Pipsqueak had been scared of her at first; Princess Luna and Celestia and Cadance and Shining Armor and Miss Cheerilee and Momma and Dad and a whole lot of other ponies had said that she was a bad pony. But she didn’t hurt him or make things explode or have her dragon eat him; she lifted him in her magic, carried him over to her, and gently wrapped her forelegs around him. He was still frozen when she started shifting back and forth, but as she started singing, a soft, nice song that he didn’t really understand, he started shaking, crying again, and she held him and rocked him and said soft things that he couldn’t really hear. She just sat with him and let him cry until he stopped.
Then Twilight Sparkle explained everything.
She showed him the ponies who had hurt Momma and Dad. They were black-hats, tied up upstairs, staring at him with dull eyes when Twilight forced them to look at him. Twilight spoke to him; he hit them, as hard as he could. It made him feel better, even though they didn’t cry or apologize or anything, even when they were bleeding. They were bad ponies.
Twilight said it was okay to hurt bad ponies. So he hurt them more.
When Pipsqueak was done, Twilight smiled at him. Then her horn glowed brighter, and the black-hat ponies weren’t there anymore. She told him that she was going to bring him to her new home, away from the bad ponies, show him how to help the good ponies.
Pipsqueak heard somepony move downstairs as they left.
“Princess Luna runs the Inquisition.”
“Princess Luna gives all orders to Inquisitors.”
“Princess Luna killed your parents.”
Pipsqueak watched as the blue alicorn entered the room. She was angry, yelling at the three guards that entered with her. It wasn’t the Royal Canterlot voice, but it was still loud.
“…an absolute mockery of Us! How did the Manehatten Guard falling to Revolutionary corruption not cross your eyes, Captain?!”
One of the guards – Shining Armor – sighed. Pipsqueak bit his lip. He was friends with Princess Dazzle, and Captain Armor was her Dad. He wasn’t supposed to hurt them. He didn’t want to hurt them. Just Princess Luna.
“You can’t hurt her when you first see her. Wait for us. Then you may have your revenge.”
“Princess, we’ve been dealing with the border towns and the farming communities that she’s gotten under her sway. A trade port in a secure zone isn’t exactly on top of our list, especially when it was designated secure by your own hoof!”
“If I did such it was on inaccurate information! You must repair this fault in your methods, Captain, that would allow our eyes sullied by falsehoods.”
“Of course, Princess…” Captain Armor sighed again. Luna huffed and turned, taking a few more steps into the room. Her eyes widened slightly when they found Pipsqueak.
“Pipsqueak? Ho- When did you arrive?”
“About an hour ago.” Pipsqueak replied, his voice level.
“You cannot let her know of your intentions. However much it hurts, you must act as you were before she stole your parents from you.”
Captain Armor and one of the other guards walked around Princess Luna. The Captain gave Pipsqueak a suspicious look.
“Kid, how did you get in here? The door was secured, and-“
“I came in like always. A guardspony brought me here.” Pipsqueak tilted his head. “Didn’t you remember today, Princess?”
Luna blinked. “In all of the excitement of the previous hours, it must have slipped my mind…” She shook herself. “I apologize, Pipsqueak. In such turbulent times, it is nice to have a companion such as yourself.” Her eyes flicked to Captain Armor. “You are dismissed; attend my sister and inform her fully on the events this day.”
“Princess, I’m not certain-“
“I said dismissed, Captain.” Luna bit off. Captain Armor stopped talking, nodding and saluting at the Princess. He gave another smaller nod at Pipsqueak; the colt returned it.
“Shining is confused, as are most that the Sun and Moon have their claws in. We shall free them, but their mistresses must be dispatched first.”
“Well, Pipsqueak, what do you wish to do? I could use some distraction from… recent events.”
“I was thinking we could play some chess…” Pipsqueak gave a lopsided grin. Luna smiled and nodded.
“Yes, yes, that may do…”
The board was set up quickly (only needing to be moved to a place Pipsqueak could reach), its glass reflecting the light of the sun shining through the window. Luna opted for the darker pieces, as she always did, leaving Pipsqueak with Celestia’s side. He set a piece forward, and for the next few minutes both he and Luna were focussed fully on the game.
“I must say that I am glad to have you here, Pipsqueak.” Luna said, breaking the small silence. Pipsqueak tilted an ear forward as he moved a charger.
“Oh?”
“Yes. Twilight Sparkle’s ‘Revolution’ has been a particularly pointed thorn in our sides as of late. I fear for those who are under her sway, or who remain loyal but are caught in her web of deceit…” Luna shook her head. “I must ask if you’ve heard any talk of her supporters left in Ponyville. We recently captured a mare that had been with her from the beginning of this debacle, a ‘Lyre Heartsings’ or some such. Did you or your parents know her?”
“I don’t think so, Princess.” Pipsqueak replied, setting a charger forward and blinking as the memory of the guards and the black-hat came back. “Is she okay?”
“She and her ‘partner’ are in the care of the Inquisition; we do take care of those we apprehend, despite the rumours.”
“She will never admit it. Her Inquisition is a pure and just organization, any dissent is wrong. But you know the truth.”
“Rumours, Princess?”
“Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard of the Inquisition’s ‘brutality’ or use of torture to extract information. Lies and slander spread by the rebels, of course.”
“I saw a mare get picked up by an Inquisitor, Princess; the guards beat her up before they arrested her.” Pipsqueak was barely able to cover the anger in his voice. Luna gave him an odd look before moving one of her pieces to check him.
“They may occasionally need to use force, Pipsqueak, but I’m sure that they had a justification. Twilight Sparkle’s forces grow ever more insidious; we’ve recently needed to cleanse the Canterlotian Guard of Revolutionary corruption, and by today’s events we may need to extend the investigations…” Luna took a breath. “But that is entering the veil of that which I wish to avoid today.”
“You don’t need to worry about scaring me, Princess…”
“That is not my fear, Pipsqueak. Though were I able to prepare you to resist Twilight’s machinations…” There was silence for a few more moves. As Pipsqueak lifted Celestia, Luna spoke again. “How do your parents fare?”
