This story was originally written by Eagle Vision, who decided to cancel it, and he was too much of a pussy to let it sit there for everyone to witness his failure. But I kept a copy for posterity, and decided to post it here. Enjoy!
Not licensed under Creative Commons.
Chapter: Wild Card
Chapter: Change In Management
Chapter: Still In The Dark
Chapter: Eyesight For The Blind
Chapter: Cancelled!
Chapter: Wild Card
Twilight leisurely trotted through the labyrinth of bookshelves that made up the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing, smiling in wonder at the innumerable books that lined the shelves with spines of every color. She had set this day aside to do nothing but absorb as much information as possible from the expansive collection of knowledge that now metaphorically laid at her hooves.
‘This day will be perfect.’
Twilight slowed her pace, skimming the many spines packed tightly on the shelves, until one caught her eye. With a touch of magic, the book slid from the shelves and into her expectant hooves, and with a gentle breath, she removed the dust that had gathered in its long lack of use, revealing the shimmering gold title on the cover.
An Observational Study On The Magical Capabilities Of Earth Ponies settled to the floor with a soft thump. Twilight gently ran a hoof along the well worn bindings of the book. Though preserved as much as possible, small cracks and dents showed on the cover, the marks of many hooves handling this book before her. She lifted the cover as delicately as possible, savoring the unique smell that came from the slightly-yellowing pages. She laid down on the floor next to the book, repositioned herself until she was comfortable, and then began reading.
‘In my studies, I have made several groundbreaking discoveries that will serve to better our understanding of earth ponies…‘
Twilight stifled a deep yawn as she closed what she assumed to be the sixth tome she had read from cover to cover, and the light that was streaming in through the room’s large windows was a brilliant orange. Twilight raised herself from the floor, levitating the book back onto its shelf as she did so, and stretched her aching joints. Taking a quick trot around the library to ease her stiffness, she paused in front of one of the large windows. The blazing red sun was perched just over the horizon, as if anticipating the moments when it would dip behind the mountains, the day turning to night. Twilight, pleased with how relaxing her day had been, turned from the window and made her way towards the exit. She had made it to the center of the room, the large hourglass reflecting the setting sun’s rays and-
‘What is that?‘
Twilight approached the hourglass, and on a small, blank plaque on the glass’ pedestal, the sun’s rays formed a three digit number. She followed the light to its source, which turned out to be the number carefully chiseled into the window’s decorative metalwork. The way it was designed looked as though the creator had designed it so the number only appeared at a certain time of day, at one crucial point when the sun’s light was at the perfect angle.
‘Why has nopony seen this before? Well, come to think of it, not many ponies besides scholars come to this area of the castle, and when they do, it’s normally during the high times of visiting hours.‘
Twilight trotted back to the plaque, the number beginning to fade as the sun changed position, but the number was still legible.
‘641… What could it mean? Who left this clue here to be found?’ Twilight though.
She ran the number over and over in her mind, trying to find any significance in the mysterious three digits… until realization hit her like a book to the head. Her hoof brought itself to her forehead as she grimaced from not only how unperceptive she was, but also from how hard she had hit herself in the face.
‘Of course. I’m in a library filled with numbered books.‘ She thought, as she one again facehooved.
Twilight began the methodical task of examining the numbers of books on the shelves and following them to where they lead, until she found herself in a small dark corner of the room she hadn’t noticed was there before. The dust that gathered on the lone shelf that sat against the stone wall was lamentable. She took a deep breath, and with a large puff of wind from her lungs, she had scattered most of the dust from one of the rows into the air. Unfortunately, she began coughing and wheezing as the dust filled her lungs when she breathed. When the dust settled, she began to examine the spines of each book on the row.
