Chapter 21: The Other Side of the Gates
What Does a Hero Truly Need?
By: Zelkova48
Chapter 21: The Other Side of the Gates
Sven sat idly by his table, he didn’t do much other than stare at his empty drink glass with an unreadable expression from behind his helmet. To some he looked bored but his friends could tell that he was in deep thought, probably about the way Jackal was being received when he showed up in the kitchen. In a world full of pastel colored pony he had originally expected the inhabitants to be a bit more welcoming since their way of life seemed to revolve around friendship and harmony.
But after getting attacked by the princesses, getting locked behind bars and meeting some victims of the cruel world his judgement on everything up until now was a little sketchy. Jackal had told of how his entire clan got thrown out into the desert just for being who they were at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Soon afterwards both of them almost got cooked alive by a very angry (and now very dead) dragon. The Rogue Knight’s tolerances towards the ponies were starting to falter but he brushed off the doubts.
Everything was going just fine up until the point he met up with his friends. the formalities past by very quickly and he even got a chance to scold one of the more stubborn pony. For the most part the six that he met were okay, he was very accepting towards them since they did help his friends find him as well as offer them room and board in an alien world. But his faith and trust towards the mane six was almost thrown completely out of the window when they started to react negatively towards Jackal. He would have to get back to that once he was up to speed with everything.
Rubick and the rest of the other heroes shared a little laugh before filling in their friend on the current situation. Everything from how they came to Equestria up to where they were now had been thoroughly explained except maybe for Gondar’s vision which they all dismissed to the mane six as nothing more than a bad dream that he had. Once all was said and done Sven let out a big sigh before slumping back into his chair and removing his helmet.
“Finally, a proper explanation. Now I can at least think straight” he muttered with another sigh “Since I already introduced myself to you girls already I am I might as well introduce to some of my other friends. Try not to tackle them this time” he pointed over Jackal who was politely waving back despite the glares that he was receiving “This is Jackal, he was my cellmate back in prison”
“But if he was your cellmate then why is he out here?” Applejack asked with a touch of hostility in her voice “ Ain't he suppose to be behind bars or something like that?” she kept her eyes Jackal just to make sure that he didn't do anything fishy.
“Sven helped give me my freedom back, he also helped me out of a bind back on our last day in jail. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be even standing here talking to you right now” Jackal replied like an educated gentlecolt which surprised most of the ponies in the room.
“So you’re a diamond dog” said Rubick as he shook Jackal’s paw “I must say that it is delightful to finally meet someone of the kind. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of a diamond dog since I came here, I only seen ponies”
“It’s nice to meet you too. I’ll take a wild guess your name is Rubick, correct?” Jackal asked which startled Rubick but at the same time gave a wide smile “Sven told me about you and if you would like to know, diamond dogs live mostly underground so we are rarely seen around Equestria”
“Ah, I see” Rubick replied “I honestly have to read up more on your species, you are really a fascinating individual. I wish there were more around though” just as Rubick finished an aggravated looking Twilight Sparkle sidled beside him and pulled him back to the other side of the kitchen while giving Jackal a weak little smile.
“I’m sorry Jackal but I need to have a little talk with Rubick” she quickly dashed her way to the back of the kitchen with Rubick in tow. With a quick stop Rubick was jerked out of her grip as he fell to the ground “Oops! I’m sorry Rubick but what do you think you’re doing!?”
“Well I was having an intellectual conversation with another person until you rudely pulled me away” Rubick casually replied as he dusted himself off “Come now child, what has you so rattled that you are willing to tear someone away from some chit chat?”
“In case you haven’t noticed Rubick, he’s a diamond dog!” Twilight whispered, well technically it wasn’t really a whisper since her voice was so loud due to her stress “They are wily and thuggish but most importantly they are untrustworthy” she audibly whispered again.
“What? How can you saw such things about our new acquaintance?” replied Rubick “Does he look like an untrustworthy individual to you?” he asked as he pointed over to Jackal.