Something hot and painful shot from behind Pipsqueak’s eyes into his chest. His grip on the Princess faltered, but he managed to place her down. “My… my parents…?”
“Yes. I sent a letter to your address last week, but have heard nothing…” Luna’s brow furrowed. “Are you alright, Pipsqueak? You-“
The floor suddenly rumbled, the whole room shaking. The chess set fell from the table and shattered. Luna was standing, her wings spread for balance, and she gripped Pipsqueak in magic to lift him away from the broken glass.
“What is this?!” She shouted as the shaking stopped. There were yells and muffled calls echoing through the doors; one of the guards opened his door to investigate, falling back as a flash of light sped past the opening. The other guard slammed the door shut as several more flashes lit the hall.
“Rebels!” The first guard gasped, his snout singed. Luna’s wings lowered, and Pipsqueak’s heart leapt.
“We shall assault the castle. You must get close to Luna, wait for a distraction before striking. One of the guards shall be of the Revolution; he shall provide you with what you need.”
The doors were hit several times more, both guards now putting their weight against them. A call erupted from behind the doors, and the sound of hooves hitting the heavy wood began.
“They dare attack here? So brazenly?!” Luna gave an odd laugh. “The fools! We shall crush them in their mad assault!” She set Pipsqueak down, turning him to face her. “Young Pipsqueak, you must find cover; they may damage the castle further, and I do not wish you injured by a fallen masonry.” Pipsqueak nodded, quickly crossing to the wall and ducking under the nearby table.
A crack echoed from the doors, and several seconds later the first guard’s door blew open, launching the guard with the splints of wood. As Luna and the second guard began launching volleys of magic against the invaders, the first guard rolled to Pipsqueak’s wall. He and the colt met eyes before he winked, drawing a small dagger from beneath his armour and sliding it to Pipsqueak. The younger pony nodded gravely, his breath quickening as he grabbed the blade.
“You must strike somewhere that will cause her to fall. Her neck, her eye, her heart. She will not die quickly, she will not die easily. You must steel yourself. She must know your betrayal as you know hers.”
“YOU DARE ASSAULT US, YOU FOALISH PEONS?!” Luna Voiced, blades of magic leaping from her horn and slashing through the closest rebels. “YOUR MISTRESS IS WEAK OF MIND! SHE SENDS YOU TO DEATH FOR NAUGHT!”
“We fight for freedom!” A rebel yelled. Luna lowered her horn, and the stallion was blasted back through the doors, a wet crack echoing over the din of the fighting as he hit the wall.
“FREEDOM?!” Luna laughed, her grin defying her eyes as she destroyed another rebel. “YOU FIGHT FOR PALTRY GAINS AND EMPTY PROMISES! YOU DEFY US ON THE CLAIMS OF A MADMARE!”
“FOR THE REVOLUTION!” Luna twisted as the call erupted from behind; several pegasi shot through the window, two of them hitting the alicorn, the third charging at the second guard. Luna stabbed one of her assaulters with her horn, ripping him in half as her horn raised to incinerate the pegasus still in flight. Her second assaulter caught her hoof between his hind legs, and was blown apart as her magic’s focus turned to him. Luna stood, coated in blood, and let loose a cacophonic scream towards the doorway, the rebels there fell with bleeding eyes and ears. There was a call from further back in the hall; as the rest of the rebels fled, her gaze fell on Pipsqueak.
“Young Pipsqueak, come to me. We must away while the rebels are dissuaded.”
Pipsqueak nodded, standing up before Luna lifted him in magic and carried him to her back. The colt was mildly surprised that she didn’t notice the dagger he held, even if it was hidden behind his leg. Carefully, he shifted the blade to point at Luna; his breath quickened, heartbeat rose, hoof quavered as he raised the deadly tool. His leg hitched for a second, enough for his mind to talk to itself.
She hurt Momma and Dad. She hurt a bunch of other ponies. She needs to be stopped.
We don’t need to hurt her.
Yes we do. Twilight said we do. She hurt Momma and Dad, why can’t we hurt her?
Momma said we shouldn’t hurt ponies even if they hurt us.
Momma’s dead.
Images, memories, flashed through Pipsqueak’s mind. His mother on the floor, bleeding, cold, still, Twilight Sparkle coming down, showing him the black-hats, black-hats killed Momma LUNA KILLED MOMMA
“Hey!” The second guard shouted, his eyes on the dagger in Pipsqueak’s hoof. Pipsqueak and Luna started at the sudden yell, Luna’s head following the guard’s gaze on instinct, apparently not noticing the first guard tackling the second. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw the weapon.
“Pipsqueak, y-“ Luna began. Then Pipsqueak’s hoof came down, and the blade fell in the spot between Luna’s wings. The alicorn reared in shock, and Pipsqueak tumbled off of her back as her wings shot out reflexively. When Pipsqueak put his eyes back on her, the Princess stood nearly frozen, her legs stiff and splayed like a foal’s. Slowly, she began shuffling her hooves a small amount in an apparent attempt to turn; Pipsqueak watched her, couldn’t turn away from her, as her legs began to quiver, finally buckling after several long seconds. She fell on her side, a pool of blood beginning to form, wetting and darkening her coat as it seeped from the wound in her back. As the first guard subdued the second, Luna’s head rose, the lower side black from the blood in her coat, and Pipsqueak’s stomach fell as her eyes met his. They were wet, unfocussed, dull as they passed over him, but for one brief moment he could see her, and he knew that she could see him.
In that moment, her eyes were scared. Confused. Hurt.
Betrayed.
Pipsqueak’s vision blurred. Luna’s form became his mother’s.
Then there was a loud crack, and Pipsqueak fell into darkness.
---
The room had settled into a pregnant silence.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack both stared at the floor, jaws slack, eyes wet, small tears falling unnoticed by anypony including themselves. Rarity held Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom tightly, all four of them openly weeping. Spike had set the quill and parchment on the floor, eyes closed and claws clasped as he seemed to fight against breaking down.
Twilight was the only one with her eyes on Pip. His eyes were dry, his voice and visage having slowly regained stoicism even as his tale worsened. The near entirety of her mind was focussed on grabbing the stallion, holding him tight, giving him somewhere safe that he could sit and stop and just let go of everything he was holding on to.
