someling who didn't take part in the war, an Infiltrator perhaps, then we'd be back to them selling out Tarsus to save their own hides and pleasing you."
"But what if they didn't owe fealty to me? Or, at least, were autonomous enough to not fear judgment from disagreeing with me…"
"Just who the hell would that be?" Lace asked. "None of us four members of the First Fang can be unbiased. Pharynx doesn't care enough– but I bet that if he was pushed, he'd just pardon Tarsus for the same reason the other loyalists would. That just leaves… Chrysalis. We're not letting her out of that cell to judge her most loyal supporter!"
‘Pharynx would actually work quite well. I think he straight up doesn’t care enough about the situation to have a biased outcome. I’m sure he believes that because he’s a Prince, he’s untouchable. And he’s right to an extent; I can’t exactly argue with Panar herself about her choice in royals. But at the end of the day, I’m not looking for a solution that works, I’m looking for a solution that doesn’t work.’
"There is another," I told them. "A changeling royal uninvolved in any of this. One who wouldn't care either way and would judge fairly if we asked. I think."
"Who?" Coxa asked.
“The one whose soul has been cut in two.” I hefted God-Splitter above my head, "... And if it takes us a lifetime to finally get that royal back? Then I guess our little backstabber will just have to count the rest of his years in a cell."
The gathered leaders of our coalition sat with rapt attention as Captain Shining Armor continued his announcement on our current plans for the war against the Umbrum.
Present were the changeling leaders, consisting of myself, General Labrum, and Captain Katydid, the thestrals, consisting of Elder Vigilance and Lieutenant Sulfur Drip, and finally the ponies, consisting of the three alicorn Princesses, Captain Shining Armor, and a few select Lieutenants of the Royal Guard’s upper echelon. In addition, there were a few scribes and other assistants required for the meeting and those present, such as Celestia’s aide Raven and my aide Bray Call.
Captain Shining Armor sighed, “Which brings us to page four.” After waiting for all of us assembled to flip to that page, he continued, “With all things considered, I am motioning that we scale down the size of the Royal Guard. Our current numbers were inflated to deal with the invasion of our Kingdom, but with the changeling war now over, there is no reason to keep all the Royal Guards enlisted. Many can be discharged back to their families and lives. Overall, I expect to decrease the number of ponies-at-arms by about twenty percent.”
“You want to lose soldiers right before a war?” Elder Vigilance asked. “Are you serious?”
“Quite,” Shining returned. “Look at our expected deployments around Nisir and Shimmervale. There’re only so many guards that will be fighting the Umbrum forces. Even considering the fact that we will be holding several regiments in reserve to deal with potential breakouts, there’s still more Royal Guards than there is a need for.”
“What if the Nightmares prove too much for the reserve regiments?” General Labrum asked. “Or what if we fail to stop the Nightmares at Nisir and have to fall back?”
Celestia leaned forward, “Every single one of our aces will be deployed at Nisir. Every single alicorn. Every single royal. Every single one of our specialists and veterans. We will be holding the mountain and the surrounding valley with quite literally the best that this continent has to offer and then some. In addition, the spell that will keep the Umbrum largely contained has to be kept in Nisir, lest the spell unravel. If we cannot protect this changeling crown and its spell, if that proves not enough to hold King Sombra and the Umbrum at bay, then there is little point in trying to fight them elsewhere. This will be a fight for everything or nothing.”
Celestia’s revelation got a range of different reactions from the people present. The changelings were largely indifferent, having a lifetime of dramatic do-or-die situations under their belts.
The thestrals were somewhat agitated at the plan. From what I could pick out from the quiet conversation between their two leaders, Lieutenant Sulfur Drip and Elder Vigilance, they were not happy about being forced into a pitched battle with no withdrawal plan.
‘Quite an understandable reaction.’
Finally, the ponies were having mixed reactions. The Princesses, having made this decision with Shining, were calm. Their Lieutenants were surprised but were keeping their reactions limited to the fervent minor discussions they were having. The most upset at this was, interestingly enough, Bray Call.
