Chapter Three: Threads of joy in the dark.

The delegates and rulers filed back into the center of the room, each taking their since-moved seats away from the table, as though being within ten feet of Light would cause the mare to start biting.

“Miss Light….” Celestia began, at a few nods from the Zebra and Griffin rulers.
“As I have explained to everyone, time spells are finicky, and so we didn’t want to take too much time deliberating. We believe we have a solution, or at least a stopgap measure.” Seeing Light’s eyebrows raise, the Alicorn continued.

“We all have agreed to make individualized messages to our nations, broadcasted at similar times to our populations. We cannot solve this issue overnight, but we can at least break down the barriers between our races, and start unified projects and working together. Such messages will be recorded today, within the next few hours, while we are in this room.” Celestia’s voice trailed off, and Light’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Of course she couldn’t suggest anything better, but still, the idea of ‘trying to grow closer’ seemed to be a bit vague for Light’s taste.
“….So basically promising to work together, and so on and so forth? No mention that if you all don’t solve your differences, or at least co-exist, it will kill everyone? Including yourselves?” The mare stated bluntly.

“To do so would incite a mass panic. We plan on mentioning that farther down the road, once we have integrated projects with each other.” The zebra prince spoke up; and just his tone caused Light’s hackles to rise. She knew that tone. Empty promises from someone with a larger hidden agenda; that much was a certainty. Bartering with raiders felt very similar.

“That suggestion sucks.” The mare proclaimed, sitting on her rump to look at the various politicians.
“Well, what would you suggest?” A griffin piped up.

“The truth for a change. Word it better. But let everyone know the current path will lead to destruction. No reason for anyone to change on just good feelings. Pretty sure that was tried before everyone dropped bombs on each other.”

Silence greeted her words, and the mare sighed, checking the readings on her pipbuck.
“Let me guess. That’d cause a panic? Would only destabilize things? Do I have that right?”

“Correct.” The zebra spoke again, much to Light’s annoyance. She pulled up the family and friends picture on her pipbuck again, thankful that Discord- who winked at her from a stained-glass window, plastered it onto the wall.
“I’m going to walk you through each of these individuals. So you can have at least someone’s face in your mind when you record your messages.” Light growled, staring at the rulers before facing the picture.

“First, the zebra on the left is nicknamed ‘Green Hoof’. Could grow a plant out of a rock; he and his wife settled wanting to grow an orchard. Of all things, an orchard in volcanic rock. Well, somehow he did, and soon…”

She didn’t miss a single individual in the picture.
Her zebra friends, two families who had nursed her to health when she was sick from radiation poisoning after a bad expedition with no Radaway; the griffins who had fought at her side, and had kept night watch as the walls were built, and then her pony friends and family…and their relations. And then the individuals she didn’t know too well, but still counted in her companion circle.

The picture was then pulled back to her pipbuck, a different one taking it's place. It was a zoomed in shot of two ponies; two mares, and a rough looking earth stallion. Light made sure she made eye contact with each ruler as she spoke her next few words.
"I want these ponies to be burned in your memories." She stated. Her tone held venom; but overwhelmed by sadness and grief.
"This is a picture of my sister, Autania, and her marefriend, as well as my h-husband, Woodchip." Light hated her voice for stuttering, but she couldn't help it.
"I held him in my arms as he died. Bled out on my hooves. His last words were for you all. Pony. Griffin. Zebra. Yak. Everyone. He said 'Give them the second chance that we never had.'"
Light forced the tears down; the memory still too fresh.
"I promised him. And then again as my sister was killed while charging the teleportation spell. Her last words were 'Go. Sister's don't break promises...' And then I appeared on the table."
There was complete silence as Light took a deep breath, composing herself. A slight wince slid onto her face as a piece of shrapnel dug into her side from a previous battle, but the mare then stared down her nose at each of the delegates.

“They are all dead. My friends, and my family. I watched them all die, just before I came here. Our home that we built is gone. So, forgive me if I am a bit pissed when all you say is that you’ll be nice to each other. But….” Her shoulders then sagged.
“Maybe that’s all it will take. Kindness and understanding is so foreign in the wasteland, maybe even a bit of it at the right time, now, will make the difference. So record your messages….but remember that the only reason you are getting this warning for your own deaths, is because my family and friends bled out and died so you could.”

