Sumponeigh Knot Yew visits Pony Ville

In the Star Chamber

“My dear brother Knot” said Mr. Yew “What a fantastic story, your proposed serano of what might happen should you seek OUR revenge in Ponyville is only slightly amazing”

“Indeed” said Professor Sum P “while there is nothing technically wrong with your proposal. The eventual ending is less than satisfactory”

“I must concur with our brothers, Knot” said Lt O’Neigh “I of all of us best know that any plan, even such a well thought out one, would not survive contact with the enemy. There are too many independent variables to your battle plan for revenge. Besides …”

“Besides?” asked Knot

“We need not seek out our revenge with those who destroyed our mother - Nightmare Moon” said Prof Sum P

“Why not?” asked Knot “What of our dragon code?”

“We are not really dragons anymore” said Mr. Yew “and Nightmare Moon’s destruction was not absolute”

“What do you mean?” asked Knot

“What Twilight and her friends did with the elements of harmony only separated Luna from the power of Nightmare Moon” said Prof Sum P

“We need to be vigilant least that power find a new home” said Lt O’Neigh

“Indeed we may have to induce that power to return to Luna” said Mr. Yew “for our counter measure is crafted for the Luna/Nightmare Moon combination. Adjustments for an unexpected host could take dangerous amount of time.”

“No” said Lt O’Neigh “I will not allow Luna to be the subject of such an experiment. She has suffered enough and there is no evidence that that dark power will ever return”

“Nor is there evidence that it, our mother, will not return” said Sum P

“What does our guest think?” asked Uncle Knot

“Yes, answer us, Sunset Shimmer of that other world” said Sum P

“First, WOW, this is better than any holodeck from Star Trek. I could feel the rumblings of the train when it pulled into Ponyville. I could smell what the other ponies were smelling. I tasted the foods they ate, even though I was not eating. And the most fantastic thing of all was hearing the thoughts of the other ponies. This was more than a recreation of what you had planned out, Uncle Knot. This was like a projection of unexpected events playing out in front of us.”

“We are not familiar with what holodecks are or star trek. But you seemed to have grasped the purpose of the Star Chamber, Sunset Shimmer of the other world” said Prof Sum P. “The Star Chamber takes the thoughts and will of the giver and projects a possible conclusion, not only based on the giver’s will, but also on the subconscious of all the participants. Our subconscious thoughts acted as checks upon the presentation.”

“I see, but please stop calling me ‘Sunset Shimmer of the other world’, just call me Sunset Shimmer, or Sunset, or Captain Shimmer. Thank you again for the Argyle, my airship. It is a wonderful gift.”

“And you have used it so well” said Mr. Yew “You and your crew have aided us many times, and in addition, you have done great work locating, assessing, and when necessary disabling inter-dimensional doorways. Only ancient threats like Sombra, Discord, Tirek, Crysalis, and Nightmare Moon have threatened the realm since you started working here. New monsters and dangers that could have come through dimensional doorways you have either blocked or neutralized. Thank you so much and all Equestria would thank you, if they knew of your glory.”

“Glory is not why I am here, is it?” asked Sunset

“No, you know of our plan for revenge and you need not concern yourself with that.” said Knot “But you also need to know of the threat of the return of Nightmare Moon’s power”

“Wait” said Prof Sum P “you had another comment to make about Knot’s presentation. What was it?”

“Well, yes” responded Sunset “Knot, I know your, er, simulation comes from your heart, and that you want to tell Celestia how you feel about her, and that the stature where you keep your love blocks this…”

“Go on” said Knot

“So why not tell Celestia of your feelings for her here in the star chamber?” asked Sunset

“But I can’t tell her I love her while the statue remains” said Knot

“But you were able to tell her in the simulation, so bring her here and tell her here” said Sunset

“It might work” said Lt O’Neigh

“A radical solution” said Mr. Yew

“An interesting experiment” said Prof Sum P

“ … “ said Knot

“Ha ha ha” laughed Lt O’Neigh “our brother is speechless”

“That’s a first” said Prof Sum P

“I’m … “ said Knot

“You’re scared” said Lt O’Neigh

“Shut up” said Knot

“I will not, Knot” said Lt O’Neigh “You have always been the bravest of us, and here you are with the solution to your heart ache and you’re afraid”

“So this is what fear is” said Knot

“Do you fear her rejection?” asked Sum P

“I think he fears her acceptance” said Sunset

“I don’t …” said Knot

“So here is what we’ll do” said Lt O’Neigh “invite Celestia to the Star Chamber for tea. Make it a light dinner or ‘low tea’ with candlelight and soft music”

“isn’t that called a ‘high tea’” asked Sunset

“In some un-enlightened circles it is” said Prof Sum P “but in fact high tea was a large meal that the common workers would eat at the end of the day, and low tea was a light meal for the high society types”

“We have more pressing business to discuss” said Knot

“I know” said Sunset “May I guess?”

“Go on” said Prof Sum P

“You have a plan to trap the power that turned Luna into Nightmare Moon inside the Star Chamber, and you wanted me to know about it, just in case something happened to you”

“Very good” said Prof Sum P “our investment in you is paying large dividends”

“Actually we wanted you to know if anything happened to any one of us” said Lt O’Neigh “the plan requires four of us”

“We have to use the Star Chamber into tricking the power of Nightmare Moon into thinking she has won” said Mr. Yew “and them sealing her inside here forever”

“But we’d be sealed inside her with her” said Sunset

“An acceptable sacrifice” said Knot

“Says you!” exclaimed Sunset “Why does it take four to do this?”

“We would have to take turns maintaining the deception of the illusion that the Star Chamber provides” said Sum P “and if possible we would also need to be reinforcing the illusion that even if the ‘power of Nightmare Moon’ discovered the Star Chamber, she would in fact be only discovering the illusion of a fake Star Chamber”

“What the professor is saying” said Knot “is that we don’t know if this will work, but it is our best option, if we ever need it”

“So you still think this power will seek out Luna?” asked Sunset

“Probably” said Sum P

“There is some pony more likely that this terrible power will seek out” said Sunset

“Oh, who?” asked Mr. Yew

“The one most responsible for her defeat last time” said Sunset “Twilight Sparkle”