The Mid-Morning War. An event that lasted but a scant few hours, but irrevocably changed Equestria forever. At the helm of this event were the Alicorn princesses; two whose age and bond goes back to long before Equestria existed, and a third who was a recent addition to the mighty Alicorn race; Princess Cadance. When Cadance is entrusted with a disturbing truth by the elder Alicorns her conscience compels her to tell her husband, Shining Armor, the young Alicorn never once realizing the chaos and destruction her words would wrought upon Equestria.
It was a dangerous, frightening, thing. One that could destroy entire civilizations, and uproot entire cultures and doctrines. it was a simple word, that evoked many a complex thing in any one who heard or read of it. It was said that there were three sides to every story; two belonging to the individuals involved, and the third being the truth.
It could also be skewed and twisted, or in the most extreme of cases; hidden.
Of this last part Princess Celestia and her sister had the most experience in, having lived countless millennium and seeing the rise and fall of an equal number of civilizations and species, yet always remaining. For thousands of years they have searched and created, struggling to find a balance, a species they could rule that did not end up destroying itself. But still they have not succeeded.
"Almost, this time. Almost" Celestia uttered in a breath, her words but a whisper but easily picked up by her sister, who sat at her side. Princess Luna turned her head to face her dearest sister, a cold indifference to the reality they now lived in. Celestia met her sister's gaze, finding within the midnight blue of her sister's gaze a fiery loyalty and love, and more than a trace of sociopathy for all save for Celestia.
"There'll be a next time, sister. There's always a next time for us" Luna commented, justified in her assertion, for Celestia could not dispel the notion. Still, unlike her sister, Celestia could not help but feel a pity and sense of disappointment over the coming end, even though they would survive it, and indeed had endured countless endings. Celestia grew tired of searching and creating, and longed to finally find a perfect planet and perfect iteration of their race to lord over for the rest of eternity. The Alicorn condition was a curious thing, as they alone were immortal among all other known life in the universe. To rule one race, one planet for literally the rest of eternity was something most would find incredibly boring, but yet still did Celestia long for it, for it would finally bring her peace.
"Of course, Lulu" was all Celestia had to offer in reply.
There would always be a next time for them, but in six years the sun would go out, and any and all possible futures for Equestria would cease, along with it and all of its inhabitants.
Except for the Princesses.
"Preparations will be need to be made, starting with the elimination of the ponies who made this discovery" Luna started, "as well as an inspection of My Heaven."
"My Heaven" Celestia said with a sigh, immersing herself in thought. My Heaven was a memento from their last conquest, and was the key to them escaping Equestria alive. A thousand year-old spaceship, still as fresh and functional as the day Celestia and Luna stole it from an alien race they had previously visited, known as the Haro. It was a mighty, magnificent vessel, capable of producing tremendous amounts of power, and capable of projecting tremendous amounts of power. In truth, it terrified the Princesses, but there was no alternative if they wished to continue their lives.
"If it were not for the sun going out we would've gotten it right this time, my sister" Celestia said. "We finally had it! We finally created the perfect iteration of our race, and it will all be erased in six years. All our effort, our planning, our careful manipulating... Naught."
"This cycle was over when we failed to kill the Leviathan of the Haro, and when he corrupted me. Still he lives, and that is a grave mistake. Did you never realize his very existence threatened this iteration, and indeed our very existence? Yet you never killed him, even after what he did to me. To US, dearest sister" Luna exclaimed.
"You forgot how formidable he was; he was nigh unstoppable!" Celestia protested.
"We killed thousands of his kind when we stole My Heaven from their race, he should have not been a problem for us to handle. But yes, I do remember how powerful he was. Still is, since he still lives, and we stole My Heaven from him and his race over a thousand years ago" Luna stated, turning her gaze from Celestia to idly watch the night sky.
"Do you ever regret the loss of previous iterations of our race, Tia? Do you ever experience nostalgia for them? I do. Well, I do not regret the loss of previous iterations, but I do feel nostalgia for some of them and the experiences we had with them. The seaponies we made for the water world, the ones we created while adrift in space back on the ship we had before My Heaven, the Starglimmer's Dream... Hah! Remember how we changed our roles and title for each one? Like when we made the camel-pony hybrids and carried ourselves as Pharaohs?" Luna said, breaking her usual form and cracking a smile. "I remember the warm nights on that desert planet, the glow from the torches in our city reflecting off the smooth sandstone... That one was my favorite... Of course we lost that iteration to drought and lack of water around 10,000 years after we created it, which was a pretty short run, but still it was my favorite."
"I still kick myself for that one. How could we have been so stupid as to try and create life where it could not survive? It was a ludicrous notion, but yet still did we try..." Celestia reflected, wistfully staring at the stars. "Do you think us arrogant, sister dearest? Do you think we think we are infallible? Full of hubris?"
Luna instantly launched into her ideological fervor. "We are GODS, Tia. WE make the rules. Earth and Sky should bend to OUR will!" the darker Alicorn adamantly declared.
"That's just is, Lulu; they don't bend to our will! We don't control our respective heavenly bodies. I do not control the sun, nor you the moon. That is why this iteration is doomed!" Celestia hissed, being sure to keep her voice under control lest another hear her words.
"I figured the advanced technology we created would save them, but evidently fate had other plans in mind for us..." Luna seethed, on edge. "We make the rules... NOT fate! That is NOT how it should be!!"
"Calm yourself, sister. I know you have always passionately believed in the ideology our parents instilled in us, but I have accepted the natural order of things. Now I just want to one day finally get it right, and settle down. I figure in a few months, after we've certified My Heaven for travel and silenced the ponies who discovered that our sun is going out we'll leave. You know we'll need to archive this iteration for study, too, sister" Celestia said.
"Great. T'was always my favorite part of the end of an iteration, archiving them" Luna deadpanned, her voice thick with sarcasm. "Why do you insist on still archiving them? To suffer? To remember all their names so that they may keep you awake at night?"
"You know the reason, sister; to study the iteration and compare it with past iterations, to see if there's some kind of connection, so that we may put a stop to this endless search" Celestia explained, turning from the balcony with her sister in tow, the two retiring to bed.
"It matters very little to me whether we continue the cycle or find a solution; you know I will always be at your side, my sister dearest" Luna said, Celestia once again seeing the fierce loyalty and love in Luna's eyes. Their bond was older than time itself, and more than a little unorthodox. It was a bond they alone shared.
Celestia paused just short of her bedroom door, Luna staying her hooves as well. They looked into each other's eyes for but a moment, a sort of vacuum encompassing their existence that shut out all conscious and subconscious recognition of the material plane. In this moment all that the two could see was each other, and all their feelings and emotions lain threadbare for the other to see.
It was at this moment Celestia started with a sudden realization, and reality came rushing back to her.
"Sister! What of Princess Cadance? What shall we do with her?" Celestia asked, Luna tilting her head with a look of 'O' on her face. "She is one of us, is she not? She is an Alicorn! Should we not take her with us? Perhaps if she studies the iterations she will see some pattern that we cannot, and offer input that will put an end to this search."
"I question her resolve. She is but a whelp, not even 1,000 years old. She possesses not the wisdom we do, or the cold, calculating logic that justifies our way of thinking. She could not possibly understand the 'why' of the cycle" Luna declared.
"She may not, but she will. She shares our blood, sister. It stands to reason that she will share our ideology, that she will come to understood the true nature of things, as we have. If not, well, there's always arsenic" Celestia jested darkly, a great leer on her face.
"Sister!" Luna exclaimed, an incredulous smile of shock displayed across her features. "Such dark thoughts are my domain! It is I should offer such things as alternatives to our problems" the younger sister stated.
Celestia laughed, a hoof on Luna's shoulder. "But of course, dearest" Celestia started, her gaze turning to the door. "Must you go so quickly, my beloved sister? Surely you could stay for but another hour. Or perhaps...all night?" Celestia questioned, piquing her brow. Luna was taken aback, a light red coming to her cheeks.
"I would love nothing more, dearest, but I'm afraid I can not this night. Official matters call for my attention, and I must heed. Another time, sister" Luna said, turning to head for Celestia's door.
"I await with bated breath, sister dearest" Celestia whispered.
It was cold this day, the briskness a mere continuation of the previous night's coolness. Princess Celestia once again found herself on her bedroom balcony, staring out across the city of Canterlot and the countryside beyond. Ponyville lied some distance out, the large hamlet visible only as a mass of buildings, the town hall and the apple farm the only distinctive landmarks visible.
It was at this moment that Celestia heard a scrape of iron on marble, turning to find her sister standing before her, as regal as she ever was. Her midnight blue coat shined a clean sheen, her mane flowing majestically. She had not yet donned her accessories, save for her shoes, and as such looked strangely naked. She stood proud and stoic, confidence radiating off her as sure as her mane radiated her beauty.