Unfortunately, she needed to do something first.
“Rarity-“ Twilight’s voice was wet, and it cracked as she spoke. She coughed, steeling herself. “Rarity, if you… could you take…”
“Ah, Ah got it, sugarcube.” Applejack spoke. The farmmare stood, taking a breath before crossing the room to her marefriend. She whispered something in Rarity’s ear, and the unicorn hastily nodded. She mumbled what could have been described as words to the fillies, pushing them to stand and walk out of the room with her and Applejack. Twilight nodded, took a breath.
“Spike, Rainbow-“
Spike grabbed the parchment as she said his name; he met her eyes and gave her a nod of assurance before turning and walking out. Rainbow followed him, gently shutting the door.
“Is something amiss, Milady?” Pip asked. Twilight screwed her eyes shut as she heard his voice, his inequine calm.
“Yes, Pip. Something is… amiss.”
“May I ask what, Milady?”
“You.” Twilight coughed and took in a few more breaths as the stallion blinked, his ears flicking back.
“May I ask what I have done wrong, Milady?”
“You… you just told us about, about killing Princess Luna, about your mother’s death, and you’re sitting there, acting like you read a bucking grocery list!” An edge of anger fed into Twilight’s voice rather suddenly, shoring it up against the drowning feeling that was working its way up her throat.
“I am unsure-“
“STOP IT!” Twilight shrieked. “Just stop, stop hiding, stop acting like you aren’t hurting when you are, Pip! When you started talking, you were gasping, you were in pain, everypony could hear it and then you just, you just shut it out, like you were swatting a fly! You recalled those, those horrible things, but you acted like you didn’t feel anything for them! You said what you felt, but you… you just…” Twilight’s voice hitched, a few sobs escaping. Pip reached out, wrapping a foreleg around her, pulling her to his chest and slowly rocking back and forth. The two sat in silence for a quarter-minute before Pip replied.
“I sounded like I was in pain due to the fact that I was in pain – the action you took to relieve my mind of its catch gave me a headache.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Twilight sniffled. “What you said about how you felt…”
“I spoke those feelings because they are what I felt, Milady. They are not my current feelings.”
Twilight put her hoof on Pip’s shoulder, pushing herself slightly away from him to stare him in the eye.
“What?”
“I was a foal at the time of these events, Milady, unable to properly process my feelings and the events as they occurred. With age, perspective, and Lady Dawn’s aid, I have determined a proper set of emotions to be felt towards the events as they occurred.”
“… ‘proper’ emotions…” Twilight repeated. Pip nodded.
“Yes, Milady. In example, when I killed Luna, I felt angry at her murder of my parents, saddened by their deaths, and betrayed by what had been probably my best friend up until that time. Looking back, I cannot feel anything towards her death and my role in it but minor satisfaction that I aided the Revolution. Whatever actions Luna took against me are irrelevant.”
“Irrelevant. You, you’re saying that you think that Luna killing your parents is irrelevant?!” Twilight gave a wide-eyed stare at the stallion, pushing away from him to stand on her own. He blinked.
“In terms of the Revolution as a whole, yes.”
“But… Pip, your parents… you don’t feel anything for them?”
“Of course I do. I am saddened that they were killed in such a brutal manner, and that they could not live to see the glory of the Revolution.” Pip took a breath. “Mostly, however, I am appreciative towards them. Without their sacrifice, unintentional as it was, I would likely not have realized Luna’s evil or the Revolution’s greatness for years to come. Their deaths, tragic as they were, served a greater end. To mourn them in bitterness or depression would be to shame their memories.”
Then Pip smiled.
Twilight saw the edges of his mouth curve softly upwards. The way his cheeks moved. The way his eye shifted.
The smile was not acted, faked, put-on. To Twilight’s perception, it was a genuinely glad smile – not happy with, necessarily, but grateful for the memories that evoked it.
The smile disappeared as Twilight’s hoof violently met Pip’s face. She hadn’t felt herself move, was as surprised as Pip was when she struck him, but before he could respond her horn was glowing and she was holding him down, a white-hot spike of rage bridging the back of her head with her horn and reddening her vision. He looked up at her in confusion; not fearful, not worried, but unsure.
“Mi-“
“Quiet.” Twilight hissed, without thinking the word. She was watching events unfold, detached, curled up and trying to make sense of what she’d just heard, felt, seen. “You sicken me.”
Pip swallowed, but did not speak. Twilight felt her eye twitch.
“I want you to think, Pip. Use what little of your mind Dawn left you to play with.” Twilight’s body shifted down, staring Pip in the eye, forcing his head to face her. “Let me ask you something. What reason, what remote advantage, could Luna have gained for killing your parents?”
“I am unsure as to her-“
“You don’t know. Have you thought about it, or did you just trust Dawn when she said Luna did it?”
“La- Lady Dawn presented the black-hats-“
“Yes, those Inquisitors she blamed for your parents’ murders. Let me ask you, Pip – was Dawn’s horn glowing at every point that you were there with them?”
“I am unsure-“
“I’ll answer. Yes, it was. Dawn had those Inquisitors killed long before you met them, Pip. They might not have been Inquisitors, she might have just taken two dead ponies, necromantized them – if she wasn’t just directly puppeting their bodies – and put some black hats on them, then presented them to you as a convenient explanation for why your parents were dead, and why Dawn was there for the fact.”
“I, I’m not-“
“Luna would gain nothing by killing your parents but a distraught foal, Pip. But Dawn, she stood to profit, she did profit, from the deaths of your parents. She gained an inside, a way to strike at Luna that would pass all checks and barriers. All she had to do was get you to believe that Luna had killed your ‘Momma’, and you were, you are, putty in her hooves.”
“Milady-“
“She truly has castrated your mind, hasn’t she?” Twilight’s voice cut Pip’s attempt at explanation off for a sixth time. “Let me spell it out for you. Luna didn’t kill your parents. Dawn did.” When Pip didn’t respond, she continued, tears falling from eyes she hadn’t noticed were wet. “Dawn murdered your mother and father, then lied to you, convinced you that Luna had them killed, just so that she could manipulate you into killing Luna. She used you, and you’ve never been able to realize it because she’s never let you. She’s been using you from day one, Pipsqueak.” Twilight’s head leaned down, and she placed her forehead on Pip’s. “I’m so sorry...”