Twilight get a good look at Jackal. He sounded like someone who was smart but she couldn’t look past his furry exterior. Instead of the friendly dog that Rubick was trying to get her to see all she saw was a deceptive mutt with some patchy clothing. Conventional knowledge told her that she should be willing to take the chance to befriend someone of the diamond dog race, but a nagging voice in her head and some highly exaggerated flashbacks told her to remain wary of the dog.
“I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt... for now” she stated with absolute seriousness. It didn’t take much for everyone to find out that she really spoke for all of her friends when all of them maintained a cold glare upon him “But know this, Jackal” she spoke with venom “If anypony catches you doing anything wrong you’re gonna get it...”
“Is that some kind of threat?” Jackal sneered “Fine, act like your kind knows everything about everything. It’s just like the rest of the ponies in this country to treat my kind like the dirt we dig in. I thought friendship and harmony was supposed to be exemplified here, in Canterlot, the heart of Equestria no less. But it appears that magic of friendship is missing one last line; results may vary” when Jackal finished his snarky remark he could see that he did more than pinch a couple of nerves in the room.
“Quiet you! What do you know about friendship!?” Twilight angrily lashed out.
“I know that because of your friendship you’ve managed to ruin several lives just so you could set up Appleloosa on the southern borders! What is the few when compared to the many right!?” he spoke with fire “I’m not a complicated dog, I just wanted to live and lead my clan in peace, perhaps even in coexistence with you ponies for the good of all. I even extended out a paw in friendship only to have it thrown back into my face! You all live in a harmonious shell of a nation, not knowing what goes on behind the curtains so that you can keep living fat and happy while the rest of us suffer!” he concluded with a low growl while bearing his teeth.
“Easy there dirt for brains” Rainbow assumed an aggressive stance “Did you really think we’d fall for your little made up sob story?”
“Yeah, what do ya take us for, idiots?” said Applejack as she stood beside Rainbow Dash.
“Maybe, considering that everything I told you was true, but what do you know about me?” Jackal asked sincerely as his expression soften “Do you know what I’ve been through? The hardships that I’ve endured, the faces that I’ve seen come and go when I was behind bars? Or how about my nightmares about the welfare of my family, hmm?” he asked “You ponies are smart, you all have a brain. Why don’t you use it for once in your life” he sternly finished.
His last line was the final straw for the two fuming ponies before him and they could take no more of Jackal’s presence. Thankfully, before any unwanted hostilities broke out, Sven quickly intervened to remind them of why he was here in the first place.
“Friends, there is no reason to fight. Unless you wish to face me that is” Sven gave the two hard headed ponies a stern glare that shook them to their very bones “Now before any other insults to my friend are made I’m afraid I am going to have to cut the introductions short. Jackal was trying to tell me something before he was rudely tackled down to the ground by a certain group of ponies” he turned to the mane six who shrank under the Rogue Knight’s glare.
“Oh yeah, that’s right. What the hell happened to you anyway?” Gondar asked “You came in yelling that some ponies were chasing you”
“That’s because they were” said Jackal as he reclaimed his composure “I was just standing around, waiting for George to finish his little froggy business, when a couple of robed idiots started to harass me. It started off with some insults and name calling before they started to get violent with me. One of them threw a wild hook at me but I managed to duck it in time for the other sucker to get punched in the face. It was funny at first before they pulled out their swords. I quickly grabbed George and ran as fast as I could, I managed to break away from them before I rushed to find Sven”
“Sounds like you have had one tough day my canine friend” Rhasta added “Was there any particular reason that these robed figured attacked you out of the blue? Surely they couldn’t have attacked for no reason”
“You saw the reception I got here” said Jackal with an accusing paw towards the mane six “I think they were going to kill me just for being a diamond dog”
“How horrible!” Aiushtha exclaimed “They would kill you just for that?”
“No they wouldn’t” Twilight quickly interjected “We would never do anything like that, it is against our nature” she stated with utmost assurance.
