//-------------------------------------------------------// Oskar Schindler - Whoever Saves One Life Saves The World Entire -by Radiant Eclipse- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Prologue: Legacy //-------------------------------------------------------// Prologue: Legacy Oskar Schindler, the unforgettable life-saver of 1200 pursued Crystal Ponies "Oskar Schindler's exceptional deeds stemmed from just that elementary sense of decency and ponyty that our sophisticated age seldom sincerely believes in. A repentant opportunist saw the light and rebelled against the sadism and vile criminality all around him." - Steinhouse Nowadays, this story is barely in the public mind anymore, as, like everything else that is not enjoyable to remember, unlike the tale of Hearth's Warming Eve, it decayed over the centuries. Remainders of the time before Equestria, the Crystal Empire and other civilizations, are rare anyway, and tend to be mythology and legends, all not scientifically possible and thus spurn by the public and experts. Barely in the minds of some individuals across the world, this story has been written off as an allegory of that there will always be a light that shines comfortingly in devouring darkness. For everypony, but the Crystal Ponies. For them, this story is always present, and not just a myth or symbolic legend, though they accept and agree with the idea that it should better be treated as such. Though impossible to proof, the spirit and essence of love of their greatest hero of all time, as they say, lies within the Crystal Heart, to ensure prosperity, harmony and happiness for the Crystal Ponies for all eternity. This pony is beloved and honored by them as the one and only in a dark, hating world, who remained harmony in his heart. In a world that ached for absolution, there was only this one, sole stallion, who gave everything to provide just a fragile light. This stallion's name was Oskar Schindler. Apparently, names were different in the past than today, or it has some sort of meaning not found out yet, but it does not matter to the Crystal Ponies, as for them, he was a saint, who possibly preserved their entire kind from annihilation. Persecution and especially murder is nowadays something completely unfathomable and unbelievable, but most of all, nonexistent. The ponies are indeed a loving race who respect nature and lives, and despise any form of violence. They prefer acceptance and harmony with everything in this world, and always welcome somepony with open arms. They sing cheerfully, greenly celebrate to every slightest concern and are easily the most peaceful and happiest creatures the world has ever seen. It is reasonable to think that this story is indeed just a myth, and the Crystal Ponies agree to that, as it is impossible to proof that it really happened, but they could not care any less and just believe in it, because they want to believe in it and it moves them. They are happiness incarnate. They live in prosperity and harmony. They are the legacy of Oskar Schindler. They are Schindler's Crystal Ponies. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1: Honor To Whom Honor Is Due //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1: Honor To Whom Honor Is Due Gathered on the seats of a ginormous arena at noon were thousands over thousands of ponies, a good amount of which were Crystal Ponies. On a pedestal at medium height was a special tier for guests of honor. The honored guests were the famous Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and of course their protégé, Princess Twilight Sparkle, alongside her five best friends, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, and last but not least, her faithful assistance and most dearly-beloved friend Spike. At their side was also Discord, but likely only to be with his best friend, Fluttershy. And all of them were awaiting the announcement of one, very desired event, especially Rainbow Dash. The Equestrian Games, celebrated in the Crystal Empire. The weather for this sports meeting was just perfect, as the sky was free of any clouds and the sun shone just right to fill the lands with the optimal, mild temperature, and the atmosphere was figuratively igniting because of the elated tension. Exactly at 12 o'clock, Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor stepped out of one of the entrances for the participants and walked on the lush green grasses of the field towards the center of the arena, where a microphone and the Crystal Heart would await them, all while being cheered on by the masses who whistled and clapped enthusiastically, to which they waved back with one of their hooves. When they approached the microphone in front of the Crystal Heart, Shining Armor took the lead and welcomed everypony. “Ladies and Gentlecolts!” He happily welcomed the guests. “We welcome you to the first ever Equestrian Games hosted in the Crystal Empire!” He shouted out loud, to which the masses jubilated without hesitation to his joy. “But of course we cannot forget our special guests of honor. Accompanying us today are the three most gracious mares of Equestria. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and not to forget, my beloved sister I am very proud of, the newest in the rank of majestic dignity, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” They waved to their subjects who applauded to them, but Twilight Sparkle, who blushed because of her brothers sweet words. “Oh you sweetheart...” “Unforgettable as well are those who stayed faithful towards Twilight Sparkle as her best friends, the heroes of Equestria... The bearers of the Elements of Harmony!” They as well gained the recognition they deserved. Rainbow Dash bathed in it, while Fluttershy hid her face in Discord's chest fur. “Keep your mane on. Everything is alright, Fluttershy.” Discord comforted her, to which she nodded, still hiding herself. “But there is one more we've got to mention. Without this heroic, brave, young soul, the Crystal Empire would still be under the control of the evil King Sombra. He bravely continued my sister's task and risked his neck to bring the Crystal Heart to your princess. May I present you, Princess Twilight Sparkle's assistance since her first years, the young dragon, Spike.” Spike stood up and smilingly bowed low while being applauded to as well. Quickly, he sat down and chuckled. “Shining Armor surely gained some charisma.” “Undoubtedly, today is a very amazing day. And I am as taunt because of pleasant anticipation as you are, but before we begin, let's lend our ears to the most graceful mare of the Crystal Empire. Ladies and Gentlecolts, your kindhearted ruler, my always loved, Princess Cadance.” Receiving more praise than everypony else, Cadance took over control of the microphone and continued the speech. “Thank you very much, my wonderful ponies. It is indeed a huge honor to host the Equestrian Games in our, modest town. Like my beloved stallion, I welcome our guests to the Crystal Empire, and I hope you have a joyful time. “Not only you, but also us, the Crystal Ponies. As we all know, the history of the Crystal Ponies is not the most glamorous one, and my subjects have just been terrorized by King Sombra, may he finally find his harmony and peace wherever he is now. Though I could not thank my sister and her friends enough, there is a story that needs to be told more than any other. “My fellow Crystal Ponies, after a year of despair and terror, and after a millennium of vanishing from this world, we can finally say that we have once again found true happiness, prosperity and harmony. “We may were blinded by darkness, but we never forgot the one and only hero, who saved us all and gave us the gift of love to live happily in all eternity. The Crystal Heart.” Rainbow Dash was in fury, because Princess Cadance took way too long for her and she was just too impatient to wait any longer. “Oh for apples sake, who could this 'hero' be?” She questioned sarcastically. But immediately, she went silent, like everypony else did. Confusedly, with open eyes, the ponies gazed at every Crystal Pony, who, out of the sudden, sat up straight and held on hoof above their hearts, with their eyes closed and their heads slightly sunken down. “W-what...?” Rainbow Dash mumbled, before focusing back on Cadance. “My fellow guests, as it is tradition, I, as the princess, have and want to preserve the story of the pony that sacrificed everything he had to allow us to be here where we are. Some of you may know the story and our beloved hero, but to remind us that there is always a light in the darkness, it is my duty, no, honor, to tell you the story of, at least in our opinion, greatest stallion to have ever galloped on the face of our world. “He told everypony in this world the most valuable lesson of all, and we will forever preserve the following phrase in our hearts. 'Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.' “My fellow guests, and my loyal subjects, I wish to tell you the story of...” Twilight smiled with her eyes closed and breathed in happily, and while opening her eyes again, she gazed at Celestia and Luna, who replied to her smile with a smile, as well. She turned around and looked back at Cadance, only to mumble the hero's name. “...Oskar Schindler...” //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2: A World On The Verge Of A Cataclysm //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2: A World On The Verge Of A Cataclysm In a country before common era, the land of the ponies was divided into several, smaller nations, each controlled by their respective sovereign, but they were not independent. All of them were bound to the bill of rights the ambassadors of the three tribes, consisting of Earth Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns, put into effect in the semiannual consensus convened on neutral territory. This bill gave everypony all basic rights as they are common today, and with every state working together, the ponies believed in a bright future of gaiety and prosperity. But these thoughts were soon about to crumble. Northeastern of the old land was the Badlands of the Changeling Kingdom, also known as the swarm or hive, and because of their desire to pilfer love, a regenerative form of magic, to strengthen their own kind, political strains with them were a daily occurrence. Fortunately, they did not outbreak into violence and war. Not yet. East of it, separated by a vast sea, lay the Griffon-Kingdom, a ginormous realm, lead by one ruler, known as the Primarch. The kingdom was filled with the desire to expand and gain territories from the ponies, but it was not driven by bloodthirstiness. To maintain peace, it indeed got an embassy with lands at the outer border to easily ensure the happiness of both sides, and in counter draw, they protected the borders between the Old Land and the Changeling-Kingdom. Northwestern, next to the Changeling-Kingdom and seperated from them by a mountain chain, was the Old Crystal Empery, a relatively small veld that did not flourish as much as the Old Land of the ponies, because many little villages were scattered in it, but the massive, crystalline capital city, which was the linchpin of said nation and a sight to behold, though not as ostentatious as the Crystal Empire nowadays. Crystal Ponies from all over the empery sought for more, and since the relationship with the more nature-oriented