"It is quite cold today, my sister. Do you think it means anything?" Celestia asked, turning back to look out across the landscape. Her sister joined her at her side, a scent of lavender wafting from the dark alicorn. Despite the cool temperature the brightness of the day remained the same as ever, Luna shielding her eyes from the worst of it.
"I think it means the sun's going out" Luna flatly commented.
"Have the ponies who made this discovery been taken care of?" Celestia asked, looking at her sister. The dark twin returned her gaze, nodding. Such a thing was something that the two often did, when it came about that some particularly clever spawns of their race had ousted some fact that the rest of their race did not need to know.
"It was a classic; I went to them with a grim look upon my face, asked for them to turn over to me their data proving the coming catastrophe, and when they all turned their backs... I hear the moon's weather is lovely this time of year" Luna said with a wicked grin, looking into Celestia's eyes.
"Sister! How utterly depraved, and indeed a classic. Every time you deliver that line after performing a purge I cannot help myself but to laugh or grin. You are a little fright, my dear sister" Celestia jested, Luna tilting her head innocently.
"Oh sister, that one is not even the most creative one we've come up with. Remember the heart attack spell? The weather 'accidents'? Such delights" Luna declared, her grin never once faltering.
"Oh sister, we can revel in such things later. For now we have much important business to tend to. Please, send for Princess Cadance. It is time we told her the true nature of things; the natural order of our universe... And the true nature of Alicorns" Celestia said, Luna smartly nodding before turning, grabbing her articles and crown before shutting the door behind her.
Leaving Celestia to steel herself for what was to come.
Princess Cadance looked as graceful and regal as royalty should, but internally she was shivering. The cold was uncharacteristically intense, and Cadance's light coat did very little in absorbing what heat there was. Cadance had never felt right in her skin; like it was a particularly too small article of clothing one never grew accustomed to. Always constricting, always reminding one of how it was not right.
But as a Princess she had to grin and bear it.
Entering the royal palace Cadance was graced with refreshing warm air, the temperature raised to comfortable levels by the power of the court wizards. Cadance allowed herself to sigh in relief, abandoning her posterity for but a moment to enjoy the reprieve from the minor bite of the outside.
The warmth briefly turned to freezing cold, accompanied by the sound of iron striking marble. Cadance turned to find Princess Luna before her, the dark Alicorn's expression as emotionless and stoic as ever. Nevertheless, Cadance greeted her with cheer. "Auntie Luna! What brings you down here during the waking hours?" Cadance asked.
"Your presence is required" Luna flatly stated, turning back, indicating that Cadance follow her. The Princess of Love complied, falling in beside the Princess of the night. The two headed for one of the nearby staircases that ascended up all floors of the palace, Luna unreadable as ever. Cadance, for all her talent in identifying what other ponies were feeling, she could never much ascertain what other ponies were thinking. That talent had always been Luna's.
"It is a bit cold today, is it not?" Cadance asked as the two entered the stairwell, beginning to ascend the stairs. For a time Cadance believed that Luna would not reply, the elder Alicorn choosing to remain silent as she oft did, but after a few moments she offered her reply.
"It is. I much prefer it this way."
"Oh I'm sure. I bet this bright sunlight is difficult for you to bear, though. You ought to come out to the Crystal Empire sometime, it's always so lovely there. Always so breezy and just the right temperature. In fact, I know that Shining likes to--" Cadance was cut off by Luna, whom stopped and raised a hoof, turning to face the younger Alicorn.
"Please, my Blood" Luna started, using the archaic term Alicorns used to refer to each other, as they were all blood-related. "No more words. There is a grave matter we are to discuss."
Cadance paused, following when Luna began walking again. She mired over what the elder had said, a startling realization that Luna had silenced her when she brought up Shining Armor, and Cadance was struck with a panic. Equestria had just finished a war against another race known as the Fascist Felines, but there had been errant attacks by fanatical Felines against Equestrians, and Cadance feared Shining had been the victim of one.
"Is Shining...hurt? Is this about the war?" Cadance asked, fearful of what answer she might receive. The two reached a landing with a door, Luna pausing to open it, passing through the threshold with Cadance closely behind.
"No. Something worse."
This only served to worsen Cadance's fears, and she remained silent for the remainder of their trek. The Princess of Love recognized the hall as the private wing, where Celestia and Luna's bedrooms were located. These sacred rooms were something of a legend throughout the Empire, wild rumors abound of forbidden love and grandiose chambers as big as entire houses. Cadance put little stock in these rumors, but even she had her fantasies about what went on in the private bedrooms of Equestria's rulers, such was their mystique. She had only been in Celestia's room but a few times, and never in Luna's. When wild thought gave way to rationale Cadance figured that all that went on in their rooms was sleeping; the elder Alicorns were celibate, Cadance could sense that well enough.
Before long the duo had reached the double-doors to Celestia's room, the heavy oak solemn with a dark finish, two brass suns on each door. The brass had dulled with age, its once bright sheen rendered a sort of golden brown. Luna knocked politely, though already her magic gripped the doorknobs. From within the room came a muffled "come in", and Luna turned the knobs, pushing the doors open with a flick of her horn.
The chambers within were still as alien and mysterious as the day Cadance had first entered. It was like a foal seeing their parents' bedroom for the first time, that sense of not belonging never once dissipating. Cadance felt as wrong being in Celestia's room as she did in her own skin, yet never did she display this feeling. She smiled at Celestia, who tried to return the gesture, but looked as grim as she did beforehand.
"Come in, please. There are some things we must discuss" Celestia said, gesturing to the three large sitting pillows she had set out for the three. She took her place on one, as did Cadance, but Luna remained standing, halfway between her fellow Alicorns and the door.
"Auntie Celly, what's this all about? Luna told me this was not about the war, but rather something worse" Cadance questioned, regarding Celestia's face and gauging her expression. Try as Cadance might, it was unreadable, save for the troubled look in her eyes.
"Cadance, the things we are about to discuss with you are...delicate. Matters intended only for our ears, for those of the Alicorn blood. They are not to be shared with any other, not even those you trust. Even if it was somepony you'd pledged undying loyalty to, they are not to be told what you will hear today. These words are never to leave these chambers. Do you understand?" Celestia stated, her tone firm and serious.
Cadance nodded. "I understand, Auntie."
"No, you do not" Luna chimed in, suddenly behind Cadance, who looked over her shoulder at the dark Alicorn. "But you will."
"Our star is going out, Cadance. It's dying" Celestia said, drawing Cadance's attention back to her. Cadance was taken aback by this, the casual nature in which this revelation was dropped inappropriate for the disturbing nature of the revelation itself.
"I'm...sorry? Did I hear that right? The sun is dying? How? It's going to go supernova?" Cadance asked.
"No. It has not the mass nor energy to go supernova or even nova, but it's still going out. It has reached that point in its life where it hasn't much time left. It will burn off the last of its energy and go dark, becoming a silent ball of iron and rock in space. Night will reign supreme, the day never to return, and the temperatures will drop by hundreds of degrees. All life will die" Celestia explained.
Cadance was dumbfounded, science not being her strong suit, plus the bizarre calmness Celestia was explaining this coming doom in. "I...don't understand. How?" Cadance said.
"Our star is a white dwarf, aged long past its main sequence. It was just close enough to our planet to provide for life, and having no other nearby star to compare it to, or any extensive research into the field of astronomy, we never did notice that it was in such an advanced stage of life. We only just realized recently what will happen" Celestia told the younger Alicorn.
"What... What should we do?" Cadance inquired. For a time the two elders were silent, Celestia's face one of...doubt. As if she were unsure of what to say or how to say it. When Cadance turned to look at Luna, she found the dark Alicorn once again standing near the door, her face as unreadable as ever.
"That is where the matter becomes more complicated" Celestia finally answered, looking away at nothing in particular. Cadance regarded her Aunt, struggling to make sense of this. "Cadance...you are of the Alicorn blood. You represent the pinnacle of evolution, of intelligent life. But even you can fall pray to your emotions. The things I have just told you are grave matters, indeed, but are nothing compared to the truths you are about to learn. Do you understand? Do you remember what I said? Nothing is to leave this room."
"I... Yes, Aunt Celestia" was all Cadance could say.
"Do not call us 'Aunt' any longer, Cadance, for the first truth is that you are not my niece. You were not born to other parents. You were born to us" Celestia said.
"WHAT?!" Cadance yelled, "I'm yours and Luna's daughter?! How in blazes did that happen!?"
"No, you are our sister. Alicorns can have intercourse, Luna and I regularly do, and that is how you were conceived, but Alicorn intercourse is not like regular intercourse. Alicorns are solely female, and the details of conception are irrelevant, but the end result is that Alicorn spawn are not daughters, but sisters. You see, Alicorns do not need a partner to reproduce, we can both sexually and asexually reproduce. As such, Alicorn spawn are so genetically identical to their spawners that they are genetically-speaking sisters" Celestia explained.
