The Dark Mirror Saga: Book 1: The Tale of the Last Caribou

As per her request, Principal Celestia had made the basement a no-go zone for as long as she needed to work on the mirror and the other dimension. Sunset had decided to hunt the Dazzlings down for interrogation purposes. The rest of her human friends were afraid and worried for her, and had, of course, volunteered to help her, but she shot them down. Spike had also demanded to go, but she managed to talk him out of it saying she needed him to stay in Equestria and work as her seneschal.

Finally, there was the issue of how she was feeling about the whole ordeal. The night’s rest was exactly what she needed and, thanks to Luna, no nightmares assaulted her. She ate, drank, and packed plenty of supplies just in case she’d need them. But she was still nervous and fearful about everything Dainn had told her and the more she thought about it, the less sense it made.

Everything Shining Armor pointed out made sense, the worries of her friends and Luna were true, Cadance had, surprisingly, being the most empathic towards the monster that had ruined the life of another Cadance. Hate and pity, anger and sadness swam in her heart filling her with conflicting emotions. In the end, she decided on something simple as she entered the ruined castle for a second time.

“If an emotional response is inconclusive and dangerous to base opinions upon, then cold, hard, empirical logic shall dictate my verdict and let me judge the evidence for what it is,” she told herself, nodding and sighing at the same time in an effort to calm her racing heart.

Opening her wings, she quickly flew past the disgusting stained glasses, murals, paintings, and statues until she reached the throne room where, to her surprise, Dainn was already waiting for her and had even prepared a formal greeting.

Well, as formal as it can be, given the circumstances, she thought as she landed a few meters away from a large slab of debris that the caribou had moved, somehow, to serve as a table and two much smaller pieces of smooth marble to serve as their seats. “...I have returned,” she finally found her voice after a minute of staring into the cold, unblinking eyes of the caribou.

“You are welcome,” Dainn replied. “I thought… having a table and somewhere to sit would be beneficial instead of standing around. Unless this is undesired?”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you, Dainn,” Twilight replied before taking her ‘seat’. She placed her saddlebags on top of the table. “Are you ready to continue?”

“Before I answer, there is something I must also know about you,” Dainn replied.

“And that is?” Twilight’s eyes narrowed.

“Please, I mean you no harm. I do not know how you arrived. Honestly? I was half-hoping you’d never return. Though I will not lie and say I am not happy to see you return as promised. Which brings me to my question. Why do you care about my story at all? Have you confirmed the existence of caribou in your dimension?”

Oh, she was not going to let him know just how much she’d learn about that so soon. But she wouldn’t be depriving him of an answer either. “Lack Thereof, actually. In my home dimension, your people do not exist. The closest thing to a caribou are the deer led by King Aspen. They are noble and honorable warriors, unlike the caribou.”

Dainn visibly relaxed and almost seemed happy for a moment. “Good. That’s a relief, at least. Then, my question is even more important. Why do you care? We don’t exist in your dimension.”

“If I arrived here, then there is a possibility that caribou from other dimensions would invade mine. I’d like to be prepared in case that ever happens. I hope this story and your knowledge remain as such: a story, never to be needed in practicality,” Twilight replied. “In fact, I had to jump from another dimension to reach this one. That’s two dimensions I have to protect, Dainn. So, as you might’ve guessed, that’s why I care.”

“Hmmmm, another question unrelated to my original question. Is your home dimension… problematic? Used to dangers, war, and strife?” Dainn asked, curiously.

Twilight pursed her lips. “From what I’ve gathered, this dimension is more… chaotic than my own. Don’t get me wrong, I know what war, conflict, death, and crimes are and we do have them, but the brutality is certainly lesser.”

“Ah. Then I assume your top priorities revolve around singing childish songs, preparing for seasonal changes, solving friendship issues, and fending off the odd weekly problems?” Dainn said, clearly jesting but Twilight shrunk in her shoulders, blushing brightly. “Wait… really? I was spot on?”

“...not all dimensions need to be horrible, dystopian places, you know…” Twilight replied, still blushing.

“Oh, please, do not misunderstand. I dare not laugh. If anything, I envy you. To protect such a peaceful place I would do anything, too, in your place. I admire and applaud your tenacity, Not The Twilight I Knew,” he said, tilting his head slightly in respect. “You mentioned you had to cross another dimension to get to this one. What is that dimension like?”

“Extremely different from my own and this one. In fact, the only real similarity I’ve discovered is the bipedal form of walking and the hands,” she wriggled her fingers at him. “In my home dimension, I’m a quadruped.”

“Huh… that is rather interesting. What sort of creatures inhabit this strange intermittent dimension, if I may know?” Asked Dainn, his voice tickling with genuine curiosity.

