A Dwarfish Thief in Giant's Robes
I have to say that the interaction with the figure, who turned out to be Colonel Opwinden, did not go as I was expecting. Based on the prior evidence I had of the army (the whole being beaten aspect of the interactions), I was under the impression the entire military had turned on me, as had the entire populace.
So imagine my surprise when he greeted me by my correct title! Something interesting was going on here, and as I listened I was astonished at what I heard him say.
Not only did we have friends inside the military who opposed Gulfstream, the people still cared about us. The way Opwinden told the story they were annoyed about the fact we could not fly either and had covered it up (on reflection that was a rather severe public relations failure), the fact still stood that they ultimately still cared for us. And they didn't hugely like Gulfstream either, which was interesting. Apparently the recruitment drives he was running made him highly unpopular, as it turns out waging pointless wars against other powers is a reason for a leader to be disliked. Getting your own people killed is highly unpopular.
But who gave him the power to declare war? That power lies with Parliament alone! It simply wouldn't do to have an unelected head of state be able to declare wars in random locations without any sort of oversight from elected people, would it?
Based on what I had observed out of the window of our cell, propaganda against the other races was running on the big screens, seemingly nonstop. Those billboards were privately owned, so how had Gulfstream been able to take them over? He probably also didn't know that the boards didn't have any speakers and that most pegasi simply synced their phones to the existing broadcast running on the screen.
I was also stunned to learn that Opwinden was planning a counter revolution to restore some much needed sanity to this place and rescue us, but he wasn't quite ready to launch the revolution and overthrow the General.
I took this all in, absolutely stunned. What a stunning reversal of fortune! The General's actions had, somehow, turned our rock bottom reputation into the light of hope, as the people longed for a simpler time without dictatorial nutcases.
It does rather align with what is seen in the film. Just in case you'd forgotten, this world is a film where I was originally from. Something interesting to note in the franchise is that the Royal Family are reinstated offscreen, and later on in Bridlewood Zoom defends the Queen from Alphabittle's rudeness despite the fact she is supposed to be arresting her at that moment in time. Clearly the people have strong affection for her. And me, by logical extension.
So all we had to do was sit it out until he was ready to initiate his plan, and all would be good to go. I knew I had friends on the inside, and that brought me immesurable relief considering how often after a revolution a monarch's head ends up on the chopping block. Or riddled with bullet holes in a damp basement far from anywhere.
Suddenly, there was another voice down the corridor. "Colonel, I have a message from the General! He wants to speak to you immediately."
The Colonel nodded. "I'll be along shortly." He then looked back to us, and sighed. "Apologies in advance." He then shouted in a voice that would have given the Royal Pegasus Voice a run for its money. "STAY IN LINE MAGGOTS! This'll teach you to stand against us!"
Even though I knew he was acting, it still stung nontheless. He then walked away. "A special signal will let you know when we are ready."
Suddenly, I became aware of massed voices and hooves at the other end of the corridor, and knew something was coming. And that something could not be good based on my prior interactions of the last few hours. Speaking of hours, how and where were we meant to sleep? My back was killing me, and I somehow suspected sleeping on a concrete floor wasn't going to help at all. Ponies sleep on their backs around here, interestingly, rather than on their fronts as they did thousands of years ago.
"MAKE WAY FOR HIS EXCELLENCY, GENERAL GULFSTREAM, SAVIOUR OF PEGASUS KIND AND THE HAMMER OF THE FALSE QUEEN!"
I think I know where this is going now. I tried to look away as best I could, concerned about what I would see.
The sound of hoofs marching in perfect step thundered down the corridor as a troop formation pulled into view. Each was dressed in a dark green uniform, and had black boots as part of the uniform. Each also wore a darker coloured helmet and a black gas mask, which in turn was fitted with a pipe connected to a cylinder on their backs. Some sort of breathing equipment?
In amongst them was the man of the hour himself. Or stallion of the hour, I guess. General Gulfstream was at the centre, and I didn't think this possible but he somehow looked even crazier than normal. His uniform was now even more flashy than it had been before, covered in gold embellishments on top of the former green, and epaullets with golden metalwork. The cap had a new emblem into it, one that I didn't recognise. And his chest was covered in medals. My medals!
