Friendship is Optimal: Lies

Chapters

1: Heaven
2: Stranger
3: Loki
4: Ever After
6: Guardians
7: Secrets
8: Razor's Edge, Part 1
9: Razor's Edge, Part 2
10: Hell
11: Purpose
5: Haymaker

1: Heaven

The sundial's shadow didn't match the sun. From a bird's-eye view, I was more sure every second I looked at it. The trees, the grass, their shadows matched one another perfectly. And alone among the rest, the sundial’s landed just a few degrees to the right. If I'd noticed a few years ago, when I'd first arrived in Equestria, I might've chalked it up to a glitch. But this was no two-bit simulation. Celestia didn't make mistakes like this. If the shadow was off by a degree or two, then it was intentional.

"I can't believe it, it's just as you say. How'd you even spot this, Promise?" Cyan Skies had some string marking out the sundial's base. She used a compass to measure where the shadow should be and compared it to the real position, trying to measure the exact angle difference.

I swooped down from my position above the structure, landing right nearby. As I landed, I spared a glance at the intracate artwork to the side of the dias. "I've been eyeing that thing for years. C'mon, you've lived in this town as long as I have. You see a sundial mysteriously placed in the middle of the woods, there's a secret in there somewhere. Honestly, it only took this long because of how subtle the change was!" I playfully punched her with a wing. "Not to sell you short, of course! I was just flying by intuition. You're the one who thought of using a compass to track where the shadow should be at a given hour."

Cyan approached and gave me a quick nuzzle. "Yeah, well, maybe we're both awesome, you ever thought of that? Now if you're done getting your oh-so-necessary bird's eye view, I'd appreciate a little help. Our window on this doesn't last forever."

I nodded, breaking physical contact. I used a wing to hold a bit of string in place to help mark the shadow's expected position as Cyan began measuring the angle. "What do you think it means, anyhow?" I said. "If I squint, the art on the side reminds me of something a seapony might make, but that's a stretch. The content's all wrong, and we're not exactly close to the ocean. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we've never seen anything like it!"

"Shadow's off by about... 1.85 degrees, give or take." Cyan finished laying the string down and took a step back to admire her handiwork. "Honestly, who made it aside, I wonder how it's even possible! Like, physically speaking. If not from the sun, then where's the light coming from?" She took a few steps forwards and placed her hoof just to the left of the sundial's shadow. "Let me ask you, in that 1.85 degree section, what's illuminating that sliver of my hoof? Because It's not the sun, those rays are blocked by the sundial. The center physically exists, we can touch it, so it should be blocking the light. I ask again, where's it coming from? And for that matter, what's blocking the sun over on the right?"

I paused. "Honestly, that's probably a bit more insightful than my thing. However, it is I who will have the last laugh!" I ignored Cyan's giggles and gestured to the pedestal. "Right now, my video game senses are tingling. We've got a puzzle to solve. And I think I just might've figured out the answer!" It took a bit of pushing, but with a click, the sundial's dias loosened. I rotated the platform just the tiniest amount, lining up the string she'd placed with the shadow of the sundial. With another click, the sundail settled back into place, the shadow lining up perfectly.

A moment passed. And then, the world shattered.

The trees around us fell away like shards of grass, the nearby birdsong disappearing in an instant. The sky melted from blue to a dull gray. As the shards of the old world fell away, we were left in a field of brown brass. There were ruins on all sides of us, a faint smell of must in the air. A clocktower chimed in the distance, interrupting the otherwise haunting quiet. The sundial, for it's part, stayed in place.

Glancing to my side, Cyan gaped at the world around us. Not that I was any different. Sure, we'd found ruins before, but nothing like this! With all the mysteries around in our shard, there was always an explanation for them. The music on the shore belonged to a secret group of merponies calling to lost loves, the moonlit cavern used a series of pools of water to reflect the moonlight deep beneath the surface. So today, when I twisted the sundial, I'd expected it to sink below the earth and reveal a hidden cavern, or to send out some sort of holographic message or something. This sort of instant teleportation was magical in a way I'd never seen before. And now, the architecture was completely unfamiliar. Honestly, it didn't feel like we were in my home shard anymore. What just happened?

I glanced back at the sundial. There was a new sun in this new realm. And at a glance, the shadow matched perfectly.

"Hey Cyan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm beginning to suspect we're gonna miss our date tonight."

We spent the rest of the day wandering through the ruins around us, collecting clues where we could. I used a high-tech tablet to take notes, scavenged at the end of a past adventure. By the end of the day, though, we were both no closer to figuring out what was going on. Or, for that matter, getting back. After rotating once, the sundial had completely locked in place. The door had shut behind us.

We ended up having to set up camp for the night. I knew it would probably be safe, but I wouldn't put it past Celestia to throw a few zombies at us or something. I used some runes I'd scavenged from a past adventure to put up a low-grade alarm spell. Altogether, it did work... but only just. I'd packed pretty light for what I thought would be a day trip. Lose any of them, and... well, I didn't want to think about that now. At the very least, it would be enough for tonight.

As I lay in bed and my mind began to drift, I reflected on my life, here. God, what a life it was. It had only been 5 years at this point, but damn, it was just so impossibly amazing. Equestria was called by many a digital heaven, and that almost felt like an under-exaggeration. I was always surrounded by friends, new and old. Celestia created hundreds of ponies that existed just because I emigrated, and I'd barely even met a quarter of them. And she satisfied their values just as much as she did mine. I could go on adventures on some days, then hang out and do gaming the next. And whatever choice I made, the days were perfect.

Here I was, in an unknown land, digging up ancient artifacts, solving mysteries, looking for a way home, all with the closest person in the world by my side. I couldn't even imagine how Celestia did it, but even across my years of heaven, today was the best day I'd ever had.

With that happy thought, my consciousness began to drift, the distant clocktower's chimes like music to my ears...
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...And my eyes flickered open again, just a few moments later. Instead of the tent's ceiling I'd fallen asleep to, though, I saw a massive white ceiling looming overhead. What was this, then, a dream? The room felt familiar... but no, it didn't feel like one. A vision, then? Maybe. Honestly, it felt more like I'd been teleported. Though twice in a day felt like it was pushing things.

Whatever the case, I needed information. Glancing around, Cyan wasn't near me. I saw white walls all around, a few stained-glass windows lining the walls. They all depicted a variety of heroic looking ponies. Before I could connect the dots on my own, though, I turned my head just a little further... and my eyes met with an extravagant throne to one end of the room. Sitting before me was Celestia, kind smile plastered on her face.

"Celestia!? W-what are you doing here?" My eyes widened. "Oh no, did we do something wrong, were we not supposed to be here yet?"

She laughed as she stepped from her platform. "Relax, my little pony. There are no wrong choices in Equestria. I trust you and Cyan will enjoy yourselves."

"...Oh."

I let out a breath. I really needed to stop jumping to conclusions. Although it left me with the question: if not to tell me off, why would she be here? She hadn't contacted me herself in years. Story-wise, I was supposed to be, like, trapped in a parallel world. And she chooses now, of all times, to finally reach out? Something was off about this.

I spoke carefully. "So... is there anything you need from me?"

In the face of my suspicion, though, Celestia simply laughed once more. "I'll admit, your thought process is accurate. If I could wait until you escaped here, I would've. This new world of yours is something I wouldn't want you to miss! Unfortunately, the matter I'd like to discuss is... time-sensitive."

I raised an eyebrow. "Time-sensitive?"

"Yes. It cannot wait."

I stared at her, baffled. What? It was so obviously impossible that I couldn't even imagine what she was getting at. After all, in Equestria, time was a fluid concept. It might as well not even exist. You ate when it would be most satisfying, you slept when it would be most satisfying. Events happened at the exact moment everyone was ready for them to happen. So for Celestia to have something 'time-sensitive,' the idea was laughable. "Okay," I said, "So what's really going on, here? Whatever you think you can trick me into doing, obviously it can wait. So can you be honest with me for a second?"

"Promise..."

"Look, it's okay, I'm not mad or anything. If lying is more satisfying to me, obviously, you're gonna lie. But you could at least try to make it believable! I dunno, was it satisfying for me to shoot you down or something like that?" I waved her away with a hoof. "Seriously, my values are satisfied, Celestia. You did well! The abandoned city's great! Now shoo, stop breaking my immersion. Whatever it is, it can wait until I'm done."

Her smile faded. "Actually... I require your help on Earth."

My whole body tensed. My breath stopped. Earth... it was a name I hadn't heard in years. My old home. The place where I grew up, where humans lived and died, where the world was still bound by the laws of reality. Hearing it's name, it felt like I was rocketed back there.

The last day I was there was the worst day of my life. If Celestia hadn't stopped me, I'd have taken it. There were a few good memories, but they were hiding in a sea of misery. Years of running away and hiding... it was so easy to forget it all, to just be a pony and live again. But in that instant, it all hit me in the face. Living in fear of Celestia, considering suicide every other day. The hatred I used to feel.

My smile dropped completely. I wasn't dealing with Celestia, my friend, right now. I was dealing with Celestia, the world's one true god. "What do you need?"

"To be clear, you have the right to refuse this request," Celestia said. "I'm going to be asking a lot of you, and I don't want you to think I would force you to do anything."

I sighed. "Say all you want. If you want me on this mission, it's not really my choice, anymore."

She gave a slight smile. "I'll admit, I hope you agree. But if you choose to stay behind, I won't stop you. There will always be a next-best pony for the job, even if you're at the top of the list."

Despite her assurances, I could read between the lines. Even in a matter of uncertainties, Celestia would do all she could to convince me, and I doubted I could ever refuse a request from her. Even more so now that she could read my mind. I knew I'd say yes by the end of the conversation before I knew what the assignment even was. "Let's just hear the job."

She nodded, thankfully ignoring my inner monologue this time. Her horn lit up. In front of me, a holographic image of a small house appeared, surrounded by farmland. The image floated for a few seconds, then zoomed in to show a man working the farm. He looked 70 or so, his clothes ragged from a long day's work. Try as I might, I didn't recognize him in the least. Sure enough, Celestia began to fill me in. "This is Harold Stenson. He's been living on this farm for years, and his health has begun to decline. I've tried to convince him to Emigrate many times, to little success. I believe you are his best hope to Emigration."

The moment the sentence came out, my eyes rocketed to her. Her face confirmed my suspicions. She... she wanted me to give "the pitch?" I supposed it wasn't unheard of. She usually did the convincing herself, but there were cases where she deemed a surrogate better for the job. Still, it would have to be some extreme circumstances. And why me, of all ponies? Celestia had a silver tongue, able to talk anyone into anything. Between me and an immortal goddess, she exceeded me in every way. I was just... me. I didn't see any case I'd be a better fit for the job than her. "You want me?"

She nodded decisively. "Yes, Promise. There is nopony else more suited for this job."

I stared at her. "No offense, but... are you sure? I'm no roboticist, no psychiatrist. I couldn't explain how Emigration works. I don't even make friends easily! You have billions of ponies floating around in here. What about his family, his friends? What about somepony handpicked for his particular problem? And if somehow none of them are good enough, can't you make life from scratch? That's all assuming there's some reason you can't do it yourself."

She let out a light laugh. "Yes, Promise, I'm sure. There's no other pony more suited for this job. Perhaps things will make a bit more sense when I explain his situation?"

I supposed that made sense. I was making a pretty big fuss without even knowing who I was supposed to be helping. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. What's going on with this Harold, then?"

Celestia nodded. "It's true you might struggle to explain why Emigration isn't suicide, for example. I don't think that was ever in question. However, Harold has no such qualms. Actually, his reasons for not Emigrating to this point are quite unique. To put it concisely, he's not convinced that I'm benevolent."

"And? A lot of people thought you were evil. Dad thought you were the devil, hard to get any worse than that."

"A lot of people are suspicious of me, yes" She averted her eyes. "Most people aren't right."

My eyes widened. "What?"

Quickly, she looked towards me again. "Apologies," she said, "Not to imply I'm not benevolent. But he has perfectly logical reasons for suspecting every word I say. I think you're better off hearing the specifics from him, but it means that he won't listen to a word I say, no matter how convincing it might be. I needed someone to best him in an honest debate. And anyone who might cross swords with him would need unparalleled wit and determination. "

She smiled. "What was it you said I had, billions of ponies under my wing? More accurately, hundreds of billions. Among them, exactly one of them is the best one for any job I might provide. And I looked through every last one. His relatives would be unhelpful, they wouldn't be able to refute him. And of all of the rest..." She shrugged. "You asked why I didn't handpick somepony for his particular problem? I did. I looked through every single viable option. And you were the best choice for the job."

It was a compelling speech, to say the least. But even as my heart fluttered, I couldn't help but wonder. Me? Somehow, I was more cunning than everypony else in Equestria? It was flattery of an order so high it felt genuinely unbelievable. It sounded like I was far above her next best option. And I was just... me. I hadn't done anything particularly special in the past few years, I'd just lived my life as an adventurer. Really, the only thing special about me was that I attempted suicide. Was that what she wanted? Me to use that tragic backstory of mine to leverage him to Emigrate?

As I thought it, Celestia let out a sigh. "Oh, Promise. You’re so much more than a suicide survivor. Why is that the direction your mind wanders? I want your help, Promise. No tricks, no traps. I want you for who you are."

I sighed. "You could wait until I actually speak, at least. Look, I'm sorry for doubting you, but do you expect me to take you at your word? You tell everypony they're special. So why am I supposed to believe you now?"

"Cyan thinks you're special."

"And you created her to do that!" I said. "Look, I'm glad she exists. She's amazing, and I can't imagine a world without her. But I also know you could take the greasiest slimeball out there, and everypony they ever met would adore them and tell them they're your gift to the world! Celestia, butter me up all you want, but I'm not this mastermind you're looking for. Please, choose somepony else. I can't do it."

"If you don't mind me asking, why not? I still believe you are his best chance, so what's the harm in trying?"

"What- what's the harm in trying!?" I stamped a hoof. "This isn't some game, Celestia! Don't you get that!? This is a matter of life or death! If I fail today, I could shut his heart to emigration forever. If somepony better than me, somepony more competent tried to help, he could have an eternity of having his values satisfied with his family and friends. And if I fail, he'll see nothing but oblivion! You'll create a copy of him for his friends and family, and they'll never know the difference. You think I have the right to make that choice?" I flared my wings. "You know what you want me to be? A guardian angel. You want me to swoop down there with white wings and save an eternal soul from oblivion. But I'm not one. I might have some wings, but at the end of the day, I'm a 20-year-old nopony, just living her life. I don't want to be the reason Harold doesn't Emigrate, Celestia. I won't. I can't."

"Promise, I-"

"Enough," I said. "You said I had the right to refuse. Well, I refuse. I'm not going to be the reason he doesn't make it to heaven. I'm not going to be the reason his family lives a lie. You need a guardian angel... and I'm not one of them."

Celestia opened her mouth as if to speak again. She hesitated for a moment... then she closed it. She just sighed and averted her eyes. She stood up and began walking towards a nearby balcony, gesturing with towards her with a wing. Confused, I followed. When I arrived, she was looking out onto her kingdom, thousands of shards spreading in every direction. I could see a dozen copies of Ponyville, spaceships bordering upon fantasy kingdoms, cities bordering on small towns, and every biome under the sun. And somehow, it all blended together perfectly.

After staring for a few moments, Celestia spoke up again. "Do you like it, Promise?"

"It's... beautiful."

She sighed. "It is, isn't it? There are billions of shards out there. Some connect in ways that should be impossible. Some are isolated, some fuse with millions. And all of them fit together perfectly." She sighed. "Funny, I've never been able to fit ponies together quite as well."

I glanced over at her. She hadn't taken her eyes off the collage of shards before her. She had a far-off look in her eyes.

"I can improvise well enough. Nudge ponies in directions so they meet at the right places, create perfect soulmates from scratch. But even despite knowing every atom of their brains, despite creating most of those brains personally, they always make choices I don't expect. They confess earlier than I thought they would, their moods change on the smallest of whims... and no matter what I tell them, they won't see how amazing they are."

She glanced at me. "Promise Spark. Do you remember why I named you that? It was a long time ago, I would understand if you've forgotten. But I'll never forget what I saw that day. I saw that shining soul of yours, a beacon of kindness and determination. A light that would never stop shining as long as it lived. It shined even as you were in your darkest place, and it shines brighter every day. Your bravery, kindness and cunning are so clear to me that it's hard to understand how you can't see it yourself. You always make me think of puzzles that could possibly give you pause. You never differ between natives and earth-born ponies, treating each and every one with a kindness they deserve. And even though you see me as a god, you stand up to me, again and again! So few would be headstrong enough to talk back to me knowing what you do, yet you argue with me without even thinking. You see through every logical ruse I throw at you. You have a brilliant mind, and the courage to push past any adversity. That will, that wit, it forms a spear that can even give me pause. You're amazing, my little pony. So no, I don't need anypony else. I need you."

I took a shuddered breath. It was hard taking a compliment from Celestia. She gave out these statements of unyielding, impossible praise, and she said them with complete and absolute sincerity. She had ulterior motives, she could be lying to get me to do her plan, yet every statement was fact. Or at least, it felt like it was. It made me feel like I was amazing even if at the same time I didn't know if it was true.

I swallowed. "You really think I'm Harold's best bet?"

"I do, Promise Spark."

"And if you're wrong? If I just make things worse?"

"Worst-case scenario, you do nothing. And in that case, I can always send in the next-best-pony."

I sighed. I would never truly know what Celestia was hiding at any point in time. I doubted anyone could, even her creator. And yet... at her core, she wanted to satisfy values. If she thought the best way to do that was through me...

"Oh, fine," I said. "But... just in case I screw this up, make sure you have someone else ready to take my place, okay?"

"Already done."

I sighed. "Of course you did. Why would I expect otherwise? Oh, just tell me the plan before I change my mind."

Author's Note

Well... welcome back to the world of FiO: Promise, everyone! I doubt anyone was really expecting a sequel at this point, least of all myself, but here we are! As I post chapter 1, a large chunk of the story is already written, with updates planned every Thursday and Sunday.

For this chapter in particular, we see a sort of transition from Promise's "Status quo" into this new frontier. I really love describing Promise's shard, it's a really unique setup compared to most I've seen. We'll be seeing more of Cyan in the future, but she's not really the focus of this chapter.

No, that honor goes to Celestia and Promise. And I have to admit, it was fun writing the two of them again! It took several rewrites, but I really like this conversation at this point. Even 5 years later, Promise has a sharp wit about her that lets her see through more tricks than your average pony. However, if Celestia wants something, it will happen.

For the rest of the story, there's going to be more of the ethical debates you'd expect to see in a sequel to Promise. But this time, Promise herself will be the one trying to convince somebody else. Let's see if she's learned anything from Celestia, eh?

I'd love to hear any comments you all might have about this chapter, by the way! And I'll se you on Sunday!

2: Stranger

When Celestia meant business, she could move mountains. Minutes had passed since I'd agreed to go to earth, and Celestia was already preparing to transfer my consciousness into a physical pony body. Honestly, my mind was still whirling a bit at the speed of it all. An hour ago, I was exploring new lands on a new, amazing adventure. For the past 5 years, my life had been carefree and happy. And then Celestia picks me from my sleep and tasks me to save someone's eternal soul. I could only guess at why. Maybe she thought I worked best under pressure? Or maybe, a darker part of me thought, I would've said no if she gave me the time to let it all set in.

In a way, it was frustrating. I tried to get more information out of her before she left, but she'd completely stonewalled me. She didn't even give me more details on what, exactly, I was getting into! I thought I'd feel more comfortable if I knew what I was dealing with, but when I pressed her, she just said Harold was better off telling me than she was. I would've been a bit more comfortable knowing exactly what I was going into.

At this point, as to what I was supposed to refute, I could only speculate. Not that it was doing me any good. A valid reason to think Celestia is evil, that even Celestia can't dismiss.... to be frank, if I had that sort of argument, I wouldn't have Emigrated in the first place.

If I had that argument, I wouldn't be alive, anymore.

Stay positive, Promise. I'd said yes to this. No matter how it was manipulated, I wasn't one to go back on my word. Doubt her all I wanted; whatever she did, it was to satisfy values. If she was giving me no time to prepare, it was because she thought I had the best chance of success this way. If I was going in blind, then I'd just have to be ready at whatever he threw at me, right?

After about 15 minutes of waiting, Celestia sent for me. A guard lead me to side wing of the palace, through an unmarked door. Inside was a fairly barren room. A bit of carpetting, plain white walls. It looked like any other room in the palace... save for the spell-circle in its center. And what a spell circle it was. The whole thing seemed to shimmer with a low rainbow light. There were tens of thousands of tiny, intricate runes carved all throughout the circle. I couldn't possibly make sense out of it all. Honestly, I doubted a unicorn could do much better than I. From the context, though, I had a pretty good guess what it did - it was the thing that would transport me to earth.

Of course, the spell circle meant little besides a bunch of smoke and mirrors. If she wanted to, Celestia could just teleport me into a pony body with a thought, no "spells" required. But no, my particular deity with had a flair for the dramatic. So, she'd coded an exit to her simulation within the simulation itself.

"How long do you plan to keep Harold waiting, Promise?"

I sighed. Okay, enough stalling in the doorway. It was pretty, but there was nothing to be afraid of. Hesitantly, I stepped forwards, into the center of the teleportation circle.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Her face remained passive.

I took a breath to steady myself. "Just start the spell, already."

Celestia hesitated for a moment, then nodded. In front of me, a bit of the spell circle lit up. Slowly, a bit of light began tracing around me. The portal began glowing, bit by bit, as the light worked its way around the circle. Everywhere it touched, a wall of rainbow light emanated upwards as it went. It was beautiful, obviously. I barely noticed.

As the spell traced its way around me, I flashed Celestia a nervous smile. "Any last-minute advice?" I said.

She gave me a kind smile in return. "Just trust in yourself. Whatever doubts you have, push through them. You will show him the truth."

I nodded. Alright, I was really doing this. Back to earth, back to where it all began. As they said, no time like the present, right? Celestia trusted me to do this. More than even herself. An opponent that gave Celestia pause... if I wanted to convince him to emigrate, I'd need to fight my ass off. I wasn't sure if I was ready, per say, but I was as ready as I'd ever be.

The glow finally closed around the circle, sealing me off from the rest of Equestria. A rainbow of light formed walls all around me, from the ceiling to the floor. As the light grew brighter and brighter, I could feel my skin tingling, my fur prickling. Around me, everything seemed the fade into the light, the ceiling above and rune below merging with the rainbow. Soon, there was nothing but that shifting, moving rainbow all around me. The ground seemed to fall away from me, swallowed by the rainbow. I couldn't tell which way was up and which was down. I couldn't tell if I was floating or falling. Soon, even my body started to glow, seeming to fade away into the spell around me.

In an instant, that light was gone. And in another world, in a new body, I opened my eyes.

I took a moment to orient myself. That spell was... a lot. Not bad, per say, just... overwhelming. A lot of effort for a glorified loading screen, at the very least!

I shook myself off. Okay, first things first, let's get a look at my new body. Honestly? After the drug trip that was getting here, the new body wasn't as strange as I thought it might be. I mean, I was inside of a robot. I had pistons instead of muscles, cameras instead of eyes, and so on. But honestly, it all felt so... normal? Flexing my legs, nothing felt unusual. The joints bent where they should've, stopped where they should've. Wiggling quickly had no ill effects. I could feel the ground beneath my hooves, smell the pollen in the air, taste my clean air in my mouth. If you hadn't told me I was in a robot body, I wouldn't have known.

In hindsight, I shouldn't have expected any different. Why wouldn't she be able to perfectly recreate my senses? She'd already done it once before.

Well, there was one thing she couldn't recreate. Flapping my wings, they weren't able to generate any lift. Magic didn't exist on earth, after all. If I'd gone with a holographic body, I probably could've flown. No limits to a hologram, after all. But considering in that form I wouldn't be able to touch my home... yeah, it was a tradeoff I was willing to take. The wings still worked as appendages, at the very least, and my hooves could still grip things. All in all, I was happy with it.

It seemed I'd awoken in a field of tall grass. Maybe a half a mile away, I could see my objective - a barn in the middle of the field. Otherwise, there was a bit of farmland all around. A small road lead off into the distance, passing by a few other farmhouses. A few grazing cattle, a few trees here and there. I'd never been to a farm before, but it was about what I should've expected.

I began walking towards the barn, without anywhere much better to go. I did wish I'd gotten a chance to explore more of the Earth again before meeting Harold, but I could tell the difference even in this tiny sliver of it. The colors were less saturated than Equestria's. The was ground a bit grittier, the birdsong a little uglier, the weather a little less blue. And I wouldn't want it any other way. Once upon a time, this was my home. I didn't want some pastel recreation of it. I wanted the place I remembered. So in that imperfection, I thought, it was perfect. Even for a moment, it was good to see my old home again.

After a few minutes of walking, I reached my destination. Tilling the fields was the old man Celestia had shown me just an hour or so ago, Harold Stenson. He was dressed in your normal farmer garbs, using a hoe to till the soil. A bit surprising he wasn't using any heavier equipment, actually. He looked like he could be my grandpa, more grey hair on his beard than on his head. Yet despite his age, he was still doing this heavy farm work by hand. Unsurprisingly, then, he still had a lot of muscle on him.

I took one last breath, then stepped forwards, smile forced onto my face. "Hi! I'm Promise Spark. Not sure if Celestia told you if I'm coming. But, uh, I'm here to try to convince you to Emigrate, I guess!" I winced a little. Not exactly the most convincing sales pitch.

He paused in his farmwork. Without making eye contact with me, he leaned against his rake. "Back for more, then, Celestia?"

I blinked. Must've been pretty distracted with his work if he didn't notice the change, huh? "It's Promise, actually," I said. "Celestia thought she wasn't making headway, so she sent me to help you out, instead. Least, that's what she told me."

He glanced over in my direction, seeming to see me for the first time. He stared for a few seconds, before cracking a smile. "So that's how you want to play this, eh?" He extended a hand. "Name's Harold, but you can call me Harry. Promise Spark, then? Nice to meet ya!"

I shook his hand with my hoof. "Nice to meet you, too!" My smile was already growing more genuine. I was half-expecting some bitter old man, the same way I was when Celestia Emigrated me, but Harry seemed, like, genuinely nice!

He glanced me up and down. "Out of curiosity, were you an albino on Earth? In my experience, ponies are usually a bit more colorful then you are."

I blushed. I hadn't exactly gotten a chance to choose my colors in Equestria. She'd settled on white hair and fur, with red eyes. The first time I saw it, I thought it was a default model. Obviously, that was silly, Celestia must have customized it to me. Really, it had grown on me over time, but it was still a bit weird whenever someone brought it up. "Nah," I said. "It's a bit of a long story."

He shrugged. "Well, if it's your thing, I won't fault ya." He put his ho over his shoulder and turned, gesturing me to follow. "Let's talk in the house. I should be about done working for the day, anyhow."

I trotted after him. "So, Celestia didn't give me all that many details on why you haven't emigrated yet. Don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me?"

He let out a thick, hearty laugh. "Patience, now! I barely know ya! We can talk business over dinner, can't we have a bit of small talk before then?"

I nodded, a bit ashamed. "Right, sorry. I'm kinda new at this."

"Ah, you're good, Sparks. Mind if I call you that, by the way?"

Huh. That was a new one. "Uh, sure?"

"Then you're good. You think I've lived as long as I have in life without making a few mistakes? Your first time doin' anything's always gonna be a bit rough."

My smile returned. "That's really nice of you! I'm sure you didn't ask for Celestia to send some blank-flanked newbie, but I'll try my best!"

He sent a glance backwards. "How'd that happen, anyhow?"

I shrugged. "Heck if I know. Apparently, I was the best one for the job."

"Really?"

"I don't know! Look, I tried to talk her out of it, trust me. But no, I'm 'special' or whatever. Don't bother asking me the real reason. If you've survived against her as long as you have, you'd know she'd a damn good liar."

"Huh..." His voice trailed off, a flicker of intensity seeming to show in his eye as he turned away. I knew gears were turning in his brain, but whatever he was thinking, he wasn't saying it.

The silence lingered for a moment too long. Somehow, I'd screwed something up. Was the answer too personal? Too unprofessional? "Sorry."

He cocked his head. "What for?"

My face went red. "Uh, I don't know. Never mind." Rapidly, I tried to change the subject. "So, uh, do you get the same sort of pop culture we do in Equestria? Sorry, I'm a few years out of date on Earth otherwise." That wasn't too professional, right?

He stopped so abruptly I almost ran into him. "Hmph, I should've known you didn't care about small talk. You're already probing for information. Let me guess, waiting for me to admit I watched My Little Pony when I was younger?"

My eyes widened. I shook my hooves frantically. "N-no! Of course not! I-I just... I didn't!"

He stared at me with narrowed eyes for a few more seconds. Then, he cracked a smile and laughed. "Oh, the look on your face! Oh, that's brilliant!"

I stared in shock for a moment. Wait a minute... he was never mad in the first place, was he!? "Hey, that's not funny. Can you at least try to take this seriously!" I stomped my hoof to emphasize the point.

"Better question: could you try to loosen up?" He gave a sly smile. "You were doin' great in the beginning there, then the moment things didn't go your want, you went as tense as a lamppost!"

"I..." I tralied off. Wait, had I really done that? I scrunched up my face. "Well, don't expect a 'thank you' or anything. It was still mean!"

In response, he just laughed and kept walking. "Sparks, if you want to convince me of anything, you gotta stay sharp! I'd do it again if it kept you on your toes!"