“And that reason alone helps to justifies their actions!?” Jackal snapped back “I could’ve died back there if I hadn’t ran!”
“Just ignore her Jackal” Sven joined in “Besides, they’re crazy for trying to take on the guy who fought alongside me against that dragon back in prison” he said nonchalantly as all the girls collectively gasped at the two.
“What!? You fought a dragon, how are you even still alive?” Twilight exclaimed as she attempted to comprehend the thought of fighting a dragon and winning.
“Me and Jackal killed the dragon” he responded proudly which caused all the girls to gasped once more “You know if you keep gasping like that you’re all going to faint”
“How can you go and kill a creature like that!” Fluttershy rose up and got into Sven’s face “You should never kill no matter the reason!” she huffed angrily while giving Sven the stare. Normally when Fluttershy gives someone the stare they break down before her like a crumbling building, but she was just as surprised as her friends when Sven seemed to be unaffected by it. She tried straining her eyes harder to strengthen the power she had in the stare to make Sven see the error of his ways but comparatively it was like splashing water at a window.
“I hold not an ounce of pity nor regret for what I did to the beast” Sven stated coldly, no longer paying attention to the horrified looks he was receiving from his peers “I did this world a favor by putting him down. Even after the many times that I had spared his life he saw it as nothing more than an opportunity to kill me before his beloved crowd. He’d even go as far as to pathetically beg for his life when he knew what he had done to provoke my wrath” his words were ringing throughout the mane six’s minds.
They didn’t want to believe anything that he had said, whether it was about being allies and friends with a diamond dog or slaying a dragon because he deserved it. It was a hard reality that simply did not exist in the world of Equestria and everyone was rejecting it like it was some sort of pony propaganda, but they knew what they were getting into when they got involved with the heroes. They chose instead to stick with what they knew all their lives, the same way that it had been for several millennia. For better or for worse.
“NO!” Fluttershy shouted “You can’t kill! It’s wrong!” she then pointed an accusing hoof over to Jackal with tears streaming from her eyes as her voice grew hoarse “And you can’t trust these friend stealing monsters either!” without saying another word she frantically escaped the room with her tear filled expression.
With the room caught in a whirlwind of emotions everyone remained speechless at what had just occurred over a simple greeting. Applejack and Rainbow Dash delivered a glare at Sven for his bluntness despite his position as a knight and another for Jackal just because. The two ponies silently left the room immediately to go comfort their friends, leaving behind two disheveled unicorns and a partially deflated PInkie Pie. Aiushtha let out a big sigh before going as well.
“Don’t worry, I’ll look after her with Applejack and Rainbow Dash” she quietly spoke before trotting off to find Fluttershy.
Perhaps the only ones who were unfazed by the ramblings for the death of a dragon and befriending those of another species were, unsurprisingly, the heroes themselves. If they were feeling anything at the moment it was not a confusion but rather that of annoyance. Rhasta, motioned for Gondar and Jackal to leave the room. Pinkie decided that it was high time to split and did so accordingly by slipping out of the room without anyone noticing so that she could return to her work without any more fearful screaming and yelling.
The only ones who were left in the kitchen was Twilight, Rubick, Rarity and Sven with the unannounced George on his backside. Rubick rubbed the temples of his head with his hooves to alleviate the migraine that struck him like a lightning bolt to the head. When he finally faced his head up he gave the two unicorn mares before him a look that would’ve melted them on the spot.
“Twilight... Rarity... we’re going to take a little trip to your local library” he spoke as he struggled to mask his distaste at the moment. The two girls could only swallow the lump that was forming in their throat and avoid the unspeakable fire that was forming around Rubick. The two let out a defeated sigh before they followed both the Grand Magus and the Rogue Knight to the royal archives.