Cadance took a moment to take all this in, the collective bombshell leaving her without her tongue. Her entire understanding of the Alicorn condition, the fact that she was not related to her parents at all, and that she had failed to detect that Celestia and Luna were not celibate all keeping her from finding her voice.
"So...if you don't need a partner to reproduce, then why do you do it anyway?" Cadance said.
"For aesthetic reasons. All Alicorns are nearly genetically identical regardless, so sexual reproduction has only one purpose; aesthetics. An Alicorn will consider their best genetic traits, coat color, mane color, and so on, will consider a potential mate's genetic traits and pick one based on what they will believe produce the most aesthetically-pleasing spawn. You were born to Luna and myself, that is why your coat is light colored, why your mane has dark streaks, and why your wingtips are tinted blue. That is why Alicorns choose to reproduce sexually" Celestia continued.
"As well as the obvious reasons" Luna commented.
"Yes of course, thank you, didn't need to know that!" Cadance exclaimed, deeply unsettled.
"Yes, you did, because it ties into the main part of the truths you must come to understand. In addition to Alicorns being able to produce Alicorns, we can create and shape life from nothing. This was the genesis of our species. We create everything, from cells and DNA structure, to the general physical template. Most often it's in our image, that is to say we create a species that looks like us, but sometimes we deviate. This pertains directly to something known to us as the Alicorn Ideology. In such that we consider ourselves the penultimate species, the pinnacle of evolution. As such we are Goddesses, and our goal is to create the perfect species, on the perfect planet. You know how old we are, yes?" Celestia asked.
"Of course" Cadance managed to say.
"No, you don't. We are much older than that. Much older" Celestia told her. "Nor is this our first planet, or its ponies the first ones we've ever created. Our ideology has driven us to create the perfect race, upon the perfect planet. It is what we believe we must do. We have not yet succeeded. We thought we had it this time, but the sun going out has precluded us from ever finding out if this iteration is perfect, and so the cycle must continue."
"'Iteration'? 'Cycle'? Wait, wait, let's go back; what are we going to do about the sun going out?"
"Nothing, for we do not control our respective celestial bodies. I do not control the sun, nor Luna the moon. We are not Princesses of the Day and Night, just as you are not a Princess of Love. That is how you failed to detect my sister and I's romantic and sexual involvement. That is not a power Alicorns possess. Every interaction pertaining to love you've had in the past has been a psychological effect. As such, there is nothing we can do to prevent the loss of this iteration and planet. There is, however, a means by which our species may continue" Celestia continued.
"My Heaven" Luna uttered.
"Indeed. This is the final truth, Cadance: My Heaven. You recall that I told you that this iteration was not the first species we created? And how this was not the first planet we've tried it on? My Heaven is our means to find another; it is a spaceship, of alien design, belonging to a now-extinct species known as the Haro. Before that we had a ship called the Starglimmer's Dream, before that another, and so on and so forth all the way back to the day Luna and I set out to fulfill the Alicorn Ideology."
"So, My Heaven is a spaceship? I presume we're going to put everypony in Equestria on it. and that's how we're going to continue our species?" Cadance questioned. She watched as Celestia and Luna looked at each other, before each turned their attention to Cadance.
"No. Nopony save for ourselves are going aboard My Heaven when it departs. The rest will be left behind" Celestia answered.
"What?! What do you mean? Why are we leaving everypony behind?! I don't understand..." Cadance protested, bewildered and offended by what Celestia had told her.
"Of course you do not, for you are a whelp! You do not understand the Ideology! The why of it! We are ALICORNS, sister Cadance. We are GODS! We have endured this cycle for countless millennium, so why would this one be any different? Why should we bring any save for ourselves along? They are lost; this iteration is lost, there is no point to save them" Luna declared.
"But what makes us more important than any of them?!" Cadance demanded. "Why are WE the only ones who will survive while the rest will be left to suffer a cold, slow death?!"
"Because we are Alicorns, sister. None other matter. Only we have the means to continue our species, the rest would be dead weight, consuming resources without contributing anything to the propagation of our species" Celestia explained.
"But, they could still reproduce like normal. We could fit enough aboard the ship to create a deep enough gene pool so as to prevent genetic stagnation" Cadance countered, Celestia shaking her head.
"Such a process would be too slow. A gestation cycle takes nearly a year, plus there's the 15-20 years a foal is dependent upon their parents for survival. That's 20 years of consuming resources without putting anything back in. We can create thousands of ponies at once, thousands of fully-grown adults, complete with memories and experiences so as to make them seemingly normal ponies. Thousands of instantaneous workers contributing to the building of society. Such a thing far benefits our species as a collective than the individuals themselves" the Princess of the day told Cadance.
"I...don't know what to say. You're telling me that millions are going to die in...how long before the sun goes out?" Cadance asked.
"Six years" Luna replied.
"SIX YEARS!?! Wha-, WHY?! Millions are going to die in six years, and you're telling me that their deaths are the natural order of things? That us three can all just...FLY away into outer space and recreate our species instantly through the flick of a horn and live like nothing's ever happened?! That it'll all be alright?!" Cadance shouted.
"Of course. We've done it thousands of times before. Countless number of iterations of our species created, lived, and lost while we left to restart somewhere else. Such is the cycle. This is how it's been since sister Celestia and I left our homeworld to begin this process" Luna casually stated.
"This... This is insane... I...think I understand now... Six years is a long time to keep a secret, though" Cadance said.
"We won't be sticking around for those six years. We'll stay for another few years and then leave on My Heaven. You won't have to keep your lips sealed long. I know the loss of your first iteration can be difficult, emotional attachments being difficult to detach from, but you will get used to it. Or we'll get it right next time and we'll never have to endure the loss of another iteration ever again. At any rate, we will live, and that is the ultimate goal of the Alicorn Ideology" Celestia said.
Cadance was disturbed, and more than a little afraid, of her Aunt--Sisters--now. She rose from the sitting pillow, the elder Alicorns watching her in unison. "OK... OK. Is that all?" Cadance asked. Celestia and Luna nodded, Celestia rising in turn.
"I will see you out."
Celestia and Cadance walked to the door, the young Alicorn's eyes never once leaving the floor. She paused as the doors opened, the hallway beyond inviting in the wake of the terrible things Cadance had just learned. She turned to face Celestia, finding both of the elder Princesses standing before her side-by-side, their faces expressionless.
"Remember what we have told you, child; let the words you have heard in this room never leave it" Luna warned, closing the door in Cadance's face, the younger Alicorn having not even realized she had passed through the threshold. Cadance turned down the hallway towards the stairwell, her face pale, struggling to figure out how she was supposed to ignore her conscience.
The shouts of instructors and the sounds of marching cadences filled Shining Armor's ears as he strolled along the gravel paths of the Equestrian Imperial Training Grounds, located on the edge of Canterlot. It was here that new recruits were turned into the Empire's finest, forever ready and willing to lay down their lives for the safety and propagation of the Equestrian Empire, her Divine leaders, and her citizens. As the Captain of the entirety of the Empire's army Shining Armor believed in these ideals with all his heart and mind, and would see them fulfilled. Indeed, Equestria had just won a war against the Fascist Felines. The reasons, as always, were political and trivial, but Shining had commanded the Imperial Army to victory.
As Captain of the Imperial Army Shining Armor had attained the highest rank possible, and as such had free reign of every installation, garrison, and base he visited. As Captain, the Imperial Training Grounds were sort of his mother base, which was a bit of a bother as his home was located in the Crystal Empire, but the recent war had kept him in Canterlot when he was not on the battlefield.
His trek came to an end as Shining Armor reached the captain's barracks, typical military wood shack with an appearance like that of a cylinder cut in half, the flag of the Equestrian Empire waving proudly on the pole outside. Shining's boots struck the flagstones with a characteristic crunch. At the touch of his magic the door opened, the think oak riveted in place by the Unicorn's mind. It was uncharacteristically cold day for it being the Summer, and the wind bucked at the open door as Shining closed it.
Inside the barracks was as luxurious as such a utilitarian facility could get, with accommodations made specifically for Shining Armor's comfort when visiting the base for extended periods of time. It was larger than most barracks, with several rooms. The main room was the office, which sported a large walnut desk flanked by two flagpoles, on one the flag of the Equestrian Empire, the other the flag and coat of arms of House Sparkle, a white, blue, and purple affair with a shield over it, a sword jutting out of one side of the shield and a magical bolt of energy jutting out of the other. A high-quality rug dominated most of the floor, keeping the room relatively warm, in addition to the windows which captured the sun's rays.
