Honesty
“If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.”
-Virgina Woolf
Flam shook his head, reaching up to rub his temples. It felt as if he had gone three rounds with Iron Will then smashed his head against a wall for an hour.
"Are you quite alright, brother?" Flim asked, glancing nervously over at his closest friend in the whole world and the only blood relative he really cared about. If he were honest with himself, he was worried about Flam. He had found him gathered around a bunch of other ponies, grumbling about the rebellion not showing Faith respect; their words had been rather… mutinous… and it had shocked Flim just how angry his brother had been with Twilight, Shining and the rest. It had taken him several minutes to convince his brother to take a walk with him, finally managing to play on Flam's pride in the airship and asking him to give him a tour of the wondrous invention.
"Quite fine, brother," Flam said, blinking his eyes. "I just feel a bit out of it... it has been a tiring few days and I am worried about Faith."
"Yes, Faith," Flim said neutrally. "I have been meaning to discuss him with you."
"Oh?" Flam asked.
"Yes... there are rumors he has declared himself your king. Is this true?"
"No, they are not," Flam stated. "We declared him our king."
Flim hid his frown. He didn't say it, but it concerned him that Flam would go along with declaring Faith a king. Not just because his brother had never held any real interest in serving another... they traveled on the road and were their own bosses for that exact reason. It went against Flam’s nature to want to tether himself to another. Work with Faith, yes… but make him his king?
No, what was more troublesome was that Flim knew from Twilight and Spike's stories that Faith would never want to be a king. Princess Celestia had confirmed as much, joking about how Faith had refused to be knighted because he found such a thing quite silly; it had been the first time such a thing had happened and thankfully Faith had left with Twilight before he could catch much flak from the noble elite. Flim had felt that Faith was much like him and his brother: a free spirit who desired not just the freedom of not being ruled but the freedom of not having to rule others. Heavy was the head that wore the crown and Faith clearly had enough weight pressing down on him. Friends were alright, even close friends that were more like family... but never subjects. Never slaves.
“Our King…” Flam groaned, leaning his head against the side of inner hull of The Abundance. "Though, now that I say the words... it just seems so silly. None of us ever discussed it, but when we saw that Twilight Sparkle insulting Faith it... it just burned me up so much. Faith did so much for us, saving us and leading us and-"
Flim grabbed his brother's face, twisting it towards him and staring him in the eye. "Don't blink."
"What?"
"Don't blink and answer me this question: how do you feel about me, right now?"
"Well...I... I think of you as my brother and my friend." Flam smiled. "My best friend and my loving brother. I would do anything for you; you must know that and I know you feel the same. You and I, thick as thieves and out against the world-"
Flim swallowed nervously. "Your eyes went gold."
"What?"
"Your eyes are gold," Flim repeated, it feeling like there was a pound of ice in his stomach. He watched as the gold flakes that had appeared in his brother's eyes flashed and flickered before going dark. "That... isn't good."
“What does it mean?”
“I have no idea, brother… but we need to find one of the alicorns, now.”
~MC~MC~MC~
Faith shifted, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness of the room. He felt constrained and restricted, fighting against something that held him in place. For a moment his fear won out and he began to thrash, trying to escape whatever prison he was now confined to.
"Relax," Honesty said softly, flicking on a light to reveal that they were still in the captain's cabin. Faith pained, his heart beating too fast for him to be annoyed at his childish actions. "I merely wanted you to get your rest... you were emotionally drained and needed a few minutes of sleep. You have not slept long, baby brother, but perhaps it is just enough."
Even though it was very comfy, having his brother there made Faith want to struggle against the comforter that had him wrapped up. He was over 2000 years old and despite how his brother made him feel like a foal he refused to act like one. He knew he was being coddled and it rubbed his silver hide the wrong way. Instead, he gingerly sat up, his wings flexing as he looked upon Honesty in his physical form.
The eldest of the elements of harmony was large, both in sense of size, scale and personality. His hide made him look as if he had been forged from superheated steel. His wings were made of the finest wood, polished to a fine sheen and carved so that every feather had microscopic detail. Deep roots dug from those woody feathered appendages, burrowing into his back. His dark hair was long and he wore it in a tight ponytail that all at once made him look both dashing and down to earth.