“It’s filled with counterparts, but a lot of things are different. For example, there are no dragons, diamond dogs, griffons, ponies, or other sorts of sapient creatures. The only dominant species call themselves humans.”

Dainn recoiled instantly and shivered visibly. He blinked, confused, and brought his hands up only to see them shaking with nervous fear.

Twilight saw his reaction and asked. “A-Are you feeling alright, Dainn?”

The caribou blinked again. “This is… most p-peculiar. This is the first time I’ve heard of such creatures,” he stared at his hands again, trying and failing to stop his shaking, “and yet, I cannot control myself. I-I’m shaking in fear and I don’t know why. It is a most curious reaction.”

“Right,” with a polite cough, Twilight pulled out a small package from her saddlebags. Using her magic, she levitated it to Dainn. “Here… it’s a gift. I don’t know if you need it, but I think that after such a long time, you might enjoy it?”

Dainn eyed the package with suspicion before reaching out to it with shaky hands. He easily opened it and his eyes widened at the same time a pained, tortured gasp escaped from his throat. There, right in front of time, laid a simple sandwich, some hay fries, potato salad, a slice of pumpkin pie, a cupcake, and a container filled with apple juice. Looking up at Twilight, his shaking increased, his fear forgotten as tears rolled down his cheeks.

“I… I cannot… I do not deserve such kindness, Twilight,” he spoke through cracked, shaky whimpers.

Twilight smiled at him warmly. “If you can eat, please, eat it. I don’t know how far your immortality works, but if it is anything like alicorn immortality, then starving must’ve been a harrowing experience,” as if realizing something, she stood up in a panic. “Oh gosh! Why didn’t I think of that!? If you eat, your body will get used to food again and you’ll have to go through starvation again! Please, forgive me! I-I was thoughtless!”

Dainn shook his head and reached out for the sandwich. He lifted it to his veil and for the first time since their meeting, Twilight got a glimpse of his mouth.

His skin was furless, like his hands but unlike the transparent flesh covering his skeletal hands, his skin was gray, almost white; a sickly pale color that was crowned by dried-up lips. His nose was equally white, devoid of health while his mouth, despite the darkness that radiated from within it, still held some pinkish vitality, if only in a wicked sense of mockery to the rest of his body. His tongue was a shriveled appendage but still wet with saliva and, despite all odds, he still had teeth. Dark yellow, almost black ghastly things that refuse to rot but that served no other purpose.

The first bite was tentative, and fearful. Mustard and ketchup slid from the edges of the bread and smeared the cracked, busted lips of the caribou.

Twilight sat down, watching him chew slowly the first morsel he had eaten in decades, maybe centuries. When he was done chewing, he swallowed and she saw a thin, skeletal neck and throat bulge whatever was left of their muscles as the food was dragged down into a stomach that most likely didn’t even have acid in it. He took another bite, with a bit more force and confidence than the last, then a third and a fourth, and then a fifth. He continued to eat the sandwich until it was gone and then moved to the hay fries, the pie, drank the juice slowly, savoring the sweet taste of it, he ravaged the potato salad, but left the cupcake on the side. Ignored.

And through it all, he never stopped crying nor smiling.

“A meal fit for Kings,” Dainn said after a minute of silence. Licking his lips and fingers, his mouth was swallowed back inside the darkness of his hood, leaving only his blue eyes to be seen again. “I had… forgotten the taste of food, the texture, the… primal joy of eating. Thank you, Twilight. I do not deserve your kindness.”

Twilight didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he stared at the creature in front of her with a hole churning her insides. She was no Fluttershy or Rarity, nor was she Pinkie Pie, but she knew that any one of them would be more than devastated if they ever laid their eyes upon the pitiful state Dainn was in. She couldn’t look at him with anything other than pity at that moment.

Whatever he was… whatever he did… n-no one deserves what he’s going through. This is worse than Tartarus. He was a monster, but the caribou in front of me right now has a heart… he has a heart. Celestia dammit, I can’t help but feel bad for him, Twilight thought, barely able to contain her tears from cascading down her face. Then, she noticed the cupcake. “Why didn’t you eat it?”

Dainn eyed the cupcake, cleaned his tears, and moved it further away from him. “Far from it. I loved them. But they… bring back memories. Undeserving ones,” he confessed, then he shook his head. “Let us return to our main topic and the reason you’re here.”

Twilight nodded, using her magic to retrieve the cupcake and place it back into the saddlebags. “I believe you were about to tell me about the attack on Lindisbarne?”

“Indeed. The attack was proof of my incompetence and how easily I was manipulated at the start of my reign. I should’ve hanged Ivangri and Vestri instead of…,” he shook his head. “Well, you’ll know soon enough.”