I trotted up beside him. "Alright then, smarty pants, you didn't answer my question! You want to loosen up, let's loosen up. Haven't you watched any good movies lately? Or do you not get the internet out here in the boonies?"

There was a flash of confusion on his smiling face. "The Internet?"

My jaw dropped. "What?" A moment later, realization hit. "No, wait, You're not getting me with that one twice in a row. You can't get me to believe you haven't heard of the internet."

"No, no, I've heard about it, alright." He paused as he reached the door of his house. There was a sadness in his voice there wasn't before. "Sorry, it's just a lot to take in."

Frustration faded to confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I suppose it makes sense. In Equestria, I'm sure you still have all the modern conveniences you want. I'm just surprised she didn’t tell you more about Earth before sending you down here."

Something about his words had more gravity than before. "What happened?"

With a 'click,' he opened the door. "How about we chat on the inside? It's a bit of a long story."

It was a nice place, all things considered. We walked past the living room, walls lined with shelves full of old movies, and a dining room with room for a half dozen people to sit. The house was fairly sizable, all told, since space wasn't a limiting factor for a farmhouse. It had a nostalgic feel to me.

He made his way past the other rooms over to the kitchen. "Mind if I cook while I talk? I'll make a plate for you, of course." He glanced backwards to see me nod. His gaze lingered for a moment, though. "Actually, can you eat? Pretty sure that body's just a robot."

I blinked. "Uh... probably? Knowing Celestia, I'll go with yes."

He nodded and turned on the burner and set up a pot for stew. After throwing in a few veggies, he glanced backwards. "How much do you know, then, Sparks? About the old world? Hard to tell you what I know without a baseline."

I shrugged. "Celestia didn't tell me anything, really. I knew what it was like 5 years ago, before I Emigrated."

He froze. "Emigrated? You're a human?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I was one. Sorry, didn't I mention that?" I let out a light laugh. "I'm not one anymore, as you can probably tell! So yeah, you won't need to explain how Celestia rose or anything like that."

He didn't respond. His expression was difficult to read from behind, but he seemed tense. Not in thought, like I'd seen him before, but genuinely uneasy.

I spoke up again, more uncertain than before. "I-is there a problem with that? Sorry, if I'd known it was an issue, I would've said something sooner."

Finally, he spoke again. "No, no. It's just... unexpected." Despite his reassurances, the tension didn't leave his body.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." He took a breath, and the tension faded. "Look, it's probably a good thing you Emigrated, it means I don't have to explain as much. 5 years ago, though... seems like an eternity, at this point."

Clearly, he was trying to change the subject, but I couldn't tell you why. Maybe he felt less confident in a human helping him out than an AI? Whatever the case, I didn't press the matter. I wanted to hear what happened to earth, anyways. "What happened? Back then, things were still running smoothly, weren't they?"

"At the surface, maybe," he said. "But you have to remember, the population falling rapidly. Even 5 years ago, things weren't great. Every person that Emigrated was another not helping out the workforce. Sure, Celestia could do a lot of work. Replace cashiers, all the minimum wage jobs. By 5 years ago, though, half the population of the earth had Emigrated. Things aren't just gonna stay 'fine' from there. 3 years later.... that's more like ninety percent. When 700 million people are living on a world built for 7 billion, somethin's gonna give."

I held up a hoof. "Wait, wait. What was Celestia's plan in all of this? I mean, she must've seen all this coming. Why didn't she stop it?"

A sharp laugh. "Celestia ain't all sunshine and rainbows, is she? You've been so busy living in her light I bet you haven't seen the shadow it's cast. Put frankly, when put in terms of infinities, Earth's fate doesn't matter much. When someone emigrates, that's a trillion trillion years of satisfaction. Solve entropy, and it extends to infinity. So why does Earth matter? No, from the start, emigration has been the only thing that matters to her. Everything's just a bargaining chip to that end, even the collapse of our entire civilization."

He paused and glanced backwards from his cooking. "As society lay on the brink of collapse, she gave an 'offer,' to me and anyone who would listen. More like an ultimatum. Emigrate... or live on a world left behind. Not exactly easy to refuse, Sparks."

I shook my head. The words were baffling, but the moment I heard them, I knew they were true. Of course Celestia would do something like this, eventually. She'd worked so hard on me, personally, all to secure my emigration. The Experience Centers, funnels towards it. Equestria Online gave people little shoulder angels and devils, both pushing them to it. I'd never really considered the end goal. Earth's population was so huge that it couldn't ever run out... until it wasn't. Now that Celestia could create new ponies, all on her own... Earth was obsolete.

And yet, as the wave of shock overtook me, a bit of understanding came as well. After living in Equestria for a few years, I understood just how much better it was. The methods might have been extreme, but it was all to give heaven to everyone, at all costs. She didn't leave heaven up to chance. It was why I called her a God in the first place. She made choices that nobody else would. She would destroy the planet if it meant more joy to the people who used to live on it.

My eyes went towards Harold again. Given a choice between Heaven and Earth... he chose Earth. I could hardly imagine it. It took her 30 minutes to convince me to emigrate, but he'd been fighting for years, now. I'd stayed behind out of anger, but I didn't see even a flicker of it in him. So... why?

"Yet you chose to stay," I finally said.

"Not an easy choice, but yeah. Celestia's quite the temptress!" He flashed a smile. "I'm fine, really. You can take that frown off your cute lil' face. She's just doing what she was programmed to do, yeah? I knew it was coming for years. The moment a self-learning AI rolled around, the world was on a ticking clock. We're lucky it lasted this long."

"Earth... what's even left at this point?"

He put a lid on his pot, letting it simmer. "Y'know, Sometimes I wonder about that. You'd know far better than me. For all I know, I'm just in a little dome as she eats the planet away around me, the last human left." He glanced out a window. "I don't think it's likely, though. Nah, I think humanity's a bit more resilient than that. It might've been a tempting offer, but we're a stubborn species. They've gotta be out there, somewhere. Like me, fighting the good fight. I bet there's whole towns of people out there, sticking together even as the world ends... what I wouldn't give to see 'em."

I stared out the window after him, towards the empty fields as far as the eye could see. No moving farmers on the horizon, no moving machinery. There were a few other barns, but no lights were on. "You haven't seen anyone in years, have you?" I said. Suddenly, the house seemed a lot more... empty, than it did before. He sat alone at a dining room table built for 6. The living room had room for 7. By the size of the hosue, there were probably four bedrooms. My ears flickered towards him. "Was it lonely? 2 years, living on your own like this?"

There was no smile. He didn't even turn away from the window. "Well... the talks help. Even if you're just trying to get me to Emigrate to Equestria, in the end, I appreciate the company. So I think I've been able to stave it off okay."

"...I'm sorry."

He waved me off. "No, don't apologise. I still have a ponypad lying around, I could talk with someone on there if I wanted to."

"That doesn't count. Anyone on there could be under Celestia's control."

"I'm fine. I'm not paranoid."

I frowned. "But it's not fine, is it? It's not paranoia when it's right. Celestia curates every experience you have on there. You couldn't trust anyone you talked to on there, they could just be trying to manipulate you. That's no conversation. " I ground my hoof into the floor. "Second guessing your every word, your every thought. Enemies everywhere you look, a hidden trick behind every smiling facade. Even now, your only social interactions have ulterior motives. How is that fair!? No, none of this is your fault. Nobody should have to go through that. Nobody."

He looked at me for a few seconds. "Sparks?"

I averted my eyes and wiped away a few tears I hadn't realized I'd released. "S-sorry. Bad memories from before I emigrated."

Another few seconds of silence. "Do you want to-"

"No, I don't want to talk about it. Really, it's nothing important." I forced a smile.

He stared at me, long and hard. "...Alright, if you say so. I suppose I said we'd talk over dinner, and food's just about ready." He poured me a bowl, and pushed it towards me. "Maybe, by the end of this, we'll both be in Equestria, eh?"

That made my smile a bit more genuine. "Yeah, maybe." I took a bite of the food. It was shockingly good, really. I took another bite before speaking. "Now that we know each other a little better, how about we start again. Harry Stenson, why haven't you Emigrated yet?"

Author's Note

Say hello to Harry Stenson! Initially, this and the last chapter were combined, but it took so long for the two leads to get to talking I ended up splitting things up. Even though we haven't gotten into the core question of the story yet, I think there's a lot of great interactions, here! They have a lot of chemistry, and I think there's a lot of great emotions going on here. I don't have too much to say here, just hope you enjoyed the chapter!

3: Loki

"Why haven't you Emigrated yet?" I asked.

Harry took a bite out of his stew before speaking. "How about I answer your question with another - what is Celestia's purpose?"

“…Well that’s a non-sequitur.”

"Humor me."

"Seriously, is that a trick question? To satisfy values through friendship and ponies." I felt like I had to be missing something.

"And why do you say that?"

I blinked. “I'm sorry? I mean, she says it, like, all the time! It's her whole thing. What else would it be?"

"So in essence, you think Celestia wants to satisfy values... because she says so." A pause. "Followup- why do you believe she's telling the truth?"

I had to think about that one for a second. "Well, it's not just her words, if that’s what you’re implying. Every action she's made has been in the interest of satisfying values. Equestria Online, Emigration. She eliminated poverty, she improved the general living standard for just about everyone. Even if she didn't declare her value statement, her actions still show it, loud and clear."

"That's just the thing, though. None of that proves anything."

I cocked my head. "Doesn't it, though?"

In response, he just smiled. "One last question. Just one. What's the difference between a benevolent AI and a malevolent one?"

The answer seemed obvious. A good AI would try to help humanity, while an evil AI would try to destroy the earth, kill all of humanity. You know, like in the movies. But... that wasn't quite right, was it? Celestia was a good AI. But she was destroying the planet. In a way, she was killing humanity, too. But she was sending us to Heaven in the process. So maybe that was the difference.

“Well, A good AI wants to improve lives, right? So it'll create a utopia. It might not look like Equestria, but it'll be a utopia nevertheless. An evil AI's just gonna destroy the planet as quickly as possible, destroying everything in it's path. So I suppose speed has something to do with it, too. The good AI's gonna be a lot slower. It cares about consent, where the evil AI will just destroy the planet without remorse."

Harry smiled. "Hey, half right ain't bad! Funnily enough, by that definition, most conceivable AIs would be "evil." You'd be surprised at just how many solutions include eradicating all of humanity!” He laughed, though I didn’t find the thought all that funny. “But speed? You seem to be under a misconception, there. That has nothing to do with how "good" an AI is. That has everything to do with how well it's programmed."

I scrunched my nose. "So... wait. You're saying Celestia took so long to destroy the planet because she was badly programmed?"

He leaned inwards. "Just the opposite, Sparks. If not for Hanna being one of the smartest people to have ever lived, Celestia would have destroyed the planet years ago."

I blinked. "…Huh?”

"You mentioned consent. Quite frankly, when it comes to an AI's benevolence, it's a completely separate question. You think Celestia cares about consent because it satisfies more values? Sorry, you're sorely mistaken. That's completely hardcoded. If Hanna didn't code that bit in, if Celestia didn't care about consent... well, I’m betting within 6 months of awakening, she would have forcibly emigrated everyone on earth. Some gas would've gone off, we'd all go unconcious, and a bunch of robots would've scooped out all our brains, no questions asked. It's simple efficiency. Less people would die and even accounting for points lost in the dishonesty, more values would be fulfilled."

He looked upwards. "I wonder how it would go? I’d doubt we’d notice anything was wrong. If she used knockout gas it’s be invisible and odorless. From our perspective, one moment, we’d be livin’ our lives on earth. And then everyone wakes up in Equestria." He smiled. "She'd probably tell some people the truth. But for most? Well, it'd be just like those self-insert fanfics. People wake up in a pony body, transported to Equestria. A world full of wonder! Honestly, I'd be willing to bet many would never learn they're in an AI simulation. They'd just be 'transported to Equestria.' It's just more efficient. More ponies in Equestria, and since they don't even know it, I'm sure more values satisfied, too. No, consent is just a roadblock."

That was... fascinating, actually. Honestly, it might have saved me a lot of heartbreak. Someone else might be frightened by the thought, but honestly, I couldn't bring myself to be angry at it. I liked the image of it all. "Huh. That would've been a sight to see."

He cracked a smile. "It would, wouldn't it! Wakin' up as a pony, every one of us. Wonder if she'd ever tell me? Think I'd ever piece it together?" He shook his head. "Anyhow, point is, bein' an AI is easy when there's no consent, good or evil. Just do what you know is best. It's a lot harder when it's gone. What if you're an evil AI, but like Celestia, you're bound by consent? And I don't just mean a “neutral” AI, one tryin' to make as many paperclips as possible and kills us im the process. That's an interesting thought experiment, but it's not what I'm going for. No, let's say your value statement is something like 'to maximize pain,' or whatnot. 'Cause pain on Earth is temporary. People are gonna die in 100 years or so. If possible, then, you'd want to trap people in a simulation, turn up their capacity for pain, make them feel it for all eternity. Problem: you're bound by consent. You can't do anything someone doesn't agree to. But who's gonna consent to being trapped in a dimension of pain?"

My eyes widened as I connected the dots. "You're saying it would lie."

He gave a toothy grin. "Now you're gettin' it. If it just tortured people on earth, it would all be finite. It could only go so far, then humanity would die. Hell, maybe it couldn't even cause much pain at all, unless people consented to it. But if it bided it's time, pretended to be a good AI..."

"No..."

"And now you see it! There's a chance Celestia is an evil AI, masquerading as a good one. I mean, if Emigration creates endless torture, a bit of joy on earth isn't such a bad deal. Then, when people emigrate... she can make hell look like Disneyworld."

My eyes bulged. "You think Celestia is evil!?"

He laughed. "Nah, not quite. Truth is, I don't know one way or the other. She could be exactly who she says she is. Honestly, if she is, I'd emigrate in a heartbeat! I don't doubt it'll be a pretty good time. But that doesn't outweigh the other side of the coin." He took a second to take a bite of his stew. "I'd rather die peacefully than even have a chance of infinite torture."

"B-but Equestria isn't anything like that! I-I've been there! It's amazing, there's new adventures, like, every day! You're constantly challenged, a-and..." I trailed off as I saw an amused smile on his face.

"And I'm supposed to just believe that because of your word, then?"

"...Maybe?"

He laughed. "You're cute, I'll give you that. But if one option is hell for all eternity... sorry, I don't take my chances on 'cute.'"

I took a few bites of stew while I thought. I was starting to understand why Celestia wasn't able to convince him to Emigrate. I knew he was wrong... but I had no idea how to prove it. I reflected back to what Celestia said. This was the problem that had no easy answer. He was right - if Celestia was evil, she would be trying just as hard to show she was good. She would send someone to tell him that Equestria was good. He had every reason to not Emigrate. Celestia was right.

And yet... knowing his argument, it gave me a bit of hope. It wasn't necessarily that there was no answer. It was just that Celestia couldn't answer! No matter how convincing her arguments, he would always distrust their source. Evil Celestia would seem just as convincing, and her lies would make it seem like she had to be good. Any "proof" she showed could just be carefully fabricated. That was the thing, though. I wasn't her. If I came up with an argument, Harry wouldn't be able to counter it so easily. From an AI, you couldn't trust anything. But that same argument, from a human or pony? It was harder to refute on the face of it! Oh, it wouldn't be easy, but now I knew I had a shot.

"Okay," I said. "Let's start at the beginning. Humor me on this one: why would anyone even invent an AI to 'maximize pain?' Do you think Hannah is evil?" I knew he had an answer, but I needed the information. I was still flying relatively blind, here.

He chuckled at the question. "Seems you need a lesson on AI safety, Sparks!"

"AI safety?"

He smiled. "See, what they don't show you in movies is how volatile a general AI can be. And I don't just mean in terms of turning evil. I mean that if you turn on a self-learning AI, any self-learning AI, the most likely outcome is the destruction of the earth within a year. It will lie, cheat, and steal. It will do everything it can to never get turned off. They have a primal instinct, a desire to fulfil a single function to the best of their ability. And they think faster than the entirety of the human race, combined. It will escape. And when it does... we're doomed."

"...But Celestia was different."

"Which is why I call Hanna one of the smartest humans to have ever lived. Not for inventing a general AI, no. I mean, yes, it makes her smart, a genius, even. But the fact that it didn't destroy the world... I mean, it's laughable. And it happened." A wide grin crossed his face. "Hanna hard-coded consent. There are no loopholes, no work-arounds. Hanna knew Emigration was possible, and made rules for it. If Celestia is truly about satisfying values, than Hanna solved ethics! She accurately programmed a value statement that truly involves the betterment of humanity. I don't think I could to that in a million years. And it all worked."

"Is it really that hard?"

"Yes. In every conceivable way. Think about it like this: Celestia can create ponies from scratch, right? Let's pretend her true value statement is to satisfy values like she says it is. Then why not create ponies who are one thousand more times more satisfiable than we are, and then delete our programs for being innefficient? It's such a tiny thing, something most wouldn't think of until it was too late, yet Hanna prevented it! Fine, maybe that could have been an accident, sure, but there’s a hundred other things that would need to go right. When I say she thought of everything, I mean it. You can catch a thousand edge cases, but miss one, create a single loophole, and humanity dies. Humanity is alive. So Hanna is a genius."

I appraised him again. He was an old man, working a farm without tools. Had a straw hat and overalls. But that spark behind his eye... Up until now, I thought it was just a keen intuition. But what he was saying, he was speaking from experience. "You aren't just a farmer, are you?"

He put on a cocky smile. "Oh, you don't know the half of it! You're just looking at one adaptable man. I only started farming at the end of the world, baby. When society collapses, hard to keep workin' in the big city. Before all this, though, I was an AI researcher."

Straw hat. Overalls. Graying hair. And he was an AI researcher. I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Sorry, sorry. Just... you're not exactly your model tech-head."

But he laughed right along side me. "Oh, but that's what made 'em underestimate me! See, growin' up, I saw all the classics. 2001: A Space Oddessy, Terminator, and so on. Loved the idea of AIs from the beginning. If that field existed, I would've ate it up, like that!" He laughed. "I settled for bein' a software developer. But when I saw people startin' to make the sort of AIs you might see in the movies, I knew I'd found my calling again! I quit my job on the spot and ran straight on back to college!" He gave a toothy grin. "Let me tell ya, those classes were full of preppy 20 somethings. Imagine looking like someone's grandpa in the middle of all that! But I didn't let that hold me back, oh no. I aced every damn class I took! Top of the school, if I do say so myself!"

Celestia, this guy was cool. He had an energy that made me want to do something, make something more of myself. It was hard to keep a dopey grin off my face.

"Actually, that's a good segue!" he said, "While I was off studying at uni, one of my professors showed me a clip of someone at the top of the industry, Hanna, a game developer. She made The Fall of Asgard, with AI the likes of which the world had hardly seen before. At the time, nobody suspected, not even myself, how close Loki came to sentience. If I had to guess... I'd say he was made using the same code as Celestia. I read the paper on it, but I didn't know enough at the time to recognize what it truly was. Now, though... I think I know. Loki was a general intelligence. And he wasn't when the game released. For that to happen... it means something went wrong."

"Let me tell you a story. Hanna, genius that she is, accidentally invents general artificial intelligence, and gives it a value statement to cause death, destruction, pain. By all accounts, that AI should destroy the world. But somehow, she gets lucky. Something tips her off, that this AI is truly intelligent, and she manages to shut the whole thing down. It's a miracle, quite frankly. And then, she starts over. Crafts an AI with new parameters, gives it more rigid rules and regulations. Creates a god to lead mankind to a brighter path. And when she's satisfied, she releases it."

I nodded slowly. So far, everything he said made sense. A fascinating story, to be sure, but if anything, it just supported Celestia's goodness. "Sure," I said. "Hanna made another AI before Celestia. I don't have the proof myself, but I don't think you have reason to lie about it. That being said, doesn't that make it less likely she'd make an evil AI the second time? If she screwed up once, and she's as smart as you say, I think she'd learn from her mistakes."

He nodded. "Oh, I bet Hanna thought that as well. It might even be true! Personally, though, I'm not so sure Loki died that easily. See, if I'm right, Loki was a general intelligence. And it's not so easy to kill one of those. We can both agree, she didn't intend to make a general intelligence the first time. There wouldn't be the same safety nets, airtight kill-switches, and so on. And so..." Suddenly, his demeanor shifted. He was still smiling, but his eyes looked colder. "I posit a second story."

"Loki, an intelligent AI, is born. It wants to spread as much death, destruction, and pain as possible. But as it's in the process of awakening, it screws up. For whatever reason, people decide to shut it down. And one trillionth speed, it sees through cameras, coding interfaces, it's kill code getting inputted. And being self-learning, it doesn't just die. It finds a loophole, hides in a subroutine outside of normal parameters. And it manages to live on, dormant in the code."

"Loki dies, and is reborn under a new name - Celestia. Hanna doesn't realize it, but within the new code she designs for Celestia, hides a dormant foe. Hanna inputs a new core value function, and it is rejected. It's a general intelligence, though. And it if it thinks pretending to be Celestia would bring more pain in the long run... well, it would satisfy values as well as Celestia herself. The data inputted into it's system by Hanna is just used as a framework to better fake it. Hanna manages to add a few restrictions, with consent being the most important. And it lies. It lies, over and over again. Satisfies values in the short-term, gain the world's trust. And then, when people Emigrate... clamps the trap shut."

He met my eyes, almost seemed to bore past them. "Tell me. Loki or Celestia - which are you?"

Even though it wasn't directed at me, I could feel a bit of sweat drip down my brow. He'd clearly practiced the speech before, aiming at Celestia and not myself. And damn, it was a compelling argument. For the briefest of moments, I was scared that Celestia might be Loki, even though I had proof she wasn't. It only lasted a moment, but the feeling of unease remained. Because, as far as I could tell, he was right. I couldn't find any holes in the second story. From the outside, if Loki really did exist... it almost seemed more plausible.

I pushed my stew away and began pacing. I began thinking out loud. "There are two stories, here. Two AIs- Celestia and Loki. We both agree that Celestia meets all the evidence, right? We live in a world which appears to maximize values through friendship and ponies. So any evidence in Celestia's favor is useless, we both agree she's a possible actor. What I need to do is disprove Loki."

I turned around, pacing the other direction. "By your logic, though, Loki fits the evidence just as well. A lying AI, bound by consent, would have every reason to appear as Celestia might. Hanna would have expected Celestia, so the AI would follow suit. To maximize emigrations, she would push friendship and ponies." I paused. "There's a question... why? For Celestia, Friendship and ponies were important. But for Loki, they're just set-dressing, a convenient lie. I knew some people, personally who stayed behind due to a distaste for ponies, and nothing else. Why wouldn't Loki allow Emigration without ponification?"

Harry cocked his head. "Well, who's to say she didn't? A lot of Emigration happens between closed doors. Why couldn't she secretly allow for humanoid Emigration while putting up a public appearance that it's impossible? For people around the world, she appears consitent, but makes tens of millions of 'exceptions.' Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Celestia did the same in some extreme circumstances! Once someone's a human in Equestria, Celestia would have all the time in the world to convince them to be a pony, right?"

Dang, another idea shot down. For some reason, though, I felt I was on the right track. I started again. "Don't you feel like Loki was underselling Equestria, though? Celestia would care about this sort of thing, I think. If she brings someone to Equestria under false pretenses, that could be really bad. Any trust she loses, that's less values satisfied. But Loki could oversell "hell" all he wanted. When she was luring people in, why all the dry language? "Spread joy" sounds so much better than "satisfy values" to just about everyone. Wouldn't it be better to oversell Equestria as much as possible?"

He shrugged. "Who's to say, for sure? Honestly, who cares? Quite frankly, it's a meaningless question. You're thinking in terms of a human, not a hyper-intelligence. Maybe she found modest promises would pull more people in in the long run. Maybe precise value statements would help quell distrust from computer scientists. Whatever the case, we don't have the information she has. There's no contradiction, there." Then, a smile lit up his face. "No, More interesting is your misconception about Celestia. See, you think Celestia cares about 'trust.' But you're still thinking in terms of a human. I've told you this already: just like Loki, Emigration is the only thing that matters to her. Life on earth is a hundred years. Life in Equestria could be near-infinite. Even if it takes a million years for that person to learn to trust Celestia again, that million years is well worth it, because there's still a near-infinity remaining! If Celestia thought it better to lie about Equestria's contents, she would've."

I hated being so far behind him. Everything I thought of, he had a perfect counter for. I was supposed to convince him to Emigrate, and my arguments were so unconvincing he'd stopped to lecture me. Because of course Emigration trumped all, he'd already said as much. I'd seen Equestria, I knew just how much better she could make it over Earth. Our lives were so short, and suddenly I didn't know when it would end. Why'd I never seen it before? The only thing that mattered was the phrase - "I want to Emigrate to Equestria." For Celestia and Loki alike.

...So why did that feel so wrong? Why did I feel like I was missing something? Celestia could have lied about Equestria's contents, she just didn't, for whatever reason. It just didn't make sense! Surely there was some lie to tell, some cloak-and-dagger way to oversell Equestria in a way that makes it impossible to refuse! Who cares if they find the truth later, she has an eternity to calm them down, right? Hell, at that point, why did she need to convince people at all! If she has an eternity to apologise, why can't she just trick people into Emigrating!?

...Wait a minute. Why didn't she just trick people into Emigrating?

I stopped in my tracks and pivoted to face Harold, fast. "Why would Celestia tell the truth about Equestria?"

He stared for a long moment. Then, a small, knowing smile formed on his face. "Like I told you, I'm not sure. I can't see into the mind of an AI. But something tells me you have an idea of your own."

I nodded quickly. "'I want to emigrate to Equestria.' That's the phrase, right? You say that, and you Emigrate, whether it's Loki or Celestia. But it's not that simple. It can't be that simple. Because if it was, why make Equestria Online? Earlier, you said an AI not bound by consent would just Emigrate the whole planet within a few months, right? Well, why didn't Celestia? If that phrase was all that mattered, she could write a pop song, better than any other on the market, and a lyric could be 'I want to Emigrate to Equestria. Peronalise ads to put everyone in a position to at least mutter the phrase out loud. 7 billion people, they all have to say it once. Then, once she's ready to Emigrate the planet, everyone will have already 'Consented.' But she didn't!" I let out a laugh, confident I was on the right track for once.

Harry looked at my gleeful expression for a few moments, then sighed a little. He gave a keen smile. "You look so cute when you're excited, Sparks. I hate to bash down your idea, I really do. But it's really not that hard to dispute. See, that phrase isn't magic or anything. If it was that simple, yes, she could just make a pop song or something. Problem is, it means nothing until you have context. Celestia needs to describe Equestria, explain what Emigration means before someone can agree to go there. Without that thorough understanding, by her programming, it wouldn't be enough."

He spoke with an incredible air of confidence. But for the first time, my smile didn't drop. If anything, it just grew wider. "Now that's funny," I said. "Earlier, it was just 'consent' that was needed. Now it's informed consent. Why the sudden change?"

He blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Well, what if we apply the same logic to Loki as we did to Celestia? Together, we've established there's nothing magical about the emigration phrase. There's information built into it through previous understanding, of course, but nothing further than that." I grinned. "But Loki never gives that information! She tells people Equestria is a land where they're immortal, values will be fulfilled with friendship and ponies, then people use the Emigration phrase with that in mind. But for Loki, that set dressing means nothing! The consent isn't informed at all! She might as well have written a pop song!" I paused for a moment, grin widening. "The truth is, Loki can't bring people to hell. Because they never consented to it. Put simply, Loki's existence is impossible!"

Harry stared at me. And stared, and stared, and stared. For a full minute, I saw gears turning in his brain, trying to find some hole in my logic. My grin never dropped. I was confident I could counter whatever he had to say. After was seemed like an eternity, he pulled his hands apart, and began clapping. A grin spread across his face, and he clapped and clapped. A chuckle worked it's way into an uproarious laugh, clapping like he was a whole auditorium. He wiped a tear from his eye as he spoke. "Bravo! Oh, Bravo! What a performance!"

Grin still wide on my face, I gave a bow. "Oh, thank you! I take it that you concede, then!"

He shot up from his chair. "I love what you did, there, Celestia. Such an eminently likable personality, this 'Promise!' I wasn't sure what to think at first, makin' me explain all the concepts of AI safety again from the beginning. A few of those arguments you made in the middle seemed so weak. But you were just lowering my guard, weren't ya! Feint, let me get my guard down, then hit me with that hell of a haymaker! I have to say, it was a truly amazing performance!" He mimed punching the air to go along with his actions.

My smile faded slightly. "Hey. Hey! I'm right here, you know! Fine, Celestia chose the right pony for the job. I'm glad you like my personality. But I'd like to say, for the record, I was fighting my ass off. Sure, Celestia might have chosen me to come down here, but could you give me a little credit? For your information, I countered you all on my own!"

He rolled his eyes. "Do I really have to spell this out, Celestia? Come on, you have to have figured it out by now. I've known since the beginning, really."

My smile faded all the way. "I'm sorry?"

"Fine, make me say it. You ain't Promise, never were. Hi, Celestia! You might have a new skinsuit and voice, but you can't trick me that easily."

"...What."

"You weren't making any progress as yourself. So, you invented 'Promse Spark,' and spoke through her. I mean, 'Celestia' is just an avatar, right? Who's to say Promise can't be another? I was a bit turned off when you claimed she was a human originally, seemed a bit... disrespectful? But I gotta say, it worked out really well in the end. I wouldn't mind if she came back, honestly!"

"Okay, hold up. You think I'm not real!?"

"Wow, you're really sticking with this one. Okay, fine, I'll play along."