‘…639, 640, 641!‘
The book that she was looking at didn’t look at all out of the ordinary, and sported a bland title that she doubted anypony would read. Nevertheless, the clues brought her here, so she pulled the book from the shelf and opened it up. To her surprise, it opened in half of two hinges, revealing a hollowed out inside containing a small tattered journal bound with a fading red ribbon. In Twilight’s eyes, it was the most weathered and abused book she had ever laid her eyes on. Carefully lifting it out of the hollow book with her magic in fear of it falling apart, she looked at the title.
The Personal Journal Of Star Swirl the Bearded
‘It can’t be! There were never documents or historical evidence that showed he had a journal… but that must mean he recorded things more on the personal matter in this book! I found Star Swirl’s private journal!‘
An inexplicable squee sound came from somewhere in Twilight’s body as she giddily flailed her hooves in excitement.
‘Imagine what further discoveries could be made! The many mysteries of Star Swirl’s life could finally be unveiled!‘
Twilight managed to calm herself enough to carefully open the journal. The journal itself wasn’t very thick, but there was no doubt it contained priceless information. She turned to the first journal entry, and began to read.
[6/11/957]
I may be the newly appointed court mage, but I have high hopes for my career! I have begun writing this journal to collect my personal thoughts, and I hope in time that my growth of age and wisdom is evident in these recordings.
Looking ahead towards a brighter future.
-Star Swirl
[9/24/957]
In the past few months have made many improvements to the castle’s arcane defense systems and have begun study and research on the arcane elements of our world. I hope to one day provide a complete understanding of magic and its intricacies.
For a better tomorrow.
-Star Swirl
Twilight saw many other entries such as this, and skipped farther ahead into the journal, now looking at the recording’s of Star Swirl’s prime.
[4/16/974]
My studies and advancements are excelling at speeds I have never before seen. With the necessity of new ideas to help maximize our efficiency on the homefront while dealing with the invading gryphons from the north, the council has called upon me and my peers to help invent new and innovative solutions to many of our modern problems. In fact, it seems that times where ponies rely on each other the most have been better for scientific and arcane advancements than in times of peace.
Forever building a stronger future.
-Star Swirl
Many of these entries mentioned the war between the ponies and the gryphons, all of them praising what Star Swirl referred to as "The Revolution of Ingenuity". Twilight decided to skip a few and skip to Star Swirl’s later life; she would come back for the others later.
[7/29/999]
I await the dawn of the new millennium, watching as the world continues to change. My studies have been slow, as they have been for the longest time now. I cannot credit it to my age, even though I am now spanning into my later years. In these times of peace, where nopony relies on another for survival, nopony holds the drive of progress, of growth. And so nothing changes; no advancements are made, no new ideas are put forth; there is no need. To all other ponies, everything is perfect the way it is, in their own perfect world where they rely only on themselves and the laws of their princess.
For true prosperity of ponykind.
-Star Swirl
Twilight wanted to argue with Star Swirl’s reasoning, but when she thought it over again, she couldn’t argue with his logic. Now, there was one final message in the diary; a message from his deathbed.
[2/14/1004]
Even now as I write this from my deathbed, I feel the life slowly slipping from me. I have asked my most loyal apprentice to hide this journal with my last plan. You who are reading this, you must fulfill my final wish. I have long kept secret a project of mine that will forever change the world. I want you to find it, and activate it. Only then will my final contribution to ponykind be complete.
When the interests of ponies are in themselves, society will never advance.
-Star Swirl
Twilight sat slack-jawed as she read the final entry.
‘He expects me to help fulfill his final wish…‘
She flipped through the rest of the pages in the notebook, but they were all blank.
‘I’ll study this further in the morning to see if he left any more clues in his diary, but at the moment, resting my eyes and brain with a good night’s sleep would be the best course of action.‘
Twilight stowed the precious journal in one of her saddlebags, and levitated the hollowed out book into the air to put in back on the shelf.
‘What’s this?‘
A small red button lay on the back of the bookshelf where the hollowed out book had been.