“Phasma, what the buck are they talking about?” She whispered to me.
“They said they are standing down a portion of the Royal Guard,” I whispered back.
She glared at me, “Yes, thank you for repeating that. I definitely didn’t get that the first time. I’m asking why we don’t have a backup plan?!”
“Why don’t you ask them yourself? You have my full permission to voice any questions you have, Bray.”
The unicorn blinked, “... Oh. Thank you.” She turned to Shining, “Excuse me, Captain? I have a hard time believing that we won’t even try to stop them if they defeat us at Nisir. We can’t just be pinning our hopes on one victory and not prepare for the worst, right?”
“That is all we can do,” Luna interrupted. “If we were to lose at Nisir, then every single one of our fallen would be added to their possessed numbers. King Phasma has already given testimony to the fact that they can puppet corpses. A defeat as catastrophic as what you suggest would mean that our armies would be incapable of stopping the Nightmares-made-manifest. Simply put, they would have far too much momentum. The spell is what’s keeping them concentrated in one location. Without that, they could– and would– flood Equestria in a wave of… death.”
Shining picked up, “The alternative would be deploying all our remaining guards along the North, like what we did with the changelings. Problem is, without proper support from alicorns, royals, or thestral hunting squads, their capabilities against Umbrum will be limited. No, we have to concentrate all that we have in order to defeat them before they become too numerous to defeat.”
“We do plan on bettering our capabilities of fighting said foe,” Celestia added.
Luna nodded, “Of course. Captain Shining Armor, please tell our friends about our expansion plans.”
“While the main body of the Royal Guard is decreasing in size, the specialist divisions will be bolstering their numbers with new recruits. See page five,” Shining directed. “Since the number of soldiers that can engage the enemy will be limited, we will have to maximize the potential of each soul on the front line. We advise the Principality of Trotsylvania and the Fifth Hive do the same.”
“Which divisions will be increasing in size?” A pony lieutenant asked.
Cadance chimed in, “The pegasi specialists, The Wonderbolts, will double their roster. The unicorn mage orders will likewise be attempting to double their member count. Finally, the earth pony knight order, The Shields of Canterlot, will be tripling their size. The minor earth pony knight orders will be aiming for a fifty-percent increase in size.”
The ponies nodded along, approving of the decision.
“Finally,” Celestia said, “the S.M.I.L.E. division is being reinstated. All former members that have been investigated and cleared of any potential crimes against peace or changeling rights will be reinstated. Those still under investigation will be held until they face trial or are cleared of charges.”
“What about the one problematic agent?” I asked. “Daring Do?”
“Problematic?” Elder Vigilance repeated. “Didn’t she help save your life? What has happened since then?”
“Agent Do has had some strange… encounters with Division-P and has refused to answer some of Phasma’s questions,” Luna explained. “However, she was cleared by Celestia herself.”
“And will be returning to active duty as soon as she is able,” Celestia finished.
‘Figures.’
“Then we’ll have to discuss the tribunals for the members sooner rather than later,” I sighed.
“Any other questions?” Shining Armor asked.
Twelve different hooves raised. Feeling left out, I raised one of my own.
“This is long overdue,” Lacewing muttered.
“I know, I know,” I said. “I’ve just been busy dealing with the upper echelon– it’s not like Chrysalis spoke to many drones outside of the upper command for the Fourth Hive, anyways.”
Lace nodded, “That’s a fair point. Still, at least she lived with her drones.”
“You think that given the chance, she wouldn’t all-but-abandon the Hive and cling to a source of pure love, content with the knowledge that the Hive will be perfectly fine?”
“You know what, that’s on me,” Lace shook her head. “I tried to compare you to Chrysalis. I shouldn’t have set the bar so low.”
We arrived at our destination shortly after. Setting down on the entrance plaza, about fifty different lings dropped into a bow when my arrival was announced. Chisels, boxes of supplies of all different kinds, hammers, and many other workers’ tools clattered to the ground as they bowed deeply before us.