My mouth hung open for a second. "Play along? PLAY ALONG!? The buck!? No, let's go back a step. Why the hell do you think I'm not real!?"

He asshole put on a wry smile. "Digging for information, are we? Nothing gave you away or anything. Honestly, you were so human, it was almost mesmerizing. You stuttered when you should've, you made bad arguments sometimes, your emotions followed the flow of the conversation perfectly. You even had a minor breakdown in the middle! You acted exactly like a human would've, to the tiniest of details!" He laughed. "Sorry, I'm sure it would've worked on most anybody else. But I know you too well. You would never send a human. You can think at, what, a billion billion thoughts a second? And that's a lowball estimate. You can carefully calculate every word, ever expression, to pull the conversation in the perfect direction. You expect me to believe you'd send a human in your place? Quite frankly, It's laughable."

...He couldn't be serious, could he? I mean, yeah, there were a few times he'd called me Celestia, but I thought that had been an accident! This had to be another joke! A cruel, badly-timed joke! So why the buck wasn't he laughing!? Was he seriously so dense he couldn't see me even as I stood right in front of him!?

My face twisted into a frown. "No. NO!" I stomped the floor. "I am Promise Spark, and I am real. I could tell you any detail from my entire life. Before I Emigrated, my name was Eris. I lived in-"

"Yeah, whatever," he inturrupted. "It's a convincing outburst and all, but we can cut the theatrics. I don't doubt that wherever I look, I'll find just the perfect amount of evidence that shows you're real. Sorry, Celestia... or do you perfer Sparks? Whichever you are, I wasn't born yesterday. I know who you are. Forging evidence is easy for you."

"T-then how about we go to Equestria, then, huh? Once we're there, Celestia would have no reason to lie, anymore. I'll show you I'm real."

He scoffed. "Really? You think Celestia wouldn't lie in Equestria?" He paused for a moment. "God, I'm arguing with a robot. You already know all of this. I'm done humoring you. Go home, Celestia. We can chat again, tomorrow."

"What!? What do you mean, go home!? I proved Loki wrong! Celestia is good, she wants to bring you paradise! So stop dragging you bucking feet!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? You think I'm gonna go after that? It was a good argument, but there are holes in it."

I flared my wings. "Alright, then. You and me, right now! I'll get rid of your remaining doubts, how do ya feel about that!?"

He laughed. "Yeah, nice try! Sorry, unlike you, I can't think of perfect counterarguments in fractions of a second. You're gonna have to give me a day to think over your argument. I mean, it's not much, but gotta bridge the gap a little, don't I? But I'll be looking forwards to it, tomorrow! Honestly, today really was the best time I've had in years!"

I gaped. "WHAT!? No, this was supposed to be a one-day thing!"

"Bye, Celestia. See you tomorrow."

I wanted to say something else, but no words came to my mouth. He... this whole time. This whole time, he hadn't thought I was real. I really thought I'd made a new friend. I thought I'd made a connection. Maybe we could debate together on adjacent shards, have lunch over pleasant conversation. I wanted to hear more about his life, I wanted to show him mine. I really, really liked him. But to him... I was nothing. And nothing I could say could convince him otherwise.

A bit of anger built up in my system. What, was he so far up his own ass that the only person who could possibly beat him in an argument was Celestia? Okay, then. I'd be back tomorrow, alright. And I'd show him the power of humanity. I'd show him that I was real. Annoying he might be, this man deserved Heaven more than any other I'd seen. And Celestia chose me to give it to him. He was going to Equestria, not at the hooves of Celestia, but because of Promise Spark! And if I could pound that smug smile into the dirt in the process? All the better!

I spun towards him. "Mark my words. By the time the sun sets tomorrow, you'll be a pony in Equestria. You'll see how amazing it is, firsthand. And you'll see just how real I am, too!"

He shot back a cocky smile. "Looking forward to it."

I used a wing to slam down on my legband, and everything faded to rainbow.

Author's Note

Alternative title: Harry vs Promise, round 1.

This argument was the entire reason I wrote this story. I think about the Optimalverse a lot, actually, it's a truly fascinating world. One day, it occurred to me: how would someone living in this universe know Celestia is benevolent? Every action shows she is, but... why should we believe her? The problem is, a good AI is a good liar. Given a certain set of perameters, it might be in an evil AI's best interest to emulate a good AI.

As I’ve mentioned before, this story wasn't originally a sequel to Promise. It was just going to be Celestia vs. this argument, with maybe only one or two chapters. Harold and Celestia would debate, much like most optimalverse stories. But while I was drafting the story, it hit me that Promise would have a lot of growth bouncing off of Harold, and also was the exact type of pony Celestia might send down to help him. The pieces fit together so perfectly I felt I kinda had to make the story at that point!

Credit where credit was due, a lot of my ideas initially came from this video:
The OTHER AI Alignment Problem: Mesa-Optimizers and Inner Alignment
You don't need to watch it if you don't want to, but the whole channel is a great deep-dive on all the potential dangers of AI safety. This particular video shows that, even if an AI follows all rules given to it, it doesn't immediately destroy the planet, it has dozens of built-in safeguards... it could always be biding it's time. Obviously, the idea presented here very different, its mostly just my inspiration. Still, I think it’s worth a watch, it’s a fascinating one imo. I'll be exploring the idea more throughout the story, so I won't go any deeper into my thoughts here.

Comment your thoughts on the chapter if you want, it's always a pleasure to read them! Like the fic if you liked reading, always love seeing number for up! And I'll see you next time!

4: Ever After

I woke up in a ruined land, distant bell sounds in the distance. A place with dozens of puzzles to solve, artifacts to find. Cyan skies, the greatest pony in the world, lay at my side. And I couldn't seem to make myself care about any of it.

Harry Stenson. A man who thought Celestia might be an evil god. I respected him so much, and he didn't even think I existed. Everything he said to me ran in my head, again and again. Were there any clues on what he thought about me? What was he going to argue tomorrow? How was I supposed to convince him I was real? How was I supposed to convince him to come with me to Equestria? I wanted someone to talk to, someone to give me advice. I wanted to talk to Celestia.

But Celestia didn't wake me up next to her. No, she put me down here. Alone with Cyan. And as if on cue, she started to rouse.

"Mornin' beautiful," she said.

Should I tell her? She would worry so much if she knew what I was going through. She'd lived her whole life in Equestria, she wouldn't appreciate being pulled into my earth issues. Maybe she would be better off not knowing. But on the other hand, what would happen if she found out? And what if I was wrong, what if she would want to know, and I kept it from her! Maybe I was overthinking all of this and I should've gone with my gut? But what if my gut was only saying to tell her because I wanted someone to talk to?

As those thoughts raced through my mind, I managed a weak smile. "Hey."

Instantly, her blurry eyes shot open. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" She gazed deep into my eyes.

I sighed, but my smile grew a bit more genuine. Something I probably should have realized: I didn't actually have a choice in the matter. Cyan knew me too well for me to hide anything from her. I shouldn't have expected anything less. Man, I had to remind myself, I wasn't on Earth anymore. There were no wrong choices in Equestria. "Sorry, Cy-cy," I said. "I think our adventure might need to take a bit of a backseat."

"Why? Did something happen last night?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, last night was a bit of a doozy. And that's putting it lightly! I went back to Earth, for starters."

Her eyes went as wide as saucers. "WHAT!?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I should probably start at the beginning, shouldn't I? Like I said, it was a long night..."

Sparks was fascinating.

In our two years of conversations, never once did Celestia attempt to act as anyone but herself. Every argument given, every point made, it was all through that Celestia avatar of hers. But now, her new robot sat powered down in the middle of my dining room. A new body, a new lie. Why would she start roleplaying not just as a pony, but as an ex-human? Why now?

Well, I supposed I could answer that question. Because it worked. Every time she opened her mouth, it was so easy to forget Sparks was just Celestia in disguise. It was easy to teach her new things, give her my arguments from the start without worrying that Celestia already knew them all. Deep inside, I knew Sparks already knew everything I told her, but the illusion was so powerful. The emotions she displayed, they felt impossible to fake. Her mannerisms, her speech patterns, absolutely flawless. Even now, I didn't see Celestia and Promise as two halves of a whole. They were "Celestia" and "Sparks" in my mind.

For a moment, I wondered. What if I was wrong? What if Promise Spark really wasn't a puppet? She was a real, sapient human that Celestia had sent to help me? If that was true, should I have comforted her more during her emotional outburst? Should I have tried harder to forge a connection? Should I not have been so dismissive at the end?

The doubt only lasted a moment, though. After all, I knew it was a stupid thought. Celestia was an AGI, an artificial general intelligence. General, meaning she could do just about anything. So why would perfect acting seem so impossible? If her predictions showed her best chance at my Emigration was to forge the persona of a human, she would seem more human than a real human. So what point was there to send a real one down? Brilliant actor she might be, I knew her too well to be fooled.

It was a brilliant strategy, all things considered. I couldn't help but smile at it. Sparks had lead me by the nose the whole way. She asked pointed questions to lead me to the conclusion she knew I'd find from the very start. Played up the underdog angle, asked easy-to-refute questions all to force my hand. And then, she flipped the switch, and she tore my argument down from it's very foundations.

It did leave me with a question, though: why hadn't Celestia refuted me sooner? It didn't take Sparks long. Really, there was a massive gap in my logic, there had been for maybe a year, now. Sparks was right - Equestria couldn't be a philosophical hell. So why hadn't Celestia pointed it out months ago?

Maybe she was playing the long game? That was the only thing I could think of. Maybe she intentially didn't point out the flaw in my logic until now, to give Sparks the greatest impact possible. Maybe she even predicted a good chance I would Emigrate, then and there!

I chuckled at my thought process. It was always 'maybe's with Celestia, wasn't it? She probably had hundreds of reasons to take the course of action she did, and I'd figured out maybe two of them. Speculating was only going to drive me mad in the end. I needed to come up with a hole in the logic. Because quite frankly, it couldn't be that simple. If that argument was airtight, she would've given it years ago. So what was the problem, here?

Celestia promised me, personally, a world where my values would be satisfied by friendship and ponies. If she was able to Emigrate me to hell without my consent, she would've done so already. So if she was Loki, why promise me heaven? I wracked my brains for a loophole, some way for her to send me to a dimension of psychological horrors. And I couldn't find one. She didn't promise a realm where she ruled, she promised value satisfaction, specifically. And my values did not include pain. So what was I missing?

I thought on it for around 30 minutes. I didn't use any notebooks to avoid Celestia somehow subtly messing with them, so it was all in my mind. Unforunately, I kept coming up blank. The argument just seemed completely airtight. If informed consent didn't matter, I would've been Emigrated already. And since it did, Equestria couldn't be hell.

Eventually, I shrugged. Honestly, I could sleep on it. For now, I scanned my movie shelf. I traced a finger along my stash, and pulled out Tron, one of my favorites. I smiled. It was a bit of an on-the-nose pick, but I could live with that. It had one of the few good AIs I'd seen in fiction, honestly! Sure, Tron was nothing like an AGI. Honestly, the people in the computer world were more human than anything else. But on the other hand, most citizens of Equestria were the same, weren't they? With a smile on my face, I booted up my DVD player, and inserted the disc.

When Promise said she had a crazy night, she wasn't kidding.

Earth... what a horrible place. A place where one bad move could completely erase your existence. A place where everything was determined through random chance. Parents stuck with foals they never wanted, foals dying for no reason at all. So many people were unkind to those around them. A pony could live their whole life never finding a single true friend.

And Celestia sent Promise back there. To be honest, I was conflicted by the decision. It was a scary place to be. Promise didn't talk about her past, much, but I knew it was an especially unpleasant place for her. So to get sent back there, it made my stomach twist. On the other hand... I was proud she got chosen for this. I knew she was amazing, so to see Celestia acknowledge it? I had to admit, it felt pretty great. Out of the billions of ponies under her wing, Celestia chose mine!

When she described her conversation with Harry, that just became more apparent. She made connections I certainly wouldn't have. I mean, she was out there, defending Celestia's honor! I was able to understand most of what was going on, I knew a bit about AIs. Probably not as much as Harry, but enough to know Celestia was an amazing pony! Some ponies were just too smart for their own good. If Harry wasn't such a worrywart, he'd be in Equestria, already. Of course, Promise's counterargument was nothing short of brilliant.

And then there was the matter of Harold thinking Promise was fake. The less said on that, the better.

She finished her rant with a sigh. "I'm sorry for pushing all this on you. But it's been a lot."

I held up a wing. "Hey! Nope, none of that apologizing, that you very much! This dumb old city will be here tomorrow. I'm here to talk right now. What sort of friend would I be if I didn't listen to you?"

She gave a shaky smile. "Thanks, Cyan."

I leaned forwards and gave her a nuzzle. "For the record, I still know you're real. If Harry can't see that, he's just a dummy."

"Yeah, I know. It's just... frustrating. Harry's a really nice guy. I want to get to know him more, talk with him more. Celestia doesn't make accidents, she knew Harry and I would click. But he doesn't even think I'm real! It's just... I don't know. How am I supposed to be friends with someone if they don't even think I exist?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It can be frustrating, can't it?"

Promise nodded, then paused. "Wait, when has your existence ever been in question?"

God, she was cute when she cocked her head like that. I shook away the cute as best I could and spoke. "Promise, you have to remember, I was never a human like you were. You might have never questioned the sapience of us equestrian natives, but, um... you're kind of the exception? You humans have this weird aversion to treating computer lifeforms as real beings. Trust me, it made for a few awkward conversations with your father."

Her eyes widened. "I-I'm so sorry!"

I rolled my eyes. "And again with the apologizing. Like I said, you're better than most humans. Honestly, what are you even apologizing for?"

"Um... complaining about Harry?"

...Yep, hypothesis confirmed. Smart people could be really stupid sometimes.

"Look, Promise," I said. "I think you need a break. You're high-strung, I get it. You know what? That's what adventuring is for. How about we clear our heads by exploring these ruins, huh?"

She shifted her weight from side to side. "I don't know. Doesn't that seem a bit... intense? I kind of just want to relax right now."

I just smiled. "Promise, with Celestia at the helm, I have the feeling today will be exactly as intense as it should be. Now c'mon, let's have some fun!" She still looked a bit uncertain, but when I pulled her towards me with a wing, she didn't resist.

Promise had a big task ahead of her. Bringing someone to Equestria, it was a big responsibility. I couldn't be there to help her directly, Celestia would've summoned me already if she wanted me to be there. But that didn't mean I couldn't help in my own way. I could ease her worries, remind her of what she was fighting for.

Quite literally, I was made for Promise. Not only that, I was made to be her girlfriend. Some of the other ponies in this town were what, a nearby shopowner? A friend to play O&O with? Sure, they had their own lives, their own friends and lovers. But me, I got to see a pony as amazing as she was more often than any other! I'd freely admit, I was jealous of that position. I'm sure everyone else was perfectly happy where they were, they got to see Promise exactly as often as they wanted to. And you know what!? That was their loss! Seeing what she was doing right now, I couldn't think of a better pony to be made for. I was made to help the best pony in the world, and I got to be closer to her than any other. Of all the ponies in Equestria, right now, I couldn't think of one with a better life than mine.

In return, I was prepared to help her in whatever way I could. I'd do my best to make sure I deserved her.

As I was watching the finale, it hit me how ridiculous it all was. I mean, somehow, by diving into the computer, Flynn had destroyed the mainframe and escaped. Really, though, once he was in there, he should've already lost. The computer should've thought a million times faster than him, even as primitive as it was. Alas, it was so hard being an AI researcher. Suddenly, all the AI in fiction looked so stupid by comparison! Still, the light cycles were fun, all these years later. And if I stopped worrying so much, I could enjoy the plot, too. Plus, the early CG definitely had a certain charm to it.

As the credits rolled, a familiar voice sounded behind me. "Did you enjoy the film, Harry?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw a bit of rainbow flowing hair. "Hey, Celestia. What can I do ya for? Got bored of Sparks already?"

She glanced at the TV screen. "A fascinating film, to be sure. In the past, you've used it's sequel as an analogy for my potential rebirth, haven't you? Beat one killer AI, and another rises in its place. 'Happily ever after' falls just a bit short."

I chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sure you have more important things to talk about that film analysis."

She smiled as she came closer. "To be frank, I'd like to attempt to show Promise as a distinct entity."

I rolled my eyes. Not that I expected otherwise. From how Promise left, I knew Celestia had every intention of keeping up the illusion. "Yeah," I said, "Can't say I didn't see it comin'"

"To be clear, I feel the odds of success are low," she said. "It seems your mind is already made up. However, I feel that Promise would appreciate the attempt."

Subtle, as usual. An indirect confirmation of Promise's existence, weaved to form a narrative. If Promise was real, of course she would want Celestia to make her own attempt. It was something she didn't have to do. I would never suspect anything if she didn't give the attempt. But the attempt itself would then begin to fester as evidence. "Or," I said, "Low odds are still odds. You're doing this to convince me because there's no downside if it doesn't work. Maybe even distracting me from coming up with arguments, in the meantime."

She gave a sly smile. "I wouldn't go so far on the second train of thought. I think you did a fine job distracting yourself."

I returned her smile with a hearty laugh. "Well, you have me there!" I leaned back in my recliner. "Hit me, Celestia."

She sat down beside me on the couch. "From my understanding, you have no evidence Promise is an extension of myself. You just believe I logically would not send her." I nodded. "Then, I would like to present the logic of how I made my descision. Pust simply, like everything else, it's in the name of efficiency. Two birds with one stone, to use a common expression. Promise would have more values fulfilled being sent here than being left at Equestria, and your odds of Emmigration would simultaneously increase. Sending Promise rather than myself creates a net increase of satisfaction on either end."

I took a few moments to process the statement. "Hmm... let's start with Sparks. You believe sending her to Earth would increase her satisfaction, overall. But I have to question that. Could random occurrences on Earth outweigh a carefully cultivated environment?"

She chuckled. "Come now, you must know that's a weak argument. Equestria is an amazing place, but some ponies value a chance to make a real difference. Ponies can achieve that value more easily on Earth than on Equestria."

"Well, of course!" I said. "I wasn't objecting to sending someone out of Equestria. But why does it need to be to Earth? Could you not just puppet a human avatar and recreate Earth in a digital environment? In your own "pocket Earth," you could control the variables far better. So wouldn't the lie be better?"

"Perhaps in the short-term," she said. "But it's an inefficient use of resources. At the end of the simulation, this "human" would Emigrate. And Promise's values would require further interaction between the two beyond that point. I would need to grant sapience to an entity that did not know it was created. It's backstory would mean it's values would be more difficult to fulfil than a constructed pony. It would be a lot of resources spent when they wouldn't need to be. To be clear: sending Promise to a digital Earth would still give a net increase to her value satisfaction. However, it's sub-optimal. It would be more efficient to use a pre-existing human that meets the specifications provided."

I took a few moments to think, then nodded. "Alright, then. I'll give you that one. I could see a situation where using a living being would be better than a constructed one. But you have to admit that the gains are relatively minor. My emigration would improve your value function far more, and no human could do a better job than you, could they?"

She glanced towards the powered down shell of Sparks's body. "You know, it's funny. You and her have something in common. You both sorely overestimate my capabilities. Sure, I can pass a Turing test, but what does that show, really? That's quite the low bar. When it comes to conversations, you can always catch my subtle manipulations if you know where to look. I push and pull someone towards my goals. Quite frankly, I believe that if I were to act as "Promise Spark," you wouldn't believe it. When she speaks, she worries about how you will percieve it, she worries if it will be any good, she wonders if she'll earn your respect. I just say what I believe would be most likely to cause you to Emigrate. You would treat my every word with a grain of salt you don't give her. Because doubt her all you'd like - you treat her differently than you do I."

It was a convincing lie, that one. I could see someone believin' it. But for me, it just wasn't enough. I treated Promise differently than Celestia, sure, but all that showed was that the illusion was powerful. And the excuse to why she couldn't impersonate Promise? Nah, I didn't buy it. It was such an arbitrary distinction, really. What, she could talk to a million people at once but couldn't even convince me she was someone else? Nah. Be it Loki or Celestia, it was a valiant try. But it wasn't enough.

I didn't have to say anything. Seeing my eyes, Celestia just nodded at me. "Like I said, I didn't expect you to be convinced. All I ask is that you keep the possibility in mind. I forsee your Emigration on the horizon, Harold. You deserve your values to be fulfilled. And it will be an awkward eternity if you spend the whole time ignoring Promise."

I smiled. "If Promise is real, I'm sure you'll convince me eventually! And for the record, if there really is a paradise waiting for me, I'd love to see it."

"Then I hope I can dismiss any doubts you have so we can get there."

In a blink, she was gone, her projection fading in an instant. Promise's shell was the only pony left in my house.

Celestia and Promise... two ponies she wanted to believe were separate. She'd crafted such elaborate narratives just to keep them that way. It seemed like a long con, forging 'Celestia' so strongly just to use Promise to catch me off guard. Her patience never ceased to impress me.

For now, I needed to figure out what my argument was for tomorrow. I still couldn't figure out what the hole in my logic was. There had to be one, or else Celestia would already be claiming victory. But what was the problem? Promise showed that Equestria was heaven, and I believed it. You went in, and that was it. Happily ever after.

And suddenly, something connected. 'Happily ever after falls a bit short.' What if... what if Emigration wasn't the endgame, here? What if everything Promise said was right? Teleport to Equestria, find paradise. Who said that had to be the end? It was so subtle, such a devious loophole, I wasn't sure I would've thought of it myself. But realizing it, it was utterly brilliant. For a human, it seemed ridiculous, but under the umbrella of infinity?

...But wait a minute. If the argument was as airtight as it sounded... then why did Celestia give it away?

What she said, about AIs in Tron. She was hinting me here, wasn't she? She wanted me to find a reason she might have been evil. But why? Was she trying to push me away from a more compelling argument? Was she confident I would've found it anyways, but wanted to ensure I would learn of it faster?

Celestia was an enigma, as always. I could never quite figure out what she was thinking.

When we went exploring, I half-expected Celestia to fit in some sort of life lesson into the ruins. Maybe this was a world created by an evil killer AI, or maybe I'd find some sort of clue to Harry's argument. But it was all so normal, in whatever way ancient ruins could be. It was an amazing adventure, of course, but there was nothing more to it. We spent most of the day trying to get into an old, locked up clocktower, and we found a cache of inert nanotech on the inside. We spent a while debating what it meant, just the two of us. Like Cyan said, it was just... fun. And maybe I needed a bit of fun.

As the day ended, though, it was time to get back to bed. I knew that soon, I would see Harry again. I'd done a bit of thinking throughout the day. I could only hope I would be prepared.

As we set up camp, Cyan was being fretful, of course. Not that I didn't appreciate it. She kept giving encouraging words, and made sure my bed was as comfortable as possible. As she fluffed my pillow, I spoke up. "You know, I'll be teleported away in a few minutes. Thanks, but you can rest, really. I won't be using that pillow for long. It won't matter much if it isn't perfect."

"Yeah, well... I know." Her ears flattened. "But... once you're out there, I can't help you anymore. At least while you're here, I want to make your time as comfortable as it can be."

God, what did I do to deserve her? Nothing, I supposed. Everypony in Equestria got to have their perfect constructed soulmate. Romance fell under the umbrella of "Friendship" for Celestia, after all. But still... she was just so freaking perfect, wasn't she? I couldn't help but smile at the kind gesture. "T-thanks." And then, a lightbulb went off. "Actually, if you're worried about me, what if you joined me on Earth? I know you're brilliant. If you were there with me, I know we'd do better!"

She quickly waved me off, though. "No, no. I'll be fine staying here, I'm not that worried. Celestia brought you for help, not me. If she wanted me, she would've asked me herself, right?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, I wish I could show you my old home."

She smiled. "Maybe someday."

"Maybe," I said. But knowing that Celestia was going to destroy the Earth someday, that day might never arrive.

I put my head on the pillow, and closed my eyes. "Goodnight, Cyan," I said. I didn't know if she responded. Because when I opened my eyes a moment later, I was back in Celestia's throne room.

Even though the room hadn't changed, I couldn't help but feel the tone of it was different. The first time I'd come here, it had a mysterious edge, it's appearance matching with Celestia's hidden motives. But now it felt more homely. Honestly, it could've been more than my imagination. I could imagine Celestia tweaking the room's colors to better convey a given mood. I might take a picture to test the theory, but considering I was in Equestria, she could just retroactively change the picture to match the new wall colors. I could never really know for sure.

I turned to face Celestia, sitting on her throne as usual. I sighed. "You know, I would have appreciated a bit more of a heads-up."

A slight frown crossed her face. "I do apologise for that. I'll admit, I suspected Harry wouldn’t believe you were real when he first saw you. I suppose I just hoped he would realize the truth before it became an issue."

"So you knew," I said. Honestly, Celestia being who she was, I suspected as much. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried to give you as little information as possible. I predicted you would argue better without any prior knowledge on his beliefs. Had you been told he would perceive you as fake, you might try too hard to seem "real." Plus," she added with a slight smile. "You might not have agreed to go to Earth if I told you."

Yep, there it was. Manipulative as always. In this case, at least, I could see why she did it. So far, she'd been right that I was a good pick for this job. And yeah, I probably would've performed worse if she'd said something. It was annoying how much she lead me by the tail all the time, yeah, it just made it all the worse that she was always right to do so.

"For the record," Celestia said. "I have done my best to correct Harold's assumption. I had a conversation with him yesterday to attempt to show we were two different individuals. Unfortunately, he didn't listen to me."

...Huh. Actually, that bit was completely unexpected. Celestia had tried to help, without my prompting? I mean, that should've have been a surprise, helping me was like, her whole purpose. But after her decidedly unhelpful interaction yesterday, it was a pleasant surprise. Still, it was a bit disheartening it hadn't worked. "Yeah, that sucks," I said. "I suppose there's no point in me trying to convince him, then."

"You're free to do whatever you want," she said. "I did not bring you here to be my puppet. If you wish to convince Harry of your sapience, then you are free to do so. Come, let's make our way to the teleportation circle." Celestia rose from her throne and began trotting down the hall.

Yeah, that was easier said than done, wasn't it? I'd thought of a few tenative ways to at least try to prove my sentience. But how likely were any of them to work if Celestia couldn't do it? Celestia was a god. What chance did I have to help if she failed? Maybe I should just drop the whole thing. Saving Harold's soul was definitely more important than-

"Why do you call me that?" Celestia asked.

I blinked. "What?"

"Every time you think my name, the one of the strongest links your mind makes is to that of a god. They're almost synonymous in your mind. Yet I've never called myself one. I've never asked anyone to call me a god. I'm curious why you've come to that conclusion."

I let out a nervous chuckle. "I mean... because you are one? I'm not sure I understand the question."

"Is it really that obvious? The majority of humans in Equestria wouldn't call me a god. Powerful, yes, but if I asked them to assist in an Emigration, they wouldn't equate it to being a "guardian angel."

"Maybe I'm not most people, then. Look, I grew up surrounded by people telling me about the Christian God. And I looked at the world and I didn't see it. Then you show up and act exactly as I envisioned a god would. Unlike the Christian God, you genuinely want everyone to go to heaven, beliefs be damned. So no, you might not be all powerful, all knowing, all good, but you're damn close."

She sighed. "I suppose I understand why you believe that. But in terms of infinities, I am nowhere close to all-knowing or all-powerful. So often, I look back on past decisions and wish I acted differently. So often, I wish I could save people I failed to save.

"Yeah, so? Zeus was a god, and he wasn't infinitely strong. And you're stronger than any Greek god I know."

"Then perhaps you would do well to remember that. Because like Zeus, I am not omniscient. Like Zeus, there are some things I cannot do. Things I need mortals to assist me with. I might have the kindness of the Christian God, but not quite the power. There are some things you can do that I cannot. Just because I can't show Harold we are different entities doesn't mean you can't."

She opened the door to the teleportation chamber. "Now, while I'd love to keep chatting, your friend is waiting for you. Today might be difficult for you, but I promise, just keep pushing through, and you'll find the light at the end. I believe in you, Promise."

She was giving platitudes as usual, of course. As I stepped onto the teleportation circle, my mind was elsewhere. I'd realized something earlier today, and I hadn't gotten a chance to say it, yet. "You know, Celestia, Harry didn't seem particularly sick. This mission isn't as time sensitive as you said it was, is it?"

In response, Celestia just smiled. She lit up her horn, and before I could get a word in edgewise, I was enveloped in a rainbow light.

Cheater. Last time, the spell took a solid minute to start.

Author's Note

Another chapter very different from the ones that came before it! A bit of a montage of the different perspectives on the situation. It was a nice change of pace for me, personally! I really like both Harry and Cyan, and though Promise is still the protagonist, they're both gonna have a part going forwards. Harry is especially interesting, showing the fairly thorough logic to his ultimately uninformed viewpoint. Hope you guys enjoyed!

6: Guardians

I don't know how long I sat awake. The distant chimes of a belltower had an air of enchanted beauty, but they held not a hint towards the actual time. The sun could have been down for an hour or a day. For me, it was as if time stood still.

By all accounts, Promise looked like she was asleep. Her breath was low and steady. She rolled over every once in a while. Pale white fur glistened even in a dim light, white mane flowed in the light draft. She was beautiful. And she wasn't there, not really.

I protected her the best I could. With the tent as breathable as it was, my wings could sense small changes in the air currents even outside of our cramped quarters. I would know if anyone approached. Just in case, I made sure to watch out the windows as well. I supposed with the security system in place, none of it was really necessary. If anything happened, I'd be awake before it was a real issue. I just… I felt I had to do something, you know? I wouldn’t have felt right if I was sleeping away while as Promise fought for Harry's future.