Behind the desk were three doors, which lead to the other rooms in the barracks. On the far left was a private armory, where Shining Armor kept several weapons he had been issued and awarded in service to the Empire. As an officer, most were pistols, which he rotated in his daily carry when his rifle was not needed. Chief among these pistols was a Model of Pyrrhic 70, or MP-70. Designed by Pyrrhic Victory, a renowned weapons designer and member of the royal court advising Princess Celestia on matters of military strategy and logistics, in the year 1170 After Nightmare Moon. Firing a 40x20mm cartridge from a nine-round magazine the MP-70 was the issue pistol for all commissioned officers of the Empire. Shining Armor preferred his personally-owned K20, a large frame .44 caliber revolver, but his love of the wheelgun had to give way for the practicality of an automatic on most days. In addition to these there was the MP-55 and the K15, an automatic and revolver, respectively. These were both chambered for a 7.65x25mmSR cartridge, SR standing for semi-rimmed. The MP-55 and K15 were the issue pistols for enlisted soldiers all the way up to Sergeant, firing this .32 caliber bullet from 11 round magazines in the autoloader and from a seven-round cylinder in the revolver.
The middle door, directly behind Shining's desk, was a bathroom, and the door on the far right held his private quarters. Inside the features were relatively spartan, featuring only a bed, desk, and bookshelf. The bed was placed in the far corner, sitting beneath two windows. There were mornings when Shining Armor merely lied in bed, silently thinking to himself as he watched the coming dawn.
These days the one thing that dominated Shining's thoughts was the recent war against the Fascist Felines, and of course his wife. Shining had oft-wondered how such a beautiful and majestic creature had ever fancied a military stallion such as himself, and had joked with Cadance that such a love was one of the mysteries of the world.
As far as the war with 'them' goes, we won, as we rightfully should have. My stallions and I still have to contend with attacks from rogue Feline soldiers, but I suspect to quell these upstarts within a few months Shining thought. He traveled over to his desk, his mind transferring to work mode as he settled in to take care of the day's work. First things first was to review the log of cadets graduating into full-fledged soldiers, oversee the testing of several new weapons, and even meet with dignitaries from the Canine Republic. Ordinarily mundane tasks were a blessing after the tours of combat Shining Armor had recently returned from.
Sitting down at his desk Shining retrieved the appropriate files pertaining to the various cadets who would be graduating later in the day, as well as his keynotes for the speech he would be required to deliver. Several files stuck out, with red-colored flags marking their respective ponies as having demonstrated remarkable fortitude during training. Chief among these was Lance Corporal Strong Spear and Corporal Gleaming Bullet.
Strong Spear and Gleaming Bullet... Shining mused, cracking open Lance Corporal Spear's file first. She was a young but capable mare, having displayed strong leadership capabilities during her training. Shining had put her in charge of squads sent out into the wild on training exercises, and she had shown a strong ability to adapt and command authoritatively, despite her rather small size when compared to that of the stallions she commanded. Shining attributed this to her nature as an earth pony, possessing a natural strength and more authoritative voice than a mare of Unicorn or Pegasi persuasion. Her light blue coat and shortly cropped mane was spartan, and made her appear as a no-nonsense sort of pony. All of this combined with her schooling in military strategy to create the ideal leader, who would be naturally suited to the job. The post-graduation portion of her file had been marked by the Princess as 'general service', to be deployed wherever it would be necessary in the future.
Shining marked her file with an approval stamp and moved onto the next; Gleaming Bullet.
Gleaming Bullet's file particularly interested Shining Armor, as the stallion was not graduating from basic training, but rather advanced placement. Gleaming was graduating into the Officers' Corps as a Lieutenant, putting him in the same league as Shining Armor. He was a veteran of several wars, including one against the Minotaurs. His mother, Heavy Bullet, was an admiral in the Air Corps, and apparently a rather well-esteemed one. He was a light gray stallion with a blonde mane, and a physique that just screamed 'stallion', the muscles burgeoning beneath the surface of his skin. His post-graduation had been marked by the Princess as 'Royal Guard', which was what most piqued Shining's interest, as it meant Gleaming would be deployed solely as a member of the castle guard in direct service to Princess Celestia to herself. It might even be that one day Gleaming Bullet would replace Shining Armor as Captain of the Empire, but that was not of much concern to him.
Shining was sure these two ponies would go on to do great things and have a lasting impact on Equestria.
Having stamped his approval, Shining moved onto the rest of the files. No more were flagged, and as such it was a quick process to simply look the file over and mark it with an approval or denial stamp, as necessary. The matter only took but an hour, and Shining had a courier summoned to deliver the sealed files to the Princess for final approval. With this matter resolved Shining Armor left his office to attend the next matter of the day's itinerary, which was the test of the new weapons up for potential adoption by the Empire.
Trotting across the base Shining Armor proceeded to the proving grounds, a single acre of grass specifically adapted for the testing of new firearms. Targets and various other amenities had been supplied for the testing of accuracy, durability, reliability, and ergonomics of a potential new adoption.
As was par for the course Shining was early to the showing, and having nothing more to ponder or occupy his time the Captain simply settled into a relaxed stance, patiently awaiting the arrival of the inventors eager to demonstrate their weapons to the leader of the Imperial army.
Several hours later Shining Armor had been shown demonstrations of all the contenders vying to have their particular weapons selected, and among the ones shown Shining had taken a particular liking to the ones known as the Solar Pulse line, developed by a mare who seemed more than a bit unhinged, but whose science and magic blend had actually worked in creating a cartridge type that fired a bullet that ignited into fire upon impact, and two guns who could fire it; the Solar Pulse Rifle model 16, and the M6 Solar Pulse Pistol. These two weapons had shown to be the most reliable, accurate, and durable of the many tested, and their unique properties had all combined to earn Shining Armor's approval. The Princess would have the final say, but Shining was confident she would see the advantages of these systems.
With this matter taken care of all that remained for Shining Armor to take care of was meet with the Canine dignitaries who were due to arrive in Canterlot soon, and ensure they were given a proper welcome to Equestria for their visit. They were meeting with the Princesses for some reason or another over the next few days, and it was Shining's job to escort them around the castle during that time.
Heading down through the underhalls of the royal castle Shining Armor exited out onto a landing pad for vertical take off and landing vehicles, where a transport carrying the Canine dignitaries would be arrive upon. Unlike the weapons designers the Canines were actually on time and Shining watched as their transport came in, stepping back to allow the hovering vehicle to come in and land. Shining's mane whipped wildly as the rotors of the aircraft still spun, gradually slowing down as the engines were shut off. A side door opened and three Canines stepped out, their coats a mix of gray and brown. The middle one seemed to be the ranking one, and he approached Shining Armor.
"Greetings, Equestrian! I am Under-Commissar Bulldog. My cohorts and I are here to see your Princesses on matters pertaining to state relations" the Canine declared in perfect Equestrian, though his Canine accent infected his speech. Shining nodded, indicating that the Canines follow him.
"Of course. I am Shining Armor, Captain of the Equestrian Imperial Army. I will be your guide and escort for the duration of your visit to the capital of our fair and grand Empire. We have already prepared private rooms for you all to stay in, with the most luxurious of comforts and standards included. We will, of course, also try to accommodate your every wish and do our best to ensure your comfort during your stay. Please, if you have any questions, do not fear to ask me" Shining said.
"Thank you, sir. We are fine for now, but we are quite eager to speak with the Princesses as soon as possible" Under-Commissar Bulldog declared.
"Very well" Shining replied, leading them upstairs to the private rooms reserved for the meetings and summits of dignitaries both foreign and domestic. Shining Armor opened the door to the meeting room he had been indicated to bring the Canines to and found the Princesses already waiting for them, bowing as he saw them. The Canines filed in after him and respectfully stood at their end of the table.
"You are relieved for the day, Captain Armor. Leave us, now" Princess Celestia commanded, Shining bowing quickly before leaving the room, ensuring the door was locked behind him. Turning back down the hall towards the stairs Shining sighed and relaxed a bit, already eager to return to his house in Canterlot and relax. Having the rest of the day off thrilled him, and he silently thanked the Princess for granting him such a reprieve.
Heading down the stairs a thought came to Shining Armor, and he permitted himself a smile.
Princess Cadance felt on edge, despite having been awake for well over 24 hours. She stood on the second-floor balcony of the house she shared with her husband in Canterlot, looking out across the mid-day light. The sun blazed high in the sky, its presence mocking Cadance, tormenting her. Her conscience nagged at her, never ceasing in its incessant call.
Tell them...
All night Cadance had remained like this, lying awake in bed as Shining quietly snored beside her. When morning came, she had pretended to have slept fitfully, and Shining left to attend to matters of a military nature, leaving Cadance to stand in a silent tempest, her demeanor carefully neutral. But inside she warred with herself.
The SUN! Going out, leaving the inhabitants to die in the dark; cold, starving. The entire WORLD! Dozens of species, erased! Just so that us Alicorns may leave into OUTER SPACE to find another planet to live on! It's all so ludicrous! Worse, it's deplorable! A genocide that we will allow to occur for our gains! Cadance thought to herself.
