Chapter VII: Two hundred years long plan

Part II: ..But so far..


Recent sailors were busy drowning in metre long snowbanks. Opportunists argued, displayed their discontent and even rarely refused to hear another creature's words. However, they still walked forward. They believed, that something is still possible. They believed the sunny pony.

But for how long will the travellers be guided by faith? If before Hoofgrad the discontent kept on the same level as thirst, then the citadel at the horizon pondered many ticklish questions. How are they going to take Canterlot? What will they do with the Crystal Empire?

This is madness. - Ommatidia profoundly moved with her antennas - We will not be enough.

We will be enough! - assured Sunshine - Crystal Empire worries more about its looks than something else! Even if we won't convince Sombra, then my brother and us are enough for Canterlot! We will totally manage together with him!

..Who is this very Moonrise anyway? - green-eyed mare did not believe in red-eyed pony's brother's strength - How can one unicorn overcome dragons? I mean we can't do a thing ourselves - and we will start from wrecking the capital?! Fillydelphia won't be enough for that, we won't have time for that!

He spent tens of years learning! He will teach us too!

..Not very reassuring.

..And Verstandig was worried by the whole continent. How can so much change so drastically with so little time? Two hundred years, of course, are not a joke - the whole world can be turned upside down in a second, even. Still, it would seem not long ago everything was the other way around. And now, the dragons with ponies together, preparing some coup in the background.

What happened? - horned creature desperately asked questions out loud - Why white is black? Why do stories lie? Old Forfex is not like that - he didn't kill for fun! He protected others, that was just an innocent hobby!

There is no more old Forfex. - Opvliegend did not share the grief - No more new either.

But why? Why did this one shred everybody? What awaits us further? How bad can it go?

All ponies want is bread and show. - explained the stallion - They drown in booze from lawful lawlessness. Plough, brawl, and watch others do the same. They laugh, turn foreign things in half, carelessly-

Can't laugh at problems endlessly! - long-eared mare timely grabbed the thought - They invented newspapers now, they'll do something more in future! But ponies suffer from them too - not directly and not immediately, but later - like from alcohol! Ponies abuse everything they're given, they run away from problems, and they are being appeased by even bigger distractions! Problems pile like dust, then families ruin later, because some kin said something inconvenient and awkward! - the horse got up in the air, shouting at the top of her lungs again - That is why we have to move forward! We have to show them their mistakes and help correcting them! All this is mere symptoms - the roots are lying in Canterlot!

But the speech did not inspire the team; not everyone. Was it because of the cold? Maybe, another warg pack completely drove the friends out of their minds? Or was it simply because Sunshine speaks about nothing but the great cause? She is right, but the fanaticism scared.

Can we not think about this for at least once? - another orange mare slightly peeved at the words of truth - For at least a second?

You yourselves thought about this so much! We are very-very close! Why are you running away from the dream?

We didn't-

We can't just stand in place, be angry and talk! We have to guide our emotions - just like how you told and asked me to!

However, the sun pony was simply refused to be listened to. Why did friends behave like equestrians they themselves condemned? Why did they not want to talk with the winged one completely? She did hear them out, through absence of energy and not only that! Even now, literally after her angry speech!

Ommatidia can be understood - she goes through a lot herself, but what is wrong with Empyrean? Why is Dalliant not proposing anything at all and constantly searches for something? Why did Vice suddenly fall silent? Snowwhite bug at least tried. And he is a changeling, after all - it is hard for him to understand. Even harder to talk.

You need to think about different stuff. - offered the white insect.

Gamby, I can't! I shall not tolerate this disgracefulness, and will go with Moon alone if you all want that so much! Crystal Empire - then home!

..Home. I want home. Will be better at home. Think about home. About something nice.

..We will make a wonderful home for ourselves, when we are done! A home with a capital letter - we will help everyone feel like at home!

..As if the solar pony did not even try to think about something different. And she can be understood - to live so much, to live through so much, and not much more left until returning to peace, to the unicorn! With his help it will certainly be possible to put everything in its place. Or not? He needs to be reached first.

Since a new problem stood before the companions, no less frightening and colossal. The citadel. Friends already walked to the border of a weather dome, and some few hundreds of metres separated them from it. Friends need a plan - they should not rush like bandits, should they?

Transformations. - proposed insect - Everything is possible, if you wish.

But we are not changelings! - Sunshine shook her head.

In fact.. - Opvliegend suddenly attained Celestia's guise - Is it alike?

..Fucking what?! - green-eyed pony almost threw away her equipment - You- ..Who?!

It would be possible to blend into the crowd, if Hersenen could repeat. But he does not have horns - strength of two other horned beings will unlikely be enough for everything at once. Dalliant gave another, more doable thought with gestures - to chain the exotics in fake shackles. However..