These drones were working on decorating the entrance to the Crystal Caves. With chisel and hammer, they were carving into the rock an entrance worthy of a subterranean kingdom, set in the gleaming jewel of the world. The work was only just beginning, but a massive section of the mountain had been marked off and the area divided up into quadrants for carving. Two massive changeling statues, half-carved out from the stone wall, would stand sentry on either side of the entrance. Between them– and including on the frame around them– various carvings of vines, angular lattices, crystal sconces, and small depictions of scenes were being planned.
Several nobles had originally thrown a fit at the idea of changelings marking up their oh-so-beautiful mountain, but merely showing them the planned designs did away with those concerns. As troublesome as they could be, having an entire façade of art and statues, four hundred square hooves large and carved into the mountain right by their homes would do wonders to raise property values.
‘As usual, the way to their hearts is through money. No love for art to be adored by all…’
The group of six Red Right Hoof guards at the opened doors were the only lings to remain standing, instead banging their spears on the ground and saluting me.
“Arise, my drones,” I called out. “You are all doing magnificent work.”
“I’ll say,” Lace cooed. “Progress this week has been quite rapid.”
“Did you design the grand entrance yourself?”
She kicked a pebble across the stone tiles, “I may have had a hoof in the matter. But no, this was the collective work of many changelings. I just had the pleasure of herding these cats and trying to get some semblance of planning and greater motif from them. Though, I will admit, the doors are my own personal project. I just need to find the damn time…”
I glanced at the pair of large stone doors that marked the entrance to the changelings’ territory.
“They seem completely blank to me,” I said.
“No shit, that’s because we’re still forging them out of metal and preparing the gem inlays. I’ll tell you all about them later,” Lace smiled.
“Oh. That sounds… like it’ll be a spectacle to behold,” I blinked in surprise. “We’re really going in on the theme of being wealthy, huh?”
Lace laughed, “Need I remind you that the throne room’s doors in the Fourth Hive were similarly covered from floor to ceiling in carvings? I spent so many free hours just staring at those two…. But sadly, all my free time is now taken up by getting the Infiltrators back in order. The ones still acting as spies, at least. Not to mention handling all the Division-P nonsense… Now stop stalling and get a move on!”
Nodding, we passed through the grand doorways of the nascent changeling hold.
‘The final product will be something that could make a dwarf weep if Lace has anything to say about it. Oh Panar, this is so exciting!’
The main hall to the Crystal Caves had been widened out and smoothed over. There were plans to try to add some sort of minecart system capable of going up and down vertical and slanted surfaces, but those had been put far into the backburner. Likewise, the hall itself was practically empty of any sort of decoration save for the equally-spaced-out gem sconces that kept the place lit.
Down and down into the deep we went, the hall slowly spiraling as it descended downwards. We passed many changelings along the way. Some carried boxes. Others hauled carts full of goods. Everyone smiled when they saw us coming and stopped in place to bow. I quickly gave up asking them all to rise, merely resorting to smiling and waving as we passed.
The natural Crystal Caves were all located around what will be the third level of the Hive, with its entrances located nowhere near this part of the city.
“Remarkable what we can accomplish in just a few weeks,” Lace said in passing. “Then again, when our entire workforce no longer has to maintain that massive crumbling pile of resin and had double the rations we used to, everyling is more than happy to pull their weight.”
“Let’s just hope Thorax can stabilize the food situation before we fall back to starvation rations,” I muttered.
We emerged into the Grand Hall after a minute or two of descending. Unlike the First and Third Hives, it had been decided not to carve out one massive cavern to house the entire changeling kingdom. Instead, the Crystal Caves had been divided up into layers, then further into quadrants, then finally, rooms. The first room also happened to be one of the biggest.
It was an extremely spacious cavern, with the walls still being extended further out, shaped roughly as a half-dome. It was the room furthest along in being finished, with countless other halls branching out from the sides of the cavern. Areas all around the room had been cleared away and replaced with planters, stalls, and even a hoofful of dirt patches being seeded with grass. A massive circular sun lamp was still being installed in the very apex of the cavern, capable of lighting the entire room and providing the magical light needed to grow plants down here. A team of unicorns had been hired to invent a sort of magnifier to softly focus the light downwards and outwards. Until it was turned out, the entire cavern was being lit up with glow-moss and enchanted crystals.