‘I guess I can sleep later…‘
Twilight tentatively reached out a hoof and pressed the button. A moment later, there was the sound of grinding gears and stone as the bookshelf slid to the side, revealing a dark corridor. Instead of making snide remarks about how cliche the secret bookshelf entrance was, Twilight found herself unable to say anything, her heart racing and legs trembling in anticipation. She stepped into the passageway, illuminating her path with a simple spell. As she walked through the tunnel, the sound of her hooves echoed around her as she made her way to the faint light at the end.
‘This is it…‘
Twilight rounded the last corner, and found herself in a dimly lit room.
"Woah…"
Small lights and sparking wires adorned the monstrosity of metal in front of her. In the very center was a metal pony, with a blank square face and wheels on its legs instead of hooves. Twilight slowly approached the array of lights and buttons that were connected to the strange mecha, slowly reading each of the buttons’ labels.
‘Switch to auxiliary power, Drain coolant…‘
"Aha!" she exclaimed, "The power on switch…"
Twilight hesitated. She drew the journal out of her saddlebags, and after kissing the cover, slammed her hoof onto the power button. Lights inside the metallic pony flickered on, wires disconnected, and the blank square on its face started to glow. Its face flickered, and a large, silly smile appeared on the display. Twilight walked in front of the machine, and its head turned to face her.
And in a disturbingly happy voice, the robot spoke.
"Hello! I’m Mark Seven Arcane Security Bot #33437; but you can call me Yes Pony!"
Chapter: Change In Management
Twilight flopped to her haunches, speechless. Standing right in front of her was a machine by the likes of which she had never seen, and not only that, but it was speaking to her. She struggled to contain her excitement, not wanting the situation to end up like the time she had wasted her chance of gaining vital information from her future counterpart. Even her strong mental control could not stop her legs from shaking or the smile on her face to disappear as she asked her first question.
"Wow! You’re unlike any machine I have ever seen! In fact… I’ve never seen anything like you… Star Swirl said in his journal that the Arcane Security Bots were designed for defending the castle, but that doesn’t explain why they aren’t used anymore…" Twilight trailed off, putting a hoof to her chin in thought.
"Well… as I understand it, when us Security Bots were removed from the castle, Star Swirl managed to sneak me away form the others and reprogrammed my neuro-computational matrix. Then he placed me here, where I’ve stayed since then!"
The way "Yes Pony" responded to everything in such a cheery tone was beginning to disturb Twilight, and the still image of the smile on its "face" didn’t help. Nevertheless, she had questions, and he had answers.
"Why exactly did Star Swirl bring you here? In fact, where is here? It isn’t mentioned in the castle’s building plans last time I checked…" She asked.
"Oh! This is Star Swirl’s workshop! He had it built in secret when this castle was made, and this is where I’ve remained stored since Star Swirl reprogrammed me… I guess you could say it’s my entire world! I don’t remember anything outside of this room, but that’s ok, I’m not complaining!"
"Hmm…" Twilight hummed to herself as she slowly walked around the room, eyeing all of the blueprints and notes scattered along the walls, the numerous equations lining the walls in chalk…
Yes Pony watched her silently the whole time, pivoting in place using the wheels on his hooves.
‘This is amazing…‘ Twilight stared in wonder as solutions to problems that no mathematician had ever been able to solve sat as plain as day before her. Scientific research would advance decades ahead with only the information written and placed on these four walls. She would forever be recognized as the mare that had revolutionized the modern sciences! She couldn’t withhold the glee any longer; next thing she knew, she was on her back, giggling like a little filly.
The faint hum of servomechanisms reminded Twilight she wasn’t alone.
Clambering quickly to her hooves, Twilight blushed at her childish display, while Yes Pony simply stood and stared indifferently.
"Ehh… sorry about that…" Twilight ashamedly muttered. "You were saying something about the Security Bots being removed from the castle? Why is that?"