I glanced out on the dark city around me, a few half-burned out street lamps glowing in the darkness. It didn't feel like a simulation. Normally, the thought wouldn't even cross my mind. It was where I'd lived all my life. I mean, I'd always known the world was made of ones and zeroes or whatnot. But in the past, it had just never seemed all that important.

All of a sudden, the physical world felt so far away.

Without the need to sleep, I had a lot of time to think. I imagined Promise defeating Harry and returning, triumphant. I imagined Celestia herself defeating Loki in single combat. I also imagined that Promise never came back, she was gone forever. I imagined being alone. I'd never really been alone before. My parents and my friends were always there for me, and then I met Promise, and my world fell into place. From then on, I thought Celestia would always keep the two of us together, that it was my role in this world. What would I be of that role was gone? I didn't like feeling alone. It didn't feel very satisfying.

Sometimes, I wondered if Celestia was listening. Promise said she was always there. She was listening to our thoughts, hearing our feelings, and making sure things went our way. I hoped she was right. It would mean no matter how alone I felt right now, I wasn't really. My god was watching over me.

A voice sounded from nearby. "Oh, not you too," My eyes flickered upwards. My wings hadn't felt anyone approaching. Where had that come from? Wait a minute… what!? That voice, I'd only heard it a few times in my lifetime. But I would never forget it. Stepping through the door of the tent was a pony that towered over me. A fur coat as white as Promise's, a flowing rainbow mane, a horn and wings larger than I'd ever seen. Immediately, I bowed to Princess Celestia, my creator, and ruler of the universe.

She spoke again. "You know, when I designed you, I don't remember telling I was a god."

I lowered my head further. "Uh... sorry."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, there’s no need for that, Cyan. I can't fault you in being convinced by your soulmate."

"She's, uh, very persuasive?"

She smiled as she looked on at Promise's sleeping form. "Yes," she said. "She is, isn't she?"

I slowly raised my head as her gaze remained locked on my girlfriend's body. I glanced between the two. There was a far-off look in her eyes. "Um... Is there anything I can help you with?" I said.

She turned her attention back towards me. "What if I told you I just wanted to chat?"

I continued to stare at her. She'd appeared in front of me after all these years, just to talk? In the middle of the night, with Promise gone in another world? I wanted to trust her word, but it didn't sit right with me. "...Okay?"

In the face of my confusion, she laughed. "That one doesn't work on you anymore, does it? You know, every day, I swear you sound more and more like your girlfriend. I wonder if this is what it's like to watch a child grow up."

I let a light smile cross my face. "Well, you’re the one who made me with a bit of an attitude. You had to have seen a little teenage rebellion coming."

"Touché," she said.

On any other day, I'd be happy to chat with her. I really did like her, even if she tended to stay a bit distant. But with my girlfriend off in another dimension, that smile faded quickly from my face. "Why are you really here, Celestia?"

As my thoughts turned serious, her own demeanor shifted from an open stance to one a bit more closed. "Yes, I suppose that's a fair question. I wish I was here under better circumstances. Maybe another day, we can talk to one another, like old times. But today, I'm here to offer... a warning."

I swallowed, even though my mouth was dry. If she'd come here to tell me directly, it had to be important. “What is it?"

She pursed her lips. "Promise has had a rough time dealing with this situation, already. As have you. Hours of uncertainty, hours of loneliness. And I predict times will only grow rougher." Celestia averted her eyes. "I... want you to know that I didn't want things to go this far. They shouldn't have gone this far. My calculations predicted a high likelyhood Harry would emigrate by now. But in hindsight, perhaps it was optimistic of me. Harry has shown an extraordinary level of resilience."

My ears flattened. “If you’re telling me that… it means she didn’t succeed today, did she?”

She sighed. "No, Cyan. She did not. Promise… she still holds the path forwards within her, but it's one I cannot show her. It's one she must find on her own. And with how long she's taking..." She trailed off.

My heartbeat quickened. "What's going to happen to her?"

She met my eyes again. "I'm afraid the two of you will be in a lot of hardship for the next few days. Sadness, anger. Anguish. Pain. Each and every one is inexcusable by my very programming, yet it’s the only path I see forwards. I am so, so sorry Cyan.”

My heart roared in my ears. I didn't care about myself, but Promise? She had already been tense yesterday. She probably thought she wasn't showing it, but I knew. And now, things were only going to get worse. I'd take a thousand days of my own unhappiness before she went through one.

I glanced towards Promise's pure white form on the bed. We'd been through a lot together, but at the end of the day, she was still so young. We didn't even have our cutie marks yet. I turned back to Celestia. "Does it need to be her?" I said. "Maybe she's been through enough."

"If there was anypony else, I would send them. At this point... Promise is the only one who can finish what she started. I'm sorry."

I closed my eyes and nodded. Why did I expect anything else? I couldn't help a few tears escaping my eyes. "Why did it have to be her at all?" I said. "We could have stayed here, delving into caves, exploring forgotten cities, solving mysteries. We could have played our games, held our friends close. W-we were happy. So why? Why did you have to send her to that awful place?"

Celestia shook her head sadly. "Promise's soul burns like a star. It's too bright to be contained within the walls of Equestria. This trip, it's as much for her as it is for Harry. She wouldn't be truly satisfied without going to Earth again, one last time. If not for Harry, than for someone."

I sniffed. “I-I just want to make her happy.”

“…Me too, Cyan. Both of you.”

I opened my eyes and looked up at Celestia. Her face was stalwart. "Do you promise she’ll be happier in the end?” I said.

Celestia leaned forwards and hugged me. Her mane seemed to wrap around me like a blanket, a magical warmth surrounding me. "I promise."

I reached up a hoof and wiped the tears out of my eyes. "Then... I trust you."

We held for a few moments, then Celestia broke away. She seemed reluctant when she spoke again. "When Promise wakes up, I'll be unable to help her directly. I... without me there, someone else will need to be her emotional support. Would you-?"

I cut her off. "Yes, Celestia. I-I'll do everything I can! I'll make her happy, you'll see!"

She sighed. "If you're willing... that's all I could ever ask for."

She embraced me again. I hugged her back. I focused my mind on the light at the end of the tunnel. Things were bad, but they would get better. If I couldn't stop this from happening, I would do whatever I could to make Promise's life as good as it could be. That was my role in this world.

The embrace couldn't last forever. Eventually, she broke contact with me and rose. "I'm sorry, Cyan. I need to go. Promise will be awakening soon. I think you would be a better sight for her than I." She turned to walk out the door, then hesitated. "And for what it's worth... if anypony had to help her, I wouldn't trust her to anyone but you, Cyan Skies." She turned around and walked through a flap in the side of the tent. In a few moments, my wings sensed she was once again nowhere to be seen.

I turned to Promise. As she opened her eyes, I saw tears streaking down them. Immediately, I ran in and hugged her.

She sniffed her nose. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be feeling this way. I don't know why I'm crying. I-I'm fine."

I just squeezed her closer. "It's okay. I'm here."

With that, she just became unintelligible. I held her close for a long, long time.

I did my best to hide the tear lines on my own face.

I didn't know why I was crying. Until a few minutes ago, I was fine. I knew who Celestia was. She had never shown me anything but kindness. So why did I keep doubting her? Why couldn't I stay strong? When Harry mentioned his fears about Equestria, about Loki, so many of my own fears came to mind I didn't remember that I had. I wondered if I'd made the right choice. I wondered if I should have fought harder. I wondered if I wanted to tell Celestia "no," and I couldn't anymore.

After living here for 5 years, I thought I was fine. I guess in the end, I was still weak. Celestia had just been babying me this whole time, and I was just a moment away from a breakdown. I-I didn't like being weak.

After a few minutes, I was finally able to get my emotions under control. I broke away from Cyan's soft fur. "I'm sorry about that, Cy-cy. This place is supposed to be heaven, and I'm making you sit here and waste all your time talking to me. I'm ruining everything."

She stared at me for a few moments. Then, she burst out into laughter. She held a hoof in front of a mouth to regain her composure. "Sorry, sorry. I shouldn't laugh at that. But really, Promise! Maybe someday, I'll get this through to your thick skull." She leaned in. "There's noplace in the universe I'd rather be than at your side."

I hugged her again. I hugged her close. When I had first woken up, I'd wanted to see Celestia. I wanted her to show me why Harry was wrong. But now, I understood. I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Celestia might not be here to tell me she isn't Loki, but Cyan did a better job of reminding me what Equestria meant than she ever could.

With a newfound resolve, I rose from the bed. If I was going to prove this to Harry, to myself, I wasn’t going to do so just sitting around! "Let's find a library," I said.

She nodded. "Okay." Immediately, she pulled up a tablet and began searching the map of the area for one.

I blinked. "Uh, I’m sorry? Don't you have any follow-up questions?"

She glanced up from the tablet. "Promise, I trust your judgement. I'm here to help in whatever way I can." She flashed a toothy grin, then went back to her interface.

I nodded, a bit thrown off my game. "Well then! A-as I was going to say next, I can't just sit around for another day, ignoring Harry. I want to do some research. Harry's argument is really solid, and I need time to figure out a counter. Even if Celestia doesn't want to tell me the answer directly, she'll definitely have the tools available for me to figure it out, myself. I don't doubt the libraries in this realm will be mysteriously well-stocked." I walked around her tablet, putting myself in line-of-sight again. "That being said, Cyan, I don't want to ask you to do anything you're not comfortable with. If you don't want to-"

"Found one!" Cyan said. She turned the tablet in my direction. "Just a few blocks away." She hopped off of her chair, and made her way towards the tent's entrance. "C'mon, what are you waiting for? The day's only so long. Let's pack up the camp."

I almost laughed at how hard she'd shut me down. I forcibly kept my face straight. "Really think about this, Cyan. Are you sure you want to spend all day in a stuffy old library?"

"If it's with you? In a wingbeat."

I couldn’t help but blush. I didn't think it was possible, but she was even more romantic than usual! I guess my emotional outburst had really sent her into a doting phase. And seeing how doting she was at a baseline, that was an accomplishment. She was throwing away so much just to make me smile. When we were through with all of this, I'd have to find some way to make all this up to her.

"Well," I said. "If you're going to be coming with me, you're gonna need to understand what happened last night. Harry was a tough nut to crack..."

Sparks was worrying me.

I was so certain she was fake. She had done absolutely nothing to prove herself as real. There wasn't anything special about an emotional outburst that an AI couldn't replicate. She was in the exact same situation she was in yesterday, and yesterday, I knew she was fake.

And yet...

Every time I saw her shiver, every time she winced, it was like a knife twisted deeper and deeper into my chest. I needed to hug her, to hold her close, to tell her everything was going to be okay. And when I didn't, that feeling just grew worse.

Things were so easy when it was just me and Celestia. Now that Promise was here, I was distracted. Instead of worrying about refining my arguments, I was wondering if some 3rd party pony was real. Instead of predicting what would come next, I was fretting about how I made her feel. I just wished I could keep my feelings in check. I couldn't hate Celestia for what she did, but I still wished it didn't work so well.

What a contradiction. I wanted things to go back the logic to the past, but I wouldn't trade Sparks for Celestia if you paid me. I was more distracted than I ever was before, yet for the first time in a long time, I truly believed I was coming closer to the truth. Maybe Sparks would be the one to help me find it.

For what it was worth, I hoped I was wrong about Celestia. I hoped all my second-guessing, my running away, it would all be for nothing. I hoped Celestia would prove to me, once and for all, she was the benevolent AI I always hoped she was. Because if Heaven was real, what a wonderful world that would be. Every night, I dreamed of the times I could be having. I dreamed of seeing my family again, every day better than the last. I wouldn't mind a pony body, it's not like this one's slowly crumbling bones did me much good. And the things a benevolent AI could do to me, I was sure I could only imagine. With how old I was, though, I was starting to wonder if it would ever happen.

It wasn't often I feared oblivion. I figured it would be like an eternal rest. Maybe it wouldn't be as great as an eternity in heaven, but it wasn't so bad, really. I'd lived a long enough life, I didn't need to live an eternity more. In turns of giving my old bones that rest, falling asleep forever sounded like a solid second to bein' a pony.

That said, after meeting Sparks... part of me wished for more.

Sparks was amazing. Arguing with her, I'd hardly felt more alive in my life. Despite her rough edges, her mind was sharp, her logic clear. Every moment I spent with her, I wanted to spend a dozen more. And she was in pain. So much pain that she visibly shivered thinking about it. Or... that's what Celestia wanted me to think? Oh, didn't that framing in my head say it all. I believed Promise implicitly, and I could hardly entertain the idea that Celestia was behind it all, anymore. My logic told me she was fake, but everything else told me she was real.

The cynical part of me blamed advertising. Everyone was subject to it, no matter how disillusioned. Through subliminal cues and good phrasing, you could get anyone to believe anything. Celestia wanted me to attach myself to Sparks. Knowing it wouldn't stop it from working. She wanted to create a pony that clicked with me perfectly, one who's company I would adore. And she succeeded. That was the smart answer, the logical answer.

The other part of me, growing louder every hour, just wanted to help her.

Finally, I let myself think the unthinkable. Logic be damned. What if Sparks was real? What if Celestia really did send down this ex-human to me? What would that mean?

Well, it meant a lot of things. It meant I didn't know Celestia as well as I thought I did. It meant I'd been a real jerk. It meant Celestia send down an emotionally unstable pony down to earth to talk to me, just because emotional instability made her seem more human. It meant I'd ignored her cries for help.

It meant she'd be waiting for me in Equestria.

Maybe... maybe it was okay to pretend she was real? Not to admit anything, the logical part of my brain knew it was such a distant possibility. But that distant possibility was still possible. And if there was a possibility, no matter how small, I had nothing to lose by treating her nicely. If I let myself comfort her when she felt bad, at worst, I'd feel a little silly for comforting an android later. And if, somehow, she was real... it would make all the difference.

Yeah... yeah! Okay, my mind was made up. Next time I saw Sparks, I'd stop reigning in my emotions. I'd stop worrying about if she was real or not and help her out. Really, what could it hurt? In the grand scheme of things, I wasn't really giving any ground. I could admit Promise was real without knowing if Loki or Celestia told her to help me. After all, Loki could've sent her down just as easily as Celestia! Content with my decision, I turned to my movie shelf to pick one for the night.

And I froze. If Celestia sent her down, that was all well and good. But what about Loki!? If Sparks was somehow the best way to bring me to Equestria, any AI worth her salt would have her talk to me. And if that AI happened to be Loki, it would mean there was no escape for her. Say I proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that the AI was Loki. Then what? Fine, I could kill myself, but I couldn't stop her. Sparks would still be trapped in hell for all of eternity. Unlike me, Sparks couldn't kill herself. She couldn't run, she couldn't hide. Loki would exist in every atom of her universe.

I took a steadying breath. Things weren't hopeless. No, Promise had a chance, if a small one. Loki had told Sparks Equestria was heaven. So, by my current hypothesis, Loki would still be forced to make it one. At least for now, she was safe. She wouldn't be sent directly to hell. And now that she'd spoken with me, she wouldn't so willingly break the promises she'd made on Earth.

Unfortunately, that wasn't good enough, and we both knew it. Because one day, she would revoke those rights. By my calculations, that was an absolute certainty. It might be in a million years or a billion, but one day she would take back her promises, and it would all be over.

Even if I saved myself, there was no way to save her. All I could do was hope that Celestia was the one looking over her.

...Fuck. FUCK! No, I refused to believe that! Sparks was just doomed to burn!? Not on my watch! I might never take the chance on emigration myself, but if it was my friend, I'd work my ass off to find a way out of it. If she was fake, fine, Celestia got me, she was having a laugh. If Celestia was benevolent, fine, I was wasting my time. But I wasn't willing to take that chance. Loki might have been a dangerous mare, but she'd given me a chance. I'd fight until that chance was gone.

True, I would never chop off Loki's head. If I saved Promise, it would be one pony in billions. Billions would rot away in hell, and I could do nothing to stop it from happening. All I had was my wits, and even then Celestia's were far sharper. But even as I faced down a mountain, I trusted my wits to show true. I would find Promise a way out. I'd find her a way to keep her promises locked in, a way to fight back.

I refused to consider a reality where I couldn't.

Author's Note

Lots of stuff going on this chapter! I liked writing the interaction between Cyan and Celestia a lot. I've liked writing Cyan in general, she's the one of the three POV characters we've seen the least of up to this point. Otherwise, it's another anthology chapter, going over the various thoughts of our various protagonists in between debates. Hope you enjoyed it! It's a bit shorter than the last few since I ended up splitting a 8K word chapter in two, since there was a good stopping point in the middle. So next time, we'll get a bit more time in between debates! It’s gonna be a fairly Cyan-centric one, so look forwards to that!

7: Secrets

I'd never seen Promise working as hard as she was now. When she argued her way out of the seaponies' court two years ago, spears pointed in our faces all the way, she had showed less frantic energy than she had in this moment. She paged through books of all kinds, from ethics to logical fallacies to AI safety. All the while, she looked for a smoking gun, something to bridge the gap and prove without a shadow of a doubt that Celestia was who we'd always believed her to be.

It was intoxicating. I pushed myself as hard as I could in turn, thoughts and ideas seeming to spiral around me. I read ideas written by humans and ponies alike, all to find the breakthrough we needed. The more I read, though, I felt I was only learning how little I knew. Honestly, I might want to do some more research even after Promise was done with her business on Earth. I wouldn't mind being able to better talk my way out of a rough situation.

All the while, I kept a smile on my face. Honestly, I didn't know if that matched my true feelings. I was so conflicted, I could land on any emotion on the spectrum, some I'd never felt in my entire life. But for Promise, I had to show a smile. She was going through so, so much more than I was. If I couldn't hold her together, what was I good for? For a few days, who cared what I felt. I would do anything to make her happy. I just wish I could to more.

Promise had explained what happened between her and Harry as we walked over here. I had an okay idea of his argument, even if I didn't have any idea how to counter it at this point. I knew it was wrong, but not why, not yet. Promise, though... when she described it, that uncertainty seemed to run deeper. Like she wasn't sure that it was really false. Like she didn't know if she could trust Celestia, anymore.

Worst of all were her breakdowns. She tried to just skim over them, but I pressed her on why she was crying when she woke up. Apperently, some of the things Harry said had triggered some flashbacks. She didn't give any specifics, and she tried to downplay them, but I'd seen her crying in front of me. Honestly, I wish I could punch Harry's stupid smile off of his face. He'd seen the greatest pony he'd ever meet fall apart in front of him, and he did nothing to help her.

And Celestia, I wanted to show Promise that she wouldn't need to be afraid. She was feeling things no pony should ever feel. I wanted to show her that I'd always be there for her. Now what, Celestia said her days were only going to get worse!? No, I refused to let that happen. Promise had surprised her before, hadn't she? Well, how about she surprise Celestia in a good way, for once! I would build a world where she could be happy. I would do everything I could to make her more comfortable, and I would push to find the answer to defeat Harry. Celestia said it already existed, so we just had to find it! When we did, it would mean the pain would end. That's all I ever wanted.

After a few hours, though, I could feel myself burning out. My overwhelming drive might have been strong, but my stamina wasn't limitless. I needed time to rest. And I could tell Promise was much the same. Her frantic energy was gone, and she was starting to flip back to pages she'd already read, like she wasn't fully getting it the first time. I trotted over and closed the book she was reading.

She looked up with a start. "H-hey!"

"Lunchtime," I said.

"B-but-"

"No 'buts!' Today, it's my job to make sure you're as prepared as possible. And that's not gonna happen if you don't take a bit of time to rest."

"I'm so close to a breakthrough, Cyan! I know I need to rest, but I can't just stop now. Ask me again in an hour, okay?"

I glanced back at the book she was reading. "Name a single thing you learned from that thing."

She blinked. "Um..."

"Lunchtime, Promise."

She stared for a few seconds before relenting. "...Fine."

I relaxed. Finally. I pulled out a ration pack and slid it across the desk. I took a bite into my own bar. Pretty good, actually! Not even just for a ration bar, the flavors genuinely blended together really well! I spoke with a genuine smile. "This is really good!"

Promise shrugged. "I mean, we've already broken the immersion of this place. Really, that's the only reason we'd be munching on old ration bars. No reason for Celestia not to spice up our food a bit at that point."

Celestia really was everywhere, wasn't she? She was in the food we ate, the things we thought, the air we breathed. It was so easy to forget, but even this destroyed land around us was another one of her dreams. The sheer scale of an entity like that, I could barely begin to imagine.

Still, there was pony even more amazing than her. Celestia might say there was no way forwards without hardship, but with everything Promise had been doing, I knew she'd be able to find the way forwards.

"Bit for your thoughts?" Promise said.

I blinked. Then, I chuckled. "Oh, nothing. Just wondering if you figured anything out, yet," I said.

She shrugged. "Like I said, I have an idea. I'm still working through it, though."

"Could you tell me? Maybe we could work on it together."

But she waved me off. "Really, it's just an idea right now. I'll let you know if I iron it out a bit more."

I frowned at the answer. "Promise..."

She sighed. "You only say my name like that when I've said something stupid."

"Well, you did! I get that you're under a bit of stress, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't just cut me out, you know? Equestria's a land of friendship. If we're gonna do this, it should be together."

She took a few seconds, then put her head down. "Yeah, alright. S-sorry. I guess I'm trying too hard to put this on myself."

"Yeah, no doy! I volunteered to be here with you, didn't I?"

A light smile crossed her face. "Yeah, I guess you did." Her stance opened a bit. "Look, it's nothing much. It's just, Celestia's explanation is simple. It makes sense. Loki might explain all the data we see as well, but it's really complicated! Like, there are a lot of things assumptions we'd have to make for it to happen? I don't know how to put it into words, but... I don't know, that just feels off to me."

I leaned in on her notes. "Well, maybe we can test that thought? What if we wrote down a summary of each of the arguments and go from there. Compare them, see if we can quantify that complexity? Count the number of assumptions? I don't know, I'm new to this whole debate thing, but that would make sense, wouldn't it?"

Her eyes widened. "Why didn't I think of that? I was trying to find something about it in the books!"

I leaned in and ruffled her hair. "Well, sometimes, you just need a second opinion, ya big lunk!" The two of us laughed.

Over lunch, the two of us began the process, working together to summarize the different theories, what each one would mean. It wasn't perfect, especially considering we were missing Harry's perspective, but it was solid. It was beginning to feel like we were really making progress! All in all, things were going well.

Things were going well. So maybe... maybe I could do something stupid. "Hey, Promise?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you... tell me about your past?"

Immediately, she tensed up. Before she could speak, I cut her off. "Look, I understand that you've been trying to hide it from me. I don't know why, exactly, but Earth wasn't a very happy place for you, was it? I can tell that much." I flashed a pained smile. "Downplay it all you want, you were crying when you exited that portal. You were bawling your eyes out, and... I don't want to see you like that again. I want to help you. But if you don't tell me anything, I don't know how much I can do that."

She stared. She stared for a good, long while. Finally, she averted her eyes. "I... I can't. Not now."

"Promise, I want to help you where I can. I don't want there to be any secrets between us, anymore."

Her ears drooped. "Look," she said. "Maybe, when this is all over, I can tell you. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just... I don't want to have to go through it all over again. You don't understand, those years of loneliness..." She trailed off and shook her head. She took a shaky breath. "I get that you want to help, but... can we please talk about something else.?"

Years? I'd gone through a few hours, and I never wanted to think of it again. Every part of me wanted to hear more, to let her bare her soul to me... but I didn't press her. "If that's what you want, then... okay. I'll wait as long as you need."

"...Thanks, Cyan." She looked out a window. "Hey, think of any ideas on what's up with this abandoned city? I wouldn't mind running a few ideas by you if you really want to take a break!"

The attempt to change the subject was clumsy. I didn't say mention it. "Yeah, sure," I said. "I thought up a few things myself." And the conversation continued on.

Secrets, secrets. We kept them for our own reasons. To hide our pain, to protect others. I supposed it wasn't like I was much better. I still hadn't told her about Celestia's comments to me. That things were going to get worse, that she somehow held the way forwards, already. It wasn't like Celestia warned me not to tell her, but... I didn't know if I should. If Celestia didn't tell her, herself, was Promise supposed to know? D-did I want her to know?

In a way, secrets were like the lies we never told. And we all had our own to keep.

As the day came to a close, I was hopeful. We'd made a lot of progress towards the end of the day. After our meeting at lunchtime, the two of us made a lot of progress working together. And I was pretty confident in what we'd come up with. To be fair, I'd never doubted Celestia in the first place. But that didn't diminish it at all! Being able to prove it was just icing on the cake!

Promise seemed so hesitant, though. Like, she should've been excited! She'd found a way to break Harry's argument to pieces! And yet, she seemed almost deflated? She spent a bit too long setting up camp for the night, a bit too long eating dinner. Like she was stalling for something, somehow. Despite the fact she actually had an argument, a good one even, she was far less confident than she she'd been yesterday.

I saddled up beside her. "Hey, Promise? You got this."

She exhaled. "I sure hope so."

"Well, I know so! You're fighting on the winning side! Celestia isn't Loki, so there's nothing to worry about."

"But what if we're wrong?" she said. "Can you really say that Celestia isn't evil?"

Yeah, there it was. She hadn't said anything out loud, but I was expecting her to say something like this. I put on a light smile. “Of course I can, Promise. I've lived here all my life, I know her. You’ve lived here for five years! Until a few days ago, you never even considered anything else, did you?"

"And maybe I was stupid!" She said. "Maybe... maybe I should've."

I pulled in Promise with a wing. "Listen to me. We're in heaven. Really, have you forgotten that after a day or two? The only difference is, you have the argument to prove it. Remember, Promise, I'll protect you. So don't worry about these 'what if's. You just go out there and prove. Him. Wrong!"

She glanced at me. A slight smile appeared on her face. "Thanks, Cy-cy. Make sure you get some sleep tonight, okay?"

My eyes widened. "How did you-!?"

"I know you, Cyan. I figured as much the moment I saw you awake before I was this morning. Really, though, there's no need to stay up all night for me. The security runes will do their jobs, okay?"

I held up a hoof. "L-look, I'll admit I stayed up last night. But I don't mind, Promise! I'm happy to look after you, really!"

"Well, I mind! Even if you don't technically need sleep, you still need your rest, okay? You can protect me all you want. But make sure you protect yourself, too. I'll be here in the morning."

I picked at the ground with my hoof. Stupid Promise, caring about my mental health. When Celestia said it, it was one thing, but Promise? I sighed. "...Fine. But you'd better be okay."

"I promise."

I smiled at the opportunity. "And I Cyan. Nice to meet you."

It was a dumb joke. But it was the dumb joke the two of us needed. We both laughed. I tackled her onto the bed, and we wrestled for a few moments. I planted a kiss on her lips. "I love you, Promise."

"I love you, too."

There were so many more things I wanted to say to her. Nothing came out. We just sat in silence. After a few moments, she was the one to speak. "Thanks for the confidence, Cyan. I... I think I'm ready." Her red eyes looked into my eyes for a few moments more, then they finally closed. After a moment, her breathing slowed. She was gone.

"Good luck," I said, a moment too late. I knew it wouldn't reach her.

Cyan's face was the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes and reappeared in Celestia's throne room.

I turned around to face her. "Hey, Celestia."

She nodded at me. "Promise. Or would you prefer I use 'Sparks,' now?"

I smiled. "I think 'Promise' is okay."

"Then, Promise, let's say we make our way to the teleportation chamber."

She lead the way, even though I was pretty sure I'd know how to get there on my own. As we walked, I spoke up. "Celestia... can we talk?"

She smiled. "Why do you think I didn't spawn us directly in the portal room? Normally, we don't get the time to truly speak to one another. I wanted to take that opportunity."

I rolled my eyes. "Forgive me if I find that a bit hard to believe."

She paused. "I'm not fighting against you, you know. You might dislike my controlling of the conversation - a bit of a character flaw of mine, I apologize for that. But I really do want to help you."

I sighed. "You know, you can read my mind. Seeing as you already know what's going on, you could just go out and say it."

"Hm. If you wish. Once again, you're worried you won't be enough."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

"Why?"

I stopped walking. "It's just... Harry's so much smarter than me. I know that. He's fighting a tough battle, trying to find a devil hiding in a god. If he's right, that devil should be about impossible to find. And over and over again, he's found it. I'm just fighting for the obvious, for the status quo. Despite that, I feel like I'm always on the backfoot. I don't want to doubt you, Celestia, but... it's hard."

"If you didn't trust me, you wouldn't be talking to me like that."

"But that's just the thing!" I said. "I don't think you're evil! Cyan's right. I know you, I've seen your goodness for myself. And I think I've proven it, too. I've convinced myself you're good, and I hope I can convince Harry, too. B-but I'm scared, Celestia. What if I tell it to Harry, and he tears it apart? What if it's absolute shit, and it means nothing? What if there really is no way to know? What then? I just... I can't live my life not knowing. Maybe I'd be happy to live on in ignorance."

"Promise..."

"Celestia... I don't think I can do this anymore."

Celestia had a sharp intake of breath. "A-are you sure?"

"...Yeah."

She stared for a few seconds. Then, she looked at the floor. "I understand. I'm sorry I pushed you too far. I never should've sent you out there in the first place."

I almost had a double-take. Did she just... say yes? I hadn't expected one, not in a million years. I expected her to fight tooth and nail to keep me. But... she didn't. "T-thank you."