grassland-ponies was blooming, the nations greeted them with open arms. They easily integrated themselves into their culture and adapted themselves to it, while maintaining and honoring their origins, which, at the time, did not cause much commotion. One of these nations was Germaneny, a relatively young state, which was barely bordering to the wealth of its neighbors, even though it got assistance from everywhere. Blessedly, the Crystal Ponies saw their opportunity in this situation and migrated mostly to this particular nation. In only decades, it prospered like no other nation ever before, and it became the most wealthy state of them all, both in terms of treasury and population. Over half a century, it seemed like the ponies would live in a golden age, and nothing could ever disturb it. And maybe this was the exact reason why it had to crumble in front of everypony's eyes. Especially in Germaneny, a wave of bottomless hatred of envy towards the eminently respectable Crystal Ponies, but also other immigrated species, broke loose. The wave was caused by the newly crowned emperor, who claimed himself to be the Fuehrer of his people, assisted by everypony who already felt grudge towards other, immigrated races. At first, he and his followers, also known as members of the NSGPP, the National Socialist Germane Pony Party, were despised, but soon, through an equal amount of propaganda and terror, the tide was turned. They learned his doctrines and adapted to them, which taught that the ponies are the only race that is truly sapient, and every not purely pony was just an animal, sometimes, just a tool, and that it was necessary to get rid off them to preserve the purity of soul and body of every pony. The main targets were of course the Crystal Ponies. One day by another, their rights were subducted more and more, until they were treated as nothing more than Parasprites, if not worse. The consensus intended to form a coup against the so-called Fuehrer, but in an attempt to convince him to stop his actions, he declared that Germaneny would no longer belong to the pathetic rest of the Old Lands. Not just that, but he warned them. If they would resist and not join him sooner or later, they would be considered 'disposable'. Because of this act of separatism, the politics began to shatter. The Griffons were no longer bound to protect the borders, since most of them were between the Changeling-Kingdom and Germaneny, and because of that, the changelings recognized their opportunity and led an expansion to conquer Germaneny. But they were brought to a hold by an offer they could not refuse. Free supply of Crystal Pony love in exchange for containing themselves and keeping an eye on the Griffon Empire and the other pony nations. In the meantime, the consensus begged the Primarch to assist the pony nations to stop the rampage in Germaneny, but he refused, since he had no reason to do so, though thoughts of annexing the country for himself would soon begin to flood his mind. That was the reason why nopony interfered early. They did not known what was actually going on. Intelligence was scarce, and even then, unfathomable. They could not comprehend, what savage, unpony terror overwhelmed the nation, until it was far too late. There was never a reason for all of this to happen. It simply did through blinding ideologies and disharmony. The ponies of that time were not the civilized, close to nature beings of harmony as they are now today. They were still rather primordial, if not primitive, though relatively close to technical standards common today. Steam-engines, electric bulbs, even radio-communication-technology. The standard of living was absolutely desirable, but ponies wanted more. But the more somepony wants something, the darker its methods and reprehensible the result becomes. Enviousness was omnipresent, for no comprehensible reason. Narcissism simply lied in the nature of an individual in that time, impossible to understand in our time, but likely intelligible to all in that particular era. But not all ponies in Germaneny were fueled with discord and displayed odium towards non-ponies or to be precise, non-members of the NSGPP, and tried to protect them, which lead them to be immediately branded as heretics and being considered 'disposable', as well. Some of them, who did not believe in the doctrines of the so-called Nazis imposed on everypony, made use of their opportunities to become tycoons and made a mint, especially when the strains between Germaneny and the other ponies nations collapsed and the worst possible thing happened. A war. The first nation to be conquered by the Germanes was its direct neighbor, Foalland, which kicked off the events of a conflict that should soon involve the entire Old World. All ponies were greeted with open arms, but the Crystal Ponies were quickly transferred into ghettos, to gather them and think of a solution to get rid off them. One of these ideas was to impose compulsory labor on them, which was quickly approved. One special, at the beginning very poor stallion recognized his chance in this situation, and soon, he made his way to Krakau, one of the major concentration points of Nazi-activity in Foalland and close to a soon to be completed factory for Crystal Ponies in Zafoalwice he wanted to become the director of. With the intention of one stallion to pursue his dreams and set himself for life, the events for the most heroic deed in the history of ponykind were kicked off, as well as the most remarkable change in character for the good ponies have witnessed. Though impossible to proof, it is the legend about a sole pony bringing harmony in a world consumed by decadence This pony was Oskar Schindler.