"Well…" Yes Pony shifted side to side, as if he were uncomfortable, "Celestia was worried at the time that the introduction of ‘powerful new guards with unknown weaponry’ could be construed as ‘hostile actions’ by other nations, namely the Gryphons. Oh boy, was Star Swirl furious! Star Swirl confronted Celestia about it, but in the end he just couldn’t get his way. That’s when he created me!"
"But why would Star Swirl need you? It mentioned in his journal that you were part of his final contribution to ponykind, but after that there was nothing but blank pages!"
"I’m sorry, but I’m programmed only to tell you to check his journal."
"I already checked twice before, why do I need to check again?"
Yes Pony stood there silently. With a frustrated stomp of a hoof, Twilight opened her saddlebags and levitated the book out and in front of her face. She flipped through the pages to the back of the journal, but once again there was nothing but blank pages.
"See! Nothing here but… but…" Twilight was unable to finish her sentence as words began to form on the page. Twilight immediately began reading as soon as they were legible.
2/14/1004
By now, you have most likely met my robotic companion, "Yes Pony", and have many questions to ask. Do not worry, your questions will be answered. All I have to ask you is if you think you are ready for this. Be aware that the consequences of your actions will change the fate of Equestria. I know at first you will be skeptical of my plans, but please try to keep an open mind.
That being said, if you wish to continue, then follow these instructions. Yes Pony is programmed with the information for a more powerful, more refined time-travel spell than the one I have put in my books. Ask him for it, and the printed instructions should be displayed on a monitor in the far right corner of the room. Follow the instructions exactly, and while casting the spell, direct yourself to 4/18/1002. I might be surprised when you show up, but assure me that you are a part of the plan.
I know you can do this, Twilight Sparkle.
-Star Swirl
The journal fell from Twilight’s magical grip, hitting the stone floor with a soft thwack. Eyes and mouth wide open, Twilight began to hyperventilate. Back to her haunches she fell, and she quickly scooted backwards into the nearest corner, curling up in the fetal position. Her hoof reached back to her saddlebags, scrambling until she undid the latch and pulled a paper bag from it. The bag was immediately brought to her muzzle, and as she began to breathe in and out, her body began to relax.
She removed the bag from her muzzle, now sufficiently calmer than she was before. Unfortunately, that was the time her subconscious decided to remind her of what she had panicked about.
"How… how… how…?" she asked between deep breaths, her brain still trying to contemplate how exactly her idol had known her name. Thankfully, the logical part of her brain decided to step in at that point.
‘Stop getting worked up over this! The only possible answer is that Star Swirl has seen me before in the past, and that means I inevitably travel back in time at some point.‘
It suddenly made much more sense than it had before, but that only did little to calm her nerves. Shakily standing up, she levitated the journal back into her saddlebags, the latch sliding shut with a click. Yes Pony still stood silently, only his head moving as he followed Twilight’s movements.
Twilight nervously walked away from her corner, the clopping of her hooves echoing as she made her way in front of Yes Pony.
"I-I believe you know the instructions to a more powerful time travel spell?" She asked.
"Sure thing! One spell, coming right up!"
A small ding from across the room signaled that it was ready, and a small display lit up. Twilight quickly galloped her way across the room, almost slipping as she slid to a stop on the stone floor. Her hooves were still shaking as she read the instructions on the display, her breath gathering in her chest as she nearly forgot to breathe.
"It’s genius!" She shouted. "The changes are so simple!" Twilight mentally berated herself for missing such simple differences that could have been made.
She re-traced the instructions in her head as her horn started to glow, her face scrunching up in concentration.
‘4/18/1002… Here I come.‘
She disappeared in a flash of magenta.
In his fairly-new workshop, an old and weathered Star Swirl sat behind a small barricade of sandbags. In his telekinetic grip was a small stack of parchments, which he was slowly reading over, stopping every so often to check if it was right. He peered at an hourglass sitting on a nearby table, and the sand almost completely gathered at the bottom seemed to have confirmed his fears. Sighing, he straightened out the papers and placed them on the table, taking one last hopeful glance at the center of the room. Suddenly, in the middle of the room was a bright magenta flash, which blinded Star Swirl and caused him to trip on his own hooves. Star Swirl picked himself up off of the floor, thankful he didn’t have a heart attack.
