The Comforting Heart of Darkness
The garden is peaceful, I'll give it that. The quiet is almost overwhelming at night, ditto for the aromas of the domestic flora all around. But such simple pleasures aren't adequate to distract me, really. I have things on and, well, in my mind that won't go away no matter how beautiful the blooms of the flowers are or how soothing the sound of the water from the fountains can be.
This castle is definitely pretty, but so are a lot of things I don't spend time thinking about. Which is a real shame, because when I'm not thinking positive things, it only stands to reason I'm thinking negative things, unless I'm not. The world is unpredictable like that. Or, at least it used to be, before Equestria weaseled its way into the limelight and took control of everything by force.
What's funny in hindsight is that compared to every other atrocity committed since my rule, my beautiful self being encased in stone for what felt like eternity is only a minor transgression, and one that I'm willing to forgive. Indeed, I can't expect them to understand, as this still existence is all the ponies alive today can actually remember. It is all they've ever known.
You're probably wondering what I think of the little namby pamby Princesses and their "Utopia". Well, I have no problem with telling you:
Boring.
That is the first word that I think of when I spend a sliver of my precious time thinking about how Equestria is today. But perhaps that's not the best word for what's wrong with the little ponies trotting around. My problem with these ponies is much deeper than a mere passing contempt for their way of life. In fact, I find their very way of thinking gag-worthy. But on the other hand, I almost feel pity for them.
Things were much better when I was in charge. Don't let outward appearances fool you. Everything certainly looks better, but looks aren't everything. In fact, I'd venture to say that looks are unimportant.
These days the ponies are...afraid of what's different. Nothing is beyond their control, the weather, the environment, they even control the very sun and moon. They call it Harmony, I call it deeply unnerving. No such thing happened when the world was ruled by yours truly. Chaos truly is the natural way of things, it's how the world is meant to be. I found much more pleasure living in a time and place without a monarch who could simply dispose of the sun and destroy all life without so much as giving it a second thought, thank you very much.
True, my reign was chaotic, but that's not a bad thing. Chaos is a lack of control, but ironically, a lack of control is exactly what made it better for the ponies living in it. No one would boss them around or force them to adhere to ultimately meaningless laws. Now everything is...monotonous and repetitive. To some extent I think even the equines themselves realize the flaws in their xenophobic culture. They are too afraid to even approach their 'beloved' rulers without bowing down and seeing to it that their precious monarchs' every desire is met with haste. There's a word for the solid grip of control the sisters have on them, dictatorship.
Even the other races are at the mercy of the Princesses, they control the sun and moon, everything is practically theirs. They have ensured that without Equestria, there would not be life. They have ultimately buried a landmine that cannot be avoided if the ponies ever stop being the forefront among nations. If we take steps towards getting rid of the iron grip they have on what amounts to one hundred percent of everything, we'll ultimately just be speeding up the inevitable undoing of this 'perfection' the ponies are so keen about maintaining. There are not words or actions that could conceivably repair the damage that's been done.
It is no wonder that the rest of the developed societies have not taken such nightmarish and totalitarian steps towards crippling the planet. Had the early pony tribes not been too busy fighting each other over whether they were flying through the air, shooting fireballs through it or spending their time as simple farmers, maybe they could have put serious thought into why it is that they are different in the first place.
Chaos.
Without chaos, everything would be dreadful, monotonous, a literal blank slate. The only way for there to be absolutely no chaos is for there to be nothing left that could ever possibly be different. In the grand scheme of things, the ponies are taking small but steady steps into that direction, and no matter how many times I've warned them, they've never come to their senses and turned around. It would sadden me, but instead I spent a large period feeling anger, mainly because they didn't simply bring such burdens upon just themselves, but everybody. Including those who wanted nothing to do with their idealistic "paradise" of unity and friendship. While friendship and unity sound pleasant and look nice on paper, they stay well past their welcome when they are forced upon you.
They have alienated all the other species by their insistence on changing the playing field so that the ponies are the only ones who can come out on top. It's all or nothing, and the proverbial coin flip that decides if Equestria can still save itself won't land on 'Heads" for eternity. I can guarantee that when the time finally does come for the ponies to face up to the mistakes they've made, they won't be ready. Nobody will. They sealed their chance to be ready up in stone and used him as a garden decoration, only freeing him at the point where the end had, ironically considering my situation, been set in stone.
The most horrifying facts about the entire dilemma are that nobody else alive today can remember a time when the land wasn't under the strict control of the monarchy, most likely including the Princesses themselves, and that it is far too late to fix the gaping holes in the sinking ship that is the planet I am standing on at this very moment. Alas, I had naught left to do but give in and accept that the world is beyond saving now, and play along with the agenda of the royals and their little minions. Their persistence in trying to make everyone adhere to Harmony has a way of worming itself into even the most reasonable and well-adjusted individuals, like myself.
It's a shame, really, I even had a plan to prevent this very scenario. I would try to destabilize their "Harmony" and bring forth a new age of liberty and independence among the populace. I had planted the seeds of disarray to try to restore the lands to their natural state, so that civilization could start over and perhaps find a way of living that didn't endanger all. However, my grand design was ruined by the arrogance of a force that I've become too weak to resist.
I can't combat the oppression anymore, I must simply put a smile on my face and give a burst of feigned joy to ensure that they don't decide I would look better stationary again. It's been said that time heals all wounds, I'm starting to have serious doubts that is really the case.
I will try my best to save the place that I've called home my entire life, but inside I have the twisted feeling in my gut that it is beyond the event horizon, and slowly plummeting into the untimely demise of everything that's ever been, and everything that will be.
The ephemeral distractions of nonsense and silliness can only take me so far before my mind wanders into very unpleasant facets of thinking. A little fun here and there can help create the illusion of normality for a limited time at best, and even that only brings me limited satisfaction. Standing here on the cold familiar ground it is hard to imagine that the entirety of the world has become wrong, but it is simply what all the evidence points to.
Tis' the very heart of darkness, but at least it's a comfortable one.
Author's Note
Written for the Everfree North West 2014 Writing Contest.