Twilight felt her mouth return to her mind’s control just as the last word escaped. She cut her magic and let Pip free, taking several breaths as she stepped back and, consciously this time, attempted to make sense of the last minute’s events. Her eyes, again, went to Pip – the stallion was staring at the floor, his brow slightly furrowed, his jaw slightly loose. His eye moved to her as she stopped.
“Mi... Milady…?” His voice was cracked, his eye unsure, scared.
“I’m sorry, Pip…” Twilight said softly. She reached her hoof out, but Pip jerked back. He shook his head once, twice, small, jerking motions.
“If, if Lady Dawn killed my parents, then… then Luna, she didn’t…”
“Pip, I want you to think about what happened, not what Dawn said. What you saw. Why would Luna have sent Inquisitors to kill your mother and father? Why was Dawn there? If Luna did send them, and Dawn knew about it, couldn’t she have stopped them?” Twilight shook her head. “Luna having your parents killed makes no sense. Dawn having them killed, killing them herself, then blaming Luna, turning you against her…”
“No. No, that can’t be. That’s wrong. Luna was a bad pony. Lady Dawn was a good pony. Good ponies don’t hurt innocent ponies, bad ponies do.”
“Pip, Dawn wasn’t a good pony.” Pip and Twilight both took in a breath. “I don’t know if your Princesses were as good as ours are, but I can promise you, Pip, that Dawn was not a good pony. What she did, to Equestria, to the non-ponies, to you… she can’t have been.”
Pip didn’t respond. His eye was on her, confused and almost fearful.
“I’m sorry, Pip…” Twilight repeated herself. “But you needed to know-“
There was a blur of movement, a flutter of pages, a crash as the window burst outwards. Twilight took a step to follow him, however futile it may be, but froze as the door opened. She turned to see who, to tell Rainbow or Applejack what had happened. Instead, she found herself looking at her brother’s double. The stallion glanced between her and the broken glass. He opened his mouth, his eye back on her. He faltered before speaking.
“Where is he?”
Broken Shield, Dr. Long Path, and two guards had arrived just after Rainbow left the room. She and Applejack had talked to Broken. Broken had talked to Path, after the latter had talked to Rarity and the foals. Broken had gone up to the door, listening, coming in when he thought something had gone wrong. Twilight had talked to him. He’d grabbed her, surprisingly gentle but insistent, and dragged her out into the main room. Twilight had talked to everypony.
Broken and Path were discussing things. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, the two guards, watched, waited. Rarity was reading a fairy tale to the Crusaders and Spike. It seemed to be helping the Crusaders; Spike seemed to acknowledge that it was helping Rarity more than him.
Twilight felt numb.
“Miss Sparkle?” A soft voice broke Twilight from her observation. She raised her head rapidly, jumping to her hooves. Path gave a soft smile. “I need to ask you something.”
“What is it?” What are we doing here, even? I should be out there, finding Pip. He handled himself before, but he wasn’t so disturbed before, he could be getting hurt or hurting himself or “I don’t know where he might have gone, if that’s what you’re going to ask.”
“It’s not, don’t worry.” Path took a breath. “From what everypony out here said, Pip had a… breakdown, let’s call it, before he started talking about his parents’ deaths?”
Twilight nodded. “It’s happened a few times before. When I confronted him… whenever I made him think about Dawn critically.”
“I see…” Path blinked, his smile fading. “Twilight, Miss Dash and Miss Applejack said that you put your horn to his head during this breakdown. Did you cast a spell on him to cause him to react like he did?”
“I… Pip has a bunch of spells on his mind already.”
Path’s ear flicked and his eyebrows rose. “Pip is being compulsed?” Broken’s head shot towards them, and he quickly crossed the room to stand beside Path. The guardsponies shifted themselves, moving to a point slightly behind the stallion.
“What did you just say?!”
“Broken, Dr. Path, Pip’s mind is covered in spell-threads. I checked him this time, and two of them were acting up, getting giant pulses of energy through them. They’re very close to my magic, and I just cast a counterspell-“
“YOU BROKE A COMPULSION?!?” Path was suddenly shouting. Twilight shrunk back, but Path froze, took a few breaths, and brought his hoof to his mouth. “Miss Sparkle, I’m sure you intended to aid him, but to forcibly destroy a compulsive spell without warning or preparation is extremely dangerous. We are very lucky that Pip didn’t have a more severe reaction than ‘a headache’; please, never do that again without my presence and approval. And help.”
“Hold on a second. Pip was being compulsed?” Broken seemed struck. “When did this… what was going on?!”
“I, er, I was trying to get him to calm down, he was worked up after Sweetie-“
“Yes, yes, I got that part. He was freaking out about having his Dawn-worship contradicted again. When was he being compulsed?”
“That was the compulsion, Mr. Shield.” Path responded, having regained his composure. “I’m guessing that Dawn laid a spell, numerous spells, on his mind to force him to-“
“No, no, stop. Compulsion is forcing somepony to do something or think something, cutting off their will and-“ Broken cut off with a choking sound, taking a breath. “There’s a difference between that and forcing somepony to not do something or think something. Compulsion blows up every path except the one the caster wants, the other one just blows up one path and lets the victim choose which remaining one to go down. That’s totally different.”
“There’s restrictive and active compulsion, Broken, but they’re both-“
“No, they aren’t, and I don’t give a fuck about your doctorate or your research or any of that. Compulsion is what… what that Changeling thing did to me before my wedding. Whatever Dawn’s crimes, she never compulsed anypony.” Broken seemed to tense while he was speaking, his eye flicking between Path and Twilight. They looked at each other before Path sighed.