“Well that conversation flew south fast” Sven whispered to George. George croaked a few times in agreement before slowly drifting off into a little nap. Apparently the conversation made the little guy sleepy. He croaked a few more times before the only thing that could be heard from him was the very soft sounds of his adorable little snoring “Heh, sleep tight little squire”
* * *
The trip to the royal archives didn’t take too long, a few minutes or so at the very least considering that it was built on castle grounds. A couple of missed turns here and there impeded their progress by a little but they managed to find the great big library.
The journey there however wasn’t as smooth as some might think. It was incredibly rocky given the silence that Rubick held which troubled the two mares. The only one who had been willing to talk was Sven and even then they could tell that some semblance of his waning tolerance was slowly being chipped at piece by piece. Thankfully he remained in control of his emotions and talked as one normally would if they didn’t have a friend or a recent action they performed thrown back at him and have been told that it was all wrong.
“So... have any of you met my other friend yet? His name is George” he asked as he pointed to adorable sleeping frog on his back. The image of a cute little green frog snoring on the big lug’s backside was a sight that lifted away the air of uncertainty that surrounded the five. The two gushed a little at George, even poking him on his little cheek before he subconsciously waved it off which lead to a squee “Ah ha ha ha, I see you like him eh?” said Sven “But I am afraid I want to talk to you about more serious matters...” he said as his expression hardened from behind his helmet.
“W-what would you like to talk about?” Rarity hesitantly asked with an audible gulp.
“I can assure you that it isn’t as serious as it sounds. Although It may be serious to you ponies” Said Sven being ever so subtle with his hints about an issue. Twilight was the only one who managed to catch the little hint and she frown at knowing what they were going to talk about.
“It isn’t about Fluttershy yelling at you is it?” Twilight asked.
“I’m afraid not” Sven calmly replied as he petted George in his restful slumber “It runs deeper than that, deeper than you can understand so early on. But you two at least might be able to endure the stress that will come early on once I tell you” he spoke as his words grew heavy with each breath.
“What do you mean us two?” said Rarity “What are you talking about?”
“You two will find out soon enough. Besides, I’m talking about these words; faith, trust, understanding, denial, acceptance and hope” said Sven “There is more to these words than you can ever possibly imagine”
“But I already know what they all mean!” Twilight protested.
“What they mean and how you define the views of your life and the world around you with them are two entirely different things child” Sven inquired “You think you know them now but what if something that defies your knowledge of these words come into play. Something like me?”
“Something that defies... stop talking in riddles!” exclaimed Twilight “Don’t sugarcoat anything Sven. We trust you already but killing is a serious and almost nonexistent offence in Equestria! We ponies shun that kind of thing and prefer to promote peace, prosperity and harmony”
“Really? Well everyone cheered for me the moment I snapped the dragon’s neck” he nonchalantly replied “When me and Jackal got thrown into the colosseum the crowd rooted for the dragon to eat us”
“W-what!? A colosseum? When did all of this happen?” exclaimed Rarity.
Sven slowly explained everything to the two about his incarceration. It was a lot to take in when thing such as public executions were involved, the mass of pony royalty that was there enjoying the show and how poorly the guards treated the prisoners, especially to those of another species.
“Y-you’re lying! None of that exist!” exclaimed Twilight “The princesses would never allow any of that! Our kind would never allow that”
“And yet your princesses were the ones who deliberately motioned for the apprehension of my friends because they were linked to me” said Sven “Faith, trust, understanding, denial, acceptance, hope. Do you understand what I mean now or will you block out my words and stay safe in that little world of yours?” he stated harshly.
“Sven, if you are done badgering my student and her friend now I would like to inform all of you that we are here” Rubick interjected as he pointed to the royal archives “Come on, I want to see what lies on the other side of the gates”
* * *
The inside of the royal archives was a sight to behold for anyone who values learning and books and Twilight and Rubick were no exception. The entire archives was basically a giant chamber with multiple rooms that were filled from top to bottom, side to side with nothing but tomes, scrolls and books of all kind. Rubick would’ve enjoyed the experience more if his mood wasn’t in such a foul place at the moment.