A lavender unicorn, surprisingly bare, lay spread-eagle on the stone floor.
"Great Scott, it worked!"
Chapter: Still In The Dark
Twilight’s mind stirred as she regained consciousness. The first concern that came to mind was the question as to why she was laying on her side. Her head ached, and it throbbed almost synchronously with the beating of her heart. A small ringing noise in hear ears only served to aggravate the pounding headache that nearly drowned her thoughts. She absentmindedly raised a hoof to her forehead, grunting in pain as she grazed the base of her horn.
"That’s definitely a problem…"
She thought she heard a voice say something, but the ringing in her ears had stopped her from understanding anything more than an amalgam of sounds. With what was, in her opinion, too much effort, her eyes slowly edged open. Unfortunately, the only sight that met her was nothing more than a collection of blurs, only able to be differentiated by their color. One navy and tan blur, however, slowly moved across her vision, accompanied by mumbled noises that she couldn’t quite discern.
"Hmm… but that might cause a few problems…"
Twilight shakily tried to raise herself to her hooves, only making it about a hooves-length from the floor before she slipped, knocking the wind out of herself as she made contact. Immediately, the moving blur stopped, and she noticed it begin to get larger as it came closer. The last thing she was able to distinguish was the sound of small bells ringing before she promptly withdrew into unconsciousness.
‘This is too comfortable… maybe five more minutes will do…‘
Twilight shifted in bed, settling into a more comfortable position, and let her thoughts slip away as she once again found rest. From across the room came though sound of many tinkling bells, and Twilight’s ear twitched as she recognized them.
‘Urgh… Spike better not be playing with my Star Swirl the Bearded costume again…‘
She groaned as she lifted her head from the pillow, immediately pining for its comfort as she began to wipe the built up sleep from her eyes. She yawned, bringing a hoof up politely to stifle it, and opened her eyes.
‘Wait…‘
Instead of her room, she found herself back in Yes Pony’s chamber. The walls were the same grey bricks and the tables covered in papers and equipment were still in their places. Yes Pony’s shell sat in the middle of the room, yet it looked as if it was still being built, with open panels and wires poking out. The faint tinkling of bells once again caught her attention, and she turned her head to face it.
At one of the tables, a pony wearing what appeared to be a perfect replica of Star Swirl’s robes was buried deep into something in front of them.
"Um… hello?"
The pony at the table’s ear perked up, and he slowly turned to face her. His visage was well-worn and wrinkled, and his long, flowing beard almost reached the floor.
"Ah, yes. You’re awake now." He said.
Twilight Sparkle looked as though she was imitating a fish. Her mouth closed and opened, but no words came out. Her pupils dilated to massive pools of black, and her eyes twinkled in starstruck wonder. She noticed she was becoming light-headed as her deep breaths came in rapid succession. Before she knew it, a paper sack wrapped in an off-white glow was pressed over her muzzle. Hearty chuckling came from the other end of the room.
"Hah! Now I see why you keep these in your saddlebags. By the looks of it, these must be useful all too often."
Twilight tore the bag from her face, still wide eyed and sputtering.
"You’re-"
"Woah, now! Please remain still. You have been unconscious for quite a long stretch now, so please, relax your body for a moment; reclaim your bearings."
Twilight sat up on the bed, letting her legs dangle off of the edge while she balanced on her haunches. It was something she had seen Lyra do, and it felt appropriate in this case.
Star Swirl gave her a questioning look as she settled herself into the strange position, but he didn’t say anything about it.
"Now that I see you are relaxed and well situated, let us continue moving ahead, shall we? How about names first? Can you tell me your name?" He asked.
"U-um… Twilight Sparkle…" She said, trying not to react the same when Fluttershy did in front of new ponies.