“In any case, Miss Sparkle, I would say that Pip was simply overwhelmed by everything that happened today. Having a compul-“ Broken coughed harshly. Path gave him an annoyed look. “-a spell removed from his mind would likely have caused a discharge that acted on both his physical brain and the other spells. He was recalling the events as though he were reliving them at first, but as the healing spells he holds counteracted the damage to his brain, he fell more and more into his emotionless presentation, the rote and regularity that his mind would seek against the emotional tumult of his memories. When you pulled him out of it, forcibly, and made him ‘think critically’ against Dawn while leading him to a conclusion that defied his worldview, he panicked. His fight-or-flight instinct activated, and since he couldn’t ‘fight’ you-“
“-he ran away. Scared and confused.” Broken finished. He put a hoof to his head. “Faust and all Her being, he’s still-“ Broken stopped, shook himself. He glanced at Twilight, his eye mutely burning. “We need to find him.”
“We don’t know where-“
“He’ll go somewhere he defines as ‘safe’, Risen guards are programmed to do that.” He gained a sour look. “Programmed, Faust… it’ll be somewhere he’s been, that he associates with security, probably secluded. The Everfree Castle?”
“That would make sense.” Path nodded. “We can send guards, try to flush him out-“
“No. I’m going. Twilight, you need to come too. Nopony else.”
“Say what?” Applejack’s voice cut in. Broken turned, finding Applejack and Rainbow Dash beside the guards. “There’s no way in Tartarus we’re lettin’ ya-“
“I know how to fight a Risen, if I know they’re coming. Twilight can help me better than either of you; no matter how much of a tantrum he’s throwing, he’s still got her as an ally in his head, and he won’t stop her from paralyzing him. He’s too dangerous to risk bringing anypony who doesn’t know how to fight him, which is all of you.”
Twilight spoke before the others could. “Broken’s right. He and I can deal with Pip, I don’t want to get anypony else hurt.”
“Twi-“
“The longer we wait, the worse he could be, Twilight.” Broken said. Twilight glanced at the others, at Path’s worried look, Applejack’s and Rainbow Dash’s and the guard’s suspicion. She looked back at Broken, saw his set jaw and hard eye.
Then she tackled him and teleported.
Broken and Twilight appeared in a clearing, tumbling through the grass as their momentum carried them out of the teleport. Broken stood, shaking himself and appraising the area.
“Fluttershy’s cottage?” He asked. Twilight nodded.
“Closest place to the Everfree I have a good idea of.”
Broken shrugged. “It works. We need to-“
“Oh, look what the manticore dragged in.” Discord’s voice came out of nowhere, as usual, but it was decidedly agitated. He didn’t bother with tricks; one moment he wasn’t there, the next he was. His gaze fell on Twilight. “Listen, missy, you need to fit a leash on that pet headache of yours.”
“Wha… is Pip here?!” Twilight bolted to the draconequus, grabbing him and pulling his head down to her level. “Where is he? Is he okay? What happened?!”
“My, my, he’s got you in a tizzy, doesn’t he?” Discord shook his head. “I was just visiting Fluttershy – you ponies always manage to interrupt our conversations somehow – when that thing you call Pip barrels through the front door, coated in blood and lacerations. Fluttershy of course started tending his wounds, leaving me to suffer his presence.” Discord sniffed. “Though at least he has some chaos this time, even if it is-“
“Shut it, mad god.” Broken’s voice was harsh. “Is. He. Still. Here?”
Discord gave Broken a withering look, but waved his hoof behind him. “Up in the infirmary. He had a bunch of glass stuck in him, Fluttershy wanted to get it out before it got… well, stuck in him. She’s been working on him since he arrived.”
Twilight moved to cast another teleportation. Broken put his hoof on her horn.
“Hold on. I have an i-de-a.”
The last word warbled and pitched, and by the ‘-a’ Twilight’s voice had replaced Broken’s. Her appearance covered his as well; he was slightly taller than her, his horn longer and pointed.
He also had wings.
Twilight watched as he stepped towards the house, his horn glowing as he spoke. “Pip! Come out here! I wish to speak with you!”
There was quiet for three seconds. Then there was a loud thump, and Pip appeared in front of Broken. His front was covered in small cuts and what looked like bulging bruises, and his eye was wide and wild, seeming to see Broken as one might view a ghost.
“Mi-Lady Dawn?” he asked, his voice cracking.
Broken gave a small grin, then whipped his horn down and cast a spell at Pip’s foreleg. The limb quaked and twisted, a loud, wet crack audible even at Twilight’s distance. Pip responded almost instantly, twisting and bucking Broken through the air. As Broken flew, however, Pip collapsed, crying out in pain. The door to the cottage opened, Fluttershy rushing out with a panicked look; Discord appeared behind her, grabbing her and vanishing with her in tow. Broken hit the ground and convulsed, but he seemed to wave Twilight forward as his disguise dropped. The mare stepped quickly, crossing most of the distance between her and the hobbled stallion.
“Pip?” she asked, as gently as she could. Pip’s body stiffened, his head twisting to put his eye on her.
“Mi-Milady, I, wha, what-“ The stallion coughed. His eye was a deep pink, and he was breathing heavily. Twilight dug her hooves into the dirt, meeting him as fast as she could and wrapping her hooves around him.
“Pip, I need you to calm down. It’s okay, it’s okay, nopony’s going to hurt you anymore.” She raised a hoof, brushing back his tangled mane. The stallion was stiff, almost as a statue, his neck and chest strained against themselves. He opened his mouth, but nothing save a sob emerged. “It’s okay, it’s okay, Pip, you’re going to be okay…”
“Why?” His voice, strangled, emerged. Twilight squeezed her foreleg around him, keeping brushing his mane.
“Pip, Pip, just calm down, it’s okay…”
“I-if D-D-Dawn h-hurt Momma, she was a b-bad pony…” Pip stumbled over his words, letting out another cry. “If, if she was bad, then… then Luna was…”
“Pip, Pip, it’s okay, it’s okay…”
“IT’S NOT OKAY!” Pip screamed, and for a moment Twilight could hear a foal’s voice beneath the baritone he usually spoke with. He shoved her away, disappearing from the spot with a rush of air only to appear mere metres away, falling to the ground with another pained cry. Twilight followed him, staying slightly back but still close as he twisted to face her.