Rarity and Twilight would soon feel the same foul mood that Rubick was under when they spotted a familiar looking unicorn and his little entourage that were slowly approaching them. It was the stuck snob of a prince and his equally snobbish colleagues. It didn’t take long for Prince Blueblood to notice the two mare as he decided to walk on over to greet them, whether they liked it or not.
“Why hello there miss Sparkle and miss... uh...” Blueblood tapped on his chin as he struggled to remember some name of pony that was beneath him on the social ladder.
“It’s Rarity, Prince Blueblood” Rarity hissed with venom from her lips “Surely you remembered the mare whom you treated so poorly back at the grand galloping gala?”
“No, doesn’t ring any bells” the prince said obliviously. Rarity was just about the pounce the guy but Twilight did everything she could in her power to make sure that no fighting breaks out, in a library no less.
“Calm down Rarity, it isn’t worth it” Twilight whispered to Rarity before turning to face Blueblood “I never took you for the bookish type Prince Blueblood, what brings to the royal archives of all places?” she asked with a fake smile.
“Oh me and a couple of my closest friends are just catching up on some history, that’s all. Being royalty is no vacation, I hope you do realize that” the prince finished with one of his award winning smile.
“And your friends are?” Twilight asked.
“My name is Quicksilver” said Quicksilver with a smile as she stood forth while striking a faboulous pose.
“And I’m her dear brother, the name is Speeding Bullet” he side as he stood beside his sister striking a much more masculine pose.
“We’re members of the wonderbolts!” the two announced together in unison with another pose “A pleasure to meet the princess’s personal student” they both politely bowed before Twilight and the others.
“It’s um... nice to meet such talent members of the wonderbolts too” Twilight replied with a nervous grin “So what kind of books are you reading anyway?” she looked at the few books that were in both their hooves.
The following were titled Relics of Equestria, The Properties and Theories of Magic, and Inventions and Devices Throughout the Ages. Then there was The Featherbrain’s Guide to Wooing the Mares that was poorly hidden behind Speeding Bullet’s wing. Twilight wasn’t going to question that last one, it would be incredibly awkward.
“Well aren’t you going to introduce us to your other friends?” Blueblood asked “You have quite the colorful duo with you” he pointed over to Sven and Rubick who were busy trying to read the directory of the library on the other side of the room. The two heroes took notice of the little discussion that was going on behind their backs once they were done with the directory and decided to see what was going on.
“Twilight, who are you talking to?” Sven asked “Is he another one of your friends?”
“Eh heh heh... no, Sven. we just know each other, that’s all...” Twilight replied nervously with a scratch of her head before clearing her throat “Ahem, you two, this is Prince Blueblood. He’s Princess Celestia nephew. And those two are Quicksilver and Speeding Bullet, they’re members of the wonderbolts, the premier stunt flying group”
“Huh, prince eh? Well you certainly look the part” said Sven “All pompous and primped like a little porcelain doll” he laughed heartily. Blueblood took offence to the little joke but held his tongue. He wanted Sven to be a part of his little organization “Anyway, my name is Sven” he announced.
“And I am Rubick” said Rubick “I’m sorry but we are in a bit of a hurry here, we’re looking for something, if you will”
“No, no it’s fine. Come on you two, let’s leave them to their business” said Blueblood as he motioned for Quicksilver and Speeding Bullet to follow him. The two complied and walked out only to silently laugh behind their calm facade.
“Pfft, let’s get out of here little dolly” Speeding Bullet joked. much to Blueblood’s chagrin.
“Oh shut up you buffoon!” he angrily yell as he exited the library leaving behind two laughing siblings and confusing Twilight’s little group.
“What was that all about?” Rarity asked.
“That isn’t important right now, Rarity. Now come on, I found what I was looking for” said Rubick.