"Hmm… I can’t say it would be the name I would have chosen for you, but one’s name is unique unto themselves. I am Grand Magus Star Swirl, and this is my workshop." He motioned around himself with his hooves, studying Twilight’s face as she looked around the room.
"Hmm. So I understand you have seen my workshop before?" He added.
Twilight sheepishly smiled and nodded, and he stroked his silken beard.
"Hmm. I always knew that I should have taken further measures to hide this room… yet too late to change now…" He muttered under his breath. He quickly picked his head back up again and let his hoof fall from his beard.
"I hope you didn’t mind me making a few observations while you rested. Nothing that would be considered invasive of your privacy, of course." He asked as he levitated a parchment from one of the tables into his hooves. "You were injured in many areas when you arrived, and I made fit to treat them as best I could. Any residual pain?"
Twilight shook her head no.
"Good. Now, when I took a closer look, you seemed to have a minor head injury, but I still would like you to participate is some tests to help understand if the injury had any lasting effects. Let us begin with this:" He lifted a parchment with an ink blotch on it. "What do you see?"
Honestly, Twilight thought that it looked very similar to two Ursas high-hoofing, but it sounded ridiculous in her head.
"A… head on a pillow?" She replied nervously.
He looked between her and the parchment, and then shrugged. He set the parchment down on the table next to him.
"Never mind the test. I am sure the injury was nothing serious, or else one of us would have noticed something unusual by this point. So what brings you to my workshop at this present time?"
Twilight fiddled with her hooves for a moment as she thought of how best to describe her situation.
"Well… I received a letter of yours."
"Oh? A letter? Please, elaborate."
Twilight opened her mouth again to speak.
"Wait!" He interrupted. "Please watch your words. I know that you traveled here with a complex spell, and you say that you received a letter I do not ever recall writing, so that heavily implicates that you are not of this present time. Please, try to be careful in your choice of words; I’d rather we not horribly alter the future or create a paradox."
Twilight closed her mouth before she could let the words escape her lips, and sat in silence. Her face scrunched up in thought, trying to divine the right words to say.
‘Aha! I know exactly what to say!‘
"I am here because of Plan B."
She watched as Star Swirl’s expression froze. His eyes darted frantically about, and his previously calm demeanor had all but shattered.
"Well… I never expected myself to actually go through with it, but I guess you are already here before me. I take it you know of the plan already?" He asked Twilight.
Twilight shook her head no, somewhat worried at the way Star Swirl was acting, but at the same moment excited for finally being able to learn the details as to why she was doing this.
Star Swirl stroked his beard and sighed, looking up at the mare with uncomfortable eyes.
"Well… I suppose I have some explaining to do."
Chapter: Eyesight For The Blind
Twilight’s hooves twitched in excitement as Star Swirl gently poured her a cup of tea. Star Swirl offered her sugar, but Twilight politely declined, knowing sugar was the last thing she needed for her nerves.
As she took a gentle sip from her tea, Twilight’s muscles instantly relaxed. The pleasantly warm liquid relaxed her nerves as it made its way down her throat, and she closed her eyes, relishing the relaxation that washed over her. She was torn out of her world of absolute repose as she heard Star Swirl’s cup clink back onto its saucer.
"Now that I see we are both comfortable and relaxed, perhaps I should begin." His horn came alight, and out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw the cracks in the stone door to the workshop glow. "I added a soundproofing spell just as a precaution. Nothing that is said in this room will ever be repeated outside of these walls, is that understood?"
Twilight nodded, flinching at the new assertive tone is his voice.
"Good. Let me begin our main topic with a question. What are your personal views on the Princess?" He asked, taking another sip of his tea.
Twilight sipped her tea as she collected her thoughts.
"Hmm. Seeing as I have been Celestia’s personal protege since I was a filly, she’s practically as close to me as my mother is. Why do you ask?"