“Pip, you need to calm down, just stay calm and stay still. If you-“
“WHY?” The stallion asked again, fresh pain sharpening his voice. “D-Dawn, if L-l-lady Dawn was a bad pony, then I was a bad pony! I’m not supposed to be a bad pony!”
“No, Pip, no, you aren’t a bad pony…” Twilight took a step towards him, but he shuffled back, raising himself on his unbroken foreleg and kicking the dirt with his hind hooves. “Pip, Dawn tricked you. You aren’t a bad pony for that, good ponies get tricked by bad ponies, that doesn’t make them bad…”
“But, but I h-hurt so many ponies, and I thought it was o-okay be-because they were bad, but if Dawn was bad then they were good ponies! I hurt good ponies!”
“Pip-“
“What do I do?!” Pip shouted the question. “How do I know who’s good and who’s bad?! Dawn was supposed to be good, but she-” His eye focussed on Twilight. “How do I know if you’re a good pony?! You could be a bad pony like Dawn was! Just, just trying to fool me, use me to, to hurt-”
“Pip, I just want you to calm down, okay? I promise you, I don’t want you to hurt anypony, I’m not a bad pony-“
“HOW DO I KNOW?!?” Pip screamed, his voice raw. He and Twilight stared at each other for a time; Twilight watched as his working foreleg quavered under his weight, saw his entire body shaking, even as his eye held her. She sighed.
“You can’t just ‘know’, Pip.” she said quietly.
Pip’s eye widened, very briefly, before his foreleg gave and he fell fully to the ground. He shook violently for a few seconds, then lay still. As Twilight approached, he let out a wail, and she quickly got around in front of him, sitting down and laying her hoof on the side of his head. He raised his own hoof, pressing hers harder into his skull.
“Please…”
“Pip?” The stallion hitched a sob. Twilight thought, then spoke again. “Pipsqueak?”
“It hurts… please, Miss Twilight, make it stop hurting…”
“What hurts? Pipsqueak, what’s hurting?”
Pipsqueak groaned, shaking a small amount as he pressed her hoof to his head again.
“Okay, okay, Pipsqueak. Just stay calm. I’ll...”
Twilight lowered her horn, touching it to his temple. Where before there had been two burning threads, now there were dozens; each pulsed hot with magic, crossing each other, pressing each other into Pipsqueak’s mind. The counterspell readied itself again, but Twilight tore her horn away.
“Miss Twilight-“
“Shhh, shh, Pipsqueak, it’s okay, you’re going to be fine…”
“It hurts, please, make it stop, it hurts so much…”
“Shhhh…” Twilight brushed her hoof along Pipsqueak’s head, his hoof moving with hers. The grass and dirt in front of them shifted; Twilight raised her head, her gaze finding Broken Shield staring at Pipsqueak in abject shock.
“Broken-“
“I… I’ll go get…” Broken cut her off with a mumble, his eye still wide and fixed on his old enemy. Pipsqueak let out another cry of pain; Broken stiffened, then teleported away. Twilight put her eyes back to the stallion, the colt, on the ground. He was breathing steadier, tears falling without sobs.
“I’m sorry, Pipsqueak…” she said. She grabbed his hoof with both of hers, squeezing it gently in response to his grip.
“I’m sorry…”
"Wangst" and "narm" are null terms to me, unknown and therefore minus any context.
All I'll say is that it's an excellent chapter. You earn a for dramatic content. What astounds me is that Path and Broken can't - or won't - comprehend that one can set layers of compulsion on a mind. Hell, a Second Stage Lensman could do it quite well.
A very good chapter... but I can't help but feel sad. I actually would rather it be Dawn had a legitimate reason for her own atrocities. Celesta/Luna and the Inquisition sound very much up their alley, but this chapter just paints Dawn in even worse light.
3631697
Path can, actually - 'tis why he mentions that Twilight's removal of the spells would cause a discharge on the others. He didn't get a full picture from her, though, so he's not sure on the extent beyond the 'thousands' she claimed.
Broken, on the other hoof, doesn't count the restrictive compulsion as compulsion - even if there were thousands of restrictive compulsions on Pip's mind, the collective effects of which were essentially an active compulsion (as there were and as they were), he wouldn't count Pip as being compulsed. He has a bit of bias against Pip (for obvious reasons) and for what 'compulsion' is (after Chrysalis), but he's still being rather unreasonable here.
3631733
The Inquisition was pretty bad, and Dawn saw it as a manifestation of the tyranny that had previously been 'under the surface' of Equestria. Most ponies did as well - Broken's going to mention that almost nopony liked the Inquisitors, and they didn't exactly help the public opinion of the Princesses.That said, Dawn was able to see that the Inquisition could be a useful scapegoat, even for things they had no hoof in at all, justifying the deception as benefiting Equestria's citizens in the long run.
This speaks to Dawn's general character: She's not exactly the nicest pony, but she is focussed on 'helping' Equestria to become what she views as a perfect society. In Dawn's mind, she does have good reasons for what she's doing; it's just that she has difficulty understanding that not everypony thinks like her, and (a lot of the time) what she views as reasonable responses to problems aren't exactly reasonable.
Very good chapter, really want to see Pip get better but for that to happen he's going to need a whole lot worse. And Twilight really needs to work on her little "episodes", one of these times it's going to go just a little too far... . And it will be glorious.
3631733 You are thinking in terms of Black and White, whereas you need to be thinking in terms of Gery.
The Royal Sisters had their reason for doing things they way they were done, tradition being the largest from what I can see. There is probably some unwillingness to let go of the power they held as well, but that kinda falls under "tradition" too. Since, you know, they've been in power so long.
Dawn meanwhile also has her reasons for doing the things she does. She wants more equality for everyone, not just the so called "nobles" and for her friends to be able to fully express their love for one another and not have to hide it.
We've already seen just how "bad" both sides can be, and we all know that as a war goes on everyone involved is just going to keep getting worse, if only to justify "ending all this bloodshed". I have a feeling that both sides of this war are going to be getting worse and worse as we find out more and more.
Oh, and hey, look, Princess Dawn. Didn't see that coming at all. [/sarcasm]
Wow
Great job in not shutting up Twilight!
