From Beyond

“So, what do you think of technology?” Twilight asked, taking Celestia’s bishop with her rook.

“Technology has its uses, but in the long run it only serves to create more problems.” Celestia replied, taking Twilight’s rook. It had been many years since anyone had played against her, and she was very rusty at the game. “Why do you ask?”

“I ask because Seed mentioned something to me. We could have created so much, advanced so far yet we’re barely beyond using steam to power trains. We have magic, and it’s been a thousand years since you took control from Discord. I just want to know, why are you holding back progress?” Twilight asked, moving a queen on another board into checking Celestia’s king.

Celestia responded by moving her king out of the way, dodging away from Twilight’s play. “My ponies do not understand all of what they create. I am not holding back progress, but I am making sure it is advanced carefully so that you do not hurt yourselves.”

“But it’s been a thousand years since you took over. A thousand years of peace, and we are just now learning to use water and heat to move machines. I’ve looked over the research journals of countless scientists, and the thing they all have in common is when they brought their research to you you turned them down. Almost every single time, you denied them the right to continue their studies.” Twilight moved her queen to take Celestia’s on the third board.

“I did so because I thought what they suggested was dangerous. Half of the time, they hadn’t bothered to really think through what they wanted to do to continue their research.” Celestia said, moving her bishop to take Twilight’s queen. “Check.”

“So rather than work with them to make it safer, you just confiscate all of their work and threaten them to stay quiet?” Twilight asked, moving a rook to take the bishop.

“I did not thr-”

“I’ve read their private journals. Half of the experiments I’ve done have come from other thaumaturgists sending me messages asking me to do the research since I always have your approval. I’ve got experiments scheduled for the next few years, all of them from others that you threatened to stay quiet and quit their work.” Twilight said, glaring at Celestia. “Before, I was willing to take your word that what they wanted to do was dangerous work, but looking back it just seems as though you don’t want any kind of advancement whatsoever.”

“You have to understand, the common ponies aren’t ready for the things that they wanted to make. Half of the projects were centralized around military-”

“That could easily have been adapted to the civilian sector. I’m pretty sure Applejack would have an easier time defending her orchard from timberwolves with some kind of a projectile launcher, like you denied just last year. I’m also quite sure it would be easier on pegasi with an enclosed traveling space going through dangerous air, like the middle of an Everfree storm.”

“And any of the other nations catching wind of these things would think we’re preparing for war. What use would we have for projectiles when we have survived for a thousand years as things were.” Celestia said, moving the bishop on the middle board to take Twilight’s queen there. “Check.”

“So rather than explain we’re researching to make our lives easier, you just deny all chances because of fear that some other country will want to go to war with the diarchs of the sun and moon?” Twilight asked, moving her rook to take the bishop. “Check.”

“Would it not be easier to continue living in peace as we have, without fear of unnecessary war with other countries?” Celestia said, moving her own rook to block the check.

“And you would have us remain stagnant, just doing the same thing year after year as the rest of the world continues? Griffins have already created things called guns that can take out our guards from farther than we can cast spells.” Twilight pushed her advantage, moving her rook up to take out Celestia’s. “Check, again.”

“I would keep us safe. If we have survived so long without the need for these things, why would we need them now?” Celestia asked, removing her own king from the board. Almost instantly, what was left of Twilight’s pieces on that board split evenly onto the other two. “Why risk destruction for a few mild conveniences?”

“And who are you to judge just how useful something will be for the entirety of our nation, when you sit here in your castle? Just how often do you leave this cushy life and do work that these inventions could help with? I watched two unicorns easily outproduce my friend Applejack’s cider, in higher quality, with a simple machine. That was just one machine.” Twilight said, moving her new queen to take out one of Celestia’s knights.

“And if we do produce these machines, what’s stopping them from fighting us and destroying us for them?” Celestia asked, moving her rook into position. “Check.”

“Create devices to help defend us. What’s to stop the griffins anyways, since they’re using technology, from destroying us in a few generations anyways?” Twilight asked, using her new knight to take the rook. “Just because you do not allow us to advance does not mean they are restricted from doing so.”

“If they ever threatened my ponies, they would face justice at my sister’s hands.” Celestia replied, using her last queen to take out Twilight’s second one.