It was his persona that drew Faith in. Honesty was exactly how Faith remembered him: larger than life. Even whispering his voice rumbled and made Faith feel like he was caught in an earthquake. When he smiled it was like being out on the most pleasant of spring days. A frown, however, was to be caught in a winter storm. Of them all… only Honesty could truly make the cocky Faith feel small, like he was a foal once more.
It was so strange… until that moment Faith had never seen any of his siblings as anything more than shapeless things… actually he had never seen them at all. Abstracts had all sorts of wonderful senses living creates lacked, including the ability to sense each other. Abstracts, in their own plane (and even after all this time he still didn’t quite know what that plane was… the curse of being abandoned when he was basically a foal) held no physical form. One could sense and hear them, but there was no real form to see because there was nothing to see. They were shapeless things.
And yet… and yet when Faith had first taken form in Twilight’s house, he had known he wasn’t himself. The black coat and the shattered wings were grand but not fitting of him. It was only when he was reborn as Faith, his name and duties reclaimed, that he had looked upon his silver body and white mirror wings and known that this was HIM. Twilight and Spike had said the same thing, admitting that they found it so hard to think of his ‘Doubt’ form as being him, as his ‘Faith’ body just fit him so much better.
The same was true with Honesty. Everything just fit and worked. There was never a question in his mind that, looking at this alicorn stallion, this was his brother, the embodiment of honesty and truth.
"What... what are you doing here?" Faith said softly, swallowing.
Honesty sighed at the guarded tone his brother took. "I can't blame you for being distrustful; Creator knows I deserve it. I was a stubborn jackass and you suffered greatly for it." He paused, considering his words, knowing that the wrong thing could set Faith off. Faith, despite what some might think, did have a temper and he had proven himself willing to kill family. "And yet... had I took you back home things might have ended all the worse."
Faith rolled his shoulders. "I don't know about that..."
"Yes you do," Honesty said sternly, brokering no debate. "Just look at what Loyalty became." Faith winced at that and Honesty was quick to comfort him. "You do not believe it now but you did him a favor."
"I killed him... how can you think for a moment that is a good thing?" Faith asked bitterly.
"I do not think, I know. Had you not acted when you did Loyalty would have died anyway... and been reborn into some terrible new abstract. Think of all that he thought about you… that we, I am ashamed to say, thought of you. All of those things, such terrible lies now that I look upon you with clear eyes, would have come to pass for Loyalty. He would have fallen and he would have been darker and more wicked than you ever were. For all you did you kept your honor and worked to do just as much good as you did evil. The same would not have been true of Loyalty… we both know this. You prevented his fall and saved the life of another abstract."
Faith shook his head, feeling utterly miserable. "He could have been saved like I was!"
"Brother, end this self hatred. To be saved one has to want to be helped. Have you ever known our brother, even in the best of times, to ask for help?”
The silver abstract rolled his eyes at that. “If Loyalty was loyal to anything, it was his stubborn pride.”
“Though he would never admit to that,” Honesty stated. “No… Loyalty would have never backed down. He would have only kept going down that path, loyal to his ever darkening goals. You were different from him, baby brother… you were better than him.” His horn glowed and he pulled over some apples that had been left by Faith’s bed, cutting it up into neat little slices before he sent it floating towards Faith. The mirror alicorn scowled but did as he was silently commanded, taking a bit of the treat while his brother prepared another slice. “I think back at all the comments and beliefs we had about abstracts and I am so ashamed…”
Faith raised an eyebrow. “Ashamed, brother?”
“Yes, ashamed.” Honesty sighed. “And many other things. It is clear that we abstracts did not so much have one emotion as we chose to only focus on one while ignoring all others. Are you shocked to hear that? Not as shocked as when I realized it. It was like awakening from a dream to find that what I had thought was so pleasant was a nightmare. I sit here now and look back at who I was only a month ago and I hate it and I am happy because I know I will never be that stallion again.”
“How did you come to realize all of this, brother?” Faith asked. “What changed… why do you come to me like this, feeding me apple slices and treating me like a babe again?” He flexed his wings in agitation and Honesty hid a smirk; his brother’s tone reminded him so much of Faith’s first few months of existence, so moody and independent. “What made you go from tricking Applejack into becoming one of the queens to coming in here acting like my kind big brother?”