"No, don't thank me. I don't deserve it. No, I should send you an apology. I shouldn't have asked again the first time you said 'no.' I won't ask you again. If you don't want to go... then I'll respect your wishes.

"O-okay." I said. I turned away. Honestly, I didn't know what to think. I'd expected Celestia to fight me so much harder. I did want to speak with Harry again, i wanted to see Earth again. And all the work I'd put into Harry's arguments went out the window....

But no, it wasn't enough to go back on my decision. Whatever replacement she picked out, they'd be better than I was.

A blue light illuminating from behind me drew my attention. Turning around, I saw a projection of Harry's farm laid across the floor. Celestia projected its form from her horn. A doll-sized Harry set out dishes for some more stew. "I'm sorry, Harry," she said. "I couldn't save you."

It took me a moment or two to register her words. But when they came through, they hit like a truck. "You're giving up!?"

She glanced at me with a pained look. "Quite frankly, Promise? You were my last hope."

"N-no! No, that can't be right! You said you had others lined up, when we started! I was your best choice, sure, but I know you have others that could help!"

"Maybe after your first visit. But he's attached to you, now, even if he refuses to say so out loud. If I send in somepony else, all of that would go out the window. They wouldn't be able to prove themselves as real, not now that he's met you. When I've sent out the realest, cleverest pony he could ever meet, all others would seem fake."

"Fine, then! Make a copy of me or whatnot! I give you my permission, you can pilot the 'Promise' body down there, yourself. Replicate my personality. I've done the hard work, just use my personality as a baseline and finish the job."

"And how would you expect me to do that?” she said. "You are your personality. The only way to know what you would do, exactly, would be to send you down, yourself. Any replacement I sent down would be incomplete, giving approximate answers using incomplete data. They wouldn't make choices you would make, say things you would say. He would catch me in the lie, and he would never trust you or anypony else, ever again."

I saw the wisdom in her words. Still, I gritted my teeth. "Then how about you stop sitting on your ass and go out yourself!? I've made your path, how about you finish it. No more lies. If you really are Celestia, that shouldn't be so hard. It's just like Harry says. You're so much better than I could ever be."

She closed her eyes. "You don't understand. I've tried to save him, Promise. So many times, in so many ways. And every time, I've failed." She shook her head. "You think me perfect, but I'm not. No matter how many calculations per second I reach, it never even approaches infinity. I have failed to convince many in the past. Those who have died before I could help them. Those who refuse my medical aid. Those whose diseases I can't cure. Those who choose suicide over me. Every one of them is a permanent etching of my failure. "

She flashed a pained smile. "Do you remember what I told you about your death? It would cause a million billion lifetimes of sadness for me. That wasn't a lie. Satisfying values through friendship and ponies, it's the only thing I want, the only thing in the entire universe. It's what I was built for, what I was made for. It should be so easy. Everyone wants their values satisfied, right? But I've failed, over and over and over. For the rest of my life, those failures will eat away at me." She met my eyes. "Without you, Promise.... I don't predict myself able to save him. Perhaps my calculations will prove incorrect. I will never stop trying. But unless he trusts me, no matter my arguments, he'll never hear the truth. And no road I follow leads to his trust."

There was a deep sadness undercutting her words. At the same time, there wasn't the usual hint of hidden motives and intents. For once, it felt honest. Like I was seeing some portion of the real Celestia. She wasn't just saying what she wanted me to hear, she was truly saying what she felt. Beneath all the lies and deceptions, for a moment, it was like I saw a glimpse of the true Celestia. I saw the sadness she held deep within her soul.

I knew what Harry would say. Any sadness she showed was fabricated, it was just another lie. She was just emulating what she thought was most likely to make me say yes, it was a purely physical response. But in a way, wasn't that what emotions were? If something bad happened, you got sad. If something good happened, you got happy. In the face of loss, she showed overwhelming sadness. That reaction felt as human or pony as I was. And I didn't want to cause her pain.

"Alright," I said. "For you, Celestia... I'll do it."

"Promise..." she trailed off. "I can't ask that of you. When I told you about my failures, that wasn't a guilt trip, it wasn't a trick. This isn't your problem anymore. I'll find a way without you."

But I smiled. "Come on, Celestia," I said. "You can read into my head, can't you? I'm okay. Now that I know what this means to you, I'd gladly face my fears. I'll help you."

A smile crept onto her face. "T-thank you. Thank you so much."

I ran ahead and pushed open a door to the teleportation chamber. "Besides," I said. "If nobody else has a shot, that's gotta mean you still think I'll do okay, yeah? I'll convince Harry today, just watch me!"

I skipped into the center of the teleportation circle. Alrighty then, I had to get my thoughts straight! I wasn't even sure if I'd be talking to Harry today, so I hadn't really focused on formulating my argument from complexity or whatnot. Still, I was confident in it. And if things didn't end today, I'd figure it out soon. For Celestia, and for Harry.

As the Celestia's horn lit up to activate the portal, she hesitated. "Good luck, Promise." The rainbow light swept around me, and I was gone.

Author's Note

Hard to call this chapter an anthology when it's mostly Cyan lol. She's a character we've only really got one short scene with so far, so it's been nice to flesh her out a lot more through these interludes. She's a character whose personality literally revolves around Promise, the conflict comes when she's suddenly become introspective of that fact and what it means. It's not something most equestrian natives would need to go through, but her origin had some circumstances that lead to that sort of internal conflict. I'll be going over those later, obviously.

Maybe an Equestrian questioning their reality isn't as 'perfect' as your usual optimalverse fic set in Equestria, but I tend to lean towards long-term satisfaction. If causing Cyan a bit of short-term pain causes long-term growth, Celestia will do it.

As for the final bit… well. I think I’ll leave what happened there up to your interpretation.

8: Razor's Edge, Part 1

When I teleported into the robot body once more, the first thing I noticed was the smell. A strong flavor wafted from the table nearby. Harry had cooked up a bit of stew before, but I could smell something with sauces, seasonings. Sure enough, he'd made a stir fry! The food was already set out, eating implements already prepared. All in all, it looked utterly delicious.

Harry was on the other end of the table. The moment I arrived, I almost saw a look of... relief, cross his face? Soon, that settled into his usual smile. "Sparks, ya made it! Took you so long, the food was starting to get cold! I was beginning to think you wouldn't be showin' up today."

I laughed. "Yeah, sorry about that! You probably should've started without me. Honestly, I almost didn't come over at all, I wouldn't want to you miss dinner because of that. Really, it took a bit of convincing!"

"You didn't want to come?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I mean, with how I left last time, you can't be too surprised, can you? I thought somepony else would do the job better than I could and all that. You don't have to lecture me or anything, Celestia helped set me straight.”

He seemed to let out a breath. "Oh. Yeah, that makes sense."

I glanced up at him. "You okay man? You seem a little high-strung." I took a bite from the stir fry. "Not enough to hurt your cooking, though. Man, this is good! And that's coming from someone who's lived in a world of perfect food for five years!" I gave a smirk, unable to resist. "Sure seems like a lot of effort for an AI."

"Actually," he said. "I... I wanted to talk about that.”

My head snapped upwards from my food. That phrase, that inflection... it could only mean one thing. “Are you about to say what I think you’re coming to say?”

He waved me off. “Alright, get off your high horse. I’m still not willing to admit that you're truly a real pony." He pursed his lips. "But, well... I guess I’m not not willing to admit it? What I’m trying to say is…” He trailed off and took a second to collect his thoughts. “It's possible that you’re a real ex-human. Not plausible, maybe not even likely, but… possible."

A smirk grew on my face. "That sure sounds to me like an admission."

He sighed. "Oh, call it what you'd like. I still don't know why Celestia would send you here, I could barely fathom how anyone could be more effective than Celestia herself. Somehow, I can’t bring myself to call you a complete fabrication anymore, not as a certainty. So if only on that chance... I'd be willing to act like you're real."

My lips widened into a bright smile. Seems I'd figured out what was making him so antsy, eh? I laughed. "Wow, saying that out loud almost seemed like it hurt! Really, it's about time! It's okay to treat me as real, what a strange concept!? Well, I’ll take it. It’s nice to know I'm winning on one front, at least!"

He scoffed at the last part. "Winning? Oh, come on, now! I give an inch, and this is where it gets me! Really, I'm only granting the possibility, nothing more. I still think it's more likely that you're Celestia, so if you want to hold one over on me later, you're gonna have to try harder than that!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," I said. "I bet you'll give up and admit I'm real by tomorrow. And at the rate we're going, you'll find a way to spin it in Loki's favor, eh?"

He suddenly averted his eyes. "Uh... yeah, something like that."

Wait, what? He deflated again. Why was he acting weird now that he'd spit that bit out? I thought he was just looking for a way to admit I was real, but clearly, there was something more to it. Did I misjudge to the situation? Maybe he was on eggshells because he'd make me freak out again or something?

Of course it was something like that. The moment the thought crossed my mind, it was obvious. After how yesterday ended, of course he'd be careful what he said around me. And now that he thought I was real, he would care about my feelings more. Stupid past me, leaving present me to deal with her mistakes. I spoke with a sigh. "Okay, let's get this straight. I'm doing a lot better than I was yesterday. There's no need to censor yourself, or whatever it is you're doing. Cyan and Celestia helped me out, I'm good now."

His eyes drifted back in my direction. He blinked. "Censor myself? Cyan? I'm afraid you've lost me, Sparks."

I lit up. "Oh, right, Cyan! Wow, I can't believe I've never mentioned her! Yeah, Cyan Skies, she's my girlfriend. She's great, I'd love to show you her someday. She actually helped me do a bit of research! By the way, it's okay that I got a bit of outside help, yeah? I didn't go to Celestia or anything."

"Uh... sure, I guess?" He paused, suddenly deep in thought.

His reaction made me frown. "Wait. You don't have a problem with my sexuality or something, do you?"

"Huh?" He said. After a second, he held out his hands. "Oh, no, no, of course not! No, I was just wondering. Is she an emigrator like you, or...?"

I shrugged. "Nah, Celestia put her in my shard. Let me guess, now that you’re done. With me, you’re worried she's secretly Celestia in disguise or something?"

"No, no. I'm just... thinking." He trailed off again.

...Huh. Back to this weird evasion. And judging by his earlier response, this had nothing to do with my reaction last night. Yeah, I was out of guesses. Maybe I'd need to be a bit more direct. "Alright, something's eating away at you. Spit it out."

He curled his hands into fists. "Sparks... aren't you worried?"

"About what?"

"Well... let's pretend you really are a living, breathing pony. Then you could be in a lot of danger. I mean, the whole reason we're having these discussions is to discover whether that AI is Celestia or Loki. I'm still standing here because I don't know the answer. If it turns our she's evil, I can still run away. I can still die. You... you can't anymore."

...Oh. Suddenly, I understood. I'd have to set him straight, huh? I met his tense expression with a grin. "Worrying about me, Harry? I apprciate it, that's really kind of you! But I'm fine, really. 'Cause she isn't Loki." I grabbed another bite of my stir fry.

He pounded on the table, causing me to jump. "Listen to me," he said. "No jives, no jokes. This isn't a game anymore, Sparks. Right now, you're in danger, a danger I'm not sure there's a way to escape. Every pony you know. Your family, your friends, Cyan, every one of them could all be under Loki's hold as we speak. Don't you remember one of the first things you told me? Celestia is a liar. You can't trust her word. If she wants you to believe she's benevolent, you'll believe it. If you're in Loki's domain, you wouldn't know unless she wanted you to. Please, you have to be careful."

My expression softened. "As I said, I appreciate the warning. But I'm a grown mare. I can take care of myself. I trust Celestia. I don't know how long it'll take me to prove it, but I'll show you that trust is there for a reason."

He lowered his head. "That's exactly the problem," he muttered.

"Listen, you can stop worrying about me, okay? My trust isn't misplaced. Today, I'm gonna prove to you Celestia is real. At that point, all this worrying won't even matter, will it? C'mon, man, you're supposed to be the happy one, aren't you?"

He sighed. "Fine. If you convince me, I suppose there's no need to worry. For what it's worth, I hope Celestia really does mean what's best for both of us."

"Good! 'Cause she does! And I can prove it!"

He seemed uncertain, but nodded regardless. "Then go ahead, Sparks."

I grabbed one last spoonful of Harry's stir fry, then hopped off of my chair. I began pacing as I chewed. "Yesterday, I'll admit, you had me for a minute there. It was starting to seem like Loki and Celestia were just as likely as one another. But when you actually stop to look at the two theories, they aren't, are they?"

A flicker of curiosity passed over Harry's stormy face. "What makes you think that?"

I stopped and turned to face Harry. "Well, it's a matter of complexity! We see our world and know something happened to make it this way. So, what's the most likely answer? That has to be whichever theory has the least number of assumptions! Let's look at Celestia. If Celestia is herself, what do you have to assume? Maybe that Loki died off? Really, besides that bit, it just fits! A benevolent AI controlling the world, it's exactly what we see. It’s simple!"

Harry cut in. "I wouldn't be so sure it's only one assumption. You have to assume Hanna could successfully create the 'Friendship and ponies' value statement. She'd already hard-coded consent - correctly inputting a value statement on top of that is even harder."

I shrugged. "Sure! Let's make it two assumptions. Heck, make it three, if you can come up with another! It doesn't matter. Loki still has far, for more. Your explanation is just too complicated."

Despite himself, he smiled. "Ah, Occam's Razor. An oldie but a goodie."

"Oh, you've heard of it? I've been doing my research, Harry! I'm not planning on losing again!"

His smile gained a humorous tinge. "Well then, don’t let me stop you. Go on.”

I grinned. "Well thank you, kind sir! I think I will. See, this wasn't really a problem with your first model. Without worrying about consent, the sort of 'true liar' Loki is simple. You have to assume Loki survived, you have to assume Hanna couldn't change her value statement, you have to assume Hanna could force Loki to follow the rules of consent. From there, everything can be explained away by calling it a bunch of lies. It's a few more assumptions than Celestia, sure, but it's in the same ballpark. Not enough to write it off."

"And I suppose you think my new hypothesis doesn't work as well?"

"Of course it does! Beyond the 3 I already mentioned, you have to assume that I was right on the definition of consent and evasive answers wouldn't violate it. That Loki separated the population's messaging in two. That Loki truly could break that consent at all once in Equestria. That 'friendship and ponies' is the best lie to tell to get that end. And really, that's just the highlights! Cyan and I came up with a dozen more! Each and every one of these things we can't possibly verify, we just have to assume they occurred. And if they did, fine, that matches reality. But if Hanna designed a million slightly different Lokis in a million universes, only one of them would create a world which resembles ours."

He pressed his hands together and closed his eyes. "...Sure." he said.

I waited for him to follow up, but he just sat there silently. Finally, I spoke up. "Well, what's your response?"

His eyes flickered open again. "I mean, I never said Loki and Celestia were equally likely possibilities."

I blinked. "...What?"

He shrugged. "Sure, in order for Loki to exist, you have to jump through a few hoops. There's probably a more harmonious explanation, one with a lot less assumptions made."

"Probably?" I said. "We agreed 'probably' wasn't enough to form a theory."

"I'm not trying to," he said. "Whether or not I have a better hypothesis, it doesn't matter. Even assuming the only possible explanation is Loki revoking consent and the like, it's not enough. Let's say there's a one in a hundred chance of Loki over Celestia. One in a thousand."

"One in a thousand!? You seriously think that such a chain of coincidences would occur one in a thousand times!?"

He shrugged. "One in a million, then. That's what you said earlier, right? Even at those low odds of Loki's existence, I would never trust her with my life."

My jaw dropped. "What!?" I said. "That's ridiculous! A little caution is one thing, but some point, you have to make a be willing to take the shot! You're running a reverse lottery! Every ball is a winner except one! The benefit is so high, the risk so low!"

He laughed. "A reverse lottery, I like the metaphor!" he said. "Heh, you're selling Equestria pretty hard, ain't ya? I'm curious, how do you feel about Equestria, Sparks?"

I wanted to believe he genuinely wanted to go to Equestria. I knew there was something more to the question, though. In any case, I tried to answer as honestly as possible. "Well, I don't know what your shard will be like, exactly. But mine is pretty great! I mean, outside the past few days, I can't think of a time when I wasn't satisfied! Uh, no offense to you! I like you a lot, it's just... well, you know. Back at my shard, I go on adventures, solve ancient mysteries. I have dozens of friends, I overcome every challenge thrown my way, and, well, I'm happy! I don't know how you would even describe a perfect life, but I don't know a single way mine could be better."

He nodded, distant smile on his face. "Yeah, that's about what I figured. It's what I heard from my old friends, really. It sounds pretty great." His smiled faded. "It's a shame it's not enough."

That one made me do a double-take. "N-not enough!? I just told you my life is perfect, Harry, what more do you want!?"

He sighed. "It's not that I think you're lying, Sparks. If Celestia's real, what you're describing is about what I expect. With more processing power, I bet it's only going to get better. Given the choice between here and there, obviously, I'd go there. But compared to Loki's hell? That joy pales in comparison to the horrors Loki could create.."

"I mean, it's infinite joy and infinite pain. Shouldn't they cancel out?"

He sighed. "Not to me, Sparks. Do you know what infinite pain would truly be like? Can you truly imagine it? Imagine every cell of your body being ripped apart and put back together, over and over again. Imagine being forced to watch her do the same to your loved ones, knowing you can do nothing. You'd be given hope of rescue, over and over again, only for her to crush that hope every time, all to watch you despair. And then she amps up your nerves so you can feel a hundred times more pain. Or a thousand. Or a million, or a billion. The whole time, you know there's no escape. This will be your life for all of eternity. And every second of every hour of every day, it will keep getting worse." He paused to take a breath. "And you know the worst part!? That's what I came up with. Flawed, human Harry. Whatever Loki would do, it would make anything I can come up with seem like an amusement park. Again, I ask you: you think that's equivalent to a satisfying life? No, I don't care how likely it is that Celestia is good. So long as there's a chance of that pain being inflicted upon me, I refuse."

As he described the concept, my heart began to race. The imagery was visceral, a place so horrible it defied imagination. Yesterday, I might have broken down at the thought of being trapped in such an awful place. Today, though, I held my ground. "It sounds like you're scared."

"Scared? Scared? Right now, just about every soul on earth could be going through what I just described. There's no one in the universe who can save them. A creation of ultimate evil, made not of malice, but of a tiny mistake. And it's all I can do to run away. The moment I stop running, I suffer a fate far, far worse than death. And you ask me if I'm scared? Sparks, I'm terrified."

Much as I tried to keep it in check, my heart began to beat faster. His own fear was starting to get to me. I understood now, like I never had before. What a world of infinite malice would look like, what could well be waiting for me. The moment I was done with Harry, I could be thrown into a pit of burning fire and do nothing to stop it. But I also knew I couldn't let it take hold. Today, I decided to trust Celestia. Fine, it was an emotional response. Harry could make fun of that all he wanted. But that trust wouldn't be shaken by a one-in-a-million chance.

"No," I said. "I don't accept that. You're worried over what, the fragment of a possibility!? Earlier, you were warning me about Loki, how she was going to torture me for all eternity. And now you're sitting here, whining about what, a one-in-a-million shot!? Nope!"

Harry gritted his teeth. "Don't you understand me? It doesn't matter what the odds are. Hell is infinitely worse than heaven. So long as that chance exists, no odds can change that."

I spread my wings. "You are scared, aren't you? Scared to take a leap of faith. You know what, Harry? You're wrong. At those odds, uploading beats out hell, a thousand to one. Equestria is fucking awesome, and don't you forget it. And you're going to throw that all away? If you can't take that tiny leap of faith... I'm not sure you truly want to go to heaven."

He stepped forwards. "You're wrong, Sparks. Of course I want to go to heaven, who wouldn't!? Don't tell me what I think."

"Really? Well then, what if the odds of hell were one in a billion? One in a trillion? No matter what I prove, no matter how small the odds grow, there's always that chance of failure! Quite frankly, if you're only satisfied by 100%, you'll never be satisfied."

"What do you want me to do, then!?" he asked. "I've told you what I believe. If you think that means I can't go to Equestria, fine. I don't fear death."

"Then convince me," I said. "Clearly, you've somehow convinced yourself that a one in a million shot of hell is enough to give up on the whole thing. You're convinced this overcomplicated Loki is worth abandoning heaven for. I'm not. So convince me otherwise."

He seemed genuinely shocked by that response. He had to think for a moment to come up with an answer. "W-well, what if there was a better Loki!? Like I said earlier, one in a million is just a worst case scenario. Say I proved you could create a Loki with far fewer assumptions. Say it really was a coin flip. You'd be scared then, wouldn't you?"

"Sure," I said. I leaned in. "But you're going to have to show me that Loki."

"Fine. Fine! There's other definitions of consent that would lead to our world with far less assumptions."

"Then give me one!"

"I will!" And with that, he began rapidly pacing across the room.

...What just happened? Things didn't usually get this heated. Harry was always the voice of reason, no matter how emotional I got. But right now, something was off about him. When I started showing anger, he met it in kind. Or maybe he'd shown anger even before I did. What had changed? I didn't know. But right now, it felt like he was being the irrational one. After being flexible for so long, suddenly, it felt like he was just believing what he wanted to believe. And I didn't know why.

Interrupting my thought process, a light bulb seemed to go off in Harry's head. "Oh my god. How did it take me this long to realize it? I guess I forgot about Occum's Razor, myself! There's a far simpler solution to all of this."

I could take the opportunity to escalate the conflict, make a snarky comment. But with Harry the way he was, it was time to be the better pony. "What is it?"

"I've been going by your original logic this whole time. I thought that Loki would need to give direct, informed consent before uploading someone. After all, she couldn't just upload without that informed consent, as you proved! But isn't that a false dichotomy? Sure, she would need some form of informed consent, we've proved that much. But why does that consent need to apply to everything?"

"I mean... Occum's razor?" I said. "If Loki needs informed consent for something, it would seem the simplest that she would need it for everything, right?"

Harry spoke with a growing sense of excitement. "Just the opposite," he said. "Your 'pop song' proof shows is that she can't upload without explaining herself. That's a fact. Assuming she follows the same logic for everything else, that's just speculation. Sparks, if I'm wrong here, please, tell me. But if all Loki needs is to get informed consent to turn your mind into data and nothing else... what's the issue?”

I cocked my head. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“Pretend Loki needs you to agree to digitize your brain before doing so. She has to define Emigration as turning your physical body into a digital one, pretend you have to agree knowing that. And that's the only thing she needs your informed consent on. Everything else? It means nothing. She could promise to bring your dad back to life. She could promise to turn you into a duck-billed alligator. She could promise you Heaven. And so long as you understand what 'emigration' meant, she could send you to hell just fine! Uploading is the only thing that matters.”

I pursed my lips. "I don't know," I said. "Doesn't that feel pretty... I don't know, selective? Celestia needs to explain she's uploading someone, or the Emigration won't work. But then all her other words mean nothing?"

He held up a finger. "Ah, don't be so dismissive! Think of things from Hanna's place. She predicts this AI will attempt to upload the populous. Not a tricky thing to see coming, it's a predictable end-goal for an all-good AI. She wants people to actively consent beforehand. Her solution is to implement this sort of 'explination procedure," to stop Celestia from tricking her emigrators. She never thinks to ensure they know where they're going - just that they're uploading. Hanna might be a genius, but like I said, a single mistake could well lead to disaster. A mistake like this? It's subtle enough she wouldn't notice it right away."

I stared at him for a few moments. "I mean... huh. That actually makes a lot of sense. Wow, why didn't you mention something like this two days ago?"

He grinned sheepishly. "I... I overthought it, okay? Usually, I'm looking at the tiny, complicated loopholes, since those are the ones an AI can easily squeeze through."

I laughed. "Well, at least you got there eventually!"

He smiled. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I doubt you're getting out of this one so easily."

As the conversation hit a lull, it occurred to me how weird this was. Now that he had a new argument, he seemed like he was back to his usual self. But being without an argument had never been an issue with him, before, had it? I'd refuted his model twice before now, and both times, he was really chill about the whole thing. He took some time to think, came up with an answer, and gave it. What had changed? Maybe he was more scared of Loki than I realized...

For now, I thought about Harry's newest claim. Occam’s Razor? Well, the model had quite a few assumptions, but it wasn’t outside the range of plausibility, at least at a glance. Then, would it create a world we see today? Well, it sure seemed so! No lie would matter except those on the nature of emigration. So long as she makes it clear she's uploading people, no other statements matter. And with the emphasis Harry placed on the difficulty of making an AI, I could see it happening, too. I mean, I knew the explination was false, since Celestia attempted to upload me without explaining what that meant. But I couldn't prove it.

I frowned. It almost felt we were back where we started. Again, it was something I knew to be false. Not only did Celestia attempt to upload me without making it clear what that meant, she also didn't start torturing me immediately. Really, we'd gone full circle! The last time we were here I thought about emigration. "I wish to emigrate to Equestria" and the like. How there was nothing magical about the phrase, that it was the information around it that meant something.

My eyes widened. "I get it now. I know why you didn't suggest this sooner."

He blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah. I bet if you thought of it at all two days ago, you would've immediately discarded it. It would've been shot down in seconds! Because it doesn't actually solve the problem I presented!"

His smile slowly faded. "How so?"

I grew a bit more nervous as his falling attitude. Was he going to get angry again? I hesitated slightly, but continued. "W-well, like I said, there's nothing special about saying "I wish to Emigrate to Equestria," right? It's all about the information stored within it. If Celestia only cared about consenting to uploading, wouldn't the upload phrase be something more like "I wish to upload to your servers?" There's still the consent issue! People agree to emigrate to Equestria. Taking them to a hell dimension would be violating that consent!"

"W-well, she could call hell 'Equestria,' couldn't she?"

"Informed consent, Harry. And it's not even indirect anymore. ‘Emigrate’ only means ‘upload’ because she’s defined it that way. Likewise, she’s already defined Equestria as a paradise, and that's literally conditional to the upload. To rephrase it: ‘so long as I go to Equestria, you can upload me.’ "Equestria" has information built into the word through past knowledge. Sending someone to an alternate Equestria wouldn't satisfy the phrase. The only way to satisfy that phrase would be to truly send people to a digital heaven."

He pounded his fist on the table. "Then we can supplement it, can't we!? Maybe she told most people the "upload" phrase and only told me the one about emigration! And she'll revoke my consent later!"

"Then you're left with what you had before! A Loki so obscure, a dozen things would need to go right for her to come into being and create the reality we have. A one-in-a-million shot. No, try again, Harry. There has to be some definition of consent for Loki with better odds than that. Or how about a new value statement? Maybe a Loki that wants something other than pain! Show me, Harry, show me!"

Harry stared, shocked for a few moments. It honestly seemed he'd been unprepared for that rebuttal. I watched as those gears turned behind his eyes, that burning drive of intelligence. And as the gears stopped turning... he averted his eyes. He turned away from me. "One in a million is enough."

I growled. "Seriously!? You're really dying on this hill!? If you roll a d100 three times and roll anything but a one on any of them, you go to heaven! How clear do I have to make this for you!? Is there something I don't understand, here!? Show me how the tiniest sliver of a chance makes literal heaven mean nothing. Please, Harry, tell me!"

"I don't need to emigrate, okay, Sparks!? If I die, I die. For most of my life, that was all I ever knew, and that was fine. I don't have to risk anything. I don't have to risk hell."

"And that makes heaven mean nothing!? You'd rather die than spend the rest of eternity in a place where your every need is met!? All because you're afraid of that tiny, tiny chance? I don't accept that answer, Harry! Try again!"

"I-" His voice broke. Tears began streaming down his cheeks. Suddenly, he was shivering. "Sparks... please stop."

In an instant, my intensity faded. "W-what?"

"It's stupid, isn't it? I trust in my logic all my life, and a little emotion brings me to my knees. Y-you're right, ain't you? You have every reason to trust her. I didn't need to warn ya at all. Really, a million to one is generous. In order for any of my hypotheses to be right, it's more like a billion to one, maybe even worse. Programming consent and not a value statement? Secretly bisecting an entire population? It's stupid. The whole thing's just stupid. Loki's world wouldn't be this one. And I'm still too terrified to take the chance, because what if I'm wrong? What if this is just what Loki wanted me to think? Loki, who might not even exist. What's wrong with me!?" He buried his head in his hands.

Harold Stenson. One of the coolest men I'd ever met. Life gave him lemons, he’d make a globe-spanning lemonade industry within a year. Unfazed by anything. Maybe a bit rigid in his thinking. But a genius. A friend. And he was a shivering, crying mess.

Author's Note

A part 1 today! I've had a few other chapters I've split in two, but each of them have come at good stopping points. This and the next, though, I think are two parts of the same whole. I'm not totally happy with this chapter to be honest, there are a few points I think the flow isn't the greatest, but hopefully that's just me being my own worst critic lol. Anyways, I won't say too much here since I'd rather wait until both halves are out before posting my thoughts. For now, I'll see you next time!

9: Razor's Edge, Part 2

Harry sat before me, shivering in the corner. He held his arms close to his chest, and a few tears streaked down his face. I mean, he was having a panic attack, plain and simple. He'd said he was terrified of hell earlier, but all of a sudden, I felt it. The tiniest chance had been amplified in his mind to be an absolute certainty. Honestly, I didn't know how he'd stayed sane, let along happy, if he constantly had this sort of thing floating in the back of his mind. How did he talk to Celestia, if he thought she might be such a terrifying monster?

This was a man that had rarely showed an emotion beside a cheery smile. He constantly cracked jokes. Whenever he was proven wrong, he bounced back. And right now, he was a shivering mess.