But... We will start again. Celestia and Luna explained it themselves. This cycle had began since before they were even born, and it will continue until they create what they deem a perfect race. Celestia and Luna have done this countless times, they have such experience in the crafting of economies, cultures, and even species. Surely it must be that one day they would succeed, and would I not want to be present when it occurs?
But in thinking over what her elders had told her Cadance had come to be confused, and thought the whole Alicorn Ideology to be illogical and inconsistent. What's more, she did not understand the 'why' of it, its origins, or even the origins of the Alicorn race. She was still reeling over the fact that she was Celestia and Luna's sister/daughter. That Alicorns were exclusively female did not strike Cadance as alarming, but that they were all nearly genetically identical piqued her curiosity. She wondered how such a species could sustain itself without genetically stagnating and dying out. The implications behind Alicorns all being genetically identical disturbed Cadance, and none of her theories comforted her.
Created in a lab, cloned, engineered... There is no possible way a species could EVOLVE without genetic adaptation and evolution. So Alicorns being a natural product of evolution doesn't seem likely. So the question becomes... who created us? Where did we come from?
Cadance's breath quickened, and it dawned on her why she had never felt comfortable in her own skin; she was an unnatural by-product of a race that should not exist. At this realization a flood of understanding rushed through Cadance, and it all finally made sense to her.
Celestia and Luna's cold logic, the Alicorn Ideology that dictates to them their morality, the beliefs they must follow. Why they will do the things they will do, why they have done the things they have done; all the machinations of the race that created us! A genetic programming that Celestia and Luna continue to this day! In so much that my elders create species as experiments, so were WE created as an experiment! The Genesis of ponydom was a lab!
But to what end?
That was the question that Cadance could not answer. What's more, she could not be certain if her hypothesis that Alicorns, and indeed the Equestrian race, was created by an alien species was even correct. For all she knew, hers were the incoherent thoughts of a mare who had been up for 24 hours after having been told she would survive the literal end of the world. It was a matter she wanted to know about, and one she wanted to ask of her elders. Was pony kind created in a lab, or did they evolve? What was our homeworld?
Whether we were created or evolved really does not matter. The sun is going out, and I must come to grips with what I am to do. Abide by my elders and the Alicorn Ideology, or tell the world the truth. But... What would telling the world the truth even get me? Would they even believe me?
Cadance could not be certain, but doing the right thing was doing the right thing, consequences be damned. But, how to tell them? How to explain to the world the truth? How to ensure that it would reach the masses in a manner that they would believe it? Where could she even start? The reverence ponydom held for the Princesses of the day and moon was deeply ingrained, and most likely engineered into them, if Cadance had to guess. Breaking such a reverence to make them see the truth would be difficult.
But, the most important thing to consider, if they do believe me... What will the end result be?
This was something that Princess Cadance would never come to know.
Rock and ore, millions of years old, enclosed Celestia and Luna as they walked deep in the caves beneath Canterlot mountain, the winding caverns marked with natural spires and stalactites. Their horns glowed, illuminating the way as they walked their path by mere memory, trekking deeper into the heart of the mountain.
"The first of many inspections of My Heaven we must endure. Tell me, sister; does it still scare you, as it does I?" Luna asked, her voice echoing in the large cavern they currently trotted through. Celestia craned her neck to look at her sister, her answer dancing upon her face.
"It terrifies me. A striking, paralyzing fear. Its power, the race it represented, the one who captained it... It's worlds different from every ship we previously owned" Celestia answered. They entered a nondescript cave among many, its intricacies identifying it as the one they needed to travel down to reach the innermost sanctum.
"Do you recall how your student was interred down here during Cadance's wedding? That was a most concerning event, for had she discovered My Heaven it would've created a difficult position for us. Tell me, sister, what would you have done had she uncovered our coveted vessel?" Luna asked.
Celestia did not answer immediately, instead choosing to focus on navigating. Inevitably, though, she relented and offered her reply. "That's a complicated matter. Twilight and her friends represent a significant facet of this iteration's culture and have large public profiles. Had she discovered My Heaven, we would've had to erase this entire iteration and start over. Same for if somepony had discovered the Leviathan of the Haro, or if he had dared to leave the Everfree."
"Folly. Such a foolish folly, leaving him alive all this time. He could've cracked the foundation of this iteration simply by stepping out of the Everfree. I have often wondered why he has not done so" Luna said.
"Perhaps he has died."
"If even we could not kill him I doubt one of the species we've created could" Luna stated. Silence befell the two as they ventured deeper still, quickly coming up on a lone steel door, lain silent and closed for a millennium. Celestia reached forth and threw a switch, the door grinding open. The chamber beyond was brightly illuminated by thousands of lights, all mounted to the walls of the giant cavern and pointing inwards, towards the thing that dominated the wide open cavity deep in the mountain.
"My Heaven..." Celestia muttered, stepping forth into the cavern. She and Luna had carved out this cavern in the center of the mountain specifically to hide My Heaven from the world. The ship was suspended vertically in mid-air, the prow of the ship pointed upwards at the peak of the mountain.
Oval in shape and stretching from the bottom of the cavern all the way to the top, its white hull reflected the lights dully, the black lettering of its name void of any reflection. Mounted on top was a giant cannon, long dormant and cold. Celestia and Luna took to the air and flew over to the side of the vessel, entering via a hatch near the 'A' in Heaven, coming out into the main hangar, located in the center of the ship. They used their magic to root themselves to the floor of the ship, allowing them to walk through the vertically-oriented ship.
"A thousand years since we have walked these halls..." Luna whispered, her shoes clattering loudly against the steel. Celestia followed suit, joining her sister as they turned right towards the hangar exit, heading in the direction of the bridge. The automated doors opened as they approached, and from there it was just another trek down a hallway to the bridge. The door opened, and in entered the sisters Sun and Moon.
"A thousand years..." Celestia echoed Luna, tracing a hoof along the captain's chair. "Let's hope that the next time is the last, yes?"
"With the knowledge we have gained, and with Cadance's perspective, it may indeed be the last" Luna commented, heading around the captain's chair towards the viewport. Celestia followed, joining her sister in looking out the viewport at the ceiling of the mountain just outside.
"I hope you are right, my sister. Cadance is our sister, and although she may not understand the Alicorn Ideology, she will one day come to understand it, and then she will join us at our side as the rightful Goddesses we are. Then, when we have left this world, it is by her touch we will craft the perfect race" Celestia said.
"As you say, so it shall come to pass" Luna replied.
Shining Armor once again accompanied the Canine dignitaries visiting Canterlot, guarding them as they roamed the castle. Princess Celestia had given them free reign to explore the castle and partake in its many amenities, so long as Captain Armor accompanied them. While two of the Canines remained silent, Under-Commissar Bulldog talked freely with Shining.
"I must say, my colleagues and I have been very pleased with the reception we've gotten since we've arrived here. Our talks with the Princesses have gone amiably, and the amenities and comforts provided have been most satisfactory" The Under-Commissar said to Shining.
"Thank you, we feel it's our obligation to make all guests feel welcome, appreciated, and as if this was their own home" Shining offered in reply. The group walked through the Grand Hall, where the Grand Galloping Gala was held each year. At this moment the Hall was silent, leaving Shining and the Canines its only occupants.
"You have certainly made us feel welcome. Now, let us talk of other matters. Officially, we are to speak with your Princesses in matters of a diplomatic nature. But, personally, I would like to speak with you in matters of a military nature. I'm sure it's common knowledge that the Canine Republic is a nation of Frontieres sans Militaires; borders without soldiers" Bulldog stated.
"Ah, yes, I have heard of this. The nation without a military. I suppose your skills in diplomacy have contributed to the Republic having not been invaded in nearly 100 years" Shining Armor replied.
"Oh but of course. But, we have always been curious about other nation's militaries, namely yours. The Equestrian Empire has the largest military in the world, and just recently you have won a war against the Felines. Even though your military is mighty, many find it quite surprising that you beat a race so fanatical and tenacious as the Felines" the Under-Commissar told Shining.
"Well, our brute strength wasn't the only contributing factor. You need to have clever strategy and planning, the means to produce more supplies than the enemy, and the means to get them to the right places quickly. In terms of sheer numbers, the Felines could've easily beaten us, but they lacked strategy and focus, and they had not the means to properly supply their troops. Their defeat was owed just as much to logistics as it was military strategy" Shining explained.
"I see. But, have you ever pondered the political side of war? Consider this; could it be that the Felines may one day be your allies? Or that a truce could have been achieved in this war?" Bulldog asked.
"I am a soldier, Under-Commissar. I have not a mind for political interests; I see the world through the sights of a gun. But, if I could venture a guess, I would say that it is not likely that I nor the Empire would ever be allied with the Felines. Or that a truce could've been reached. Had it been so, however, I would've abided by the Princesses' will."
"That is something else I wished to ask of you, as an Equestrian. Have you ever considered if you are blindly obedient to your rulers, or that you believe in them by conscious choice?" Bulldog inquired.
"What are you getting at?" Shining said.