The faux-sun was a far cry from what the First and Third Hives boasted, but it was all that was needed for these much smaller central chambers.
Directly beneath our own version of the manufactured sun, a massive hole had been carved into the center of the room, leading to the next layers below– which were still being excavated. The central chambers below would be cylindrical in shape, all connected via this open-air central corridor.
Changelings could fly, after all.
Carts full of crystal and stone were being carted out past us and to several other minor entrances. Changelings flew back and forth, carrying tools, boxes, scrolls, and everything in between as they worked furiously to carve the Hive into the crystals.
As we stepped into the room, the workflow ground to a halt.
"My King!" One changeling called out before bowing, starting a flood of greetings.
"My King!"
"King Phasma!"
"Saint Phasma!"
"My King!"
I smiled, "Arise, changelings! I see you've all been hard at work! This Hive is shaping up quickly into something to be proud of!”
The lings cheered as I struggled with thinking of what to talk to them about. A crowd quickly formed around Lacewing and I.
“I’m sorry for not dropping by sooner,” I said. “I’ve been quite busy, and… to be honest, I’ll use any excuse to stay next to Princess Luna. I’m sure you all know about Love, both how great and addicting it is, as well as how important it is to gather.”
Several lings chuckled while most nodded and grinned.
"But I'm here now! I'll be stopping by more often now that the Hive Eternal is whole again."
'And all the elements of the Fourth Hive's leadership have been integrated or released of duty…'
"My King, do you plan on holding meetings like you did with the Lodges?" One changeling asked.
I blinked, "... I am now. That's a great idea! I'll set up something like a weekly discussion with whoever can attend and try to answer questions or help out where I can. I imagine those little town halls would be quite a bit busier than our old Lodge meetings…"
"We still hold those," another changeling shrugged. "Just, you know, without you, Saint Phasma."
"Good. Keep up with the Lodges. Though their primary purpose is no longer needed, having some kind of forum for everyling to talk equally is very important."
A changeling raised their hoof, "My King, are you holding one of those meetings right now?"
I glanced at Lace, "Is there a chamber big enough for that?"
Lace nodded, "One of the secondary gathering chambers is dug out on this main floor. Not furnished, mind you, but it's open for use. It's like a park."
"To the desolate park!" I cheered, parting a hole in the crowd as I walked.
"It's that way, Phas," Lace said, pointing in another direction.
"To the desolate park!" I repeated, spinning on my hooves to head to the new direction. "Those of you without time-sensitive duties are invited to attend."
Many changelings followed as Lace guided me through the Crystal Caves. The rather plain-looking crystal walls of the tunnel had been decorated with lines of glowing moss in the upper corners. We passed by a hoofful of changelings that were busy seeding more moss, carving more channels for it to grow, or installing the odd crystal torch.
Lace's park was even more bare than she made it out to be. Workers had cut out most of the rounded chamber's floor, leaving a four-hoof deep indent that left walkways and small plazas sticking up. These open areas would eventually be filled with dirt before being seeded with plants. Taking up position on top of one of these small crystal outcroppings, I looked out over the quickly-growing crowd.
Much to my surprise, a pair of familiar faces heralded the arrival of a large group of changelings. Broodnurses Psocid and Lethocerus led a group of other drones into the chamber with a Swarm of nymphs at their heels. The little changelings skipped and hovered as they excitedly pranced into the room behind their clutch leaders. A few playfully tackled or chased each other, but all roughhousing came to an end when the nymphs saw me.
The drones made room for the nymphs and their minders, letting the little ones up to the front. They galloped forward past the clutch leaders and two brood nurses, almost climbing over each other as they gathered right beneath my hooves.
"King Phasma!"
"There he is!"
"The big cheese! He doesn't have any cheese holes, though."
"Mr. King, do you remember me?!" A nymph waved.
"Ahem," Broodnurse Psocid cleared her throat. "Order yourselves, drones of the Fifth Hive!"