Too suspicious. - Vice did not approve at all - Seen the same figures. For a pair of stallions to outbang a whole crowd? Need something different.

Let's talk with them. - offered big-whiskered insect, taking a random appearance again - They won't be mad if we try nicely!

That won't work. - assured Sunshine - Smart folk somehow thought of living in peace. But those are not smart! They won't talk, they won't do anything! Unless.. - pony strangely smiled - ..Unless only they are threatened!

Control with fear. - nodded the stallion - With fear they will fall.

Absence of a plan is also a plan. And a quite efficient plan - the team unanimously decided they will go with the red-eyed mare by such a weird path, not going back. That is logical, since they stood almost at a city doorstep, but that meant something. Friends still listened to the winged pony. They believed.

And they did not fear walking to the border of the dome with calm steps, not hiding in any way from the guards dropping jaws! Only one artsy stallion tried to stop the passersby, and even there - with talking. Deep inside, he was scared no less than his brothers in weapons.

Y-you-you-you are going where in such a crowd?

We are going to his majesty. - Sunshine spoke confidently and on a high note - And you will lead us to him.

But-but that is out of the question!

That was not a question. - Opvliegend bent the masterfully crafted trident with a movement of two fingers - Comply!

New escort deeply doubted their actions, but they were constantly assured that nobody was going to harm anyone. However, even those calm but intentionally arrogant words sounded just as threatening, as if they were said by robbers or a secret police.

And armoured horses often looked around, seemingly hoping for something. Yet their opportunity did not show itself - not in the settlers' crowds, not in twisted boroughs, not in an open space. Skillful bluff confused the minds of each and everyone.

Hey, you..! - voice tone rapidly shifted towards squeaking - ..Where are you heading?

Into the citadel. - sunny pony lifted her chin up - And you will let us through.

No! You can't! There is-

Too much talk. - Vice pushed the sentry aside.

Ah, how much did the dragons do with only their appearance.. Enough to simply show teeth, and great warriors immediately stepped back. And one scaled creature would totally be enough, but there were three! Even usually loud herds did not say a single word. As if they met an earling who killed hundreds by their lonesome.

Every door and every pony spread out before the friends. The team had no trouble getting higher into the castle, meeting more and more unseen beauty with each floor. And no less confusing rooms, for a royal refuge. Why would a citadel need a huge furnace in the centre with piles of crystals?

They.. - long-antennaed bug squinted her eyes - They are burning crystals.

How could they? - Verstandig even felt sick - Unthinkable! So much potential..!

Even more reasons to go further! - orange pony probably too - We have to stop this insanity!

And keep ourselves together. - reminded the lilac insect - Calmer, confidenter.

Unusual confidence worked until the very top. Only on the second to last floor did the adventurers meet resistance from the loyal guard and unusual warriors in black. And if the first ones are easy to understand who, then the second ones were deeply familiar only to the tortured couple.

Inquisitors. - the horse held onto her wounded leg, while catching her breath after the difficult fight - They are here.

So that's how they look like.. - Empyrean finally examined the armour - Leather. Very strange leather..

This is pony skin. - worryingly said Hersenen - And other hooved creatures'!

Not just hooved. - Vice almost dropped into shock himself - Foal skin. It bends better than any other. And a lot of it was spent.

Only Dalliant managed to keep some kind of composure. Changelings got completely ill out of their and friends' emotions, dragons even held their faces out of feelings, and ponies.. Ponies already ran to the very top. They could not wait any longer! Enough pretending!

Enough hiding! The very top probably already knows about the troublemakers, and the defending stallions should wait in a fighting stance! ..Or not? The entrance to the throne room was not guarded by anyone, and everyone inside looked at the arguing king and some horse in black.

Yes, yes, yes. - the unicorn was clearly bored - So what, then? They come - we deal with it. We're not little anymore.

They are already here, you heard the fight below-

Out with it! - screamed big-eared pony - All of you - silence, quickly! Where is Sombra?!

Inquisitor herd deliberately walked aside, seemingly waiting for a mistake. Yet the intruding adventurers took a convenient position and angrily looked at the surrounding folk, at the king, at the leader of the blacks.. And at an unwashed stallion.

..Awry? - Empyrean lost herself for a second - Fuck are you alive?

Swim for coin, me did! Told everything 'bout ye!

Fool, what coin?! - captain showed his temper - You'll be fucked over!

Lotsa' coin! Canterlot values me - gave me a wench right then, offerd more for ye!

Suddenly, the king clapped with his hooves. A bloody battle was just going to start, when it was interrupted by the stallion on a throne! He wanted something - most likely, to hear someone or say something. But why? Why did horses in black listen to him? It went differently last time!

