The Fatalist
"This is utterly dishonorable," Dumah grumbled, gritting his teeth as he hunched over a table far too small for his size. His claws worked slow and methodically, folding light blue squares of paper into the shapes of ponies, and light purple squares into little hats and capes. Once folded, he put them together, and put the little figure to the side, next to a small collection of identical copies, and started a new one. He stopped for a moment, eyeing the bright blue pony that had a dark crimson magical aura with pure contempt. The one receiving such a murderous glare had been far too busy to notice, however. While levitating Applejack in the air, she tickled her relentlessly with lengthy feathers, before violently slamming her body into hard wood buckets of apples. She then turned her sights to a mouthless Pinkie. With a flare of her horn, the red aura emerged again, and surrounded the helpless pink pony. Suddenly, she began to dance, changing styles erratically, before spinning off wildly away and out the door. There was a small crash heard in the distance only the vampire managed to notice. "Absolutely disgusting."
Rarity sighed with a slight whine as Fluttershy and the cyan coated pegasus with a rainbow colored mane grabbed the tapestry she was working on by order of their ruthless usurper, and flew off to hang it in a designated location. "I know, Dumah dear, I know. Trixie's cruel magic is just ruining Ponyvi-AAHH!" she squealed sharply as the needle she held in her magic jabbed at her hoof under the new cloth she was stitching. Nursing the wound, she whimpered pathetically and looked to Dumah.
"I would help, but as you've already explained, if the glass dome over this town shatters, it could put the lot of you in danger."
She whimpered again, "I just wish there was a way we could get around this terrible, terrible situation."
Dumah then gave a small, almost malevolent grin, "I could... break one of my rules... and help myself to-"
"No!" Rarity protested, "I would rather these situations be solved without a funeral on our hooves." She scowled at him seriously, but then softened her harsh gaze when she realized the grin shifted from a villain's to a joker's. "You really need to work on your humor, darling."
"I'm afraid, dear maiden, comedy dies at my tongue... among other things," he said, letting free a small, dark chuckle.
"HEY!" the blue unicorn shouted from the other end of the room, "Enough chit-chatting, and get back to work! The Great and Powerful Trixie needs those banners to be hung at every post around this miserable little town by sundown! And you!" She pointed to Dumah. "You should have had four times as many figurines by now! Pick up the pace before Trixie turns you into a shrinking violet and puts you out in the sun!"
Dumah glared at their oppressor once again. "I have already told you, little creature, this kind of work does not conform well with my hands." He raised his claws to eye level. "At the very least, I can work with metal at a quick pace, NOT fabric or parchment! If you want your tacky, miniature effigies, ask another that is more dexterous."
Trixie huffed indignantly, flared her horn for a moment, ready to make good on her threat when a thought crossed her mind. The crimson aura around her horn died down as her arrogant smirk grew wide. "Alright," she said in a smug, condescending tone, "The Great and Powerful Trixie then tasks you to collect ALL of the metal around town and fashion a grand statue of moi!" Upon the request, she struck a pose and flipped her mane to the side, trying to look as chic as possible. Dumah only rolled his eyes as Trixie continued, "And, if you do not do this task, Trixie will shrink you to the size of an ant, put you in a glass jar, and have a magnifying glass placed above it. Sound fair?"
Dumah gritted his teeth as he looked back to Rarity, whom gave him a worried look, before he turned his attention back to the would-be tyrant. He huffed, then rose up from his seat, and proceeded out of the town hall building. Rarity watched him leave for a moment or two, before Trixie summoned a whip and cracked it in her general direction, kicking her out of her trance of worry for the old king.
Trixie then wandered away to bark further orders to Fluttershy, whom had done nothing but cower above the irritated stage performer. Sighing once again at the disparity her friends were going through, Rarity turned back to the tacky banner she was forced to make and continued stitching. Then, a friendly voice approached while she tried to push herself into her work.
"Y'alright there, sugarcube?" Applejack asked in concern.
Rarity turned to her friend with a small smile that died upon remembering what she witnessed Trixie do to her. Sitting in place, her scrutinizing eye looked her over a bit, checking for marks or blemishes.
Applejack chuckled a little, knowing what her friend was doing. "Don't you worry none about what happened to me. Ah've taken harder falls before now. No matter what kinda power she has, Trixie ain't gonna bruise this apple." She finished with a chuckle, and a slight wince. "Though, to tell yeh the truth, one of those baskets might have clipped mah side a bit."
"I'll be sure to get you some ice after 'Oh Great and Powerful Trixie' lets us leave," Rarity promised as she continued to sew, slower than normal.
"Thanks," Applejack replied with a smile, before asking again, "So, y'alright there? You've stuck yer hoof a few times today, and ah'm a might worried about you. You don't do that often when yer normally workin'."
"You of all ponies should know why I don't 'stick my hoof' when I'm actually interested in what I'm working ooOAAAHHN!" She suddenly wrenched her hoof back out from under the fabric after jabbing it yet again. She gazed at her wound with a whimper before she looked back to the flag and gave another frown. Swallowing the pain and returning to her work, she continued, "So far, elation for my craft and skills has given way to increased and persistent disgust. It would be like if you were suddenly forced to farm BANANAS instead of apples."