At her command, the little nymphs quickly sat themselves in an orderly square pattern- though a few still climbed over their neighbors to get to their assigned spots.
"You're all quite lucky that our new King is much more forgiving than the old Queen!" Broodnurse Lethocerus admonished.
Psocid bowed, "Apologies, My King. The moment we heard that you were in the Hive, your hatchmates practically vibrated with excitement."
"Hatchmates?" I repeated quietly. "You mean…"
"These were the neighboring eggs that you helped hatch, My King," Psocid confirmed. "While you might not remember them, I assure you that your brief presence left quite the impression."
"They certainly are dedicated to you, My King," one of the adult clutch leaders chuckled.
"Oh," I whispered. "Well. I, uh…. It's great to see all of you. I certainly remember you all as fellow larva. It was a… confusing time for me."
One of the nymphs elbowed her neighbor, "See, I told you he remembered me!"
'Are one-year-olds supposed to be able to speak this well? I'll have to ask later.'
"Well you all came at a great time," I said, redirecting the conversation. "I was just about to answer the questions anyone had here. At least, for an hour or two. I assume you all have some questions, too?"
Tiny hooves shot into the air, the nymphs attached to them struggling to stay seated.
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The kids can talk? I wonder, is that normal for changelings, or was Phasma's sheer presence enough to give them a boost in intelligence through the Weave? If the latter, that's pretty neat.
Also
I normally don't like kids too much but this is adorable.
Tarsus is a traitor whose actions directly lead to a great many changelings losing their lives. He deserves to be executed. Simple as that.
I quite liked Thorax in the show, but I find his pretentious, morally superior, holier-than-thou attitude to be utterly insufferable in this story.
The big cheese will become grilled if he screws this all up…
11473784
it will be funny if these ones take after phas for some reason. imagine the higinks
11473791
Agreed, I loathe thorax in this story, his attitude bears too much similarity to the naïveté of the ponies, tarsus deserves pardoning my ceramite plated ass
11473812
Considering the fact that theyliterally call him Cheese legs, i can say with confidence that they have taken a lot from him.
11473812
Pure gold at its finest!
Time for the mandatory two minutes of Tarsus hate again!
11473872
I'm trying to wrap it up as quickly as I can. Let's just get with the abandoning-of-modern-morals and get it over with quick.
Nice to get away from the Tarsus talk. Although I guess I’ll add my obligatory thought about him: Nice idea by Phasma to possibly revive Proncho, however that happens will certainly be very exciting. Having her as a neutral judge for Tarsus might be the best option. Again though, the real question is if they can revive her in the first place.
Phasma’s hatch mates are here! And now we finally get to see the precious nymphs, I guess the question for the hive now is getting themselves in a stable enough situation where they can start having families (for the first time in their recorded history may I add) Looking forward to that arc, and all the fun drama that will bring!
regardless if it is retrial or pardon; pot meet kettle
I propose both of these options will make the current Administration look like it cannot stand behind its own decisions
did not see that third option coming.... Best of luck
11473887
you kind of wrote yourself into a corner but you seem to have found a way out
let him be judged
Tough chapter start with deep topics.
The wholesome chapter end was very welcome!
Increasing specialized Soldier is well planned, but decrease in Soldiers numbers? I have to object to this. There will be a shortage in Navy crews and the bombardment of the Umbra forces before the battle hits the fontlines will continue until after it was hit the fontlines, just towards the end of formations.
I guess a mix out of D-Day and Matrix last stand in Zion. Suppression Fire!
Soldiers not directly planned to fight do to place restrains still can serve recovery efforts.
To know there are soldier recovering wounded and exhausted troops would be a major moral booster!
Down and down into the deep, Lace knows what we’ll find beneath!
If the Nymphs have Phasmatodea humor, than things will be very entertaining. All about this level of sass and badass lines!
Oh, more than the children have questions.
Misses Weasley has a question, even though you already answered it: “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! Being out like that! Oh hi Harry. You could have gotten yourselves caught! Or even worse, killed!”
