A King Must Have Conviction
At edge of the Everfree Forest, two monarchs watched over Ponyville as the chaos subsided, each of them smiling at the display of cooperation between their peoples. Princess Celestia, radiant and regal as ever, basked in the warmth of her sun as it brightened the town. Beside her, the ruler of the deerfolk of Thicket, King Aspen, held himself with a dignified countenance. His smile was more subdued than Celestia's, but he was no less focused on the events unfolding before them.
Across Ponyville, the wild plantlife from the Everfree which had so recently overrun the town was now receding. To the townsponies, it was a familiar scene. It was not so long ago that this same town had suffered the wrath of the plundervines. But where they had struggled alone against those creations of Discord, here their recovery was assisted by the Everfree deer, who had come from the forest en masse to coax the plants back to where they belonged.
Now the ponies and deer intermingled across the town. Ponies watched with fascination as the deer worked their magic and bent nature to their will, while the deer would move efficiently from plant to plant, keeping their conversation with the ponies polite but brief. They had their jobs to do, after all. And at the forest's edge, their rulers watched both groups in action, each thinking. Each judging.
"It has been many years since I saw your people out in the open," said Princess Celestia. "You really shouldn't keep them all hidden away in that village of yours."
King Aspen gave Celestia a sideways glance, his smile unwavering.
"You know I couldn't do that."
"Mm, I know," Celestia said with a wistful sigh. "You've made that clear before. I just wish that our peoples didn't have to be separated."
"Oh, I know you do." Aspen casually inspected his hooves and flicked some dirt off of them. "It is only in your nature."
Celestia's smile grew wry.
"By the way, Celestia, I have concerns about that pink pony. The one who came up with that awful window design."
She arched an eyebrow.
"Concerns?"
"She seems very hyperactive. Exuberant. I have not had much interaction with her since she came to Thicket, but my son observed her behaviour whilst she was with him. I am concerned that she might carry the taint of chaos upon her."
There was a moment of quiet between the two. Celestia looked out across Ponyville again, searching for Pinkie Pie. Eventually, she spotted her over by a distant building, along with several of the rest of her friends. Blackthorn, Aspen's second-in-command, accompanied the group. As was usual for her, Pinkie Pie bounced around as she followed them, rather than walking like a regular pony.
"Yes, I'd say she very likely does. Pinkie Pie is a chaotic pony. This is to be expected for an Element of Laughter."
Aspen slowly turned his head sideways, his smile slipping away until all that was left was a flat, disapproving stare.
"You would allow chaos to infiltrate your ranks?" he asked.
"Not infiltrate. Exist in. Harmony is about balance, Aspen. We have discussed this. If I tolerate the extremes of total order that you believe in, then I must also make allowances for chaos."
"Is that why you released that foul serpent on our lands once more? To make allowances?"
Celestia remained serene, returning the King's glare with a warm smile.
"Yes. It is."
King Aspen opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted.
"Anger is a chaotic emotion, you know. It does not suit you, my old friend."
He fell silent and took a deep breath, releasing the tension. Afterwards, all that was left was an expression of mild disgust as he turned to face Celestia again.
"Sometimes I admire what harmony is capable of," he said. "The fact that we manage to coexist is a testament to the merits of your ideology. But there is a reason that the deer do not embrace harmony, Celestia, and it is because of things like this. You allow disorder and mayhem to reign in your kingdom. You disrupt your own peace because you have no will to stamp out a clear threat to it. Were it I that felled Discord, I would not have let him live, much less offered forgiveness. Same goes for your treacherous sister."
"Hm." Celestia glanced skyward. "That's funny. It almost sounds like you just suggested that I depose you."
Now it was Aspen's turn to raise an eyebrow. "When did I say any such thing?"
"Don't play coy with me." Celestia walked around in front of the King, so that she was facing him rather than standing by his side. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about."
For the first time since the conversation began, Celestia was not smiling.