Applejack shuddered, but sighed and smiled, putting on a brave face for her friend. "Ah guess so." Silence prevailed the air for a moment before she remembered something, "Oh, that's right! Ah've been talkin' to the other girls, and asked them to meet at the library after we get out. Somethin' ain't right about Trixie, and with Twahlight booted from the town, we can't git her to help... not now, at least. Can ah count on you to be at the library?"
Rarity dropped the flag completely and turned to her friend with hope fully restored in her eyes. "Oh yes! I'll be ever so glad to join you all at the library. Do you think we'll be able to find something in all of those books?"
"Not sure, but it's worth a-" Suddenly, Applejack was picked up by a crimson glow, and she was thrown unceremoniously into the wooden buckets that she had just filled and stacked. The was a loud crash as Rarity watched her friend being tossed violently into the heavy containers of produce in horror, and turned around to face a livid Trixie.
"I thought I said no chit-chatting!" the mad showmare seethed through her teeth. After a moment she huffed before continuing, "Finish those banners, NOW! Trixie will not ask you again." With that, she left Rarity alone, whom stared at the ego that was slowly becoming a monster with each passing moment.
"Oh... this day just can't get any worse," Rarity sighed as she turned back to her sewing set up and continued working on the gaudy looking tapestry.
-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-
Activating the newly refilled main fuel cell, Monsoon felt his full strength return almost instantly. A new sense of vigor and vitality spread though his body as he moved and tested himself, stretching his arms and let his hands flex and relax. He was never one to exaggerate, so when the thought crossed his mind that he felt better now than he had ever felt before, he couldn't help but believe it.
"Well, dear Queen," he stated coolly, "this is nothing short of awe inspiring. Whatever is in that nutritional compound of yours is working wonders for my systems." He then checked his internal systems, and let loose another genuine grin as everything from within was in sublime order. He turned to her with a smirk. "I simply MUST get a recipe," he joked.
"Sorry, but it's a family secret," she replied with a chuckle.
Monsoon gazed about the room and watched the changelings work diligently on examining, experimenting, and extracting the various objects and knick-knacks they've always toyed with. He then looked down to his pouches, and patted one of them. "I really hope you don't mind me keeping the blade fragments of my Sais. I know you and your brood tend to prefer to scrutinize objects and materials like this, but I doubt you'll learn much from them. While they will never again be in my hands, they are a bit too personal to me to just leave them here for your children."
"Not at all, dear stranger. Speaking of, the repairs on your armaments should be well underway." Chrysalis began wandering to the exit before calling back to him. "Shall we leave? We do have much to discuss now."
Monsoon's smile fell, but realized a deal was a deal. He was wide awake and stronger than ever, and his weapons were about to be returned to him. Gratitude tugged at his heartstrings as it refused to let him shirk his agreement. "Very well," he said evenly, "Lead the way."
Following her out of the chamber, they returned to the familiar tunnels, and wandered back to the heart of the network, before heading towards to the strategy and planning room once again. Refreshed, Monsoon was ready to tackle any problem with haste. With his initial conversation still fresh in his mind, he reached an ideal compromise. Walking over to the map, he began by pointing at their current location.
"I believe I have an idea that would satisfy us both," he opened with, taking a handful of darts that sat on a small platform with his magnetic force. Upon grabbing them, he stuck them all at Unicorn range. "The first thing we need to do is divide the copies from your real children. I suspect that will not be an issue. You are their mother after all." Chrysalis nodded, keeping silent to let him resume his explanation. He took half of the darts, and continued with, "Once that is dealt with, we will make our first move in the dead of night." He then moved the darts, following the tracks for a moment, before curving down south-east and planted them in the representation of the Everfree Forest. "I will head west with the copies, cross the rail tracks here, move through the mountains, keeping as low as possible, and slip into Everfree. There, we will wait until dawn." He then took the remaining half of the darts, and moved them closer to the location representing Sweet Apple Acres, still in the brush. "Before that time, you and your brood will move to the forest-line near the orchard. Once dawn draws near, you will make a signal. I don't care how you do it, but make sure that I'll be able to see it clearly in the sky." Monsoon then moved his darts forward to Ponyville, spreading them around the lower half of the town. "From there, we will storm the town, where my half of the army will make the first move. At that point, the copies will provide a distraction for long enough that your army can strike while confusion plagues them." He then moved the remaining half of the darts down to the top, and spread them around accordingly.
Chrysalis thought it over, mulling the idea in her head over and over again. It seemed sound to her, leaving her with no questions. "Then, if that's that, I best be sorting my children out. I should have them ready by mid-night. We'll move then."
"Glad you are seeing it my way."
Chrysalis began to leave, but stopped, and turned back to her guest. "Do you mind if I confess something to you?"
If Monsoon had any eyebrows, he'd raise one in curiosity. Never the less, he motioned his hand, gesturing for her to proceed.
"There was something I left out in that tale I told you. Something even my children don't know..."
"Something only you're aware of? And, pray tell, how would I believe it? Especially if it's anything like your history lesson?"