"In the Republic, no political figure is trusted at all. Intense scrutiny is placed under us, and no subject would ever swear any manner of obedience to us unless it was of their own volition. Figures and heads of state at any level are regularly questioned by the public, and no matter of interest whether big or small is ignored by the citizenry. Such an intense focus on politics by our citizenry has ensured corruption has stayed out of our government."
"Our Princesses are collectively Goddess, Under-Commissar. Divinity embodied, whom grace us with their presence and rule. They are infallible, and incorruptible. It is under their wisdom Equestria has flourished, and our once quaint nation is now the mightiest Empire in the world" Shining declared.
"Such is the blind obedience I was speaking of. Be careful, Captain Armor, for you may find that blind obedience leads one down a dark path" the Under-Commissar told Shining, eliciting a respectful hum from the Captain.
"I will take that into consideration. Now, let us get under way" Shining Armor said.
"Let's."
Cadance fretted, pacing back and forth in her house. 30 hours she'd been awake, the exhaustion hardly affecting her, but physically she looked like a haggard mess. Mentally, she was unaffected by the lack of sleep, but yet still was she freaking out over what she was supposed to. She could not fathom how she would ever keep this secret for several years, and she'd like to tell herself she didn't know how her elders did it, but the new light she saw them in explained it all.
Sociopaths... Utter, complete sociopaths. Confirmed. Psychopathy, sociopathy, utter barbarism. Disgusting creatures, my fellow Alicorns are. Not even fit to be called Pony; they are subponies. What the hell what the hell WHAT THE FLAMING FUCK?!
Coffee had become Cadance's only friend the past day and a half, always by her side, comforting her, telling her soothing things.
Crazy I am going crazy!! I... I can't do it. I can't stay silent. I MUST tell somepony, I must tell the WORLD!!
Panic suddenly turned to a white-hot rage as Cadance thought to how Celestia and Luna planned to escape by themselves, leaving the world to die. Cadance's face contorted to one of anger, but she did what she could to keep the tempest internalized. Her conscience struggled to understand what could drive a pony to be as cruel as heartless as the elder Princesses were.
The Alicorn Ideology... A thought process of superiority, of elitism. An ideology founded on circular logic and asinine reasoning. WHY?! Why do they-- NO! It matters not. All that matters is stopping them, ensuring that the world learns the truth, and that we get as many aboard My Heaven as we can before the sun goes out Cadance thought, her decision final.
The heavy plodding of iron on wood filled Cadance's ears, sounding not unlike the sound of a coming executioner. Cadance listened, her blood pounding so hard she could hear it rushing through her ears. She waited anxiously, dread building in her as Shining approached their bedroom.
"Honey? You in here?" Shining said, the doorknob turning and the door being pushed open. Shining Armor stepped in, his contented look of bemusement melting away as he saw the state of his wife. "By the Princesses, are you OK, dear? You look sick."
"DO NOT MENTION THOSE SWINE!!" Cadance thundered, her rage showing for but a moment in voice and appearance, a burst of pink flames igniting and dissipating off her body at once. Shining tensed, his military training taking control of his muscles for but a moment. When his brain caught up to his body Shining took note of what Cadance has said, and he felt even more tense.
"Excuse me? 'Swine'? What are you talking about, Cady? Are you alright?" Shining asked, taking a tentative step towards his wife. Cadance's rage vanished, her expression softening. Her legs collapsed under her weight, her rump hitting the floor with a *thump*.
"Shining, there's something you need to know. There are many things you need to know..." Cadance muttered, closing her eyes. She lied down, folding her legs under her body. Shining Armor approached at once, moving closer to his wife to comfort her.
"It's OK, dear heart. Take your time" Shining said, his mind conjecturing as to what Cadance could have to tell him. If Shining knew anything by her temperament and frazzled state he would guess that she was pregnant, which he would find to be most wonderful news. "Dear, are you pregnant?!"
"What?! Goddess, no. Shining Armor, what I am about to tell you is...unsettling. It may be...difficult to comprehend, to understand, but please accept what I am about to tell you as the honest truth" Cadance said.
"I'm listening, my love."
"Shining Armor, I..." Cadance started, looking up into Shining's eyes, those blue orbs filled with care, concern, and love. Cadance's heart swelled as she looked at them, and at the moment she did not care what Celestia had told her; she can feel true love. Cadance's ruined mental state and the effects of having been up for nearly two days straight caught up to Cadance, and she began to cry.
"S-Shining... The s-s-sun... It's-- It's going out..." Cadance sobbed, her husband taking a step back.
"What? Cadance, what are you talking about?"
"THE SUN!!" Cadance bellowed, fully igniting in pink fire. The floorboards beneath her hooves melted. Magical flames licked at the air off of Cadance's body, the mortal world seeing for the first time the pure rage of an Alicorn. Shining backpedaled, terrified by his wife's sudden outburst. As quickly as this tempest came it passed, and Cadance returned to normal. "The sun..." she whispered. "It's going out. Celestia and Luna told me."
"The sun...is going out?" Shining said, unsure of what he had heard.
"Yes... The sun is going out. In six years. That's not the worst of it, though, Shiny. The Princesses, Celestia and Luna, they have a plan to escape Equestria, our world, and survive. They plan to leave every last soul behind when they escape. They explained many things to me, but chief among them was that the sun was going out very soon, and that they intended to leave us all behind when it happened. They only just told me a few days ago" Cadance explained.
For but a moment Shining Armor did not respond, contemplating over what Cadance had just told him. He considered it one of the most ludicrous notions he'd ever heard of, but Cadance's current physical and mental state suggested it was true. As Shining Armor came to accept this notion, it dawned on that he had no idea how to react.
"I...don't understand" Shining stated.
"The sun's really old, or something similar, and it's about to burn off the last of its energy. No more light, no more heat. The daylight--well, there won't be daylight anymore--but the daylight temperature will drop by hundreds of degrees. Nothing will survive, except Celestia and Luna. They will be escaping, leaving us all to die" Cadance said.
"Celestia and Luna? So this isn't Nightmare Moon's return then..."
"No. This is a natural event."
Shining took another moment to think, and that is when something else Cadance said dawned on him.
"You said they're going to escape? That they intend to leave us all behind?" Shining asked, uncertain. "Why... Why would they do that?"
"Because they are sociopathic monsters, Shiny. They care not for us, only themselves. Only other Alicorns" Cadance told her husband, standing. "They think they are infallible, that they are Goddesses of the universe. That they alone should make the rules, and that everyone and everything should bend to their will. The laws of nature, of physics, of gravity... The universe itself. They think it should all be subjected to their will. They are crazy, they are dangerous, and what's worse is that had they not told me everything they would've succeeded, Shining Armor."
Shining Armor looked out the window at Canterlot Castle in the distance, thinking of his Princesses as they walked through the halls. Maybe sat in their rooms...
...And he was consumed with rage at them.
"So, now that we know all this. What are we going to do about it, Cadance?" Shining questioned, turning back to his wife. She saw the pure rage within his eyes, and she drank in it, the air shimmering as pink flames began to emanate off her body once again.
"We confront them over it, Captain Armor..." Cadance uttered darkly.
"Preliminary reports suggest that My Heaven is in adequate shape, and is more than ready for a trip into space. We'll need to perform more tests and examinations of it, of course, but its early results are promising" Princess Luna said to her sister as they walked the halls of their private wing of Canterlot Castle.
"It'll be two years, at least, before we can determine if it's truly ship-shape. In the meantime we'll need to run interdiction on any more who discover the truth, and teach Cadance the ways and meanings of the Alicorn Ideology. In time, she will come to understand, and then she will be made one of us, to carry on the beliefs of the Ideology" Celestia responded, the two reached Celestia's room and opened the door, sealing it shut behind them.
"I question her resolve, but I trust your judgment, sister" Luna said.
"Thank you, sister."
In the privacy of Celestia's room the two Princesses stepped out onto the balcony, looking out over the land once again. It was mid-morning, the air cool and comfortable before the heat of the day proper. Celestia reflected once again on the regretful loss of this iteration, and the last thread of her conscience tugged at her in an attempt to sway her to do its bidding.
Long I have wavered in my belief in the Ideology, but I'd like to think I would always abide by it so long as I live. I think I waver because I grow tired of searching the stars for the perfect blend of species and planet. It's just such a tiresome process, but I know at the end of the day that the Ideology is just, and that we WILL fulfill it one day Celestia mused.
The two sisters sat on the balcony, silently looking out. They stayed like this for a moment, lost in thought as they simply appreciated the cool stillness of the morning. Far below, in the streets, the morning was even quieter. With most ponies at work the shops were quiet, the streets sparse with activity. It was all the Princesses could do to merely sit and appreciate the day.
"I wonder what the next planet will be like" Luna said.
"Successful, hopefully" was all Celestia had to offer in reply.