Star Swirl’s eyes immediately shot open, and Twilight swore she saw a slight twitch in the muscles below his right eye. His teacup began to rattle against its platter as Star Swirl held it in his telekinetic grip. The cup floated down to the table and rested with a small clink, and Star Swirl immediately buried his face in his hooves.
"Curse my fortune…" Twilight heard him mumble.
Star Swirl eventually raised his head from his hooves, meeting Twilight’s stare with a piercing gaze.
"That information alone has made explaining this many times more difficult. Let me ask you another question. Do you place your trust in me?"
"O-Of course… I’ve idolized you since I was a filly, and I have strived in every way to be like you."
Star Swirl breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then you will at least heed what I am saying with an ounce of understanding. It makes me glad to see somepony so appreciative of my work, and simply arriving here with such a spell shows your vast talent and even more vast potential."
Twilight blushed at his flattery, trying to stammer out denials to his compliments.
"-Which leads me to our main topic. The reason I asked for discretion is that any words spoken from here on are considered acts of high treason to the crown."
Twilight immediately went silent.
"Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, for you look to be a smart mare. What would you think of a world where the focus of the land is simply the advance of society through the sciences, where ponies live in harmony as they all support each other through mutual aid. There are no taxes, no segregation between social "classes", and no need for ponies to struggle, as others will always support them in times of need."
"The theory sounds excellent, but the application of these ideas in reality would be nigh-upon imposs-"
"That, my dear Twilight, is where you are wrong."
Star Swirl snagged some parchment, an ink well, and a quill with his magic and brought them over to himself. The quill dipped in the inkwell and immediately started scratching along the parchment. It only took a minute or so until Star Swirl set down the quill and turned the parchment around for Twilight to see. It looked to be a complex diagram, numerous stages in a triangle all leading to the point at the top titled "Princess".
Star Swirl watched as Twilight read the diagram, and took the opportunity to clear his throat.
"As you have probably noticed, this is a diagram of the commonly known "social hierarchy". Note how the Princess sits at the top, and below her are the nobles, dignitaries, ambassadors, advisors, and all others responsible for choices made in the state. Below them sits the military and royal guards, who receive orders from the class above them, and lastly, the citizens, who live their lives controlled by the classes above them. Citizens do not have the power to change laws or decrees- not that they would ever want to, of course; their benevolent princess makes all of the right decisions- and Citizens are generally independent and individualistic, caring not for anything but themselves. Tell me; has there been any major scientific advances in the span of time between now and yours?"
Twilight gathered her thoughts for a moment.
"There have been large advances in the study of magic, but almost all of them are impractical in use outside of their fields of research. Also, I have yet to see any major fields of research come to use in daily life. Though the discoveries are impressive, the scientists have nothing to show for it."
"Your words prove my point exactly. In my dreams, the future of ponykind is much different than we see it now. Earth ponies able to soar like pegasi, the unlocking of usable magic for all of the races, not simply unicorns, and ways to accelerate crop production so that food will never grow scarce."
"Everything you have said seems possible," Twilight interjected, "though it might take quite a few years for scientists to produce results like that…"
"That is exactly it!" Star Swirl exclaimed as he pushed himself to the edge of his seat.
"It does not need to take as many years as you think! The way that society works hinders this progress, the peace the Princess holds the land is is less of a land where no conflict lies, but a land in which there is no progress made at all!"
Star Swirl settled back into his seat, and took a sip of tea to calm his nerves.
"Do you see now?" He said. "That the way society affects science is the same as gears trying to turn in molasses. Something needs to change if the world is to truly advance. I am too old now to do something so grand, though I know that it needs to be done."
"And that’s why I’m here?" Asked Twilight.
"It must be so." He answered.
"I still don’t completely understand." said Twilight. "I acknowledge your points, and I agree that something needs to be done. However, this is simply talk of a societal reformation; what about this conversation is considered treason to the crown?"