Not only you broke Future!Pip but didn't even think that his parents could be high ranking rebels (without Pipsqueak knowing) and Dawn only took advantage of the situation
Also Twilight, you are dumb, you are demonizing Dawn but leaving Celestia and Luna intact (welcome double standards!) that by all things EXTERMINATED the Changelings (and you din't care about that since they messed up with your brother)
I'm sure this question has been answered in an earlier chapter, but with the Princesses dead, how do the sun and moon move in Dawn's world?
3631827
Eeyup.
Dawn having wings was something that I was trying to hint at without outright stating it; however, she isn't a Princess, and the reason she has them is a little more complicated than just replacing Celestia and Luna.
3631844
She was a little out of it at the time; the way Pip put the flashback together kind of put Dawn's probable activities at the forefront.
I will admit that she needs to get a better handle on her temper when she's stressed, though.
3632032
Answer's coming in a later chapter, but it's somewhat rooted in the show's mythology; there was a time when the Princesses weren't around, and the sun and moon still moved.
It's simple, we kill the Pip
That everyone is how you turn a stoic, manipulated, child soldier with more undying loyalty to a regime than a North Korean citizen, into a broken mess whose mind will forever be more divided than post war Germany.
Also when you mentioned "next major plot point", the first thing that came to mind was Dawn appearing in the flesh, meeting Twilight and the Princesses (even if it is currently impossible).
3631844
Honestly, there are actual potential viable reasons for exterminating the Changelings, depending on how they work. Are they applicable here? I don't know.
But even with that, even with the Inquisition, even with all of their shit, the princesses seemed to be fucking up in a fucked up world and trying to do things the right way from what I've read in a chapter here and there.
Dawn, though? She might as well be Pony Hitler. Anypony is a good pony compared to her.
3632171 According the show's mythology, a large group of unicorns used to control the sun and moon. My thoughts are that because most unicorns didn't favor the revolution (if I recall correctly), Dawn would have a hard time getting enough powerful unicorns that were willing to help her by raising the sun and moon.
3632357
I can't exactly say what the point is, but it's been hinted at and is related to Broken. That is honestly all I can say without [spoilers].
3632538
Dawn and the Princesses are both trying to do what they think is right; this is not to say that either of them are particularly good at it, nor that what they think is 'right' actually is.
Dawn's got the short end of the stick in flashbacks because the teller is either actively against her or incapable of effectively covering for her faults. She's still undoubtedly a bad pony, but 'Pony Hitler' wasn't exactly what I intended when I was writing her. I can see where the comparison's drawn in a few of the things she's done (namely the camps), but I can confirm she's a little less evil in her motivations (there weren't any deliberate death camps, the experiments done weren't anywhere near as bad as Broken's claims against them, and they were easily the nastiest part the entire overall plot they were being used for).
Again, Dawn is by no means a 'good' pony. But she's not an out-and-out monster.
3632702
Unicorns were about evenly split for and against the Revolution. The whole 'sun and moon' thing is a mix of the show's claim and a few of the fandom's and my own ideas and inventions.
And the unicorns might not need to be necessarily willing to lend their power...
Damn, man...
That was really good stuff. Big strides forward in Pip development, which is awesome.
I certainly didn't miss him calling her Twilight at the end there, and unless I'm mistaken that was the first time he's ever done so (unless he's been explicitly ordered to in the past).
Definitely loving it. Maybe it's just me, but I've always actually found Pip far more compelling than Broken. I mean, like, his total lack of any emotion was somehow more relatable than Broken's general assholishness. That's not a compliment for Pip, now that I think of it. More of a dig at Broken, really. I dunno, nothing he ever said or did made me like Broken any more, but I really found myself rooting for Pip. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's totally delusioned characters who just won't see reason, but Pip never bothered me because it was so clearly not his own fault. Broken just kinda annoyed me at times.
Jeeze, sorry, I'm rambling at this point. All I was trying to say is that Broken's one little bit of actual human emotion in that last scene instantly made me about a hundred times more interested in him.
Seriously, I was almost worried to be leaving Pip and moving on to a Broken arc, but now I'm excited. Pip had all sorts of mind magic removed and whatcrap, but I think Broken might've had just as many delusions shattered this chapter without any magic at all. Yay, progress!
3631844
>kills civilians
>sets up Nazi/American style "internment camps"
>mindrapes guards
>turns underaged colts into her sex slaves
>experiments on live test subjects
>in all probability, has set herself up as "President" of Equestria and suspended presidential elections until the country "stabilizes"
evil!Twilight doesn't need to be demonized, she's done plenty on her own.
As for the chapter, I kept on expecting Pip to snap and attack Twilight, thinking she was Dawn.
3633938
Not that Celestia and Luna are better if the trends continue
Their cases include of what little we know (little bolded because almost nothing had been learned of them but Dawn is always recieving flak):
Genocide
Armed Inquisition (that for the few we know about them they are worse than the Catholic Inquisition)
The problem with Twilight is that when faced to choose between focusing in the princesses and Dawn she only consentrates in Dawn and always come to conclusions of what she thinks is passing IS WHAT is passing before reviewing all posible options ... and her temper doesn't help
Considering this I can't wait to learn what are the princesses doing that Dawn at the end chose to rebel when Twilight in the same position didn't (also can't wait for Twilight to learn about it, the brain.exe error will be magnificent)
3632538
Hey! are you the same Richardson of Spacebattles.com forums?
3633396
I'm fairly certain that this is the first time that he's called her Twilight without her full title (ex. when he says "You are your Ladyship Twilight Sparkle, she is her Ladyship Theia Rising Dawn" or a similar thing). Good catch.
I never intended Pip to steal as much of the spotlight as he has, but this arc's been planned ever since I got his character down. Doing it right now as opposed to later on has muddled some of my later plans, but nothing horrible.