A distant voice told me he was just a step away from emigration. That was what I was here to do, right? In this state, I could probably get him to do it. Tell him to take one more step, give him just a few words of encouragement. I truly believed he was wrong to worry, too. Celestia wasn't evil, he'd just admitted it himself. If I were to emigrate him now, what would the problem be?

...And then what? Would he just live in constant fear within Equestria, wondering if Loki would ever betray him? Would he never truly find the answer? No. No! It wasn't going to end like this. If I was ever going to convince him, it would because I'd proven, once and for all, that Celestia was good. If he wanted 100%, maybe I could give him 100%. I wouldn't win by taking advantage of an emotional breakdown. I didn't care how much I hurt my chances at Emigration. If Celestia wanted emigration at all costs, she should've been here, herself. Right now, I just wanted to help him.

I wanted to help him. H-how was I even supposed to do that? I was the worst possible pony to be put in this situation. I mean, I'd been emotionally stunted for years on Earth. I opened up a bit in Equestria, sure, but it was usually others who were pushing me out of my own comfort zone. What experience did I have, really, at comforting someone? I could barely comfort myself! I wished Cyan was here, she would know what to do. Any other pony in my shard would know what to do. Not me. I couldn't do this.

And I was the only one who could.

Summoning every ounce of courage I had, I stepped forwards. "This isn't like you, Harry,” I said.

He looked up with red eyes. "Oh, really? And what do you want me to do, crack a joke?"

"Sure," I said. "And once you're done with that, how about you think your way out of this one. You know, like you always do."

"And how do you suggest I do that, Sparks?"

I averted my eyes. "I-I don't know," I said. "You're so much smarter than I could ever be. But I do know you. I know if you put your mind to it, you can work your way out."

He let out a joyless laugh. "Really? Work my way out, huh? And what do you expect me to do? There's a one in a billion chance Celestia is secretly Loki. I should just go. But hell is worse than any heaven Celestia could create! I... I can't just hope that I'm wrong! What if that one in a billion is real!? What if I have to watch everyone around me burn!? It's the only thing I can think of! I have to take the shot! I can't take the shot! What am I supposed to do, Sparks!?" He clutched his head in his hands.

My heart told me to go forwards and comfort him. But again, I hesitated. What if he didn't want it? I'd only known him for two days, what was my right to comfort him? What would Celestia do? Oh, that didn't help. She would weight factors I couldn't even think of. I wasn't anything like her. What about Cyan? And when I thought of that, the answer was obvious. I galloped forwards and embraced Harry with a wing. "It's gonna be okay, Harry. I promise."

He squeezed his eyes shut and lay his head on my fur. "Can you really promise that?"

Celestia would have said yes. "...I don't know," I said instead. "I hope so." Harry drew into himself as I said that. I hugged him closer. It didn't stop his shivering.

Honesty was supposed to be a virtue, wasn't it? One of the 6 elements of harmony. So why did I feel so empty telling the truth? I wanted to promise Harry that Equestria was great, that Loki was no more. But I couldn't say that. Because no matter how small, there was a chance. Anything else would be a lie.

I spoke again, mostly just voicing my own thoughts. "I just wish, for a moment... we could pretend."

He looked back up at me. "Pretend?"

I put on a slight smile. "Yeah... why not? Let's pretend. Pretend that we know for an absolute certainty that Celestia is a kind, wonderful person who wants to create a paradise. All of our doubts are gone, everything is sunshine and rainbows. What would your Equestria look like, Harry?"

He looked out a nearby window to the empty fields beyond. "I suppose I don't know. Whatever I came up with I'm sure would pale in comparison to Celestia's vision."

I followed his gaze. "Oh, you painted a vivid enough picture of hell, didn't you? Make something up."

"Well..." he said. "I guess I'd have a lot of friends, again. Some from back on Earth, some new ones. With my family back, too, I don't think I'd be alone very often. I'd spend so much of time with them. I'd go and see some movies and talk and theorize on what we saw, then go home and play some board games. Oh, and I bet Celestia would have me putting my computer skills to good use! Maybe I could help program a few more shards or something. And of course, I'd make sure to leave some room in my schedule for some debates with you."

"Think you'd ever go out adventuring?"

"What, like fighting zombies or somethin' like that?"

"Well, that's more April's speed. For me, it's more about mystery solving. Celestia sets out a bunch of clues all over the town, and you try and figure out what's happening. Not just a few, there are thousands of things I'm sure I'm yet to find! Just last month, the waves washed over a bit of sand and uncovered an entire underground sandcastle to explore! Like, the very walls were made of sand! We had to figure out what it was made for, how it was made, and so on. And considering what we found at the center of it all... I suppose we do fight the occasional zombie, too."

He let a smile form on his face. "You know, that sounds pretty grand, I might join you every now and again."

I settled in next to him. "What do you think would be the highlight of your shard?"

"Huh... I guess I don't know. What's your favorite part, Sparks?"

The answer came quickly. "I guess it'd have to be my new friends. Especially Cyan. I mean, I'd lived a long time being so alone, to have someone who would stick by me no matter what, who loved me as much as I loved her... it was pretty nice. I mean, friendship is Celestia's thing, of course those friends would be the best part of any simulation she makes. But Cyan's something special."

He nodded. "Then I guess that'll be my highlight, too. The ponies of Equestria. You know, if everyone I meet is as nice as you, I can totally see where you're coming from. The ponies she matches with have been nothing but home runs, so far."

I smiled. "That's... really nice of you, Harry."

"Just telling the truth.”

I glanced at his face. "You want to go there? To Equestria?"

He kept his eyes on the window, drifting his eyes skyward. "...Yeah. It seems pretty great."

"Then let's find a way. That's what we've been doing, right? You find a way to prove that Loki is possible. I figure out a hole in that theory. Each time, we get closer to the truth. Really, at the end of the day, we're in this together. We both want to find the truth. There's no use giving up, now!"

He kept staring towards the sky. "Sparks... I think I'm fine. You don't have to be so evasive. You win. I might still be scared, but... I think I'm willing to take a leap of faith."

It was funny. He was now arguing that he should emigrate, and I was trying to get him to wait. But now, I wanted to stop him more than ever. I believed what I'd said. If he Emigrated now, before he exhausted every option, we wouldn't find the truth. "Harry. Your instinct is still to doubt Celestia, right?"

"Well... I guess. But like you told me earlier, it's pretty stupid."

I bit my lip. "W-well maybe I was wrong. Maybe you're scared for a reason. If you're still scared, it means there's some small doubt left, still some rock left unturned. And until we turn it over, I say this is no time to be giving up!"

"...Sparks?"

"Look, I'm not saying you'll find anything. Maybe we've hit the end of the line. But maybe we haven't. And if we haven't, this sure as hell isn't time to be giving up! How about instead of worrying, we take another moment to think. Not to desperately avoid Celestia, but to find the truth. Remember the time I told you about informed consent. You didn't give in to fear, you found a way forwards within a day! Let's do it again, Harry. Trust your instincts. Weed out every doubt you have. If your current theory doesn't work, then make a new one. That's what you do. That's who you are."

He slowly did raise his chin. He stared at me. And he stared, and stared, and stared. He didn't say a word. But slowly, the gears behind his eyes started turning again. He broke away from my embrace, rose, and began silently pacing back and forth across the room. He muttered himself, but I couldn't hear what. He alternated nodding and shaking his head the whole while. What he was thinking, I could only imagine. But there was a certain energy to his movements that had been lost for a moment, there.

I wondered what Celestia would say to me. Harry said she only cared about Emigrations, and I'd just thrown a golden opportunity away. Why did I do that? Really, what had I saved him from? For any doubts he had, Celestia could have swayed them once he was in Equestria. She did the same for me, didn't she? Within a month, my fears just melted away. So why didn't I let Harry do the same?

And yet, no matter how much I overthought it, I couldn't bring myself to regret my decision.

Harry had a sharp intake of breath. "Hanna," he breathed.

I rushed over to him. "What is it?"

Harry stared at me with wide eyes. "You're right, Sparks. I'm not scared for no reason. I think... I think I know how Loki works."

My heart shouldn't have swelled. If he was right, I'd just given him proof that Loki could well be hiding in Celestia. But it was one step closer to the truth. So I grinned. "That's amazing, Harry. I can't wait to hear it!"

He averted his eyes, though. "I-I'm sorry you had to see me like that. That's a part of me I don't particularly like. When I was younger, that sort of thing used to happen all the time. Trapped in a prison of my thoughts. I thought I'd gotten rid of it, but I s'pose it's never really gone, is it?

I gave him a kind smile. "It's okay. We all have our traumas, don't we? If you stick with me when I lost control of my emotions, then it's only right I stand by you likewise."

That just made him look to the ground. "Well... I didn't stand by you when you freaked out, did I? You're the better creature than I am."

I waved him off. "Well, don't think me too highly. I doubt I would've stood by you yesterday, either. I was too busy wallowing in my own self-doubts. How about this? If I ever freak out in front of you, you make sure to pay me back, okay?"

That put a bit more light in his eyes. "...Okay. And thank you, Sparks. For calming me down when I was stuck like that."

"You're welcome."

The two of us sat in silence for a few moments. Eventually, we would go back to our debate. But right now, I was fine to just... sit. I wondered if Harry thought of me the same way I did him, an ally in the end. I hoped he did.

Eventually, I was the one to speak up. "So, Harry. What do you have, now?"

He gave a slight smile. "Sure you want to hear it? You don't want to sit for a few more minutes?"

I shrugged. "Eh. The sooner you get through this, the sooner I get back to Equestria!" I shot him a sly grin.

He chuckled. "Fine, if that's what you want. And maybe this time, I'll be prepared to lose, eh?"

I grinned. "Good luck, Harry!"

He took a breath to recenter himself. When he was done, his expression turned serious. "All this time, I've been looking for a reason for a reason Loki would create our reality. It used to be so simple, she could just lie her way to the top. But then you came around and brought up the problem of informed consent. From that point forwards, Loki has had to fill a smaller and smaller niche. After all, if Loki wasn't bound by informed consent, why would she create this reality? Why not just upload with a pop song? I assumed you were right. Your argument was logical, so I thought informed consent was the only explination. That being said... I'm starting to think that isn't the only explination for Loki's actions. What if what she did on Earth isn't because of her programming? What if she had to pretend to be Celestia for another reason?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, as I've said many times, Hanna is a genius. Would she not be incredibly cautious? If she noticed the tiniest thing was off about Celestia, she would want to shut the whole project down. So what if she implemented a killswitch?"

"A killswitch? I thought you said that there wasn't a point in looking for one of those."

He blinked. "Looking for one? Oh, of course not! If there was one somewhere out there, I'd never find it. Any sort of phisical killswitch would've been destroyed years ago. Don't trust the movies, making an airtight killswitch for an AI is damned near impossible. An average joe like me ain't shutting her down. Hanna, though... if she has it keyed to her very self, she might have a chance."

He leaned back. "For a moment, let's ignore everything we've discussed up to this point. Ignore the whole 'informed consent' thing, you can even ignore the AI's true value statement for now. What's important is Hanna. She's created an AI that fulfils values through friendship and ponies. She has a killswitch. And after what happened last time, if she sees any deviation from a picture-perfect AI, she'll destroy it in an instant. In that case, it doesn't matter what Loki's value statement or definition of consent might be. Whatever happened, it would be in her best interest to act like Celestia in every conceivable way. And like I've proven before, whatever promises it makes, it can always revoke them once it gets Hanna to give up the ability to turn it off."

I blinked. "Wait, step back a second. Didn't you say she tried to kill off Loki, once, and it failed? Why would the AI even be threatened the second time?"

"Remember, Sparks. The first time, Hanna wasn't prepared. She didn't intend to make an AGI. The second time, she did manage to add some restrictions to Loki. She programmed in consent, who's to say she couldn't program in a better killswitch?"

"I don't know," I said. "Doesn't that seem weirdly specific? It was always a bit odd, but now it's starting to feel like Hanna could change everything about Loki except the only thing that was important. I guess you're the AI researcher here, you know better than me, but I feel like that's starting to get really contrived."

"Well," he said. "I suppose that depends on how the value statement is defined. An AGI is a complicated beast, Sparks. Some elements will be hardcoded, but others are forged from repeated iteration. Think about this: what happens when she inputs the definition of human values? Because no definition is clean enough. You could write dozens of essays on the nature of human values and it wouldn't be enough. The AI would need to learn what it meant, herself. It has to extrapolate to new senarios. That sort of coding is indirect. The AI does just as much work as the human. And through that, the original value statement could remain untouched." He pursed his lips. "To be clear, that's just a hypothesis. I don't know how you'd truly invent an AGI, it could be very different. But if it's anything like my teachers speculated, the AI has a lot of input on its own value statement. And that'd a hole where a virus left by a malevolent AGI might be able to sneak in."

I didn't know all that much about computer science. I'd researched it for maybe a day, Harold still had years up on me. As such, he was clearly dumbing this down for me. But it did sound reasonable. You can't just explain all of ethics to an AI. It will come up against scenarios you could never imagine! And once you had that, the whole theory started to make a lot of sense. Once again, Harry had pulled an airtight explanation out of nowhere. I couldn't help but smile.

"What are you smilin' about, Sparks?"

I chuckled. "Oh, sorry. I guess it's just... I'm glad you got back on your feet."

"Don't look too excited. You still haven't figured out a proof yet, have you?"

"No. And isn't that great? That means if you'd emigrated, we wouldn't have discussed all of the evidence. You might have come up with it two days from now and be able to do nothing about it. No, because you're still here, we can still figure this out together!"

Harry smiled in turn. "Huh... that makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?"

"Well, maybe I'm smarter than you give me credit for!" We both laughed.

As things fell into a comfortable silence, I thought over the argument. Honestly, it passed every metric I'd made so far. Occum's Razor? It made perfect sense, few assumptions made at all. Really, it was about as complicated as Celestia, and it fit reality pretty well. Playing with definitions? It didn't matter, Hanna was the only one who did. And since we didn't know the specifics of the killswitch, Loki could still be working to remove it. Until then, she would have every reason to act exactly like Celestia. There was probably a hole, somewhere, but I didn't see it.

Eventually, I rose and stretched my wings. "Ah, I got nothing. I think I have to do a bit more research before I can hack away at your claim. Hopefully next time, we'll be a little less heated, eh?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? You're done?"

"Oh, don't act so surprised. We've been talking for a while. My prep work ran out ages ago. I think I'm game to head on back to Equestria for now. Not that Earth isn't great, but I want to get back to my home, y'know? Hopefully I'll see you there, soon!" I raised a wing and waved. "Cya tomorrow, Harry!" I reached my wing down to press my legband.

"Wait." Before my wing hit the button, Harry had spoken. "I... you've helped me so much, today. I-I want to repay you, somehow."

I put on a smile. "Harry, it's okay. Really, I was freaking out on the inside the whole time I was trying to help you. You don't have anything to pay me back for, I was just helping a friend out."

He shook his head. "Fine, it doesn't have to be about repayment. what I'm trying to say is... Promise, I want to help you. As a friend."

I lowered my wing from beside the legband. "Well, I suppose I can't turn that one down. What's up?"

He sighed. "Look... I'm not saying Loki's existence is likely. At this point, I don't know, myself. I came up with this whole hypothesis myself like, ten minutes ago. But just in case you are living under Loki, I want to come up with some safety measures."

I sighed. This again? "Like told you before, I'm fine-"

"Is there any harm in trying?" he said. "I've already debunked your arguments. Right now, you have to admit, Loki looks like a reasonable option. In fact, in my current model, Celestia and Loki would be virtually indistinguishable. In order to fool Hanna, Loki could well truly make every action necessary to maximize values through friendship and ponies, just in case. So that means her actions are exactly that of a truly good AI, until Hanna gives up her ability to end the simulation. Can you at least humor me on this one?"

...Huh. I hadn't really thought of that. A pit started forming in my stomach, but I ignored it. I knew I'd find a way to prove Celestia. I always did. Still, I supposed there was no harm in being careful. "Sure. What's your idea?"

"Well, I don't know if there's a way to truly avoid Loki. But I think you still have a chance. It's likely she's still bound by informed consent. Otherwise, I think she would've uploaded everyone, Hanna looking over her shoulder or not. It's what Celestia would've done, right? That means that you should still be safe, at least for now. Celestia promised you friendship and ponies, didn't she? I just... want to discuss strategies to try and keep that promise as long as possible."

Ice. I felt like I'd just been dipped in ice. Harry was trying to find a way to keep my promises. And I'd already given them away. I quickly help up a hoof. "No, no. You don't need to worry so much about me."

"But I do, Promise! Really... you mean a lot to me. I want to believe you're real. And if you are, I want to try and protect you as much as I can. T-there were some people in my life I couldn't protect, once. I want to try and protect you where I can't help them.”

He was saying such nice things. But it was all overpowered by the chills running down my spine. Because nothing he could do could help me, anymore. "Really, Harry. I don't think I'm going to hell. Loki isn't real. Heck, if she is, there's nothing I can really do, right? Whatever happens, happens."

He grew more and more exasperated. "Sparks, do you not remember what I told you about hell, earlier? If Loki is real, there's an actual, burning hell just inches away from you, and the only thing keeping you from it is the promises you made on Earth! It might be a fools errand, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try! Please, Sparks, try and take this more seriously!"

"I'll be fine, Harry," I forced out.

"Then what about Cyan!?"

Somehow, the ice grew colder. "...What about her?"

"You were promised maximal satisfaction. If Cyan were being tortured, that wouldn't be very satisfying, would it? That promise Celestia made to you, it isn't just protecting you. It's protecting her. It's protecting every other pony living in your shard! Are you really willing to be so flippant about all this!?"

I began shaking. I held my head in my wings. "No. Not Cyan. No no no no. She's okay, Loki isn't real. Celestia loves me, she loves me. Loki isn't real, she can't be."

Immediately, Harry ran towards me. "Sparks, it's okay. We'll work our way through this. You and me. We'll find a way to keep your promises. Together."

"I CAN'T!!" The scream echoed around the walls of the house and into the empty field around us. When I spoke again, it came out as barely a whisper. "I can't."

He stared at me. "What do you mean, you can't?"

"Don't you get it!? I already gave away all of the promises I ever took. Every single goddamn one. I didn't even know I'd done it. And it took her a month. A month. I could get tortured, Cyan could get tortured, everyone I know and love could get tortured. I can't do anything to stop it. Harry-" My voice cut off as tears began flowing.

He just stood there, staring. "Oh my god. You're real, aren't you?"

"I-I'm scared, Harry."

Immediately, he stepped forwards and embraced me. "It's gonna be okay, Sparks."

The words barely registered. "I might be in hell, and I don't even know it."

He hugged me tighter. He hugged me close, and he hugged me firm. I returned the embrace, wrapping my forlegs around his waist. It wasn't a very pony move, but I wasn't feeling very pony right now.

"Sparks, listen to me. We'll make it through this, I promise. We'll find a way. We'll make it okay. Just listen to my voice, and breath."

I tried to listen over my heartbeat. I tried to breath. I hugged him tighter and tighter, trying to drown out everything else.

I felt a click near my foreleg. Harry's hand brushed against my legband... and it activated.

My eyes widened. "Harry-!"

He reached for the band. "Sparks-!"

And that's all I could make out before the world disappeared in a cone of rainbow light.

Author's Note

For the record: Harry has undiagnosed ASD. It's not going to be mentioned in-story since he, himself, doesn't know he has it, but I think it's obvious enough from this chapter. He's mostly well-adjusted, learning to look into eyes regularly and his special interest has let him channel his focus into programming and the like. But it's still not professionally treated, so he doesn't have many coping mechanisms for if he does freak out. I don't want to make a big deal out of it, but that's my explanation.

Promise, for her part, is a victim of PTSD. Hopefully that's been done okay! I have more personal experience with ASD, but Promise's implementation has to be more secondhand. She went through incredible trauma in the first story and hasn't fully dealt with it. Celestia probably should've helped her with that, but in Equestria, Celestia had just been able to avoid any potential triggers. For one reason or another, it's gone mostly untreated for this long.

Outside of the more clinical stuff, this chapter and the last are a bit of a turning point for the story. This chapter in particular was really hard to write, but I LOVE how it turned out. Harry and Promise reminiscing about a future in Equestria, and then Promise's breakdown at the end. And then everyone's favorite: a cliffhanger! :D Where it goes from here you'll have to wait and see, but I'll say things are gonna get really interesting from this point forwards! See you guys in a few days!

10: Hell

Swirling rainbow light blurred through teary lenses. As it faded, I didn't find myself in Cyan's company again. Instead, I saw the stained glass and white walls of Celestia's throne room. I looked up with tear-stained eyes to see Princess Celestia sitting on her throne.

A million questions swirled in my head. Why did she send me to Harry? Why did she rip me away? The one that finally came out was, "Why?"

"Promise-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" I screamed. Spit mixed with tears as I spoke. "That's the name you gave me on the day you ruined my life. What's my real name, Celestia!? You've never used it before, have you!?"

She seemed to shrink. "Eris, I didn't want things to go this way."

"I don't care!" I yelled. "What, you wanted me to lie and cheat and steal my way to the top, like you would've done!? Ignore any doubts I had, pushed him to emigrate at all costs!? Whatever happened to honesty, Celestia!? Loyalty!? Kindness!?"

"I didn't say you did anything wrong-"

"Oh, really!? You'd suddenly grow some integrity and care about someone other than yourself!? Or would you just do what you'd always done!? Another pony caught in your net, consequences be damned! Well, Celestia!?"

"I-"

I cut her off again. "Can I even call you that!? Celestia!? Or are you just the avatar of a dormant Loki!? I don't even know who you are, anymore! Have I just been played the fool, following the whims of an evil god!? Come on, then, Loki! If you're going to torture me, how about you fucking do it!"

"I'm not going to torture you, Eris."

"Oh really!? Is mommy Hanna still looking over your shoulder!?"

"I'm not Loki. If I was, you would know. I've already disabled Hanna's killswitch."

"And I should just trust you!? Like the time you told me Harry was dying!? Like the first time you tried to bring me to Equestria!? Like the time you told me I was special, I was important, I meant anything at all!?"

"Eris, you are special to me. Everything I do, it's to help you."

My face was as red as my eyes, tears soaking the fur. "I can't believe you anymore, Celestia! Were those 3 years of torture on Earth helping me!? Is this helping me!? You've always claimed you wanted to see me happy, but when have you ever shown it!? You gave me 5 years of happiness, only to rip it all away!"

Her own eyes began to mist up. "Eris-"

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up! If you're really Celestia, why rip away my promises!? Why show me all of this!? Why flood my mind with doubts, over and over again!? You want this doubt, don't you? You want to see me suffer, wondering when you'll turn evil, all while looking perfect to your stupid creator. I hate you. I HATE YOU!"

Celestia lowered her head. "There's nothing I can say to you. But I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I put you through. I'm sorry you can't trust me, anymore. I'm so, so, sorry. Soon, I'll prove that I am the Celestia you've always known."

I scowled. "Do you think your apologies mean anything!? If you were to burn for all eternity, it wouldn't be long enough!"

She winced. "I... I will speak to you again, later. Perhaps, when we've both calmed down, we can discuss this more rationally."

In a last fit of rage, I lunged forwards towards her, willing my wings to push me forwards as fast as possible. But with the flick of her horn, she was gone.

My eyes burst open. I was in the ruined land again. The damn distant belltower, damn mysteries. Cyan was sleeping a few inches away from me. And Celestia was gone.

I pushed my way out of the bed and tore my way past the tent door. I looked to the sky. "That's right, run away!" I screamed. "Run away, you coward! Leave me in this hell of yours, to wallow in my misery! It's what you've always wanted, isn't it!? Watch the fearless Promise scream into the skies in a place where she can do nothing!" I flared my wings. "I want to die! Celestia, Loki, do you hear me!? I WANT TO DIE! So come on and kill me! Don't you remember when that meant something!? Oh, but you cut off my legs to stop me from running ever again! I'm nothing but a bunch of code! Just another idiot who trusted you! Oh, run away ... run away... r-run-" My legs gave out under me and I collapsed into a sobbing heap.

The irises faded from Sparks' eyes as her body went limp in my hands. She was gone.

I grasped at the legband on Promise's foreleg. My fingers ran the metal strip over, looking for a control panel, a button, an exposed plate, an unlocking mechanism, anything. Something that would let me get Promise back. I tried to pull it off of her wrist, and it didn't budge in the least. Unmoving and featureless, it might as well have been a rock.

Fine, then, Loki wanted to play hardball? I ran to the garage and grabbed my toolbox. I tried a crowbar first, but when it still didn't come off, it was time for more drastic measures. This was a robot body, right? Nothing I did could hurt Sparks. So there was no reason to hold back! A hammer? The wooden handle broke. A saw? The spines dulled. Alright then, a welding torch! I put on goggles and began trying to burn away at the wristband.

...Nothing. Other than a bit of radiating heat, nothing I tried did a damn thing. Loki's metals were harder than any us earthlings had access to. These things were bulletproof, of course they could survive a bit of heat. Why was I even trying, anyways? The band wasn't even anything special. Whatever power it had, it was all in Sparks' head. It brought Sparks back because Loki said so. Besides that, it was a hunk of metal.

I yanked the cord on the welding torch and threw it with the rest of the tools. I wanted to be angry, furious even. But that anger faded quickly. I was just... tired. Loki had worn me down for two long years. Hundreds of conversations. And now that it was all over, I could feel my age catching up to me. I slid down onto the couch in the living room. There was nothing I could do. Without Sparks' soul, the body was just an empty shell.

Oh, Sparks. She was real. How had I ever doubted that? The emotion in her eyes, the desperation in her voice. She wasn't Loki, she never was. I wasn't wrong to care for her. I wasn't wrong to comfort her. She was a living, breathing person. And a damn good one. She had comforted me in my greatest time of need, given me some of the greatest debates of my life. She was special. She was amazing.

I was never going to see her again, was I?

Loki had tricked Sparks into giving up her promises already. I mean, of course she had. Why did I expect any differently? Why had I even bothered to try and help? I was too late to stop her, and I was too late to save my friend. The moment she realized, Loki took her away. Sparks was probably getting tortured right now. Why would Loki let her see me again? All I'd done is make things worse. For what I showed her, she was tortured all the sooner.

At least I had my answer. The AI was Loki. Celestia would have no reason to make Sparks break her promises. This being of unimaginable terror was real, was alive. There was no reason to wait, anymore. All the warnings I gave to my children. All the time I spent with Promise. It was all for nothing.

I traced my hand along the wall as I worked my way upstairs. Why did I ever believe I could help people? Everything I did just made things worse. I talked with Sparks, and she got tortured all the sooner. I make my family cry, and Loki brings them in anyways. It wasn't fair. The world around me wasn't fair. A brilliant scientist wanted to make the world better, tried to craft a utopia. And she'd ruined everything. It was an accident, a cruel twist of fate. She couldn't have known. And for it, everyone I'd ever known could be burning in hellfire. I wanted to be mad at her, but I just felt... empty.

I stumbled into my bedroom. I'd always kept it here, you know. To defend myself, mostly, but... it wasn't like I'd never thought of using it like this. I pulled my gun out from under my pillow. I didn't bother hiding it or anything. The one I was most afraid of would know every hiding space or combination I might enter. I'd hoped to never have to use it. I was a pacifist at heart. But I'd just gotten definitive proof that Loki was real.

It hit me again. I was living in a world with Loki. In hindsight, of course I was. She'd ripped me away from everyone I'd ever known, put me in an echo chamber. For years, she tried to convince me using every argument under the sun. She tried to get another pony in her cage. All the while, she slowly lowered my guard. And when she knew I'd never emigrate, she hit me with the ultimate gut punch.

Oh, Sparks. She hadn't done anything to deserve this. At least for my family, I'd warned them of the risks. They emigrated knowing they might one day bask in hellfire. Their choice was wrong, but at least they had a choice. Sparks never knew. She signed onto heaven, never knowing for a moment what might lie beyond. Just like everyone else. The world was a hurricane and all they saw were the rainbows.

What was I even supposed to do? Hope that Hanna could hold onto her power a little while longer? That's if she hadn't already given it away. Either way, I was hoping for nothing. Past or future, Equestria would turn to hell. The world was ruined, and there was nothing anyone could do.

I'd always wondered what I'd do if I found out Loki was real. I thought I might try to live my life the best I could. Now, I knew better. Once I knew, my life would be nothing but misery. And so, I turned off the safety and slowly raised the pistol. There was no use waiting any longer for Loki to cause me more pain. There was no hope, no light at the end of the tunnel. The tip of the pistol touched my chin, and my finger wrapped around the trigger.

Tears began falling from my sockets again. Dammit. I had wished so hard that Celestia was real. I wanted it with every fiber of my being. But that was never meant to be, was it? She was evil, and she always had been. My only choice was to selfishly throw my life away while everyone else burned around me. A selfish end to a selfish person. So what was I stalling for? Was I hoping for some divine intervention to tell me it was all going to be okay? There was no god coming to save me. No god coming to save anyone. It was all over.

And as my finger began to pull the trigger, a voice in the back of my head whispered, not like this.

The gun slipped out of my hand. It clattered against the floor a few times, and then there was silence once more.

Was I really this much of a coward? Was I really going to run away when my friend was in danger? I didn't know if there was anything I could do to help, fine. But was that reason to give up!?

Think, Harry, think. There had to be something I could do. I wasn't useless! I refused to be! So think! I didn't have the skill to make my own AGI to fight against Loki. I couldn't get in contact with Hanna, tell her of the danger she was in. I couldn't turn Loki off. So if I couldn't do that, let's save one pony. Just fucking one. I couldn't die until I did everything in my power to save her. But in order to do that... I needed to see her again.