Honesty let out a sigh, the weight of his many, many years placed fully upon his shoulders. “What am I, brother?” Faith opened his mouth to speak, but the red abstract cut him off. “I am the truth… the honest truth. I am the cold, harsh reality of the world. I am the spark of legitimacy that drives away the falsehoods that hold others down. I tell the delusional that they must strive for things a bit… closer to home; I speak to those that believe themselves worthless and tell them that they can do so much more and can strive for so much more. Am I cruel? Of course… honesty can be very cruel in the wrong hands… but it can also be the most wonderful thing. Honesty can break spirits but it can also admit true love and friendship.” Honesty managed a smile. “I hope, as time goes on and I earn your trust, you and I will have a chance to work together; it is clear that we are more alike than I ever believed. Honesty and Faith are a powerful combination.”
“That does not answer my question, brother.”
“I am honesty given flesh. I see the truth… even in my own actions.” The ruby alicorn’s shoulders slumped. “But you deserve to hear it all… hear how I came to see the truth and the error of my ways… thanks to the Apple Family.”
~MC~MC~MC~
“Ok, ok, stop shoving!” Trixie complained. She had gone to get something to eat, having finally left Faith’s side only after he had told her to do so for seven times. She had stuck by him since the rebellion had arrived, fearing that the cruel words of Twilight Sparkle and the rest would break Faith’s heart and leave him a shell. She had already seen the damage that horrid purple alicorn had done and she refused to let Twilight do any more.
She did not notice the flecks of golden that shimmered in her eyes as she thought this.
But then, after her second cup of broth, Princess Luna had entered, her form restored and with it her powers, and instantly thrown her weight around by picking Trixie up and shoving her out the door. The blue mare had held her tongue, stopping herself from saying some of the nastier comments that begged to be spoken. That didn’t mean, of course, that she wasn’t going quiet.
“There, we have arrived,” Luna said, throwing the door open.
“And what was-“ Trixie froze when she saw Princess Celestia standing there with an equally annoyed Twilight.
“We need to talk about Faith,” Celestia said as Luna locked the door behind her.
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When it comes to the abstract race there are a few rules that I wanted to establish:
1) Their hides are metallic. This started with Faith having a silver flank, and then went to Loyalty and the rest.
2) Their wings, if they have them, are never simple feathers. They must be connected to who they are: Faith deflects and likes to hold mirrors up for others to see themselves, so he has mirror wings. Loyalty likes to control, so he has threads. Honesty is steadfast and it takes a great change to fell him... wooden wings.
3) Abstracts, when they gain physical form, are created by what those closest to them see them as. Doubt was seen as a twisted, dark, broken thing connected to Nightmare Moon... thus he was a black alicorn with shattered wings. Faith, on the other hand, is Twilight's view of what a knight is: noble, strong, with mirror white wings and a gray body. Loyalty took on a more athetlic build because of Rainbow Dash.
And Honesty would, of course, resemble the Apple Family... mostly Big Mac with some of AJ thrown in.
Also note that abstracts DON'T have to be alicorns... they only take that form because the first to gain a body, Doubt, was created to be one because of Twilight, Luna and Celestia. But if they had thought Pegasus or Earth pony, Doubt would have looked like that.
Welp trixie should definitely invest in some health insurance if she's going to be her usually lovable self next chapter.
Gah! Gold stuff. Need. an. Explanation. AHhhhh!
No Author comment? I was hoping for some more conformation or denial that Honesty is actually changed, but I guess it is up to us to decide if Honesty is being truthful or if he is so twisted that he has become Deceit. That and leave us in suspense over why Luna and Celestia are so annoyed at Faith, And was Twilight with the princesses there at the end, it was kind of vague. Oh wait, maybe they are annoyed because Faith seems to be turning ponies into his FAITHful subjects unconsciously.
He's alive!
2099899
Fixed, thanks. You don't realize how confusing it is to have so many characters with -y names.
2099882
They aren't annoyed about Faith. They are bringing Trixie and Twilight together to get them to realize they have BOTH hurt Faith. Celestia and Luna are being protective big sisters to Faith.
Somepony pick up that phone.....
CAUSE I FUCKING CALLED IT!
I was right, and i knew I was right, I just wanted to see it happen so bad haha!