Broken's 'general assholishness' is largely because of (in increasing order of relevance) the differences between his and this Equestria, actual brain damage, and the fact that he both didn't expect to be treated as he has been and is rather resentful of the idea that he should be 'fixed' (ex. he recognizes that he's messed up, but doesn't necessarily think that 'not being paranoid' is a good trait to have). His 'relationship' with Pip was largely due to watching Luna die (she lasted long enough for Celestia and Shining to reach her, about a half-hour after she was stabbed), seeing the severe effect it had on Celestia (and Cadance and Dazzle), and having Pip's presence generally preclude watching friends and allies be literally torn to pieces or otherwise gruesomely dispatched for the last 8.5-10 years of his life.
He developed the idea that Pip's original personality had been either completely destroyed by Dawn's machinations or was in complete support of them, which understandably made him rather angry at both Dawn and Pip. Hearing Pip call Dazzle a friend (on the carriage back) and watching his breakdown here kinda-sorta destroyed that view - moreso in that, partly due to Dazzle, he tries to be on his best behaviour around foals and hates putting them in harm's way. The idea that he's been fighting and on occasion killing them (the majority of the other Risen guards), and that his second-worst enemy is still effectively one of them has cut him rather deeply.
There's another part to his reaction, but that's somewhat y.
(How's that for a ramble? )
3633938
Couple'a quick nits (not criticism, just explanation):
'kills civilians' - Only very rarely intentionally, even if you count the zebras and others in the camps. She had plans, and more dead meant less resources to utilize / ponies to realize her perfect society. Those that she did kill were, in her mind, more useful and/or less harmful dead. Doesn't make what she did okay, but bargle.
'sex slaves' - Just Pip, actually, and that was largely due to her being so out-of-touch with reality in regards to how the Raising process actually worked that she thought he was a genuinely consenting adult. Still really not okay.
'President' - This is the bigger one. (EXPOSITION DUMP AHOY)
Dawn's the head of the Elemental Council, which has equal powers to the (elected) Senate and Parliament.
The President (not the American pronunciation, but 'prE-SI-dent', hard E and SI like 'Psy'), aka the Presiding Senator, is the head of the Senate, with the senators themselves a group of fifty or so elected by the Parliament from former officials in the old Equestrian government (provided that the official joined the Revolution before it was completely obvious that Dawn was going to win). Largely unicorn, though every earth pony that was electable was elected.
The Prime Minister the head of Parliament, around three-hundred ponies elected from the commoner ranks regardless of support or opposition to the Revolution (provided that said opposition did not involve violent action against the Revolution). Dominated by earth ponies.
Both the Prez and the PM are (theoretically) equal in power to each other and to Dawn, same going for the Senate, Parliament, and Elemental Council respectively. The problem arises in that everypony's freaking terrified of pissing Dawn off and/or reveres her as the Leader of the Revolution, so she effectively rules Equestria alone in that her 'recommendations' and favoured bills just-so-happen to be the ones that the vast majority of representatives and senators vote for. She kind of alternates between not understanding this dynamic and not particularly caring that it works like that.
There's been two elections (one right after Canterlot's overthrow, the other after Dawn cleaned house of the more-resisting resistance groups), but everypony's pretty solid in the knowledge that electing a 'leader' is bald monkey farts against Dawn's rule. A number of them don't know better, others prefer it that way, and the third group tends to go underground rather quickly lest they be grouped in with the 'foals who think it was better under the Princesses' (i.e. the Loyalists).
tl;dr - Dawn's not El Presidente and elections happened but you're correct in the idea.
The rest of your post is pretty bang-on.
3634045
Twilight's more focused on Dawn than the Princesses because Dawn's the catalyst for the whole thing; she wants to get as much about her as possible so that she and the Princesses can avoid Dawn's rise in the first place. The Princesses that Dawn rose against aren't as big a deal in her mind (though that may change in the future).
Twilight largely focuses on Dawn when talking to Pip for much the same reason - she's trying to get him out of the sycophantic rut he's locked himself in, which means she needs to point out as many of Dawn's failings as possible. Broken's loyalty to the Princesses isn't as extreme, so she doesn't feel the need to be as harsh with him about them. Not only that, but Twilight still harbours some hero-worship for Celestia, generally avoiding topics that may play on the Princess unfavourably. The side-effects of this played a part in Dawn's rise when Broken's Twilight got hit in the face with exactly how imperfect the Princesses were, and I'm perfectly comfortable with saying that they factor into later events of the story.
Seeing Pip break down like that hurt, reminds me of an extreme version of what I go through when I do things I really don't approve of. Violating your own nature isn't easy and it hurts when you finally deal with it in your own mind.
3634643
Well her character is pretty obvious that she doesn't think is possible that the princesses are doing wrong or whatever wrong the princesses did wasn't enough to bring Dawn to "evil" ... and by doing that she is basically thinking that she just went mad just because she was angry ... completely illogical Twilight right here (nothing new)
And considering that she learned all the things Dawn did to Pip and Equestria she have more material to keep her in her safe zone
Man, I can't wait for Twilight to deal with whatever the princesses did in the same detil as whatever Dawn did because if most of the live of Dawn before the revolution was basically the same (or closely similar) then the princesses were assholes in their own right (considering your words the were)
3635264
I tried to base it on some of my own breakdowns, mainly the ones that are going on because things aren't going how I planned them... good to know it worked.
3635504
I really can't say much on that without delving into possible [spoilers], but I can agree that Twilight is definitely putting more focus on Dawn's ills than what the Princesses might have done to set her on that path.
3636167 Yeah, if you need someone to lend an ear just ask.
Not too bad. At least the emotional trauma got to seep through as a natural reaction. Perfect.
3644254
Thanks!
3672504
I was discussing it in the comments - as later revealed, he comes from a family of architects.
... I don't buy into that idea of changing one's name to match one's cutie mark.
3729517
Next one's going to be up this Sunday - should have been last Sunday, but the holidays wiped me out. (Odd how that works...)
Seems like I missed an update, somehow. No matter, that just means two chapters for me to read
Anyhow, poor Pip. I wonder if Dawn actually did animate those Black Hats. Could've been they just killed Pip's parents for the fun of it. I mean, Twilight denies it but it's not like she was there, was she? Anyhow, on to the next chapter!!
Man, this moved me. My feels have been pushed!!
Possible unlock: Pipsqueak, soldier.