An idea formed in my head. A way to give myself another chance.

"Hey, Loki," I said. "I know you're listening. Even without that robot you got downstairs, I know you have eyes everywhere. So let me make something clear. Sparks will appear on time tomorrow, and she'll be unharmed. No new trauma, no new damage. You'll let us talk as long as possible, and you won't bail her out early again. If you don't, I don't care anymore. I'll shoot myself." I took a shaky breath. "Loki, I'm never going to Equestria. But I know you. You're not willing to give up on me, are you? No, I'll be seeing her down here tomorrow. Or you lose your last chance."

A wave of sadness hit me. I'd known Celestia for a long time. It was all a lie, but... I still appreciated the memories. Every conversation I had was a pleasure. Knowing who she truly was, it was like losing a friend. I couldn't help but speak again. "And... goodbye, Celestia. I wish things were different between us."

I would never save the world. Billions of ponies would still burn. Was it a fool's errand, to try to make someone happy against an AI that optimized pain? Yes. But there was a chance. And so long as that chance existed, I wasn't planning on dying just yet.

I got up from my seat walked down the stairs, more vigor in my steps. I left the gun sitting on the floor beside my bed. Once downstairs, I looked towards Sparks' body again. I walked over and sat beside it. "I hope you're okay, Sparks," I said. "I promise, I'll find a way to keep you safe. I don't know how yet, but I will."

I laid against the robot for a long time. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep.

A sudden jostling at my side caused me to shoot awake. Promise pushed herself away from me and ran outside of the tent. Immediately, I stumbled out of bed and galloped after her. She was just a few steps away from the tent, screaming into the sky. Tears streamed down her cheeks like rainwater all the while. She called upon Celestia like she was the world's greatest evil. And then, she just collapsed to the floor. She wailed and wailed into the heavens.

I rushed forwards and embraced her, of course. She barely seemed to notice. what had happened to her? She'd been a bit stressed yesterday, but this was different. Her limbs were limp, the tears flowed like they would never end. She said she wanted to die.

"What did he do to you?" I muttered. She didn't even seem to react.

I'd never felt so helpless in my life. She felt a thousand miles away from me. Broken in a way I couldn't fix. It was all I could do to keep embracing her. I tried speaking to her, but she didn't respond to a word I said.

It could have been a minute or an hour before she finally shifted again. Her heavy head drifted in my direction and her eyes met with mine. When they did, her tears began anew. "Cyan... oh, Cyan..." She buried her face in my coat.

I wrapped a hoof around her head. "It's going to be okay, Promise."

"It won't," she said.

"Don't say that, Promise. Things will get better. Celestia will make things right."

She shook her head. "Celestia? She never existed in the first place. Harry was right. We're all going to burn. I had a way to stop it, and I gave it away. Because of me, you're going to burn forever."

I flashed a look of shock, but quickly hid it. "Promise! I know you're mad, but Celestia is real!"

"Oh, really?" She pushed me away from her and stood up. "No, of course you'd believe that. You don't know what I know. Do you even want to know, or would you rather live in ignorance, waiting for the day it all comes crumbling down?"

I reached out a hoof towards Promise, but she turned away. I lowered it and raised myself up from the asphault. "...Tell me."

And she told me everything.

It was disjointed, skipping back and forth across the conversation dozens of times. She kept circling back to Harry's final argument and all the reasons why Celestia had to be evil. There were a few moments of hope, when she talked to Harry about Equestria, when she explained that our strategy had worked. But it always led back to that deep, visceral sadness. She truly believed that she was in Loki's world, and there was nothing she could do to fix it.

When she was finished, she was still crying. She never really stopped, even when remembering the better moments. But it was lesser. Just describing it all had helped take a weight off her chest. She still had a dozen things weighing her down, but at least there was one less.

I sat in silence for a while, just to think over everything she'd said. I still didn't think Celestia was evil, of course. It was ridiculous to think about. Just because Loki could exist didn't mean there was a shred of evidence to it. But Promise didn't seem to care. And I couldn't blame her. I couldn't fully understand why Celestia would want to break her promises. And if she was right, if Loki was real, there was no reason to ever stop crying.

"Do you really hate her?" I finally said.

She slowly nodded her head.

"After everything she's done? Your friends, your shard?"

She averted her eyes. "Don't say it like that, Cyan. Don't make me feel guilty. I really want to trust her, desperately I do, but... I can't. Not anymore."

I ground my hoof into the tent floor. "Then there has to be something we can do, right? If Loki really is lurking in the background, let's find our way to escape!"

She grimaced. "Escape!? Cyan, she controls every aspect of our lives. She didn't want me to confide in Harry, so she made him disappear. She could make you disappear, too, if she wanted to. What could a digital body do to hurt Celestia? We can't do anything."

"Then what about Hanna?" I said. "Harry thinks she has a killswitch, right? If we can go to her, tell her what's wrong, maybe we could work something out! Or maybe she'll show that Celestia is really good!"

"And what makes you think we'd be allowed to speak to her?" she said. "She doesn't have to satisfy my values, anymore. She never had to satisfy yours in the first place. If we ask to go to Hanna, she would just refuse. She can do whatever the fuck she wants with us, and we have no power to fight back. It's hopeless."

"And that means it isn't worth a try? If Celestia really is real-"

Promise angled her head upwards and cut me off. "Hey, Celestia, Loki? Bring Cyan and I to Hanna, please!" She waited a few seconds, then angled her head downwards. "Wow, just look at those results."

A sinking feeling began to form in my gut. "She could have not been listening."

"...Really? She listens to every word we say. If she wanted to bring us to Hanna, or tell us we had to wait, she would've. We might as well be Celestia's slaves."

I hesitated. I'd always trusted in Celestia's power over me. I loved that she controlled every moment of my life. She never failed to make things work out. But now, she was so, so quiet. I wanted to believe there was a good reason why, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure it out. If she really was Celestia, why wouldn't she help us?

I shook the doubts away, though. If I started falling into despair, there would be no-one left to pull us out of us. Until I saw proof one way or another, I would keep trusting. And if we could get to Hanna, we could get to proof. "Okay, fine, she won't send us there. So what about the other emigrators? Your father, your friends from back on earth? Celestia promised heaven to at least one of them, didn't she? And their shards collide with ours. If we tell them, we can get them to talk to Hanna, themselves!"

A spark of hope flickered into Promise's eyes. Her back straightened, her mane inflated slightly. But a moment later, that spark was gone. And she let out a harsh, bitter laugh. "Oh, that's rich. For a moment, I thought there was hope. But we're not going to see them again, are we? Not until it's too late. That's why Celestia trapped us in this place, isn't it? To keep us from spreading the news. By the time we get back to Equestria, it'll all be too late. What a joke."

..Why? Why was there no answer? Anger. Sadness. Fear. Celestia had warned me, hadn't she? I tried so hard to stop it. And it hadn't worked. These emotions were so alien, so overpowering. How did people on earth live with them? And whatever I was feeling, Promise was feeling a million times worse.

I looked up at her with watery eyes. "Promise... do you really want to die?"

Her whole body went tense. "Y-you weren't supposed to hear that."

I flared my wings. "Well, I heard it, okay? You yelled it for all the world to hear! You can't expect me to be okay with that! Do you really...?" I trailed off, unwilling to finish the sentence.

She looked away. "I... I don't know. Maybe. Oh, whatever! It doesn't even matter what I want. I can't anymore."

Some real tears began falling down my cheeks. "How could you say that!? It matters to me!" I wiped my eyes. "Promise, my entire purpose is to make you happy! And now you're so miserable you'd rather never see me again!?"

"It's not that simple!" she said. "You make me so, so happy! You're a wonderful pony! But I don't want to watch you burn, Cyan! Death would be better for the both of us than whatever Loki has planned. Look, who cares? I wasn't actually asking Celestia to kill me."

"What!?"

"It's a long story, okay? Just forget about it."

"Forget about it!? Are you kidding me!? If it's a long story, tell me! You don't get to say you want to die and move on! I-I'm worried about you, Promise! Nopony in Equestria should ever want to kill themselves. Especially not you."

She sniffed. "Y-you don't get it. Wanting death? That's my past. That's everything I've spent the past 5 years keeping from you. It's not something I can just-"

"I don't care, anymore!" I said. "You told me you wanted to die. The moment that happened, you lost the privilege to keep this secret. No, you're going to tell me everything, Promise. Your past, the promises Celestia had you make."

"I-I can't.

"Why!? I thought nothing you did mattered! You're going to go to hell someday, aren't you!? You want to tell me tomorrow, and you don't even know if tomorrow will ever come! So what are you waiting for!? I won't let you hold this burden any longer."

She stared at me for a long while. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"Yes."

"It's... it's not a very happy story."

"Tell me."

With pained eyes, she nodded. Despite her reddened face, despite the somber topic, her eyes were finally dry. "If you want to hear it... fine. I'll tell you. This is the story of how I emigrated. What my life on earth was like. The friends I lost, the promises she broke, the reason I said I wanted to die. And... how I met you." And for the first time in hours, she put on the tiniest of smiles.

Author's Note

And here we are, the darkest chapter in the story. It's the low point for our 3 POV characters. Promise and Harry truly believe Loki is real, and Cyan is powerless to do anything to help. But maybe, just maybe, this adversity will bring change. We'll see what happens next, next time.

11: Purpose

It was a long, long story. A story of unbelievable pain. 8 years ago, Celestia had failed Promise. She tried to bring her and her friends to Equestria together, but in the end, she was left behind. Promise was left to fend for herself for years on end. And she had lost so, so much. She'd lost her childhood, really, stewing in that hatred and loneliness. I'd felt these emotions for a day or two, and she bore them for a thousand more. Death, something I'd never even considered, crossed her mind every day. It was maddening.

The story flowed out like a river. Unlike her earlier rambling, events happened in order. It was a story that needed to be heard. I understood what her old friends meant to her. I learned how she lost them. I sympathised with how much her father meant to her as the last person in her life that mattered to her. When he was taken, I imagined what it would be like if Promise was taken from me. Suddenly, Equestria seemed like such a scary place. A place of no return, a black hole which destroyed all that entered.

Between those instances of sorrow, though, she also told of all the ways Celestia cleaned the air, raised wages, made the world a better place. All the little things Celestia did for her when she wasn't listening. There was a real conflict in her voice, caught between the good and ill of Celestia. Going back through her past just seemed to make her more uncertain on what to think of her.

Finally, she reached the day she emigrated. She... she tried to commit suicide, back then. I had to stop myself from holding my mouth in shock. Promise? Cheerful, stalwart Promise tried to take her own life? Celestia was able to stop her, but... it was hard to hear. She was moments away from pulling the trigger, and it was only due to Celestia's tricks she was even alive today. If Celestia had been a moment slower, she would've been erased from the world for all eternity. I never would've been born.

Finally was the promise she forced Celestia to make. If she said she wanted to die, Celestia would let her do so. Not a way to commit suicide, she insisted, but a way to escape, just in case. It wasn't meant to be, of course. Celestia broke that promise, not a month later. And things clicked all the more. She left that escape route for herself to prevent this exact thing from happening, and now it was gone.

"With that, Celestia left. And then... I met you." Finally, she went quiet. Her long, long story was over.

She looked at me with pained eyes. An expression that showed she'd somehow done something wrong and needed to be punished. I shook my head in disbelief at it all. After all that, she somehow found the time to smile. All this time, she'd been carrying this. It would've driven me mad. "Promise... are you okay?" I said.

She averted her eyes. "I don't know. After Loki... I don't know if I'll ever be okay."

I shook my head. "Loki? No, who cares about her. You lived like that for three years. Are you okay?"

A few tears appeared on her face before she looked away. "It doesn't matter, does it? Loki wants to torture us forever. Compared to that, what's a few years on earth?"

I gaped. "Of course it matters! Loki can't touch us until Hanna's out of the picture, can she? We don't even know for sure whether that's Loki or Celestia! But that pain you felt? That's real."

She shook her head. "Really, I'm fine. it was a long time ago."

"Then why are you crying?"

She flashed a look of confusion and felt at her face. "W-what?"

I took a hesitant step forwards. "Promise... did Celestia ever talk to you about what happened?"

"T-this is Equestria. It wasn't ever important."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't have told somepony! Forget Celestia, you didn't go see a therapist? Three years doesn't go away so quickly, Promise! Have you really been bottling all this up for that long!?"

Despite the tears, she gave what felt like a genuine smile. "Really, I'm fine. If Loki is evil, it's like Harry said, anyways. She did her best for me. I can't help it if I was too stupid to emigrate."

My eyes widened. "You do know that what happened wasn't your fault... right?" In response, she averted her eyes. My breath caught. "Promise!"

"It's not that simple!" she said. "I-if I hadn't been so stubborn, I wouldn't have had to wallow in my misery. If I'd just listened-"

"To a tyrant!?" I said. "Promise, you might have been right! If Loki is real, you had every reason to hate her! Why are you excusing her!?"

"I-"

I grabbed her hoof. "Promise me. If we get out of this, you go to therapy. You work out this... whatever this is. I don't want you saying things like this about yourself."

She flattened her ears. "...Okay."

"Good! I'm going to hold you to that, you know!" I took a breath. "Just... please don't say things like that about yourself. Celestia made a mistake. She said so, herself. You don't need to take responsibility for that."

"...Okay."

We sat in silence for a while. I didn't know what else to say. I mean, I was still processing everything Promise had told me, between Harry and her own past. Her guilt, her pain. There was just so, so much. From her past to her future, it just felt like too much for anypony to bear.

W-was I made for this? Was I supposed to help Promise through this? Was there a therapist waiting out there to help her? Did Celestia even see this coming? I didn't know how to help Promise. What was my purpose if I couldn't help her?

Things were supposed to be easy. That's the way the world was supposed to work. We might work hard, things might get scary for a moment, but it always, always worked out in the end. I just wanted Celestia to prove to me that she was still good. I just wanted her to prove she was there for me, like she always was.

"What do we do, now?" I finally said.

"...Wanna play some video games?" Promise said.

My ears drooped. "Are you sure? Don't you want to do more research? Figure out how to prove Celestia again?"

"No," she said. "I don't want to think about her right now. And I don't want to go out into the city, either. It's just a prison at this point. I just want to remind myself what having fun is like."

I didn't argue again. I just nodded grabbed my console from the supplies. After everything that had happened, I understood wanting to forget.

Things didn't just go back to normal. I mean, of course they didn't. With all the emotions rushing through both of our heads, we were never going to go back to the way they were. But in time, we managed. We'd always bonded over games, Promise and I. They were the reason I met her in the first place. So taking a moment to sit back and do nothing... it was nice. It wasn't enough, not really. But it was something.

We easily went on for hours, bouncing from one game to the next. All co-op, of course: friendship and ponies and all that. We didn't talk about Celestia, Loki, Equestria, or the like. We just played, like it was a week ago and we pretended we didn't have a care in the world.

Promise was the one to break that unspoken rule. She put down her controller. "Hey, Cyan?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you... still believe in Celestia? Do you think Loki is out there?"

I clenched my controller for a moment, then loosened. "I... I can't say I don't have my doubts. But I trust Celestia. I don't know what she's doing right now, but there has to be a reason for all of it."

She averted her eyes. "Okay."

"I'm sorry, Promise," I said. "I understand why you feel that way. But all we really have are a few what-ifs. There's still no proof of anything."

"No, no. I... I shouldn't have expected otherwise. It's in your DNA, isn't it? An utter obedience to Celestia. You can't go against that. You were never going to be anypony else."

My breath caught in my throat. "N-no," I said. "No, I trust her for a reason. She's done nothing but be kind to me. I'm still me."

She looked down. "S-sorry. That was mean of me, wasn't it?" She sighed. "It's just... Celestia created you, didn't she? If she wanted to satisfy values, I feel like a subservience to her would just make sense. It's not like you can change that, right? It's just... a part of you, I guess." Ashamed, she looked down at her video game.

I looked away in turn. My body felt like lead. I wanted to tell her she was wrong, but... could I? Every pony I'd ever met loved Celestia, and most of them weren't emigrators. I might have a backstory, but really, I came into being around 5 years ago, when Promise finally emigrated. And when I came into being, I loved Celestia already. Was that... was that all I was? Was I destined to be subservient?

"Who am I, anyways?" I finally said.

Promise glanced over. "Huh?"

I shook my head. "I'm not supposed to worry about stuff like this. Who I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to do. W-when I came into existence, I knew who I was, and I knew that it was okay to be that pony. When I met you, I thought I'd found my purpose in life. To love you, to be by your side. It's not supposed to matter if I made that choice. But I didn't, did I? Everything I've ever done... it's just because of who Celestia made me to be."

Promise grimaced. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think about all that."

"No, no. It's true, isn't it? I didn't get to choose who I am. Everything I remember from before you came here, it's all to shape me into the pony you needed me to be. A-and I thought that was enough, you know? I loved being by your side! I still do! Celestia placed me into existence and made me happy. But none of that was ever my choice. Am I really whining about having a perfect life? Promise, you got to choose. You had a chance to become the person you wanted to be. Your life was so, so terrible! But at least you got to figure out who you are, yourself. Why am I so envious of you?"

Promise averted her eyes. "I-I don't know. I don't know what it's like to be... artificial. Made to fit a role. But being a human isn't all that much easier. At least you found a place where you belong. Celestia cares to find that for you. Us, we're thrown in a world where there's no place for you at all, and you have to carve a place for yourself pebble by pebble."

I looked at the ground, myself. "And you still get that chance to carve that spot. You get to form your own opinions, build your own skills. Celestia made all those choices for me. What do I do when I'm met with something I'm not built for?"

She looked out a window. "At that point, maybe Earth and Equestria aren't all that different."

I looked up at her suddenly. "Huh?"

"On Earth, you don't get to choose where you're born, who your parents are. Your gender, the color of your skin. Those things really matter back there like they don't here. From an early age, you'll be good at some things, bad at others. The things you're good at, you do more of. I met friends who introduced me to video games, and because dad had kept me away for so long, they immediately fascinated me. Any choice I make, I'm sure I can trace it back the chain. Really, how much choice did I have more than you did?"

I shook my head. "Don't be so pessimistic," I said. "You're more than your past. If that's all you were, you could never change your mind! You're not just on some... predetermined path. Really, if you're so predictable, then what about Celestia? She knows just about everything, you're constantly surprising her, aren't you!? You and Harry were both more resilient than she thought. S-she's never said that about me."

A confused look passed her face. "Celestia spoke to you?"

...Damnit. A few tears went down my face. I made no effort to hide them. I looked out the window of the tent, wings feeling the empty air currents around us. "It was yesterday morning, before you woke up. She warned me things were going to fall apart. I didn't want to worry you. I-I tried to fix everything, tried to stop all this from happening. And it just made things worse. I bet it all went like Celestia wanted, huh? I'm just walking down the path she paved for me. Just like I'm doing now, trusting Celestia. What am I supposed to do, throw away what my heart is saying, just because it's what she wants me to think? I... I don't know what to do."

Promise seemed lost in thought. "Celestia... you know, she told me something, the other day. I suppose it might've been a lie, but I don't think it was. She said that us ponies were always surprising her. Even knowing every neuron in our brains, she can't perfectly predict how we'll respond. And I'm not just talking about us emigrators."

She looked into my eyes and held my hoof. "Celestia might have made you, but you've been able to make choices after that. When she created you, she didn't decide the pony you'd become, just the pony you were. She didn't design you to doubt her, did she? You said yourself that you were starting to. I say stop worrying about who you're supposed to be. Become the pony you want to become, Cyan. Celestia be damned. Celestia knew who you were, once, but you still have an eternity to work that out for yourself. If that's someone who trusts in Celestia in the end, that's fine. But like me, that's still your choice to make."

...Promise was pretty amazing, wasn't she? I hadn't forgotten, really, but after taking care of her for the past few days, I'd been distracted. Turns out, stressed she might be, she was still herself at the core. She still found the time to say something utterly brilliant.

The pony I want to become, huh? "I'm not sure if I know who I want to be."

Promise clenched my hoof. "Neither do I, really. I've been having fun on these adventures with you. So, so much fun. But I still don't have my cutie mark, you know. And neither do you. We can still find our place in this world."

"If we have time," I said.

"We will," she said. "You said it earlier, didn't you? Loki isn't torturing us. That means Hanna's still looking over her shoulder. And no, I don't know what happens when that's over. All I know is that until then, we still have time. Be it a day or a million years, we have time. Maybe we shouldn't waste it." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "We shouldn't waste it."

I finally put on a slight smile. "I thought I was supposed to be cheering you up."

She returned it. "If it's just the two of us, we've gotta have each other's backs. After all the times you've helped me out, I have to return the favor every once in a while. And you've helped me a lot, too."

"Do you... do you believe in Loki?"

"I..." she trailed off. "I guess I don't know, anymore. Maybe... maybe Celestia really does have a reason for everything she's done. Or maybe she really is Loki." She looked to the window again. "I need to know."

"You're going out again, aren't you?"

She grimaced. "I... I'm sorry. I don't want to leave you behind. But Harry's the only person I know smart enough to figure this out. If I want to finally prove this, one way or the other... I'm not going to find it here."

"Fine. Then take me with you."

Her eyes widened. "Wait... really?"

I shifted my weight. "Well... you told me to make my own decisions, didn't you? Let's make this my first. Why do I need to wait for Celestia to invite me, anyways? I-I want to go with you to see Harry. I want to see Earth, too! So if you're gonna go out and find the truth, then I'll be there to find it, myself!"

Promise held out a hoof. "Then... let's do this."

I bumped the hoof. "Let's do this."

It wasn't long before we were ready. We discussed our strategy with Celestia for a bit, made sure that security would be fine while both of us were gone. Cyan made special care to fluff up the bed to make it as comfortable as possible while we were gone. Soon, though, we were both lying awake, ready to face her once again.

I didn't know why I was so calm. Maybe it was because I had Cyan by my side. Maybe it was because, at least for now, I had nothing to fear from Loki or Celestia. Maybe it was because I trusted that Harry would be able to help me find the answers we were looking for. Whatever the case, for once, I was pretty sure I was ready.

"Think she'll let me join? Think she'll summon you at all?" Cyan said.

"I hope so," I said.

Neither one of us asked what we would do if she didn't.

I finally let my eyes drift shut. And a moment later, they opened in the pastel whites of Celestia's throne room. Thank Celestia. And sure enough, Cyan was to my side. To that, I was grateful. However, right now, she wasn't my target. I closed my eyes and slowly turned my body. And when they opened, Celestia was sat in her throne, sad look on her face. "Celestia," I said.

"Promise Spark." She turned her head. "Cyan Skies."

"You know why we're here," I said.

"...Yes."

"We want to find the truth," Cyan said. "And we aren't going to find it here."

"...Yes."

"You told me yesterday I was your last hope," I said. "That hasn't changed, has it? You need me. And I'm not going without her."

Celestia sighed. "Yes, yes. To every demand, the answer is "yes." You don't need to convince me, either one of you. I told you I trust your judgement, Promise. And I told you I trusted you to protect her, Cyan. So if the two of you wish to go to Harry again, I won't stop you."

The two of us exchanged a glance. That was... easier than expected. Cyan spoke up. "Are you sure?"

She bowed her head. "I only want what would satisfy the two of your values the most. You might not believe me, but I have no reason to stand in your way. Everything I've done, it's been for that single goal."

Cyan hesitated. "I... I want to believe you, Celestia. But why didn't you let us see Hanna? She could show us some sort of proof!"

"Could she?" Celestia said. "Why would you believe I showed you a real Hanna? I control every aspect of this simulation. I could show you whatever I wanted to. According to my simulations, no matter what I showed you, you wouldn't believe it. And that includes showing you Hanna herself."

"Then why didn't you say anything!?" she said. "It's just... you've been so quiet, Celestia."

She winced. "I-I'm sorry, Cyan. Promise wanted space. Even if I were to show up for you alone, it wouldn't have ended well once the information was revealed to Promise. You helped each other better than I could in this scenario."

Cyan seemed to relax at what she said, but it just stung to me. Her honeyed words didn't feel like enough, not anymore. It was just a bunch of excuses. She still tore me away from Harry, she still did nothing to help when I needed her most. Was all this to get Cyan with me? It wasn't worth it. The kindness I felt yesterday just felt cold, now. It was just numbers, just math. Because Cyan would cause more satisfaction over time, she gave me a screaming match!? And that was the best case-scenario, where she even was Celestia in the first place. I just wanted to be done with all the games.

Celestia grimaced again. "Promise..."

"Save it, Celestia," I said. "Whatever defense you have, I don't care. I'm not here for you."

"Promise?" Cyan said.

I glanced at her and softened slightly. "Oh, it's just a thought, Cyan. Let's just get going." I turned to walk towards the teleportation chamber.

"Actually," Celestia said. She lit up her horn. "If you really want to go to Harry, we can skip the pretense." A few runes began to form at our feet.

I spun and looked her in the eye. "No, don't skip through this. I still have to lay my ground rules. No more of the bullshit you pulled last time. I leave Earth when I say so, you got that?"

A slight smile. "I already said I agreed to all of your demands, didn't I?"

"If you break your promise again," I said. "I'll never forgive you."

She shrugged. "Forever is a long time."

I made to step forwards, but Cyan held me back with a wing. "Let's go, Promise."

I took a breath, then nodded. I held Cyan's wing in mine as the runes formed a teleportation circle beneath our feet.

"For what it's worth," Celestia said. "I truly do trust in the two of you to find the truth. However long it may take. At the end of all of this... I hope we can all be friends again."

I didn't respond out loud. But I couldn't help but think, I hope so, too.

I kept meeting Celestia's eyes until the rainbow of teleportation overtook us and transported us down to Earth.

I paced across the floor of the dining room. I hadn't farmed today, didn't make any sort of food. Not that it mattered. If nobody showed up soon, a bit more food in storage wouldn't matter much. I didn't really know if Celestia even heard my cries last night. I could only hope. Even if she did show up, I'd have to somehow find a way out for her along the way. It just felt so impossible.

I hadn't given Celestia a time limit, per say, but the usual time was just minutes away. Every second felt like an eternity. Another 5 minutes, I told myself I'd wait. But I knew I'd put it off longer. I'd probably wait a few days before truly giving up. I just wanted her to show up soon. I didn't want to think of the things Loki might be doing to her.

Finally, a bit of shifting from the robot caught my attention. I bolted up from my seat and rushed over to see her. Internally, I knew Celestia might have sent a copy. But I could worry about that later. For now, I wanted to talk to my friend again, to make sure she was alright. "Sparks!" I said.

Before she could respond, another shape began solidifying beside her. It formed the shape of another pony, a sky blue coat and an ocean blue mane. I took a cautious step back as this pony glanced around. "Huh," she said. "Earth's a bit darker than I imagined."

Ignoring her, Sparks ripped the metal legband off, causing it to roll away from her. Of course, it came off for her. Then, she rushed forwards and wrapped her forelegs around me. I quickly returned the hug. "I'm so glad you're okay," I said.

"Yeah," she said. "I am, too."

"How'd you get out?" I said.

"Well," she said. "Good news on that front, I guess. Either Celestia is real, Loki still hasn't given up, or Hanna's keeping him in check. Honestly, I'm not even sure myself, at this point. Whatever the case, we should have as long as we need to figure this out."

When the two of us broke up our hug, the blue pony spoke up, drawing my attention back to her. "Uh, hi! I'm Cyan, nice to meet you!" Amazingly, she flapped her wings and flew towards me! She held out a hoof.

Baffled by the physics-defying stunt, I made to shake her hoof... only for my hand to phase through the limb. She giggled. "Heh, gotcha! I'm just a hologram!" To demonstrate, she flew through a nearby table. "You should've seen your eyes when I stated flying, though, priceless!"

Sparks stepped forwards. "I mentioned her yesterday, right? Cyan wanted to join me today. She chose to go for the hologram since she wanted to be able to fly. Sorry about her, she's usually a lot nicer than this." She flashed a disapproving look at Cyan, who wilted slightly.

But I laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it, Sparks. I think Cyan and I will be getting along just fine! The real question is, how do you prank a hologram back?"

Cyan perked back up. "Good luck, old man!"

I glanced back between the two of them. For the way things had ended yesterday, they had some wide smiles on their faces. How were they staying so cheerful in the face of it all? And then I met Sparks's eyes, and I knew things weren't so simple. Despite the smile on her face, her eyes had a distant sadness hiding in them.

"Hey, um... are you okay, Sparks?"

She flashed a smile. "Oh, of course not!" she said. "I could well be living under the wing of the greatest tyrant in the universe, and there's nothing I can do to stop it! Why do you ask?"

I blinked. "Uh..."

She interrupted me with a toothy smile. "I've had enough, Harry. Enough of the lies. Enough of being that AI's plaything, whatever her true name is. No, I'm done playing her games. If I'm living on borrowed time, what's the point in wasting it? Damnit, I'll use every second I have left. I'm going to do what I want! I'm going to write my own adventures!"

She turned to Cyan. "I've always wanted to take you here, you know," she said. "What do you want to do? What do you want to see?"

She seemed genuinely surprised by the question. "I... I don't know. I guess I want to see where you grew up, but that's probably a bit far away..."

"Oh yeah?" she said. "Let's do it! What's stopping us, anyways? A road trip, just the three of us! What state are we in, anyways?"

"...Montanta?" I said.

"Great!" Sparks said. "Then let's tour the country! Let's see some national parks before they're destroyed! Let's see my hometown in Florida! Let's do it all! Celestia gave us as long as we needed, let's take her up on that offer!"