"I assure you, I do not."
"You just told me that I have no will to stop a threat. By implication, you're telling me that I should stop showing you mercy. That I should bring my armies down here and end you."
King Aspen blinked.
"You dare—"
"I do dare, because we are currently standing amidst the aftermath of an unprovoked attack on a pony settlement that was caused by you."
Aspen's eyes widened. Celestia's smile returned, but it was no longer so warm and welcoming. It had grown predatory.
"Or did you think that I would forget that little detail?"
Still Aspen said nothing. Celestia began to circle him.
"Tell me... you do remember that your mind magic doesn't work on me, don't you?"
Closing his eyes, Aspen let out a long sigh and bowed his head.
"It is a passive effect I am using, not one meant for you. It was to keep those mares complacent so that they would assist in removing the minotaur interloper."
When he opened his eyes, Celestia was standing in front of him again, frowning.
"Leaving aside the unethical uses of mind magic, there was absolutely no need to do that if all you wanted was their help. The Bearers are some of the most considerate, kind-hearted mares you will ever know, and they would've helped you willingly if you had just approached them yourself and asked."
Celestia took a step forward, making Aspen back away slightly.
"Furthermore, if you had only withheld your magic and allowed them to use their own judgement, they would likely have been a lot more effective at it, too. I know Twilight Sparkle well, and I know that if she had been in her right mind at the time, this situation could've easily been resolved without resorting to violence!"
Aspen's nostrils flared, and he also stepped forward, reasserting his position.
"I could not take any risk!" he shouted. "That monster was a minotaur! A creation of Discord! For all I knew, this property development was a calculated and purposeful assault on my territory by the forces of Chaos! And we both know that if that were the case, your precious Elements of Harmony would have sided with that damnable chimera!"
"Don't make excuses, Aspen," said Celestia. "We both know that Discord had nothing to do with this. Greed and arrogance can grip any heart without having to be put there by somebody else. Not every slight against you is part of some great conspiracy."
Aspen snorted.
"You clearly do not know your new ally very well if you believe it beyond the realms of possibility that he is responsible for this."
"That doesn't matter. The point is that you should not have assumed. And even if you were right, the solution you came up with was still wrong."
The King rolled his eyes and shook his head, turning away and walking a few paces towards the forest.
"I cannot win with you ponies. No amount of logic can penetrate your shield of naive idealism. You let chaos fester at the heart of your society and break down what little order you do care to establish. You allow said chaos to encroach upon my territory when your own laws should have prohibited such a thing, if only you had properly enforced them. Then when the rule of pony law has failed me, you dare judge me for taking extreme measures to deal with the problem?"
He turned around and marched back up to Celestia, until he was almost nose-to-nose with her.
"What right have you? By whose authority do you think you can enforce your absurd notions and bizarre moral code upon me?"
"We are the leaders of our respective societies, and we both hold a seat upon the Cosmic Council. I do not invoke higher authority, nor do I need it, because we should be able to speak as equals."
"Feh!" Aspen turned his back on Celestia and walked over to the treeline again.
"And I will say again, your approach to handling this whole incident was flawed. If you were simply going to lay waste to Well-To-Do's construction project and leave him to the mercy of the forest animals, then why not do that in the first place? Why drag ponies into the matter?"
Aspen slowly turned his head to look back at Celestia.
"Because, you sanctimonious nag, my kingdom is an enclave on Equestrian soil, and I am bound to obey your laws when I step outside Thicket. I would not have committed an act of violence against a citizen of Equestria unless it was sanctioned by a royal, which it was when Blackthorn led the attack to free me."
"So you would have me believe that all of this was for my benefit? Because you respect my law?"
"Funnily enough, yes." Aspen gestured over to Ponyville. "As absolutely disgusting as it is that you allow chaos to rot away your kingdom from within, you have order as well. Just not as much as I would like. A respect for law is central to order. If I have no respect for your laws, that would be to spit in the face of one of the few things that you have done right since taking rule over ponykind."