11473784
Then perhaps there would be benefit to some sort of ceremony where the newborns are sat in front of the king for a day. However that turns out…
11473791
The like to dislike ratio on my comment is looking spicy. Didn't realize that I had such a hot take on Tarsus and Thoranx.
Your first act as a reconstructed AI will be to judge a traitor. No pressure!
Realistically, sure, putting all the eggs in one basket is the only usable option, that that doesn't preclude from making those eggs be as versatile and adaptive as possible.
Having Phas visit the hive is a long overdue boost to morale. Hope it bears much fruit.
The worst cliffhanger yet!
I am starting to think that phasma beeing an Isekai is pointless. Dude you are planning a war against demons it might me a good idea to start talking about how 'horrible' humans are and how great we are at being horrible. "Hey guys do you know what a cannon is? You do! Did you know we could make a handheld, automatic version" "Hey guys did you know it is possible to split atoms of certain metals causing a chain reaction and a biiiig explosion? You don't know what an atom is? Well now that you do could we apply a bit of M A G I C and make a nuke"
11473791
Even forgetting that Tarsus is a scumbag he should have still been executed because he is a general with a grudge against the current leadership, that's it. The reason Tarsus HAS to die is because he could restart the civil war and it is phasmas duty to ensure there is no civil war. Blinding him and expelling him was perhaps THE worst idea phasma has had ever even worse than pardoning him.
11474113
Because talking about human weapons is easy, implementing them is a whole other story. Neither Equestria nor the Fifth Hive have the industrial base, infrastructure or knowledge to do this. And frankly, the whole "haha nuke go brrr, aren't you ponies horrified" schtick is an incredibly boring and overused HIE cliché - nevermind the fact that fics featuring it rarely ever bother adressing the inevitable, well-documented consequences of radiation or nuclear proliferation that follow.
11473791
The Tarsus arc was a mistake IMO. I felt it dragged on for too long and only managed to divide the readers into starting a flame war in the comments. I'll give the author credit for letting it segue into potentially reviving princess Procho though, it seems much more intriguing. I'm relieved we're finally getting into the meat of the story.
11474061 Well let's think about what would have happened if Tarsus wasn't a traitor. Say Phasma successfully killed Chrysalis with the help of his loyal changelings. They'd still have to face down Chrysalis's loyalists and a nightmare possessed Celestia.
In hindsight, Tarsus's betrayal saved his life, and by extension the lives of their species. With 2 changeling royals dead, the rest of them would have been hunted to extinction, and the Nightmares, Umbrum, and Sombra would have little difficulty in subjugating the rest of Equis
Don't get me wrong, I hate the guy, but I don't think he deserves death. This show has taught us for the longest time, that tolerance, understanding and fairness are the solutions to life. Would it not be more prudent to allow both Tarsus and the other loyalist to see that there was always a better path. That peace led to their people never needing to ration, steal or kill.
Please tell me, what good comes from killing the opposition, when they will never know that their actions were wrong to begin with. Those aren't the decisions of a saint, but a dictator.
Thank you for reading my ted talk. I will now remove my soap box and take a seat.
11474166
Peace, tolerance and friendship might work in the show's cartoon logic, but in regards to these more serious fics that portray darker issues like torture and genocide that reflect the world that WE live in, then that "friendship is the solution to all of life's problems" doesn't hold up to scrutiny.
True rulership is a dirty business and trying to "stay true to one's own morals" and "setting the right example" is only going to get yourself and the people that you love hurt.
Tarsus is a threat. He is a threat to Phasma. He is a threat to his loved ones. He is a threat to the hive. If all that they are going to do is stand on top their unassailable tower of moral absolutism and do nothing to address the threat. Then it is going to end in tragedy.
To answer your final question. In war you kill your opposition so that they don't fuck you over later. Phasma CANNOT afford loose ends that could bite him later, not when the stakes are so high and the peace is so fragile.
Nice
You uploaded while I was at work. How dare you
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Having knowledge that something works and how it can be used is almost as valuable as knowing how it works. Gunpowder was invented in china where it was used mainly for fireworks. The first steam engine was a toy build in ancient Greece. Phasma has money, power and access to equestrian mages and inventors. Gather a team, give them an idea and throw money at them.