You are interesting. I like you. - began the crowned one - Won't ask how you got here - it is obvious. Laziness. Softening. Incompetency.. - he looked over all his guard - You, inquisitors, are no different. You cannot "liberate" any land completely. You cannot stop a bunch of ponies and lizards with a swarm of your kind. And you call yourselves the elite?

We disposed of unwanted elements for all our service! - the leader in leather armour glanced around - They just-

They "just". - parodied the unicorn in regalias - "Just" what? Just escaped the most protected prison in the world? Just asked inconvenient questions all around the world? - the stallion quietly and very satisfyingly laughed - They acted, not looked for excuses. Say - you, orange - why did you come here? What do you wish to seek here?

I already found everything I needed! I demand you order everyone to drop their weapons and help us-

In liberating Equestria? - the king pleasurly tisked and shook his head - Now-now. And why should I do that? Money? Shining beauty? Sense of justice? Answers?

Sentimentality. - Hersenen suddenly said - Where is queen Amore?

Scaly creature made the unicorn shut up. He was going to grab his sparkling mace, when the horned draconid pulled the hoof with the bracelet away with her spells. Sombra definitely felt uncomfortable with this question - everyone saw it, everyone felt it! And Hersenen continued to pressure.

Where is Amore? - blind dragon said every word very slowly and with irritation - Stop remaining silent.

Amore, Amore.. - Verstandig thought out loud - Sombra.. Spectre.. Gloomy Heart..

Who are you about? - Sunshine interrupted her friend - What are you-

No-no, Sunshine, hold on.. - horned being continued to list the names - Love Reflection.. Unclear Ardour..

Ardour? - big-eared mare shifted her head to the side - Ardour. Unclear Ardour. Something familiar.. - little one could not believe her ears - House of Umbra?

The king lost any certainty. He expected anything, but the explicit confrontation and a history lesson! However, even with such stormy embarrassment, the stallion continued to laugh and look into interlocutors' eyes. He seemingly wanted to talk more about it all!

..Haven't heard about my legacy for a long time. Guessed it right. I belong to the house everyone disliked.

Not everyone! - denied winged pony - We didn-

I know. House of Sunrise never stood out with silliness like others. Even now. - the stallion continued to speak the moment he saw the confusion - Should I recite the names like you did? Why remembering the old, when each being in here already knows about it? Each alive, I mean.

U-uh.. We don't know. - green-eyed mare suspected something wrong - And what you mean al-

The unicorn blinded all folk around with a magical flash and took his weapon. He zealously swung and hit Awry with the inquisitor with his mace. And both miserable horses turned into iron statues, the moment they lost their heads. The stallion did not stop at that..

It is good to be back! - old warrior continued hitting "his own" troops.

Back! - ordered dragons - Stick together!

Nobody understood what was going on. Sombra and his guardians killed apparently the very new servitors: horses looked around and remained in shock! And those "elites" who managed to snap out, could not hit anyone with spells or weapons. Which confirmed the stallion's thoughts.

Relax. - the unicorn placed his weapon on the floor, the moment it all ended - If you wish to speak - then speak.

..Why? - the pony could not understand stallion's motivation.

You reminded me of my family; sense of hope. Like you, I cannot talk with commoners about what I want. At least, the price for those words would be too high. It already exceeded every boundary of what's acceptable. - king showed some kind of emotions - Queen Amore.. Killed by my own hooves. They put me in her place, when she refused to obey. Either this, or the whole Empire would fall, the bastion of freedom of that war's time would fall.

That is.. cruel. - blind creature approached the stallion and his weapon - Oldstar. To die from such a thing.. We didn't know, that-

Nobody knew. - confirmed the horse - Nobody knows about things like these. The public is told what it wants to hear - and the so-called freedom also quickly went away at the sounds of applause. Not completely, however - crystals for potions and vacation for rich inepts is needed; Canterlot is not enough for them..

Princesses silenced each and everyone. Even those who managed to hide from the massacre in Old Equestria. Departed families wanted to share their knowledge with other ponies, and they went to places where modern cities are standing now. Taking pieces of history with them..

..Smart folk are not much different from fools, when they encounter an aught never seen before. - philosophised unicorn - Can't ask anyone but you, about who else hasn't resisted the forbidden love.

What love? - the changeling sniffed.

Friendship with others. Relationships with different beings, not hooved ones. Even previous, clever aristocracy could not comprehend such simple thought - communicate without looking at species, appearance and limbs. We were condemned in every sin, in sodomy.. They also understood it later. After the war. How ironic..

After earlings? - asked Empyrean - Shouldn't it work other way around?