"Because…" Star Swirl looked hesitant, but quickly steeled himself. "Because in order to truly implement this form of society, a drastic action needs to be made."
Twilight shot him a confused look, and he turned his eyes towards the wall at the other end of the room.
"In order for this to happen, you must first dethrone the Princess."
Twilight’s tea was forced out of her mouth, spraying directly onto Star Swirl’s face. Twilight was now reduced to coughing and sputtering as some tea had made its way down her throat, while Star Swirl wiped the tea out of his mane and face, restraining the growing stress that was threatening to show.
"You know it is the only way, Twilight Sparkle. True abolition of all governance is absolutely necessary if the world is going to change."
"*cough* Y-You can’t expect me to- *cough* -to kill the Princess!"
Twilight shivered as the temperature in the room seemed to suddenly drop. Star Swirl slowly made his way to stand, and Twilight swore a veil of shadow cast itself over the room. The look on his face could be described no less than seething.
"Do you take me for a petty murderer or spiteful rebel!? I have no more desire to take life than you do!"
The darkness in the room seemed to lift as Star Swirl’s enraged expression settled back down to a sad one.
"I would never dream of something so dastardly. Princess Celestia has always been a dear friend to me, and even though I disagree with many of her choices, I do not condemn her for them."
Twilight sat, jaw agape in fear. Twilight doubted ever misconstruing the stallion’s words, for he could be truly frightening when angered. She quickly snapped her jaw shut as she thought of something, anything she could say to relieve herself of the position she was put in.
"If you are as close to the Princess as you say, why not try to reason with her? Surely she could accept a voice of reason as wise as yours?"
"I wish it were true, but even with Celestia’s wisdom, all rulers are prone to be stubborn and arrogant. She runs her kindom how she sees fit, and though I managed to persuade her to change a few minor faults, she still rejects many of my ideas, claiming she knows better than I do through centuries of experience. However, she is never condescending, and therefore I could never hold it against her."
Star Swirl sighed, turning to walk away.
"It is simply time for change. Celestia only wants best for her kingdom, so I will will make sure her ponies receive only that."
Twilight was never more confused in her life. Both her mentor and role-model only wanted what was best for everypony else. The Princess wanted nothing besides order and peace, the ideal goal of any monarch. But Star Swirl wanted change. He wanted a world where the was no order, no laws or semblance of government. But in Star Swirl’s dreams, the ponies of the land lived as equal; as one. There was nothing other way to describe it than…
‘Harmony…‘
"I’d like to help."
Star Swirl froze, and turned to face Twilight.
"Princess Celestia may be my mentor, but I agree with you. It’s time for change."
Star Swirl’s muzzle curled up into a large smile.
"Excellent. I knew a pony as smart as yourself would make the right choice in the end. Come, sit with me. We have plans to discuss."
Chapter: Cancelled!
It began with an idea. An idea of a story about how twisted the end results of an idealist’s vision could become. Instead, I have some people arguing about ethics, others about illusions of conspiracies or dramatic twists, and a whole load of people around simply because:
It’s sad when people think: "Oh, Anarchy, isn’t that the silly, unstable ideology of rebellious and angst-ridden teenagers?" or "This isn’t Anarchy, it’s Communism.". Too many people caught in the illusions of stereotypes to understand the inner workings of the ideas of Anarchy or Communism.
Last point of frustration: I’m simply not having any fun writing this. I personally believe writing should bear enjoyment as the fruits of the author’s labor. Instead, I see this story as more of a ‘have to than a ‘want to‘ now, which is also affecting my writing (I.E. turning it into a steaming pile of manure).
I’m not done writing, but I’m done trying to attempt something like this. I’m thinking of moving away from the classic dramatic structure, allowing for a story in which description, sensation, and emotion play large roles, and the storytelling isn’t focused on dialogue (which I have found myself terrible at), but on the world around the characters.
Anyways, I’ll be deleting this story after I’ve made sure all are aware of its cancellation. Adios!
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