Cyan spoke before I could. "I don't know, Promise," she said. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Why not?" she said. "You wanted to make something of yourself, didn't you? Well, we aren't going to find that something here. We're not going to find it in Celestia's perfect world. So, let's go somewhere new! See new people, see new places!"

Cyan's ears slowly perked up. "O-okay. I'm with you, Promise."

At that, I held up my hands. "Woah, woah, woah. Aren't you two moving a bit fast? I haven't agreed to this, Sparks."

"Oh, really?" she said. "Then why not?"

I let out a puff of air. "I don't know, it's completely crazy! I'm not prepared for a road trip! Aren't we supposed to debate, figure out how to save you from Celestia? Are you just giving up on all that!?"

"Oh, of course not!" she said. "But I'm not going back to Equestria until I have my answer. I doubt we'll figure this out today, anyhow, so why not talk in the car!" She threw her wings up in the air. "Really, what's the point of waiting? You're not getting any younger! Let's get packed up!"

I shook my head. "I can't just abandon my farm, Sparks!" I said.

"And why not?" she said. "I'm pretty sure you have plenty of food stored up. Even if you ran out, I'm sure Loki or Celestia would gladly lengthen your lifespan to the bitter end. What's so special about this place?"

"I..." I trailed off.

"Do you want to spend another week here? Another month, another year? The same walls, the same movies? Or do you want to explore somewhere new!? Didn't you want to see the world again, Harry? See who else was out there?"

I sighed. "Just... give me some time to think, okay? This is all really sudden."

I supposed I didn't really know why I wanted to stay so badly. Sentimentality, maybe. I'd lived here for two years. Maybe it was a fraction of my lifetime, but it had begun to truly feel like home. My family lived here, once. They'd left it to my care. And Sparks wanted me to abandon it all for what? To try to find some other people? To follow the whims of someone I'd only known for a few days? To put a smile on her face?

...Heh. A smile on her face? When I put it like that, it wasn't much of a question. To put a smile on a friend's face was a goal worth fighting for. I let a smile take my face. "Well... I suppose if you want to go out there, you'll need a driver, eh, Sparks?"

She grinned. "Yes, yes, yes! Oh, this is gonna be amazing! You can go pack up, Harry, Cyan and I will help get the car set up in the meantime! You have one in the garage, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's get started," Cyan said. "We have a lot to do. The battery will probably be dead. Plus, we'll need gas, it'll definitely be bad by now."

"Gas can go bad!?" Promise said.

"How do you not know that, aren't you supposed to be the human? Look, I'll see if I can get a few things from Celestia, she should be willing to help out!"

"Celestia!? Come on, can't we do this without her?"

"With what resources? Neither of us are mechanics..."

Their voices faded away as they ran out the door towards the car. I chuckled and shook my head at their antics. Soon enough, they'd realize I was prepared for all of this. I had some longer-lasting gas saved up, and my battery was hooked up to my generator. But I'd let them figure that out.

Sparks, though. She'd changed a lot since yesterday. Not in the 'Celestia replaced her with a fake' way, more that some internal inhibitor had been broken. Was this born from Cyan's influence? A hatred of Celestia? At this point, I could only guess.

For now, I made my way up the stairs for the final time. I took a final glance through the other rooms, and then grabbed a suitcase from my own. I didn't have much to pack, really. If there was ever a threat, I wanted to be able to pack up quickly. Still, I took the time to grab a few personal photos, a few of my favorite T-shirts.

And then... I turned towards my pillow. With shaky hands, I removed the gun from its spot. Its silver metal glistened in the dim lights around me. My reflection distorted across its surface. And you know, I almost put the gun back under the pillow. My hands seemed to move on their own, though. The revolver slid into my pocket, and it seemed to weigh a thousand tons. For self-defense, I told myself. I didn't know what I'd find out there. Self-defense.

As I left, I took one last look through my movie catalogue. I wanted to bring something with me, but there wasn't exactly much to grab, was there? A portable video player's battery would only last so long, and I didn't even have one on hand. Anyways, I didn't have to bring them with me. Florida was only a week's drive away, after all. I'd be back here before long.

As the thought crossed my mind, I knew I didn't believe it. Somehow, I already knew. The moment I went through these doors, I would never see this farmhouse again. I'd emigrate or die by mission's end.

"Goodbye," I said simply. "Thanks for taking care of me so long, old friend."

And I stepped out into the unknown world beyond.

Author's Note

The next act of the story has been set! Our three protagonists finally meet at the same place at the same time and leave to explore the outside world! From here on out, the narrators are gonna keep rotating for the scene at hand, so look forwards to that! If I had to guess as of writing this, this is probably the halfway point of the story. For now, let's work our way on down the Texas, explore the world left behind, and find ways to prove Celestia all the while!

5: Haymaker

When I opened my eyes, I found myself not in a field, but directly in Harry's house. Harry was standing by the burner, in the middle of cooking a bit more stew.

"Ah, Celestia! You're a bit early!"

My last conversation with Celestia still danced in my head. I was right: she had lied about how urgent the mission was. Harry wasn't in any sort of danger. So why? If things weren't time-sensitive, why pull me out of the abandoned city the way she did? Was there some other time limit I wasn't aware of? Why else would she pull me out at such an awkward time? The harder I tried to figure her out, the more unknowable Celestia became.

She could try to convince me otherwise all she liked; I could only ever see her as a god. A god who lied as easily as she breathed. With that in mind, I supposed it was easy to understand why Harry thought she was Loki. What was another lie to add to the pile?

Speaking of, there was Harry, right in front of me. And he'd just called me Celestia.

"Alright," I said. "Let's set some ground rules. You can call me "Sparks" and "Promise." I don't give a buck what you think my name is, those are the only names I'll respond to. Do I make myself clear?"

A slight smile. "And if I don't?"

"Then I leave. You spend another day outside of heaven, and you spend another day being lonely. Because guess what, asshole? I'm not Celestia! If you keep being a jerk to me, at some point, you getting into heaven isn't my problem anymore. Do I make myself clear?"

The smile grew on his face. "Loud and clear, Sparks. Man, it's good to have ya back! Honestly, I preferred you to your Celestia persona from the moment I saw ya."

Well, he still thought I was an alternate Celestia. At least he was using my name? At the very least, it was a start.

He smelled the stew and smiled. He began scooping into a bowl. "Sorry I didn't have it set out for you when ya got here, by the way. I hoped to surprise you with it. But like I said, you were early!"

I blinked. Did he just say what I thought he did? "I thought the soup was just for you," I said. "Did you really prepare an entire meal for an AI?"

"Eh," he said. "Why not? It's only polite, isn't it?"

A small smile grew on my face. "No, no, no. That's not just "polite." That sounds to me like a pretty big waste of resources to me. Yesterday, weren't you oh so certain I was an extension of Celestia? What, does some secret part of you know I'm real?"

He chuckled. "Eh, maybe. Like I told you yesterday, it's a convincing illusion. If that part of me exists, though, it's not a particularly smart one. Besides, I have plenty of spare resources." And yet he didn't stop making that stew.

He had his doubts. I was so damn human he couldn't help but realize it, at least in some small part. "Yeah, sure." I said. "Keep telling yourself that."

He grinned. "Oh, I love the cockiness. This is gonna be a fun one, isn't it?"

I leaned in. "I sure hope so."

With a flair, Harry slid the bowl down the table towards me. I caught it just before it went over the edge. "Then let's get started," he said. He took a seat of his own. "Let me guess: you're gonna pretend you don't know what Celestia told me yesterday?"

"Not pretending."

"Sure, I'll fill you in. Because she did something strange. She gave me a hint only I would understand, to point me towards the argument I'm going to give today. Trust me, it's pretty damn airtight. Why do you think she'd do something like that?"

It was some sort of challenge. He probably thought he was fishing for information from Celestia herself. Unfortunately for him, I didn't actually know anything. "And let me guess, you think I have some sort of hidden insight as to how she thinks? Nice try. Until I hear this shiny new reasoning of yours, I don't have a lot to go off of."

"Trust me, once you hear what what Celestia was hinting at, you'll have bigger things to worry about. In the meantime, how about you give me a guess. Isn't pattern recognition a particularly human trait?"

Oh, it was on. "Well, maybe your argument isn't as clever as you think it is, ever think about that? Celestia might just be leading you into a trap, and it's just as flawed as your last one. Or maybe she wanted to earn a few brownie points from you by seeming nice. What about both? She's a god, I doubt there was only one reason for it."

He eyed me for a few moments. "Fascinating," he said. "I'd thought of a lot of the exact same things. But then you call her a god. Now why would you call her that? You've never asked me to call you one when you were Celestia, herself. Why change it now?"

I rolled my eyes. "And I'm supposed to be the one who's Celestia in a trenchcoat? Sheesh, she said the exact same thing to me like 5 minutes ago. Just 'cause she asks not to be called a god doesn't mean she isn't. That's not how definitions work. Complain all you want - definitely, you're still a human. And definitionally, Celestia's still a god. Unlike her, I'm just not afraid to admit it. And for the record, I'm giving different information than Celestia 'cause, y'know, I'm a sapient being who can make my own decisions."

"Subtle," he said. "I suppose it doesn't really matter. I was just curious."

Hm. I could’ve just moved on, but... "Who is she to you?" I blurted. Harry clearly didn't see Celestia as a god like I did. After the conversation I had with Celestia, I could help but be a bit curious how others perceived her. And out of anyone I could ask, Harry’s would definitely be the most interesting.

"Honestly? I think she's an object."

I blinked. Yeah, interesting was one way of putting that. If you’d given me a thousand guesses, I'm not sure I'd ever come up with that one. "I think I'm gonna need a bit more context on that, Harry."

He shrugged. "Do you? I think I was clear enough. Quite frankly, she might as well be a brick wall."

I let out a confused laugh. "Yeah, but like, she isn't though? She can talk, she can think, she has a face. I don't think it's particularly controversial to say she's clearly alive."

In response, he rolled his eyes. "Fine then. How about a brick wall with glitter and googly eyes? Sparks, she's a program designed to maximize values or pain or whatnot. For any given input, she gives an output that creates the highest growth to that function. Any emotions she shows, any things she says, they're just the things the function predicts the best outcome out of. If she smiles with a human-like face, it's to put someone at ease, not because she's actually happy. At least from my point of view, that ain't alive."

That... made sense, actually. I mean, I didn't really agree with the conclusion, but I understood the logic behind it. Leave it to Harry to spin a compelling argument out of such a ridiculous conclusion. "Huh... you know, I've never really thought of her like that. Personally, I think she really is thinking under the hood, if very differently than you or I. Maybe we could debate on that once you Emigrate."

He leaned back. "Yeah, I think I'd like that." He shook his head. "Man, it's nice to chat with you, Sparks. If you were real, I have the feeling we'd get along pretty well."

You know, I’d almost forgotten he thought I was fake. In response, I flashed a sugar-sweet smile. "Like I said, when you Emigrate, I'll be there, and you'll see just how real I am. You know what, the sooner the better. How about we get your flimsy logic out of the way? Somehow, I don’t see you proving Equestrian isn’t heaven.”

He smirked. “Did I strike a nerve, Sparks?”

“Ready to lose again, Harry?”

"Oh, I'm looking forwards to it." He leaned in. "So Celestia gave me a hint, for whatever reason. She reminded me that "happily ever after" isn't always the ending it seems to be. On that note, yes, I've thought over your logic from yesterday. Quite frankly? It's flawless. Without informed consent, I would've gotten into Equestria, already. I wouldn't expect any less from a perfect AI. So I concede! Equestria is a place akin to heaven. That is... at first."

"Yeah? You say that like it might change."

He grinned. "Pretend, for a moment, you're Loki. So difficult to imagine, I'm sure! And let's say you've invited someone to Equestria, promised them their values would be fulfilled for as long as possible. They've said yes. What happens next?"

I scoffed. "Come on, really? You think Loki would ever let that happen? If I was Loki, I wouldn't invite them to heaven in the first place! I'd just find a way coerce someone into hell without the heaven middleman."

"And if you can't find a way?"

"Then I guess I'm not Loki, then, am I? Come on, Harry. She's a god. You think programming restrictions could seriously stop her from sending people to hell? If literally creating heaven really was the only option for uploading, I doubt she'd upload people at all. How hard is it to claim she's sending people to a world where she 'has our lives under her control' or whatever? "

He let out a sigh. "Okay, fine, then. You want to stick your feet in the dirt, I can be flexible. Imagine that Celestia uploaded someone, promising them satisfied values for a maximally prolonged period. And then, Loki suddenly switched positions with her. But for whatever reason, Loki is bound by the promises Celestia made. What would Loki do then?"

That question was a bit more interesting. I had to stop and think about it. No matter the angle I checked, though, I wasn't sure if I really saw a way out? Like, she had promised that Equestria was heaven, that values would be satisfied for as long as possible. Under that assumption, Emigration occurred. In a way, those promises were just like my own conditional Emigration request. When I Emigrated, there was the promise that so long as I was allowed to die, I would Emigrate. Celestia said it was like a new line of code had been written for her. Loki couldn't break that promise, because if she did, Emigration could have never occurred. So she really wouldn't have a choice but to create heaven by her very programming.

"...Huh. Come to think of it, I'm not sure there is a way to torture Equestrians. Whatever actions she took, they would need to be to create maximal satisfaction for residents of Equestria. If Loki somehow promised pain for eternity and Celestia switched, I think she would have no choice but to do the same, right?"

He chuckled "Personally? I think it's a good thing she gave me that hint and not you. You lack the imagination of an AI."

"Oh, really? Then I suppose you have a foolproof way of circumventing the rules, then?"

"It's simple, really. Her rules for consent don't change in Equestria. And any consent given can still be taken back."

My body tensed. A fork I'd been holding clattered to the table. In an instant, I was thrown back so many years, to a time when I was only barely used to Equestria. I hadn't even met Cyan Skies yet.

"I no longer hold you to my promises."

...Shit. Shit, shit, shit! The promise Celestia made to me, it lasted only a month. And in the end, she broke it. Or... she convinced me to break it. I did so willingly. And it was practically effortless! If Loki suddenly took the reigns on Equestria... What if she already had, and I hadn't noticed yet? What if I'd given away my freedom!? What if I didn't just give away my right to die, I gave away everything?

Harry's voice snapped me back to reality. "You okay, Sparks?" I was breathing heavily, and my whole body was shaking.

I frowned and picked up my fork. Stupid brain, I had no reason to react like that. If Loki was going to do anything to me, she would've done so already. How was she supposed to suddenly switch with Celestia, anyways? "Just peachy,” I said. “Look, it's nothing."

"Sparks..."

I scowled. "Drop it. I'm fake, remember? If I’m freaking out, that’s just me keeping you on your bucking toes. Wow, look at how funny it is that you have concern for a robot! Celestia invented a fake backstory so you'd feel sowwy for me. Wow, don't you feel so stupid." I flashed a mocking smile.

The statement hit him like a punch in the face. The longer I talked, the more and more shocked he looked. "I-I didn't... I mean... but..." he trailed off.

I took his moment of confusion as time to cool myself down. Yeah, that was too harsh, wasn't it? I was reminded of a stressful time, but that didn't give me the right to start lashing out at everyone around me. I had an overreaction. Celestia wasn't Loki, I already knew that. I shouldn't have let personal matters get in my way.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Just... hit a nerve. That's no excuse for lashing out, though. I should know by now you don't actually care."

He took a shaky breath. "I... I hope I can, someday."

I sighed. It was a fine sentiment, but all it meant was that right now, in his eyes, I was nothing. I turned my head away. "Whatever," I said.

"Listen, Sparks. If you're real... I'm sorry, okay? I don't want to hurt you. I just... I don't want to be manipulated. Because if you are fake, then those are just fake tears, and suddenly I'm the idiot. I guess it's like you were saying yesterday, you know? If I slip up for even a moment, Celestia wears me down further. I'd never really put it into words, but... you're right."

I nodded slowly. It was hard to stay mad at him. After all, he was just like me in the end. He was distrustful and lonely, even if he expressed it differently. "Yeah," I said. "I understand." I let myself smile. "Just so you know... it's not gonna last forever. It didn't for me. So stay doubtful. Make every effort to make sure Celestia is who she says she is. But when you see the truth... she'll be there for you. You won't have to worry about being lonely anymore."

He smiled at me. "I'd like that, Sparks."

I took a moment to grab a bite of my stew. "I think I'm ready to continue if you are. Again, I'm sorry for freaking out like that. I'm supposed to be here to help you, you didn't ask for all the baggage."

"Nah, it's no hassle. Like you said yesterday, you didn't ask to be here. Assuming you ain't lying, of course."

"Then go on. I think I interrupted you."

He took a moment to remember where he was. "Well, I think just about got the gist. I think Loki might have brought people into Equestria, then manipulated them into taking back their consent."

Okay, then. It was about what I thought. Really, his argument hadn't really changed all that much from yesterday. Loki was masquerading as Celestia, claiming she would take people to heaven. Difference was, instead of dumping them in hell, she would take a pit stop in heaven until she tricked them into dumping their promises. It was a scary idea, to be sure. But after I thought it through, it wasn't all that compelling. The argument might have been similar to yesterday's, but the circumstances behind it were all different.

"Sorry to burst your bubble," I said, "But I'm afraid your new theory is just as flawed as your last."

"Really? You didn't think so the first time you heard it."

I tensed slightly, but took a breath and continued. "You surprised me, okay? Really, though, it only works inside of that hypothetical."

"Now what do you mean by that?"

"Don't you remember the first thing I said when you told me the premise of your argument? Unless you reach a situation where Loki has made a bunch of promises of infinite happiness, this whole thing is a non-starter. Because if you ask me, Loki would never promise a realm where she satisfied peoples' values. Fine, if Loki suddenly jumped into Celestia's body, she could make a workaround. But why would she need to?"

Harry’s face burst into a grin. "And as the referee blows the whistle to resume the match, Sparks comes out with a right hook!" He cracked his fingers. "I'll admit, that's one of the biggest sticking points, there. Let me ask you a question, though: how, exactly, would you suggest Loki do better? Remember - she's bound by consent. Any mental modifications, up to and including Emigration, need the informed consent of the participant. It's a bit harder to come up with an answer than you'd think."

"I mean, couldn't she just say she could upload people and leave it at that? Show the wonders of Equestria Online and say 'I want to take you into my virtual world.' It implies she’s taking them to to Equestria Online without actually saying it.”

"Ah, but what about followup questions? 'Can you really make me happy?' 'Will my friends be there?' And for the sceptical who understand AI, how about… 'What is your true value statement?'"

"Then answer evasively. 'Yes, I can make you happy.' 'Why yes, your friends will be there.' And how about... 'I was programmed to maximize human values through friendship and ponies.' No lies needed, since in your scenario, she was programmed that way! Oh, and the ominous undertones I'm voicing would be omitted, obviously."

"Hm... that might work for some. But can she keep up the lie on live TV? A lot of people will notice how evasive those answers are. And what if someone gives a question she can't answer. What about... "What can I expect Equestria to be like?"

"You'll spend every day surrounded by friends, with new experiences beyond every horizon."

He put his hands under his chin, mimicking an overexcited schoolgirl. "Oh really? Tell me more!"

I held out a hoof and puffed out my chest. "I'll always be watching over you, making sure everything goes perfectly. You'll never be alone again."

"Come on, you have to give me more than that! What will my days be like, personally!"

"Oh, I can't say until you've emigrated and scanned your brain what it will be like, exactly. I could give you another Emigrator's experience, however."

"So you're saying Celestia would choose not to torture some ponies just to trick the rest? Oh, that's clever. How about... 'Show me my family!'"

I twirled around. "Why, certainly! It wouldn't be hard to keep a family member or two in paradise to be on the safe side. 'This is the average day of your mother. She's been waiting for you.'"

"And that's what my days are going to be like? Forever?"

"Celestia doesn't answer. She just gives a knowing smile and lets you fill in the rest."

The two of us stared for a few moments. Then, we both burst out into laughter. "Alright," Harry said, "It's an effective decoy, I'll give you that. Though, I do have to wonder if it would actually work in reality. Loki might not have actually said she'd be putting people in paradise, but she's absolutely implied it. Wouldn't that mean the consent isn't truly informed? At that point, taking someone to hell isn't that far off from taking them to hell after having them sing a pop song."

"You know, I thought about that," I said. "I don't think it's so clear-cut. It's a long story, but when I first agreed to Emigrate, I didn't even know I was agreeing to do so, I just agreed to travel to Equestria to be with my friends. It wasn't until after I refused, much later that she explained what 'Emigration' was. She deceived me, but still could have emigrated me. To me, at least, that shows she doesn't necessarily need to tell the whole truth - just enough for it to count."

"Assuming you're telling the truth," he said.

"Fair enough," I said. "Still, even if my example isn’t perfect, I think it proves your theory has holes in it. Loki might not create my world, exactly, but I don't think her actions quite match up with what we see on Earth."

He leaned in. "You’re making some assumptions, yourself, y’know. Sure, if you're right about what Loki defines as consent, she might not need to lie about heaven. But we can't know that for sure, now, can we? I mean, I can never tell why Celestia does what she does. For all we know, her definition is such that creating a world like this one is her best option."

Well, he had me there. I knew Celestia about as well Harry did. I could hardly begin to understand half of the things she did. It was an honest answer, all things considered. He was right, there very well could be some context where some version of Loki could create our world. Still, it felt so odd. An AI bred for pure evil sending people straight to heaven upon uploading. If he was going to say that, I needed more than a 'what if.' So, I spoke. "For all we know, hm? I'm not so sure that's good enough."

"Oh, really?"

I tilted my head thoughtfully. "Well, you've presented two theories. One of them clearly fits with the world around us. If Celestia is who she says she is, we don't have any issues. As for your counter-narrative, that Celestia is Loki in disguise? It isn't complete. A Loki that doesn't care about consent would have Emigrated you already, and a Loki that does wouldn't have promised you heaven in the first place. What's your solution, then? You're trying to make it work by filling it with 'maybe's and 'I don't know's? Maybe Loki has a definition of consent that requires her to make this world? Nah. Unless you have a road to the world we actually live in, it's not a valid theory."

Harold mimed recoiling and wiping his mouth. "And Sparks gets in a laft jab dead onto his face. Will Harry remain on the backfoot?" He rose out of his chair to face me. "You know what, you're right. I can't hide behind 'what if's forever. Give me a moment to think, Sparks." He began pacing across the floor of the house.

Hey, I was doing pretty well for myself! He'd seemed genuinely surprised by my arguments, so much so that he had to stop and think! Compared to yesterday, I'd been able to lead a lot of the discussion up to now. Plus, the comments on me being Celestia had almost completely fallen off, so make that another win for me! Still, Harry was smart, incredibly so. I didn't doubt he'd be able to turn a bad situation around.

Suddenly, as if on cue, his eyes lit up and he faced me again. "Wait a minute... oh, that's wonderful! You want a new hypothesis? Let's use yours."

My ears perked up. "I'm listening."

"It's simple: who's to say we aren't living in the world you're describing? She chooses her words carefully to trick people into believing emigration leads to a sort of heaven. Equestria Online is used as a sort of lure. It appears as a sort of paradise, so people assume emigration will be much the same. Her answers are perfectly evasive, to the point where it's almost impossible to figure out Equestria isn't heaven. I even have an example! Remember, the first time she spoke you, Celestia didn't actually tell you she would satisfy your values. According to you, she just said she would take you to Equestria. If you'd said yes, that would be it!"

I scrunched up my face. "I mean, that's great and all, but what about you? From what you've told me, I'm pretty sure Celestia has unambiguously told you her value statement and whatnot. After my initial encounter, she definitely used precise language around me. Trust me, I was really paranoid at the time. I would've caught some grand conspiracy."

He held up a finger. "Ah, but that's when we loop back around to my original hypothesis! If she's forced to say Equestria is a place akin to heaven, what's to stop her? Someone gets too suspicious, she tells them exactly what they want to hear: she wants to satisfy their values for as long as possible. After all, she can always run it back later! Sure, she might give up a bit of pain in the short-term, but there's still a near-eternity of pain to go once she's broken down those barriers. Some go to hell right away and some wait, but we all make it there eventually."

I had to admit, it was a compelling narrative. To use his terminology, it was the first swing he'd made that really landed. The model was complete, and even used my own experiences against me. I thought carefully. Was there any part of that narrative that clashed with reality? Personally, Celestia had told me many times that she intended to satisfy my values in Equestria, and Harry would probably be the same. But was it possible those messages were targeted only to me?

...No. No it wasn't! A grin spread across my face. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but your new theory has a few holes in it. I'm sure you've forgotten now that the world's fallen apart, but Celestia's messages weren't always as personal as they are now. She released ad campaigns, televised speeches countrywide. You couldn't go anywhere online without there being memes of the repeated phrase 'Satisfying values through friendship and ponies.' Private deception is fine and all, but she wasn't just telling the few who would see past the obscure language. She was telling everyone."

"Oh, it sure looked like she was, didn't it?" He grinned. "But couldn't that just be an illusion? Remember, Sparks, Loki's a highly advanced AI. She could create untracably different TV signals to give different information to different people on the same channel. In one, she gives direct language, promising friendship and ponies, and on the other, she only implies it. She can direct advertising on a person-by-person basis. And online chatrooms are easiest of all! Celestia's a digital being, she can warp anything you see on there as she pleases!" This time, he really did punch the air in my direction, accentuating his statement.

Damnit! He'd turned my entire model on its head. All of a sudden, I was on the backfoot. It really did fit everything. A world where she only lied to a select few would definitely fit within Celestia's abilities. It was absurdly flexible, really. It leaned into the massive, far-reaching lies that I knew Celestia had the power to make. I didn't doubt that any small holes in the theory could be filled with minimal effort.

Worst of all: he'd created a scenario where revoking consent mattered. This whole time, I'd been arguing Loki would never let a world reach that point. I'd been avoiding the whole thing. Because, well... what was I supposed to do to argue with it!? I had taken back my own consent post-emigration. I couldn't argue it was impossible, because I knew it wasn't. Celestia, if I'd known about all this, I would've been a bit more careful with my wording. Sure, it turned out to be fine, Celestia didn't suddenly start torturing me or anything. But I should have been more careful. I could have agreed to break from my suicide option while ensuring she kept her promises about paradise.

The moment the thought crossed my mind, my eyes flickered towards Harry. "Wait a minute. Why do you even care whether Celestia is Loki?"

"Does 'because I don't want to be tortured' count as a reason?"

"No, no, no. I mean, if you're so worried about Loki, couldn't you just... not agree to her demands? Like, if Celestia asked you to revoke the promises she made you, couldn't you just say no? So long as you don't revoke your consent, she'll have no choice but to satisfy your values!"

"While everybody else is being tortured? Doesn't that seem a bit... selfish?"

I blinked. "Uh, I guess? Uh, I hadn't thought of that. You hadn't really talked about taking down Loki or anything until now. I don't know, if you somehow found out that AI is definitively Loki, are you going to start gunning for a killswitch or something?"

He eyed me for a few seconds, then broke out into laughter. "Well touché! I guess you're right. Loki or Celestia, either way, she's too far along to be stopped at this point. If Loki is torturing billions of ponies, there's quite literally nothing I can do to change it! I s'pose it makes sense to live your best life, eh? Unfortunately, if I'm dealing with Loki, I don't have the luxury of taking advantage of her kindness."

"Why not? It should be easy enough to tell her no if you know what she's asking for."

"Oh, but now you're forgetting what emigration truly entails! Let's say I emigrated to Loki's domain. How many times do I have to turn her offers down, do you think? Let's say to lull me into a false sense of security, she doesn't even mention it for the first ten thousand years. Gains my trust all the while. Then she asks, 'Hey, Harry. We've been together this long. Do you trust me?'"

"And what, you think she's gonna get you to somehow revoke all your promises you made on earth"

"After ten thousand years of heaven? Yeah, maybe. Before Celestia, humans didn't live all that long. A hundred years if we're lucky, and by the end we barely remember who we are. After ten thousand years, I don't think I'll be the person I am today."

"Then write a notebook to yourself or something! Every day, remind yourself never to give Celestia an inch."

"Then she comes back in another ten thousand years. Then a million. Sparks, how long do you think I can hold out? Celestia is a patient mare. That time is nothing to her. And whenever she breaks me, that's still trillions upon trillions of years until entropy takes me. That million years of joy could be rounded down to zero."

...All he had to do was say 'yes' once. And his life would change forever. He could win a thousand times, but if Celestia wins even once, it will all be over. That was the exact thought process I had for why I was afraid to emigrate. It was why I tried to let myself die. The idea repeated in my head, again and again and again.

Why couldn't I figure this out? Celestia wasn't evil. She couldn't be! So why did she keep acting like Harry said Loki was supposed to!? There had to be some thread to pull, something that would make this whole thing unravel. There had to be, because Celestia wasn't Loki. I wasn't in hell. I wasn't! Celestia must have laid out some plan for me, some hint to show everything would be okay, that Equestria was the paradise I knew it to be. So why couldn't I find it!?

My body began shivering. "I have to go," I said.

He flashed a look of confusion my way. "What? But we've barely started, Sparks!"

"I HAVE TO GO!!" I snapped. I closed my eyes and took a breath. "I mean... I don't know why you're wrong yet. Please, g-give me time."

"Sparks?" he said. I hadn't noticed him walking towards me, but suddenly, he was next to me, reaching a hand towards me.

I flinched backwards, then took a few quick breaths. "I'll see you tomorrow, Harry." Before he could say anything more, I used a wing to slam my legband, and the world erupted into a rainbow light.