She then looked up to Celestia, eyes burning with tears.
“Make sure it was worth holding my mate as he died.”

Light didn’t move a muscle as each delegation recorded their messages to their nations. The zebra prince spoke of honor, of how together with other races they could be part of an empire greater than anything on their own. The griffins echoed a similar message; of how it took the help of ponies to rebuild one of their major cities. For Celestia, Light was fairly impressed. She hit the points that others failed to address. The idea that one race was somehow better than the others being a self-defeating one, that somehow acting alone was a sign of strength. Each had their own strengths, and together they could all complement each other. Alone, they would only notice differences rather than similarities.

Each message was recorded on a small crystal disk, which then stayed with each delegate on their person.

Somehow, Light had a feeling Celestia was hiding something, more so than the Zebra prince brat. But it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, only that there was something up her sleeve that nobody had considered….

“The castle will remain on lockdown until you are gone, Miss Light.” Celestia remarked calmly, gesturing to a pair of guards.

“There are some rooms in this area that you can stay in, for as long as you are here. We will reconvene tomorrow morning to discuss further options, as it is getting quite late.” She added, and seeing Light nod, stepped back as the delegates and rulers filed past her into the other portions of the castle.

To say Light was smacked by a letdown of emotions as she was led to the sparse room was an understatement. For a moment, she simply slumped to the floor, then looking to the guards, who, to their credit, looked as confused as she was.

‘I guess I’ll stay here till the morning?” She asked, more out of formality. She already had an idea of exactly what was needing to occur, and staying put wasn’t it.

“…yes, there’s food and drink here, as well as a washroom.” One of the armored stallions remarked before closing the door, the lock swinging shut with a soft ‘click.’
Magic or not, bullets could punch through that easily. And, if she couldn’t pick it, that was the plan.

Two hours had passed, according to the clock. In that time, Light had taken a shower, eaten and drank, and lounged around on the bed for a bit.

With all that taken care of, she was totally fine if things went south on her endeavor, at least in terms of temporary indulgences. At maximum, she had a day of this time spell, give or take. So far though, things were stable. If the readings had started to fluctuate, she’d have acted sooner. But, since she had to wait till everyone was sleeping anyhow, she may as well enjoy it. It might be her last meal anyhow. From either spears or magical spells, or perhaps the few firearms in the castle guard.

She only had a couple dozen rounds of non-lethal shots for her battle-saddle….so at least she wouldn’t have to kill anyone for that many. The other hundred or so were normal lead shot, with a bit of magical enhancements of course.

The plan was simple. Find where those messages were, get them, and then broadcast them everywhere. She wasn’t about to leave the future on the words and halfhearted promises of politicians. By Light’s reckoning, the Zebras would sit on the message, and then probably just never send it. Why would they? It would disrupt their power play. The griffins and ponies at least, maybe.

So. She had to force their claws. Hooves. Both.
Hopefully there was a recording of the entire session. Otherwise she’d have to try and get each disk from each delegation, and that would get messy fast.

Funny enough, the delegates had tried to suggest Light leave her weapons elseware before locking her up.
Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. Thankfully having six guards was enough to satisfy everyone. Since she ‘wasn’t going to try anything.’

The clock hit almost midnight; and Light hopped off the bed. Looking at her pipbuck, there were six contacts outside the doors. Two were yellow; maybe a threat. The other four….those had to be the pony and griffin guards.
Made sense. Ponies were the softer ones. The lock itself spat out the hairpins she used to try and pick it; of course. Magic.

It had to be difficult. Of course.

Light sighed, keying for a single three-round burst through the lock. That would leave just enough time to switch ammo types, and target the six individuals with non-lethal rounds. It would be noisy, so she’d have to move quickly.
She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. So much had been lost for her chance to give this world a chance, and she wasn’t about to waste it.

Author's Note

Chapter three! As always, feedback is appreciated!