The little group strove through the corridors and shelves of the enormous library, following Rubick’s lead as he past the A section then the B section up and finally the C section until he reached the D section of books. Without missing a beat he used his telekinesis to pull out every book on the shelf as he examined each one to fill his particular need. After he was done he had amassed a good pile of at least thirty to fifty books as he made his way to one of the reading tables at the foyer of the archives.
“Alright, time to clear up the air” Rubick said before flipping out every book and reading it like some sort of book reading, magic wielding prodigy, of which he was both. Twilight and Rarity stared with their mouths agape Rubick, who was so absorbed with his reading at the moment, to notice that there was some drool dripping from the corners of their lips. Hadn’t it been for Sven wiping the spit away there would’ve been a little puddle of saliva all over the clean carpets of the library.
Within only the span of ten minutes Rubick had finished reading every single book from start to finish as he concluded with having every book simultaneously shut closed and arranged them into several neat piles that were set aside on the table. But his mood had not changed, if anything his frown somehow got even more deeper as a vein was pulsing on the side of his forehead for whatever he was angry about. He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and to settle his mind before turning over Twilight and Rarity with a disapproving look much like that of a pissed school teacher. And Twilight and Rarity were about to get schooled.
“Tell me” Rubick calmly spoke “Why do you hate the diamond dogs?”
“W-well, they captured Rarity one day and forced her to find gems for them” Twilight replied “But Rarity did managed to escape them by uh... complaining. Ever since they haven’t bothered us”
“Hmm... interesting story. Now tell me why you hate the diamond dogs?” Rubick asked again.
“Now we don’t use the word hate bu-” Twilight couldn’t say anymore before a volley of books were slammed directly in front of her. The books were still covered in the faint green glow of Rubick’s magic before they were all spastically flipped open to pages of interest.
Each one of the pages had information about the diamond dogs along with a highly detailed depiction of what each one looked like. It was completely obvious to the heroes that there was something entirely wrong with the picture that they were all looking at and the words that they read. The ponies on the other hoof had another reaction, one of fear and disgust.
To the girls it was common knowledge to them so they acted accordingly. But to the heroes, the information in the book was about as trustworthy as a bottle fill of cyanide pills with the word food written all over it. Sven leaned in to read each passage of the book and grew more and more infuriated with each letter of the page. Sven could take no more after reading six books and threw one of them at the wall in anger, much to Twilight’s horror.
“I believe every single one of these books have several typos in them” said Rubick “Every single instance of the word fact in these books should be properly removed and replaced with the word opinion or better yet, lie” he angrily stated.
“What are you talking about? All of these books are factual!” Twilight shot back “Each and every single one of them are written by some of the finest minds in all of Equestria! From Starswirl the bearded to Charles Daring Wind they have all composed scientific data from the diamond dogs through extensive field research and observation throughout the ages. These books are all one hundred percent accurate in all aspect” he finished. Rubick rolled his eyes at his student’s ignorance and threw another book in her face with some rather unpleasant imagery.
“The Diamond Dogs by Clover the clever” said Rubick “Page two hundred and forty, beginning of paragraph three. The author writes, and I quote...”
* * *
The diamond dog is a very violent species of bipedal canines that prefer nothing more than the pleasures of hoarding large piles of gems and causing the misfortune of others. They are large, burly and only partially intelligent given what I’ve seen so far from field research. If there is anything I would compare these dogs to it would probably be the griffons as they are both omnivores. However, that is where the similarities end. At least the griffons are civilized like us.
While it was impressive at first to see these creature wield and use rudimentary tools as well as wear clothing, these diamond dogs are savages by nature. There have been several occasions where a diamond dog have kidnapped foals and enslaved ponies to find gems for them. Murder and rape are also commonly associated with the do-
* * *
Rubick stopped completely after reading only half of the last sentence and groaned in disgust at the book. The last line he read had completely destroyed whatever credibility that the author may have had to him with their facts. The only other he disliked about the book was the grotesque imagery that the diamonds dog were being portrayed as. The dogs were drawn to be like Ulfsaar on one of his bad days.