“What punishment would that be, executing a few and then telling the others not to do it again? And what of the destruction they could cause before you find out? What’s to stop them from killing hundreds, if not thousands of ponies before you can react and stop the bloodshed? What’s to stop them from destroying entire towns with their weapons, while our ponies simply sit by and get massacred because they can’t defend themselves?” Twilight said, her voice getting louder as she talked. “If they have the capability, why must we hold ourselves back because things have been working? Whatever happened to change, to progress? I’m sure doing the same thing didn’t help you against Discord.”

“This seems to be about more than just a few denied experiments. You can talk to me about anything Twilight, you know that.” Celestia said, leaning across the table to place her hand atop Twilight’s.

“What are we to you?” Twilight asked, pulling her hand out from under Celestia’s.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” Celestia asked, her heart broken by Twilight’s actions.

“What are me and my friends as the Elements to you? You call on us whenever you have a problem, even when things could be solved by sending somepony else. I’ve talked with Shining. Even things that could be solved with a few guard squadrons, you send us to do it. So what are we to you?”

“You’re the holders of the most powerful magic artifacts in Equestria of course.” Celestia said, not liking where this was going.

“And what responsibilities does that entail?” Twilight asked, moving her queen to check Celestia’s second king. “Check.”

“Using your abilities against the enemies of harmony.”

“And who decides who those enemies are?”

“Well, I do.” Celestia said, removing her second king. She was getting shut out pretty hard, and she used to be so good at this game.

“So why is it that only you choose what is best for your ponies?” Twilight asked, the last of the pieces moving onto the final board.

“Because I know what is best for them, and that is peace.” Celestia answered, moving her last rook to check Twilight’s king. “Check.”

“Is that what you say, or what they say?” Twilight asked, moving a knight to take out the rook.

“It’s what I know. I’ve been alive for a thousand years, and I’ve always made choices for the benefits of my ponies.” Celestia said, moving her bishop to take out Twilight’s new queen.

“And what of those of us that don’t agree with that? What if we want more than what you deem is enough?” Twilight asked, taking the last of Celestia’s defenses.

“Do you mean to tell me that you are no longer content with the peace our world has?”

“I am no longer content with having to sit still, while the world around us moves onward.” Twilight said, reaching on to the board and taking her own king. “My element is in the vault, where you’ve kept it since we came a week ago. And to let you know, our little game took a lot longer than you thought it would.” Twilight said, pointing out the window. The sun was peeking up from the horizon, casting the sky a deep purple as it rose up.

“Already spent an entire day and night playing chess. It’ll take you at least half the day to get to the vault since your magic isn’t strong enough to teleport you yet, and then the rest of the day getting my element to Prophet will leave you with just over an hour. Let’s hope you guessed right.” Twilight said, leaving the room in silence.

Celestia grabbed her crutch, climbing to her hooves and setting off without a word. She was assured that he meant her Element. It was the most important thing to Twilight, and it affected so many. There was nothing on the planet more important than the Elements, and the most important of all of them was the Element of Magic.

So, she really thinks that your Element of Magic is what we meant?

‘Apparently. She either never thought of you as an object, or didn’t bother to think that we had made a connection.’

I was moderately surprised as well when you told me. This is a very big risk if it doesn’t succeed as you want.

‘It’s worth the risk. Luna will be easier to convince that advancing technology is a necessary thing. Celestia would just stall it every chance she could.’

But betraying her, pretty much the one that raised you since childhood, is going to hurt her deeply.

‘It’s going to hurt for awhile, but the greater good is more important. With the information you’ve given me, we can easily overtake anything the griffins or anypony else can make.’

So, you plan on taking the problem out before it becomes more than you can handle?

‘I plan on revolutionizing this world. With technology, anything will be possible. We can remove the problems, make life so much easier.’

Be careful that you do not lose your equinity while you do so. It is easy to use technology to answer every problem, but it is not always the right answer.

‘I know not to just throw technology at a problem expecting it to be resolved. With everything you’ve taught me, and the parts that you put in my mind to learn later, I’m pretty sure I can resolve anything that comes up.’

You might want to get rid of that ego then. Always expect and plan for the worst, or else you will be greatly unprepared for when it happens.