It seemed he'd helped himself to the stores and pilfered our things! The fiend! I can only hope he left the clothes alone, as the regalia is very valuable!
He then spoke, for the first time in a long time. "Greetings, Prisoners 03272023 and 05082023. I have to say, those jumpsuits suit you far better than the metal and fabric you plundered from the populace."
The irony of that sentence was seemingly lost on him, and when Zipp pointd this out he simply electrocuted her. I would have helped her up were it not for the fact I couldn't get over to her, and as a result watched, helpless, as he went about his vile design.
And his soldiers? They were part of a new plan of his to create a racially pure army, free of any trace of the other races. Again, the fact that the three races are pretty comprehensively interbred was rather lost on him, and as I looked at his forces, his soldiers looking back unblinking through the cold lights of their gas masks, I knew this was a group who had once been loyal to me. Or seemingly loyal to me.
How long had he been planning this for?
It was what he said next that had me most worried. "All I did was overthrow an unjust government. The populace won't stand for ponies like you, and with the ranks of our armies swelling we shall soon be able to finish the work that King Thundercloud started all those centuries ago."
I assumed Thundercloud was a previous king, and therefore a former ancestor of mine.
"What do you mean?" Zipp asked, saving me some breath.
"This state of cold war has made us complacent. What is the point of all this military equipment if you have no war to fight? Solders should be used for fighting, even if it means having to pull a few strings."
Even in peace a nation should maintain some form of standing army to defend itself. That was just common sense. What Gulfstream wanted was something more, though, something much, much worse. As I suspected, he planned on going to war.
"You're insane. You'll condemn us all to death! They may be our enemies, but a world war helps nopony!"
Having come from a world where the dominant species had a bad habit of constantly tearing itself apart over tiny things, I didn't want to see the same happen to this one. What if the conflict went nuclear and Equestria was reduced to a nightmarish hellscape populated by mutated creatures?
There would be no glorious end in the fires of battle. There would be no roaming across the wastes with a band of heroes by our side.
We would all succumb to needless, horrible deaths, and the living would envy the deceased.
Gulfstream, unfortunately, hadn't got the memo. "You foalish fool. War helps plenty of ponies. It weeds out the weak from the strong, the wheat from the chaff, the undesirable from the very best. Race war will allow us to exterminate the earth ponies and unicorns and establish a perfect pegasus utopia, the way it has always been! Faust is on our side, and will ensure our victory in this crusade!"
How had he disguised his madness so well? How had nopony spotted this?
How come I hadn't spotted this? I hadn't interacted with him a huge amount, but his insistence on ramping up the military after Sunny and Izzy arrived should have been a clue.
But he then leaned in and spoke once more. "Never you two fear. I have a plan. The final solution to the unicorn and earth pony problem."
When I heard those words, it felt as though my heart stopped beating.
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We are back for a little bit more.
Thanks very much for getting this next chapter up. REALLY liked the work going into the dialogue, characterizations and future chapter set-up. Naturally, given much of this was already covered in Phase Three of "Zipp's" story (just not from "Haven's" viewpoint), there isn't much I can actually say (though I do appreciate the understandable fear of a world war and "Haven" recalling the desire to NOT want to see things go that far in this world as it tends to in the human world) , but I AM looking forward to more of this.
great chapter mate keep it up cant wait for the next chapter
11801740
Oh... guess that's what I get for not watching it on max.
Bastard!
Let's hope he did.
Exactly!
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Once more, thanks for reading. I promise the next chapter will be more varied.
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Glad you enjoyed.
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No worries.
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1. Precisely. The irony of the situation is completely lost on him.
2. Indeed.
3. Truer words have never been spoken.
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True. I mean, yes, giving Hitler back one of his top officers would have been an EVEN WORSE idea, but a good compromise would have been to refuse the trade, but have some of his best soldiers pull a Rambo-style rescue mission behind enemy lines. So, yes, you make an EXCELLENT point.
The OTHER Man of Steel (you know who I mean) would have fought his way through any stuff the bad guys would have set up to save HIS son (or almost anybody else's son for that matter) even if he KNEW the bad guys had plenty of Kryptonite and red sun lamps.