The picture showed a large, brutish and almost feral looking diamond dog with matted and torn fur. The eyes on the dog were red with dilated pupils and had a foaming mouth that was riddled with needle like teeth. The rest of the dog was clothed in rags and carried a bloodied bunny corpse with him that had a bite taken out of it. If the author of the book’s intent was trying to scare the ever living crap out of a little foal then they had done a superb job in doing so.
“Do these look like factual information to you?” Rubick rhetorically asked “This book must be at least a couple of centuries old and all it’s done for the past few hundred years is insinuated a perpetual lie about one’s race!” he yelled which caused the two girls to shrink behind his voice “How could someone publish this and have the gall to call their own opinions fact!” he stomped around as his rant went on. Twilight gathered whatever courage she had in her and finally spoke out against Rubick, albeit a little shaky.
“Why are you getting so worked up over this? Everything you’ve read is not a lie. It was written by Clover the clever, she was Starswirl’s apprentice. They are two of the perhaps the most brilliant minds of old Equestria!” she argued.
“Whether or not the books are authentic or if those two you’re talking about were brilliant is not the point that I am trying to make you see!” shouted Rubick “Are you meaning to tell me that these compilations of lies and your one only actual experience with the diamond dogs have cemented your distrust and hate for them?” he asked as his voice changed from blind fury to solemn pity.
“I told you, it’s not hate. But... we can’t trust them!” said Twilight “They’re unpredictable and savagely, that’s why we remain uneasy around them” she began to nervously shift side to side and averting Rubick’s gaze. Rubick said nothing before shaking his head in disappointment.
“I see, so if that is what you think then I won’t do anything to change your mind” he quietly spoke “I can only hope that you understood what Sven was talking to you about”
“I already get what they mean full well” said Twilight “What is so important about those words that Sven would go and lecture me about them?”
“What they mean and how you define the views of your life and the world around you with them are two entirely different things dear” said Rubick which gave Twilight an annoyed expression.
“That’s the same thing Sven told me earlier!” she let out an exasperated groan “Look, let’s just get back to the castle ground and continue wedding preparations. I think I already wasted enough time on my break” she started to prance around nervously and whispering to herself about what Celestia would think about her tardiness “Oh, I’m sorry Rubick but me and Rarity still have important matters to attend to” without saying another word both Rarity and Twilight quickly trotted out of the library leaving behind two tired heroes.
“Maybe you should give her some time, she is still young after all. Who are we, aliens from another world, to push our own world’s ideologies onto her and the ponies” Sven said as he walked his friend towards the exit “She’s just not ready to leave the little protective bubble of her’s that is Equestria. When and if the time comes, she will have to make the decision on her own whether or not what she believes as a whole is the right way of thinking”
“You’re right” Rubick said as he sighed “But I fear of something much bigger. I’m training her in magic you see, after she went and asked me to tutor her in the ways of the arcane. When she spoke to me she said she would use her powers to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Although after seeing that little break in character earlier I fear I might be raising some kind of monster who will follow her princesses every order like some kind of soulless automaton. There is more to this world then I had originally surmised” he let out a big sigh “This is the first time I’ve ever taught anyone the ways of magic and already I feel like it’s going to haunt me...”
“So Equestria isn’t all sunshines and rainbows after all” said Sven “I feel like there’s something going on but we can’t see it. Only Gondar could, or at least that what his weird visions keep telling him about”
“You know what, let’s save this for another time” said Rubick as he grabbed one of the book stacks “Let’s just try to get through the rest of the day without anymore problems, we still have that induction to worry about” he said as the two heroes exited the archives
“But I do need to have a word with the princesses later...”
Chapter 21 end
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Don't worry Twilight, we're all a little bit racist.
Wait till they meet Ulfsaar...
Twilight's reaction seems a bit too extreme to me. She was the first one to trust Zecora and has usually been the most rational of ponies (if we do not count certain mental instability). A Diamond Dog passively standing and speaking without insulting would not cause such aggression.