He let his hoof drop to the ground.
"Why else would I honour that despicable contract I was made to sign? Have I not demonstrated due deference? I have been a saint throughout this whole affair."
Celestia shook her head and sighed.
"You have respect for the letter of the law, but not its spirit. Ironic, considering the entity you worship. You would not attack Well-To-Do and drive him off yourself because my laws would say you could not. Yet as soon as Twilight Sparkle and her friends were in your territory, you unduly influenced them in order to bring about the exact outcome that my laws were made to prevent."
Aspen silently glared at her.
"And there was no need for any of it," Celestia continued. "Well-To-Do was Equestria's to take care of, as you yourself pointed out. I apologise that we did not respond faster, but if you truly couldn't get a message to me, all you ever needed to do was come to Canterlot and ask for my help in person. Or you could have even gone to Ponyville and asked Twilight! But you wouldn't break your rule about leaving the forest, even when your very way of life was threatened. This is the limitation of total order, Aspen. It's too rigid. This is why ponies embrace harmony."
"To the Abyss with your harmony!" Aspen stomped a hoof. "Harmony has done no favours for my people! Just look at the state of this forest! You ponies can move clouds and direct the winds! Yet here we are, subjected to wild weather all year round! Weather which not even your best pegasi could bring under control for us! All because of that vile crystal tree that you're so insistent on protecting! I do not often compliment the forces of Chaos, but if the plundervines had succeeded and killed Yggdrasil, I would have raised a tankard to Discord in thanks!"
"Do not try to change the subject," Celestia said with a stern inflection. "You know that I'm right. My help was easily within your reach, but your pride and your arrogance wouldn't let you ask for it. Almost everything that has happened here over the last several days is your fault, and I have yet to hear so much as an apology for it. I have already admitted error on my part, and I expect a similar courtesy in return."
Trotting back up to Celestia, Aspen took a deep breath and let it out. When he did, his face shifted to a more neutral expression.
"Fine. I apologise for my improper use of mind magic on your subjects and fellow princess. It was wrong of me, and I shall not do it again."
"And what else?"
"I am also sorry for the violence incited against Well-To-Do and his minions by my commander. I implore you to also forgive Blackthorn. Whether you disagree with his actions or not, they were done out of loyalty to me, and I assure you that he had only good intentions."
"Good. And what else?"
Aspen paused. He looked up at his own forehead for a moment, as if in thought.
"...I apologise for my pride," he finally said. "I should have made greater effort to get in contact with you to resolve the situation peacefully, even if it meant breaking my long-standing rule against deer leaving the forest."
His eyes darted over to the edges of Ponyville, at the deer still working on removing the vines.
"Especially since we ended up breaking it in the end anyway," he muttered under his breath.
"Very good," Celestia said, a genuine smile beginning to creep back. "And one last thing?"
"...I... apologise for forgetting what else I need to apologise for."
Celestia's smile became strained, but did not recede.
"The plants?" she prompted.
"No." Aspen held up a hoof in protest. "That I shall not apologise for. I admit wrong in not coming to see you personally, but even if you had come to resolve the issue, the forest would still be missing large swaths of land, and the expansion would have still been necessary. It is good that we were able to restore the fertility in the old land, but I had no way of knowing that such a thing was even possible until we made that chance discovery. I acted perfectly reasonably given the information available to me."
Celestia frowned. "No, you didn't. You expanded the borders of the forest without my permission, and you specifically targeted Equestrian settlements while doing so, for no other reason than to provoke me to act. And don't you dare claim that the expansion was indiscriminate, because Canterlot is nowhere near the Everfree's borders. The plants could only reach that far up the mountain because you made them."
"Ponies helped carry out Well-To-Do's schemes, so ponies were made to pay for them. It was not malice. It was about what was fair."