"You trust me now, don't you?" she asked earnestly. Monsoon crossed his arms for a moment. In truth, he still wasn't entirely sold, but he couldn't help but admit that he was becoming more and more inclined to have a little faith in her words. Deciding to give a definite answer, he simply nodded, and let her speak freely. "We didn't immediately become self reliant after we were expelled... We did accept our fate... but we were also holding out for something. Maybe it was the delirium of having been ostracized, where our only refuge was the torturous badlands, but I had a prophetic dream. A creature, not unlike the stature of a Minotaur, with the power of a the strongest of unicorns would grace us and free us from our plight."
Monsoon frowned. "Now, I know this is nothing but a crock. Let’s get one thing clear, there is no such thing as something as fanciful or cosmic as prophecy or destiny. There is only nature. We play our roles, and die. No more."
"And what if our role changes?" She asked, "What if what you knew was suddenly turned upside down?" She paused for a moment, hoping that the question would sink in. "Despite what you think, it has happened to both of us. We changelings were born to grace pony kind before a jealous Goddess ejected us from society. While you came from another world entirely under bizarre circumstances. We play new parts now. The rules of nature are skewed. If anything, we were fated to meet."
"Merely coincidence."
"Even if you don't believe in prophecy, the odds of our encounter are astronomical. Impossible even. This can't be a coincidence. Whether you want to believe me or not, I stand by what I said. I had a dream of you long ago. We did stop waiting around for your arrival, of course. A race like us can only go so long with so little as hope ticks away in silence." She paused for a moment, and smiled. "But none of that really matters. You're here and going to help us now, and as promised, once this is all over, you'll get exactly what you deserve."
There was a sound of hooves hitting stone as a small changeling entered the room and approached the mercenary. In the grasp of the magic of his horn, he held aloft a small bit of fabric that bundled two familiar objects together. Presenting it, the changeling bowed and offered it to Monsoon. The cyborg reached out to the bundle, grabbed it, and gently unfurled the fabric. There staring him in the face were his Dystopia, fitted perfectly with new blades. He felt the surface of the new material, and realized what it was.
"Obsidian?"
"Enchanted obsidian. As long as I exist, it will never break or fracture. I felt using any sort of metal wouldn't do them justice, so I decided to go with something far more... non-traditional. I hope you like it."
Monsoon took each blade up with each and, and twirled them about for a moment, testing the weight and craftsmanship of the weapons. They flowed flawlessly, as if nothing were wrong with them in the first place, even though they felt a tad lighter in his hands. With a smile, and one last look, he slid them back into their sheaths at his sides, and turned back to Chrysalis. He didn't care anymore. He had gotten everything he wanted back, and the potential of returning home now sat in his sight. He smiled, resigning to his new fate. Chrysalis nodded politely before she and the changeling drone exited the room, leaving him alone.
He turned around and looked over the map once again. "Wind blows. Rain falls. The strong prey upon the weak," he said darkly, "They don't understand that yet, but they will soon enough."
Stats
Page generated in 0.096 seconds
Total duration
965 users online
161,757 hits today, 2,314,256 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Obsidian Sais!
A BLACKENED DYSTOPIA LIES IN WAIT!
6386043 Let's hope those brittle blades of his don't reflect a fracture of more than one way...
Oh Monsoon. He is evil.
6387934 Yes, and no... he's just very, VERY cynical, desensitized, and concentraited.
Besides, every other being before him was evil in one way or another...
6387943
I know.
Pears?! The horror!
6388259 Sorry. I just like to talk about this story... alot... Forgive my blabber mouth stating the obvious.
6388399 heh heh. That's TRUE nightmare!
6389104 Yeah, random fact. The Doctor doesn't like pears. So he knows what's up.
Regardless, I like your canon for the Changelings. I suppose they used to be some sort of mind-controlling, vampiric parasites of some sort?... that is, more than they are now?
And sorry about your views. Though you probably don't want to hear it from me, I do think you can make this thing work. It might take a while, though. But as long as you keep this thing honest to your main theme and vision, I'm sure that you'll find your recognition.
6389103
It's okay.
6389276 Or, simply really good at lying. You never know with changelings. That's why it's so hard to trust them. Too bad Monsoon doesn't have the memo on that, and is kind of fighting every instinct he has that's screaming at him to not trust Chrysalis.
6389298 Yeah, I was going for the "grain of truth" deal. Maybe Chrissy did have a bit of a history with the Princess that no one knew about? It's nothing wrong with trying to make a character's lies more compelling, it's just confusing and anticlimactic, as well as a bit of a wasted effort on your part.
6389322 No, you're right. I did mention it before though. "The best lies are told with hints of truth". So, yeah, already knew that when writing "Tearing the Veil From Grace"
6388399
Pears...the horror.
i.imgur.com/5l5xrJl.jpg
https://youtu.be/yJ92rqn_RkQ?t=5
9533898
Heh heh... that was intended. Hope you’re enjoying the story so far.
well, this line aged like milk lmao
11409489
You know what? You're absolutely right. I'll put something different there. Something more outlandish.