Hmmm. So Loyalty isn't entirely dead or is it lingering magic... Either way something is going to have to crawl out of the void and take his place eventually.
2099955
Of course, we haven't see how baby abstracts come about (we know that there are baby abstracts, as Faith, when he helped Celestia and Luna defeat Discord, was one) and we also don't know what having a physical body means for the birth of a new Loyalty.
Oh shit, this is not going to end well.
Awesome chapter as well as the last one defender. So it seems that Honesty might be slowly coming on to the good side of this whole ordeal? If so, that would be great! And if Honesty is in a physical form, then that would mean that Applejack is not under his influence anymore right?
I would have to agree with Honesty on one thing: honesty and faith make an excellent combination (depending on the situation and circumstances that is).
This thing where people's eyes have golden flakes in them is bit troubling though. Loyalty might not be truly dead after all.
I also assume that hilarity is going to ensue with Twilight and Trixie in the same room. Considering how much they dislike each other, the results of this 'talk about Faith' should be quite interesting. Things shouldn't get too out of hand since Celestia and Luna are in the room with the two, but they are weakened so I don't know.
From last chapter, excellent job with Shinning's scolding towards Twilight. Overall, I thought Twilight was being irrational and that destroying Cloudsdale was the best thing to do. If they hadn't, you knows what Loyalty could have done.
To sum it up, nice chapters. I was wondering when you would post this today too. Your story releasing a new chapter every four days is one of the things I look forward to. Nice to review again, and keep up the great work man.
- Super-Brony12
P.S. I spotted an error:
I think that should say that Honesty sighed and not Loyalty.
The golden eyes is some sort of magical bleed through. I doubt it's from Faith though. Doesn't really sound like Doubt either, more and more, it seems to be some sort of feedback from Loyalty...
Good to see that the other abstracts aren't completely out of their gourd, though Honesty managing to break free of the lies makes sense. Being honest with himself would have to be integral to his character.
2099986
Correct: Once an abstract takes a physical form and leaves the body of another pony, they no longer have full influence over that pony. We saw that with Twilight (when Doubt wasn't in her ear all the time she was better able to listen to her friends), and Rainbow Dash.
Loyaly's magic I'm guessing.
2099851 indeed
Huh... I really thought I was going to hate Honesty. I'm kinda picturing his voice as a cross between Sean Connery and John Rhys-Davies. So far he doesn't seem too bad... so far... Hmmm... I'm really trying to read between the lines and see if Honesty is stating double meanings or saying one thing and meaning another but I can't seem to find anything... I'm holding my breath, this is a little too easy.
How did Honesty get in? Undetected even? Eh, whatever, it's not important, probably be explained next chapter, per usual.
Yeah, Loyalty was really showing some "Faith-to-Doubt" syndrome towards the end there. Friggin' characters using buzzwords to justify atrocities... Sorry, I really need to stop getting so worked up over characters like that. You just made Loyalty the epitome of everything I think makes a villain despicable, and that is by no means a bad thing.
I'm really running out of criticisms for this story. You deal with so many overpowered characters, yet you treat them with utmost care, you've perfected the art of cliffhanging, and this race you've created is very interesting. I think when FOB Equestria reviews this one, it'll get considerably a much higher score than the prequel. (That is, when you finish it...)
Hm so perhaps Honesty may have actually come to his senses. I suppose the question to ask is if he truley is ashamed of how Loyatly acted and wishes to restore things to the way they were. If not then he is not to be trusted.
If he can be trusted than I take it he'll have no trouble brining Applejack on board.
YAY!! go apple family values!
I think Honesty might become a ally in the end, but don't trust until he shows that he is definitely on Faith's side. While he might tell the truth, he does not always tell the whole truth. I have hope for him, but I doubt he is going to come over that easy.
Two stories in one day where I can post this?
weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/shit-just-got-real.jpg
This is madness! Or awesomeness!
Now in relation to the story, weird shit is happening and I'm interested in what is going on. Also more pony abuse in the future? I'm hoping so
Story, y u so deep?
Jesus. I don't... I don't know if I can handle all of the meaningness anymore.
Meaningness isn't a word, but it's the only thing I can describe this with.