"That is not fair," Celestia said, pointedly. "That is cruel, and assigns responsibility to the whole for the actions of a few. You cannot treat ponies like we're a hive mind. I should hope that you have a concept of individual responsibility."
"So you blame rogue elements for the slight your species has committed? I am not surprised. Those who carry the stink of chaos on them always do, and I would point to this incident as one of many reasons why you should abandon harmony. There is much less room for disobedience in order. But very well. I am sorry for instructing the forest to encroach upon your towns and cities."
Celestia moved to Aspen's side once more, so that the two of them could continue watching over Ponyville. Her frown eased, but her smile did not return.
"It really was to your detriment, you know," she commented. "If you hadn't set all that plantlife on Canterlot, I might've been able to come deal with this myself, instead of sending Twilight. My sister and I were caught in your vines for quite some time."
King Aspen looked aside at her.
"Then I apologise for that too."
"Also, if you hadn't expanded the forest into Ponyville, you would've had no reason to fear Twilight and her friends turning against you. They would've thrown their support behind you without question."
Aspen sighed.
"Are we quite done, Celestia?" he asked.
"For now."
Celestia began to walk away towards Ponyville, but stopped herself. She turned and faced Aspen one last time.
"I feel it only fair to warn you. While I forgive your transgressions this day, I will be taking extra precautions in case you try this again. A few protective spells for the girls might be in order. So if you presume to tamper with their minds again, do not expect them to be quite so warm towards you next time."
Aspen's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly calmed himself.
"Fair enough."
"Oh, and one other thing."
"Yes?"
Celestia's eyes narrowed.
"I will also be taking your own advice about how to respond to threats from now on, since you have such disdain for my previous methods. I have shown you mercy many times before, but this will be the last time. If ever you do cause such... chaos in my kingdom again, then as a threat to the peace, I will depose you, and I will send Discord himself to do it. I imagine he will relish the opportunity."
King Aspen blinked.
"Now, I have other matters I must attend to, and I'm sure you do, too. So I'll let you go now. It was nice talking to you again, my old friend."
Celestia spread her wings and took to the air, rising up over the forest. The world briefly darkened as her form eclipsed the midday sun, but soon she retreated into the distance, flying off towards Canterlot. King Aspen stared as she flew away, and he began to smile again.
"Very well," he said, quietly. "I hope you'll be ready when I am."
Author's Note
This story is a part of the Borderworld.
Okay, so, technically I guess this is a fixfic, which I don't normally like, but hear me out on this.
Revenge of Everfree, in my opinion, was not a very good story. I could go in-depth with my critique of it, but I think the biggest problem with it was that King Aspen was wasted as a character. His characterisation and actions throughout the early story were all villainous, especially because he was directly responsible for all the ponies' problems. In addition, as a soverign leader, Twilight had no authority over him, even as a princess of Equestria, and being a powerful magic-user in his own right, he could also have challenged her physically. In short, he would've made a perfect antagonist for that arc.
However, instead, the comic bizarrely chose to cast him and the deer as underdog good guys who we're meant to be sympathetic to, and our actual antagonist was Well-To-Do, a goofy minotaur property developer, whose only claim to villainy was that he didn't care about the environment or respect royal authority. And like the previous arc with the cattle rustlers, the whole story unwinds around him, because he should've been trivially easy to defeat. Aspen, in contrast, could've been a legitimate threat, if only the story had taken advantage of him. And in all the excitement, the ponies seemed to forget that the only reason they were in the forest in the first place was because he attacked them with malevolent plantlife.
I like Aspen as a character. I only dislike the role he was handed. This story's purpose isn't to give him a dressing-down or to smear him. Rather, my intent was to use his already existing villainous characterisation to recontextualise events and fit him into an antagonistic role, where I believe he will be much more at home and much more narratively effective. This is Aspen as I ideally envision him, and I intend to use this interpretation of him again in future stories, as I've already started doing in To Keep the Fire Burning.