Although this Equestria may have deep brainwashing in the background.
Hey what does Rubick say about Ponie's racism level??
It's over 9000!!
Also this is AWSOME Faster and MOAR plzzzzz
2556145>>2556489>>2556541
No, no, no. What Twilight (and the ponies) are doing isn't racism, it is Speciesism.
...I hope I didn't anger all of you. I still think it's bad.
2556428 I'll admit I may have poured on the negative reactions a little too strong but I intend to make sense of it soon
2561160 it's great to someone who's also writing this crossover.
as for tips on personality, i worked off the heroes lore, their supposed alignment on the battleground and the way they talk. Every character always has something witty to say and I use that to help with my characterization on some otherwise anonymous heroes.
If you do make it i would like to read it. More so because you have Lion as one of the characters. Finger of Death, nuff said
2565206 yay for the finger! Good luck bro
For one so scientifically inclined, Twilight is pretty shit at thinking objectively... Although the indoctrination probably isn't helping. Its kind of sad that the "scientific research" on the diamond dogs was pretty much what European's thought of African's when they first encounter them. Almost word by word in fact. Xenophobia had its benefits back in the time's when instinct was the difference between life and death, sadly in the "civilized" world it has no place... I'm not sure when that turned into social commentary...
2580053 at least a creep wave can kill heroes if you're not careful
As a whole, I really like the story so far. It gets a thumbs up from me.
Some parts though throughout... kinda irk me.
For one, and probably my biggest problem, it seems everypony is 'too' racist (species-ist?) even to other ponies. I don't mind the 'underground' racism, but the public opinions seem too out of context to me.
Also, it seems conversations to go by too quick when there's more than one of the mane six when they're in Canterlot. That may just be me though, I'll have to read through again.
Also, just a nitpick, I think you should tag with AU if you're going to retell an episode (I'm not against AU, oh no).
I really like the personality of the DOTA characters, Rubick is easily my favorite as he seems easily distracted and just funny with how confident he is. I really love how he immediately shot down the 'meat eating' trope.
Like I said, I like this story so far. It's well written, and the set up is great. Just the characters seem to be on a Razor's edge of a Plasma Field in regards to likability due to seemingly out of character actions (the bigotry) and some superfluous dialogue.
I encourage you to keep going, and it we still haven't heard all the ponies' side of the story, so my previous criticisms can still be mended.
You know, reading this, I really want to attempt this kind of story with Dire heroes (I think I know the perfect five without it being KILL KILL KILL).
With your permission, do you think I could attempt a draft of sorts along those lines? If you have an idea in mind, do you think I could PM you ideas? I really like Dota 2 (and LoL as well).
2599550 yeah, I already sorta talked about how I laid on the negativity a little too thick and I hope to rectify that soon and make things sensible at least and less overly exaggerated. But when you write at night addled senses can get to ya.
As for your preposition, you are green to go my friend. Feel free to go nuts with whatever ya got in your head.
Also, is that Viktor over there? My best ap carry champion besides Karma
2601250
Yes, that is in fact Viktor there, you can check it out at my deviantart.
http://deverer.deviantart.com/#/art/Viktor-LoL-Pony-Illustrator-370247454?hf=1
2602634 hell, if there was a toy form of him I'd buy it
Added the au tag
2632362
Ah no wonder they are seem to be very xenophobic and pathetically naive fools.
Plus they are quite different than their counterpart in the show.
man...no kidding. racist much? you call that kindness? you call that honest? this is must be stupid,
it look like false element. oh well. the story is keep holding so long. waiting for next chapter is gonna cost my ass life.
2601250
Well, I was about to mention something along those lines, but it seems that you got the gist of it. I do hope the...well, non pony hate gets toned down a lot with the mane six and most of the "regular" ponies, but that's just me of course. Either way, I do hope this gets better, and they accept what is going on and try to make amends with it...and if you ever need help with such writing, if you ever get back into it, I would be more than happy to offer my assistance.