After.. earlings, something else also happened. - suddenly, the stallion raised his voice - Sunshine, you disappoint me! You lead a rebellion and not even telling them about ancestry?! How shameful..

Greed ruined many lives after battles for freedom. Newly settled families got drunk from riches and elven knowledge. Ponies were not developed mindfully - they did not have the experience to embrace all the rewards! In the end, brother turned on brother, and family on family. For more riches and knowledge, for artefacts and gas geysers.

And earlings knew that this would happen - surviving creatures shut the trap and helped the blueblood kinds suffocate, literally. Geysers with magical gas displaced the surrounding air, and escaping from the trap did not seem possible. Until ponies united once again.

Only with collective efforts that the horses with horns and magical items managed to destroy the shrinking semi-sphere. Only then the hooved creatures completely understood the power of friendship and collaborative work, and many left those lands to share the experience with others. Until the princesses appeared..

..Sounds like some silly legend. - orange mare did not believe the winged one's tale - Feels like the princesses are those earlings. And knowing what dragons can do..

Legends are beautiful, truth is scary, yet the verity pulls into depression. - captain understood something from Sunshine's story - Only in fairy tales that everything is embellished and follows the story word by word. Sunny sounds believable - do you really believe that princesses came from the sky?

Of course not, that's rubbish! Even more than, than..! - the mare could not think of anything logical - In any case, we haven't seen all this by ourselves. How can we judge?

Then why should we all not see what happened with Londo? - proposed the king - Sunny, dearie, do you mind?

Doubts. Companions did not believe the grey unicorn - what if he is also bluffing and does the princesses' bidding? He already said so much, as if he tried to enchant others! Green-eyed horse endlessly stood her ground and openly accused the stallion with the mace. His personal guard have not differed at all:

..Your majesty, you are going to leave us?

No, I want to simply take a walk. And I want the whole guard to travel to Equestria's border with pathfinding unicorns.

But this provocation will cost us w-

Even better! And to be sure of it, you and every fighter in this hall will travel to Canterlot castle this instant. You will report to alicorns, that the Empire wants to become independent, like in good old times.

..We'll be killed! They kill messengers! - displeased the sentry - We deserve better! I deserve-

Deserve? Then why nobody loves you? - ruler's loud claim silenced the whole room - You are healthy, have no bad habits, strong, and suit every single standard, don't you? Congratulations, you are an ideal material for the government. And don't you look at me like that - likes of you don't bring anything new. You are like princesses - help stagnate and stay to the imaginary boundaries! - guards lowered their heads at the stallion's speech - The world lives - truly lives, by sharing ideas. So would you kindly make yourselves useful. Your sacrifice will give birth to something beautiful..

..And the speech, so closely resembling what Sunshine says, along with a cart full of rudeness, made the adventurers look away from the evil king. Why such cruelty? Why does he even help revolutionaries? Why is he so certain in their strength; in their success?

Magic. Artefacts. House of Sunrise always highlighted with-

..Capacities in sorcery! - Sunshine continued the old saying of those parts.

How many of you are there? How many items could you save?

Not many, and.. a bit more. - the horse did not know how to answer - It'll be enough, you'll see! I believe so! You also believe, right?

Yes. You are all friends, you are trying - that alone is enough. - unicorn shut little pony's mouth before she could say something - And I'm not talking about regular nonsense like friendship magic. Another empty shell, inspiring false hope. One needs to try to achieve something - like you!

Visit to the king left quite mixed feelings. Sunshine confused the friends even more. She did not behave herself like it often goes at the sight of something bad - she did not oppose the unicorn! Is this the ally she really wanted? Although, it all was quite similar with Vice..

This.. is not right. - winged mare agreed without too many emotions, but with self-resentment - But do we have a choice? We'll judge ourselves later, we have to get to Moon!

The Dusk also survived? - wondered Sombra - Unseen for the solars to pick lunar names.

How about leaving this for later? I don't feel comfortable talking about this.. - pony turned to the snowwhite bug - Gamby, give me the scroll, please.

..Can I read it? - Verstandig grabbed a big parchment from the insect's mouth - So that's how you wanted to re- ..No, wait, that is gibberish! - the dragon almost spit at the sight of an ugly spell - So many loopholes, so many foolish words! Why such amount of words? As if this spell was written specifically for a.. changeling. - scaled creature instantly changed the tone of his voice - ..This is genius! I simply must talk with this pony!

After thoroughly studying the spell, the horned creature decided to recreate it on a way bigger scale. Now, the new portal can be safely entered by actually everyone! The passage closed too slowly for the adventurers to not make it in time. And they did make it.

By the way. - Sombra addressed his guards, entering the portal last - I forbid you to die. To the first who survives and gets back - something unforgettable will await you..