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That's something Phasma has always wanted to do, the changelings simply have other priorities right now (like building the Hive).
Cute little 'lings is what Phas needs after all this mess
The changeligns dig diggy holes
Diggy Diggy HOles
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That is definitely not true. Millions of people use a smartphone every day, but that doesn't mean the average joe knows how to build all the necessary components and assemble one on their own from scratch. Actual in-depth knowledge on a subject will always be several times more valuable than surface-level understanding.
Anyone can be an "ideas guy." Actually transforming said idea into a tangible result is an entirely different matter. Ask any professional a question about their field that starts with "why can't you simply do ___?" and your answer will likely be some variation of "it's not actually that simple."
Can Phasma give the ponies a few tips on how to invent a gun? They know how to make fireworks (and Pinkie's party cannon), so cobbling together a working arquebus or even a musket before the Umbrum invade might be feasible. Can they mass produce these guns and ammunition, and train entire battalions in their use in that same time frame? Unlikely. Modern firearms with smokeless powder, brass casings, barrel rifling, precision machining and replaceable parts? Not a chance. Don't even get me started on the nuke.
Innovation takes years of experimenting, hard work and a little luck. You can't just throw money at the problem to resolve it.
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Magic could possibly help a ton with a fusion power
I enjoy Thorax in this story, he's needed to keep Phasmas morals in check and make sure he doesn't go down the same route Chrysalis did. At least that's my personal stance on him.
Good chapter! I hope we get to see the q&a time
Wow... I had almost forgotten that phasemodia was only a little over a year old. Finally reunited with his hatchmates!
Why is Luna holding a price ruperts drop full of magic in the cover art?
The utter chutzpah!
Reference to How the Grinch Stole Christmas?
You know at this point I'm just wondering what would Tarsus do with the pardon, would it matter to him at this point? Because I don't think he would come in for healing after the assassination attempt.
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As I've mentioned before, fictional politics is still politics.
Phasma hasn't suggested a doomsday weapon backup plan? If all else fair, set off the magical equivalent of a nuke to destroy everyone and everything at Nsir? Buy the rest of the world some time? That is what jumped to mind for me anyway.
Good chapter, and nice that Phasma is spending time with his people.
Honestly, Thorax is such a sanctimonious lil bitch, who undermined Phasma at every turn because he wants to ingratiate himself to ponies.
He was the one who spilled the beans to AJ and Fluttershy about what happened to Tarsus, leading to the spoilt birthday party. He took his moralistic jabbering to Phasma right afterwards when Phasma was emotionally fraught and pushed him into a rash decision.
He then proceeds to have a self-righteous hissy fit and guilts Phasma into pardoning Tarsus despite being part of the group who handed down his verdict. Every action he's taken so far has been to assuage his guilty conscience
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This is actually a very good idea.
“If all else fails, if we go down, we’re taking these scum with us.”
oh now i just suspect the nymphs to ask silly questions and the like due to be really hyped
It should be or here.
Oh my gosh the little nymphs are ADORABLE!!! I hope we get to read some of their silly questions for Phasma. <3 <3
Picked up this story and couldn't stop reading it. Patiently awaiting it's next update. :)
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I come to see the new chapter I was notified of and see this comment labeled "1 hour ago". Totakeke is some kind of wizard, I swear.
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It's time Phas teach the citizens of Equus how to split atoms.
Aww, I wish to see some more of the impromptu lodge meeting with the nymphs.
so cute.
That ending was so darn cute.
Luna getting snuggeld into submission would be awesome. Maybe we can do it to Discord to?
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Adorable and smart, Phasmas siblings are diabolical levels of cute ♡
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Pretty sure we all fall in love with the little ones ♡
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Phasma Masterplan will have a snuggelbug invasion. Victory through cuteness ♡
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I wonder if we can have Luna in a snuggly bugpile with them ♡
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Because the adorable Nymph army plans to snuggelbug invasion is still not mentioned?