Very interesting update chapter as it shows that Loyalty's magic still lingers in the minds of Faith's allies or am I thinking of Doubt's magic ?
I still can't trust Honesty, even if his words are true and honest, there's bound to be a catch in all of this, right ?
Still, keep up the good work on this story.
I have this weird feeling that honesty might be trying to sabatoge the members of the rebellion onboard the airship.
That or he might be trying to talk Faith into switching sides.
I could be wrong though.
The most awesome thing about this? It makes totally perfect sense: when you represent Honesty in all its harshness and with the bark still on, it's sort of hard to deceive yourself for long. I hope this is real. :)
Yeah, I still don't get how Shining's scolding of Twilight makes the slightest lick of sense and I suppose that I'll feel the same about whatever Celestia and Luna say to Twi next chapter.
2100594
Honesty can't lie, so he can't do that.
...and trickery is also out of the question.
Interesting to see how loyalty is still involved in this even after his death... and good 'ol Applejack.
Of all the elements to return I'd say she'd be the one I'd expect to xD 
Also I'm looking forward to seeing what Celestia, Luna, and Twi have to say
I'm siding with faith this is war but I will never back Trixie up that mate can burn in the depths of Tartarus for all eternity as far as I'm concerned
2100786
Now that kind of thinking can get you into trouble. You don't have to lie to mislead. And as long as Honesty is entirely truthful, he can "trick" faith by allowing him to draw his own conclusions.
I'm waiting for the hammer to fall. Honesty showing up like this and claiming to be the good guy now is too convenient. Something's not right with this picture.
Whenever I imagined Honesty speaking in this chapter, I kept it in my head that he was speaking with either the voice of Haytham Kenway, Thane Krios or a rather quiet BRIAN BLESSED. I can't decide which one would be the better voice for him. ...Maybe Martin Sheen, but only maybe.
I can say this: I like him. At least he's recognized what he's done and so far, signs are suggesting that he wants to redeem. So... yeah, great chapter this time.
i can see faith as liam neilson
I like Honesty... I didn't think I'd be able to say that about any of the abstracts.
Just finished Dead Space 3 and thought that this might be an a appropriate quote
"Good men mean well. We just don't always end up doing well." Isaac Clarke, Dead Space 3
2099926
I just hope this doesn't turn into another Rage on Twilight moment... like Shining did on her, what she needs is a hug and calming words on how this is war and there will be losses... Celestia, if you really care for her, that's what you will do
2101003 nah, i see honesty as him or morgan freeman. Faith is Tom Hardy according to the author. Loyalty i see as Kevin Spacey
2100786 Ahhh. but there is the loop-holes, such as "half-truths", "Don't ask, don't tell", ignoring certain parts of questions" ect.
OK, yeah... yeah. Mmhmm... right.
Nothing to say other than "continue doing what you're doing, because whatever it is, you're doing it right."
2100935
...you do have a point, but unless I am mistaken, Honesty discourages any kind of thinking that isn't brutally honest. And that includes sly truths, half-truths and trickery.
H...interesting. I'm going to love hearing what happened to Honesty, and what happens with Twilight and Trixie. I'm hoping the Princesses handle it better than Shining Armor did.
2102131
Shining Armor sucks as a brother...
2095352 ... I knew that...
Honesty isn't an emotion so what did he feel when he was on the plane?
2102520
I wouldn't quite go that far, but I think he has problems with pride and anger...
2100005
Ah, ic. I figured as much, but just wanted to make sure. Unless Honesty is saying half-truths, then I can see why Honesty would be the one abstract to see what him and all of his siblings are doing is wrong.
2102668
True, I can see that. He did, however, prove a good point. This is war, and the lives of thousands upon thousands of ponies is far important than whether or not a city that has stood for years remains. To sum it up, you can replace a city, but you can't replace the lives of ponies. I would have to agree with you on the fact that I think he could have done a better job explaining this to Twilight instead of yelling at her.
2101657
Loyalty is John Rhys Davies. Loyalty was Nathan Fillion
They're going to rape Trixie. We all know that.
2101657 whoops
i meant to put honesty actualy, my brain doesn't always process right.
Honesty is interesting, not really sure about him right now or what he plans to do. Looking forward to the talk between Twilight, Trixie, and the Princesses though.
2103279 yeah i dont know who that is so yeah.