A knock came to Celestia's door, and the two Princesses rose, trotting across the room. Celestia opened the door to find Cadance standing beyond the threshold. "Hello, Cadance. For what have you come?" Celestia asked, stepping aside to allow Cadance entrance. The young Alicorn entered, Celestia closing the door in her wake.
"I've come to discuss the Ideology. And what we plan to do" Cadance answered concisely. Celestia and Luna looked at each other, wondering if finally they had gotten through to Cadance.
"Come, child. Let us talk" Luna said.
"Tell me," Cadance started immediately, "have you ever though about the morality behind the Ideology? Have you ever asked yourself if what you have done, what you are doing, is right? Is just? Tell me, have you ever felt remorse over what you have done, Princesses?" Cadance asked.
"Watch thy tongue, sister, and do not ask questions that you do not want answers to, if you can not understand the 'why' of it. Our way may seem cold and harsh, but it is logical and just. Morality and emotion must always give way to logic, and the Ideology is logical" Luna scolded.
"Is it? I'm not asking, I'm telling you to ask yourselves; IS the Ideology really logical? Just? Or is it immoral and unjustifiable. How many will die because of it? How can you sleep at night knowing that millions will die because of our inaction?" Cadance questioned.
"Sister..." Celestia said, turning to Cadance. "I implore you, to try to understand us. We have lived since time immemorial, will continue to live for all time. We abide by the teachings of our race because they are what we know, what we have always known. There is no alternative to us; we are superior because we know it to be true, because we are Alicorns, because we represent the pinnacle of evolution" Celestia explained.
"That's just it; the Ideology is circular logic! 'We are superior because we are Alicorns, and we are superior because we just are'. It's absurd, it's asinine! Would we not be better served by embracing all life as our equal? By trying to save as many as we could?" Cadance asked.
"Why should we? What would we gain by treating others as our equal? They could never truly be our equal, so why should we treat them as such?" Luna said.
"Because it is the right thing to do!"
"Morality is subjective, sister. What one may think as just and morally right another may see as unjust and wrong. The difference with us is that we are Goddesses, so our morality, our way of thinking is correct. It is truth, and everything else is interpretation" Luna explained.
"That's absurd! How can you think in such a way? How can you consciously look at this...this...lunacy and think it justified? It's ludicrous, it's ridiculous, it's some kind of bizarre doublethink that any sane individual would find illogical!" Cadance protested.
"Enough! We are right, we are always right, we always will be right. We are Goddess personified, and our way is just. You will come to understand it in time, long after we have left this planet" Celestia stated.
"I'm not leaving" Cadance declared, Celestia and Luna piquing their brows in response. "I don't want any part of this barbarism! You both sicken me, and if you are going to leave them all behind then I'm staying too."
"I see" Celestia uttered. "Well, then, Cadance, if you will not come with us, then we will have to make you come with us." Celestia and Luna moved forward, their magic reaching out to grasp Cadance with their magic. Cadance writhed, her own horn taking on its own glow.
"SHINY!!" Cadance bellowed, the door to Celestia's room slamming open. The sisters sun and moon turned to see Shining Armor standing in the door, his gun in his magical grasp. They released Cadance, the young Alicorn rushing to her husband's side. Celestia and Luna took their places at each other's flank, looking down at the stallion.
"Cadance has told me everything. The sun, your plan... The truth. We will not allow you to do what you plan to do; we will stop you" Shining threatened, lowering his stance. Luna's face turned to one of rage.
"You did what we told you not to and told a LESSER the truth of our reality?! I knew you were not ready! You should have never been entrusted with the truths we told you!" Luna thundered, the air shimmering around her as if heated.
"Enough! Surrender peacefully, and face justice!" Shining commanded, leveling his gun.
"You DARE to command an ALICORN!? YOUR BETTER?! You could not possibly comprehend or understand! A lesser such as you should have never been told the truth, and now we are forced to silence you" Celestia declared, her horn glowing red. Shining opened fire, Luna throwing up a shield to deflect the bullets.
"COME NOW!! Face the might and power of the Alicorn!" Luna shouted, taking to the air, her horn glowing red as Celestia's. Shining and Cadance tensed, preparing to move. "DIE FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!" Luna thundered, releasing the death spell, the red beam lancing through the room, streaking dangerously towards the wedded couple.
Cadance and Shining scattered as Luna's beam struck the floor where they had just stood, the floorboards turning white hot and melting, sagging under their own weight as their integrity weakened. Shining ushered Cadance behind him, his stance low and tense.
"Now you shall face the full wrath of the mighty Alicorn race!!" Celestia thundered, her horn glowing violently red and discharging a powerful ball of energy, the orb of fire careening through the air towards Shining Armor, who scattered out of the path of the orb. It struck the balcony and glass doors with a mighty boom, a red fireball and plume of black smoke turning the glass to dust and the marble to ash. Black smoke began to bleed into the sky outside the tower, likely putting the entire Royal Guard on alert.
"RUN!" Shining yelled, he and Cadance galloping for the door. Cadance blasted it open with a stream of orange fire, the wood glowing at the edges. The two ran through the opening, Celestia and Luna close behind. Shining and Cadance thundered down the hall towards the stairs, the Alicorn Goddesses watching them go without chase.
"Before this day ends you will know our power, and it shall be the last thing you know!" Luna bellowed after them, her mighty voice carrying down the stairwell. Shining and Cadance went down as quickly as they could, iron striking marble with panicked fervor. Shining drew his service pistol, holding it in his magical grasp and ensuring that Cadance was in cover behind him.
"Our best bet are the underhalls, the service passages used by the maids and servants. They lead out to a utility port, where usually a few transport aircraft are docked. We can use them to escape, but first we got to get down there" Cadance exclaimed, following her husband as they continued down the stairs. Before long they reached the bottom of the stairs where they led out into a utilitarian hallway.
"Once we're in the air we'll have to evade the DRAVMs that come after us, and find somewhere safe to lie low until we can figure out what to do" Shining said. "The Princesses must've had some way to survive this coming disaster!"
"They did! There's--"
BAM! BAM!
Cadance shrieked as the first of the gunshots rang out, the Royal Guard pursuing them in full. Shots thundered through the halls, amplified by the tight spaces. The bullets clattered off the tile walls, shards and dust of ceramic spraying through the air. The two rounded a corner at Cadance's direction, racing against gunfire in their desperate attempt to escape.
"Where will we hide, Shining?" Cadance questioned.
"I think I know of a place, but we need to get the hell out of here quick! Cadance, keep going! I'm going to try to slow these stallions down!" Shining shouted, turning and leveling his gun. He took aim and fired, thunder and fire rocking his world as the report of the pistol echoed in the hall. The bullets flew straight and true, striking several of the pursuing Royal Guard. Shining backpedaled, his heart lurching in his throat as the bodies of the dead Guards hit the floor, their white coats running red with blood. Stallions he knew, stallions he had trained; dead by his hooves.
"Shiny, come on!" Cadance yelled, Shining turning to follow once more. His wife was up the hall, at another junction. "We're near the kitchens! Beyond them, to the left are the storerooms and pantries! And to the right of them, down a final hall is the docking port where the transports will be. It'll likely be secured by just one guard, so it won't be a problem!" Cadance exclaimed, a sheen of sweat covering her coat, her face flustered. She looked ragged, her mane frazzled, and Shining thought her the most beautiful mare in the world.
Her courage... Her bravery... She took one look at what the Princesses were planning to do and turned her back, following her heart as it told her to do the right thing. I've never been more proud Shining thought. The duo reached another junction where they would turn left towards the storeroom, Shining running into Cadance as she stopped. "Why did--" he started, stopping when he saw the very reason Cadance stopped. Down the hall, directly in their intended path, were a squad of Royal Guards. Not just Royal Guards... Shining mused, already backpedaling, his gun raised. The Sunguard.
If Royal Guards were the Empire's greatest soldiers, then the Sunguard were the galaxy's greatest. Rumored to be culled from the hardiest of soldiers, it was said their training consisted of being dumped in the heart of the dragon badlands completely naked and told to walk back to Canterlot. If they survived the dragons, thirst, the blazing heat, hunger, and the other hazards that inhabited the badlands they were made a member of the Sunguard. Their armor was finished in a highly polished silver and gold finish, and they adorned blue capes with the sun stitched on them in gold leaf. Their features hidden by helmets that fully enclosed their heads, their visage was a striking one, and without hesitation they raised their weapons.
"Other way! Other way!" Shining yelled, grabbing his wife by the hoof and ushering her down the adjacent hall, out of sight of the Sunguard. Cadance looked utterly stricken, but yet still she galloped at full speed, still trying to speak, to tell Shining Armor everything he needed to know.
"The Sunguard..." Cadance muttered, her face turning to one of shock. "They sent the Sunguard after us, Shiny... I never thought I would see Celestia as I see her now..." the former Princess uttered. In a fit of self-realization she threw her crown from her head and ripped her cuirass off, throwing it to the floor. Shining was struck by this display of non-conformity, this breaking of the mold, and he loved her even more for it.
No longer a Princess, and an Alicorn in name only, she is free from the Princesses and their ideology.
"We'll circle back around and make a run for the dock!" Cadance shouted, rounding a corner with Shining close behind. They were running back in an upside-down U, heading back for the junction that would lead them out to the port. Shining breathed heavily, his endurance running out. Cadance merely sweated, this her only sign of the tempest she was putting her body through as they sprinted through the underhalls of Canterlot Castle.
Gunshots echoed through the halls once more, the Sunguard having caught up to them. Their thunder deafening, the whips and snaps of the bullets slinging by them, the spray of ceramic dust clouding the hall and likely obscuring the two fugitives. Turning the corner Shining and Cadance entered the final hall leading to the docking port.
"Shining, there is one more thing you need to know about the Princesses, and what they plan to do. In a few years time they plan to leave Equestria, to leave this planet, forever. To do this they must use a secret they have kept interred since the very day they created our species. It's a device known as--"
BAM! BAM BAM!
Cadance's words hitched oddly in her throat, the syllables dying on her tongue. She faltered and fell forward, momentum carrying her body forward. She hit the floor unceremoniously and rolled, her head folding inward as the tip of her horn hit the floor. She tumbled and slammed into a corner, her limbs splayed and head resting against the wall.
"CADY!!" Shining thundered, pausing for but a moment to help his wife, his hooves stayed by indecisiveness when he saw what had happened. The continued echo of gunshots moved him once more, the image of his wife's corpse forever burned into his mind. The glimpse of the gaping exit hole where her right eye used to be never to leave him for so long as he continued to live. Tears came to his eyes as he continued to run, barreling through the door to the docking port with a loud bang, his mind quickly registering the transport craft all neatly docked. The lone guard of the dock startled by his entrance.
"Hey! Sir, you need to come over here! There are two fugit--" the guard started, five shots from Shining's handgun ending his command and life, the blood dark against his blue coat. Shining leaped over the guard's corpse as he made for the transports. He thundered up the cargo ramp into one, dumping his empty pistol on the control console. Muffled gunshots clanged against the transport's steel hull as Shining brought the engines to life, their characteristic whirring reverberating in the port. Shining gunned the engines and yanked the control stick, turning for the exit and blasting out into the mid-morning sky. He turned towards Canterlot, his eye catching on the DRAVMs circling the royal city, already turning for him as he came out. The black plume of smoke still bellowed into the sky outside of Celestia's room, Shining picturing the room and the winding corridors of the castle he would never set hoof in again.
Until I come back for you, 'Princess' Shining brooded darkly, turning away from Canterlot as the Imperial DRAVMs gave chase. Alarm klaxons sounded as they opened fire, metal slugs streaking through the sky as Shining pitched and rolled and yawed, evading his pursuers' shots. He could not fight back, so his only other course of action was to evade, and hope he could lose them. As he killed the engine and jerked hard on the stick to turn around Shining took the moment to reload his pistol, intending to shoot as many Imperial soldiers as he could if they shot him down. Returning life to the engines Shining shot back towards Canterlot, the pilots of the DRAVMs banking away to avoid colliding with Shining Armor. As Shining rocketed back towards Canterlot he saw another aircraft take to the skies, barreling high into the heavens with the sun at its back, so as not to be seen.
Shining turned and rolled his craft as he shot past Canterlot, his eye catching a glimpse of the pandemonium in the streets. He silently cursed the Princesses one last time and gunned the engines, intending to get as much speed as he could to get away from the DRAVMs chasing him. Clangs of steel on steel reminded him once again of the excellent training the pilots received as they shot at him, and his hooves were a blur as he yanked and pulled and jerked on control sticks and thrust levers, his transport rolling in the sky as he evaded and dodged shots. Turning sharply once again Shining caught a glimpse of the lone vessel he had seen taking off from Canterlot coming in from above and behind the pursuing DRAVMs, so as to be flying in their blind spots. A muffled echo of gunfire was added to the staccato of the DRAVMs guns, and several were struck in their rotors, killing thrust and sending the aircraft plummeting to the earth. The remaining DRAVMs scattered to deal with this new threat, the pilot banking the aircraft to follow suit. Shining silently thanked his mysterious ally and continued on his way, watching his instruments for any sign of continued attack. The muffled sounds of furious battle leaked in from the outside, and Shining desperately wished he could join in.
What the hell am I going to to? What in the blue hell am I supposed to do?! My entire world was just firmly grasped and flipped upside down! The mares whom I had pledged undying loyalty to are genocidal monsters who will be leaving this planet when the sun DIES in six years, and my wife is dead!
Tears once again came to Shining as he thought of his wife, a great rage of sorrow and anger building in his heart. His eyes stung as he watched his instruments, finding that no DRAVMs, still pursued him. He checked the rearview camera to find only the ship of his unknown ally following him, quickly catching up. His transport's radio was buzzed, and he hit the receive button.
"Hello! I am Under-Commissar Bulldog! Are you alright?! the voice on the radio bellowed, and a surge of gratefulness rushed through him at the sound of the Canine's voice. He fumbled for the transceiver, depressing the transmit button.
"Under-Commissar! It's Captain Shining Armor! Boy, am I glad to hear you!"
"Captain Armor?! You and your wife are the fugitives?! By the Great Mother, I had no idea! What is going on? What has happened?!"
"You'd never believe me, Under-Commissar. But Cadance is dead, and I'm going to find somewhere safe to hide for a while" Shining answered.
"Your wife is dead?! Why, Captain Armor, I am so sorry to hear that. If you'd like, we can give you shelter in the Republic" Bulldog stated. Shining contemplated this offer for but a moment, before realizing that would not be a good idea.
"I'm sorry, Under-Commissar, but I can't accept. The Princesses would too easily find me, and you have no army to protect me. Which reminds me, why in the world does your diplomatic ship have guns?" Shining questioned.
"Back your words with steel, Captain Armor, and your enemy will easily capitulate to your words."
Shining Armor smirked, and nodded. "I get you. Follow me, I think I know of a place where I can hide." Shining accelerated, racing across the Equestrian sky, the ground a blur of green far below him. He traveled on for half an hour straight, until he came across a great, lush jungle, his transport's navigation computer guiding him. He followed it until he neared his intended destination, slowing down to a hover and descending into a clearing. In this clearing was a landing pad outside a small entrance, with no other indications that it was anything of any importance. Under-Commissar Bulldog's ship came down after Shining, the Canine quickly disembarking.
"This was a Feline base during the war. It's location has never been reported to the Princesses, here, deep in the heart of Vietmane. I'll stay here for a while, and try to figure out what to do. I just... I just need some time to process what all just happened" Shining stated.
"Will you tell me what has happened? Why did Celestia order your death? Why is your wife dead?" Bulldog asked.
"I was told a terrible secret by Cadance, about our Princesses, and their true nature. This truth was something meant only for Alicorn ears, and my knowing of it meant I had to die. I learned that our Princesses are monsters, utter monsters, who do not control the sun and moon as we believe them to do..." Shining explained. "How did you find out about the fugitives running from the Castle, anyway? And why did you decide to help me?" Shining shot back, confused by the Canine's actions and his knowledge surrounding the events. Bulldog shook his head.
"I heard the call go out from a nearby guard's radio. Such an order for summary execution I could not let happen, knowing what an injustice it would be. Such a thing would've been unheard of in the Republic, and any good and honorable Canine would've acted as I did. I just didn't know it was you!" the Under-Commissar said.
"I... I see. Thank you, Under-Commissar. I would not have survived had it not been for your help. If ever you need my help with anything, I'll be here. Take down the coordinates before you go. But, I need to be alone now. I need some rest" Shining said, earning a nod from the Canine.
"But what will you do now, Mr. Armor? Will you just hide? Or will you fight back against the Princesses who ordered your unjust execution? Will you avenge your wife's death, and become a voice for justice?" the Under-Commissar asked, Shining's expression turning dark at the thought of the Princesses responsible for his wife's death, their lies and their deceits, and their dark hearts that would allow all races of their earth to suffer death and extinction while they escape to live another day.
"I will become more than that..." Shining uttered darkly.
Celestia and Luna stood in the latter's bedchambers, the somber sanctum pierced only by the sound of their quiet breathing. They stood opposed to each other, breathing hard and angrily. The moon hung in the sky outside Luna's windows, offering the only light in the room, casting a pale glow over everything. The sisters Sun and Moon stared into each other's eyes, reality melting away to their private, dark plane of existence, a ringing coming to their ears as they entered twilight, a violent rage of red replacing the usual pitch black of their private realm.
It was in this realm, at this moment, they both unleashed the pure, unbridled rage of an Alicorn, unheard by any other's ears. To anyone looking in, they would merely appear to be standing silent and still, the mortal world to never see or hear the rage of an Alicorn.