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I was sitting behind my desk as I read through the report Gunne had filed and completed over the course of his time spent spying on the town of Lindisbarne. Around the room stood Ivangri, Vestri, Storm, Anvari, Durnir, and Hrathr. My other councilors were tending to their own obligations at the moment, but they were unneeded. I would gather them all once my decision was set and we could decide what to do and how to approach the ponies.

“Is this report accurate, Gunne?” I finally asked after reading through it thoroughly twice, just to make sure I hadn’t omitted anything of importance. Still, I had to make sure my friend was coerced into lying or misled with misinformation. To my surprise, everything appeared to be completely honest. Gunne didn’t seem to be under pressure or held under force, his report wasn’t a forgery, and I could tell her was being truthful.

I could trust his report, which was even worse considering our culture. It wasn’t a horror story like Ivangri had imagined, but I knew my people would never accept the way of these ponies within one, two, or even three generations.

“Everything written there was witnessed with my own eyes, my King,” Gunne replied as he kneeled in front of me. I hated to see him in such a position. He should be standing at my side or at least on his hooves, not kneeling. I discarded those feelings and scanned the faces of my councilors.

Anvari was fuming, of course. Hrathr was extremely confused. Vestri showed nothing but cold indifference. Durnir was actually showing interest. Storm seemed to be deep in thought. And Ivangri… he was smirking.

“‘Afternoon - I spotted a stallion and a mare, that is how ponies call their males and females respectively, walking together as equals hand in hand. Followed them for a short while. The stallion led the mare to some sort of gathering ground, like a brothel but that only food was served. Many others were the same. No raping, sex, dancers, or anything of the sort was happening. Another stallion approaches, takes notes, and leaves. Minutes pass until the stallion dressed in what appears to be a uniform brings food to the tables. Stallion serves food to the mare first, then the stallion. This mare and every other mare present are eating whilst sitting at the table. End report. Following another trail-” I say with a monotone tone, trying my best to hide an annoying itch at the back of my mind that seemed to burn with every word I said.

“F-Females eating regular food served and reserved for males and on the table? Depravity. Have these pony stallions no shame or knowledge of Male Superiority?” Anvari said, glaring at the offending piece of paper I was holding. “A female’s place should always be on the floor, eating what their Masters design them to eat and ready to clean the leftovers, nothing more.”

“You will remain silent!” I protested. “Their culture is… odd, but they do not know our ways and we do not know theirs! If we are to establish diplomacy with the ponies, we need to know how they operate,” I said carefully, hiding my intentions of peaceful coexistence under a false veil of indifference. My weakness. My stupidity.

I cleared my throat and read another report. “‘Second day, Early Morning. The flying ones, pegasi, are in the sky molding clouds, shifting weather patterns, and arranging the very climate around them’-” A shiver ran down my spine. What sort of magic and power was that?

“HERESY!” Storm suddenly shouted. “T-To control such power! In the hands of mares!? Gunne, were these pegasi male or female!?”

“Male and Female,” I answered in his stead, continuing with the report, “‘Stallions and mares alike share the same power to mold the clouds to their will. They worked together for several minutes until they deemed their work done. End report. Noon. I have witnessed something terrifying. A unicorn stallion used magic to challenge a traveling unicorn mare of sorts. The mare, apparently called Trixie, claimed to be great and powerful and proceeded to showcase it by humiliating the stallion in a duel of magic. Then, she put up a show that delighted the onlookers. Gold pieces and other valuables were thrown at her as a reward for her efforts. No other stallion seemed to be bothered by their fellow’s humiliation. If anything, they seemed to enjoy it. Are mares more powerful than stallions? End report.” Oh Gunne. You honest, stupid, straightforward fool.

“I… I have no words!” Ivangri finally spoke up, chuckling to himself. “See, my King? These… mares are a threat! A danger! They have put a leash on worthy males and made them their playthings!”

“That is hardly the case,” I countered. “All I have seen in this report was cooperation, a strange ritual of courtship, perhaps? And a playful spar. If mares were indeed more powerful than stallions universally, where are the chains? Perhaps this traveling mare was, indeed, great and powerful. Much like a bard makes his wage with song, she earns her coin with displays of power and entertainment,” I shrugged. “Who knows? Perhaps the stallion was even holding back. All reports indicate that stallions are physically stronger than mares, except the earth pony ones, almost universally. Perhaps this is the case with their magic?”

“That’s even worse!” Vestri cried out, his face one of terror as if he had seen the ghost of Svarndagr in front of him. “That means the females don’t need leashes or chains anymore. They have domesticated their males into willing servitude!”

I swallowed hard. I could dispute that claim, but not with the next report on the line. It was the most damning of all reports by far. “Let’s continue,” I mouthed, feigning irritation. “‘Afternoon. I observed something rather curious and concerning. I had to make counts and observations for nearly two hours until I arrived at this final conclusion: the mares outnumber the stallions by a significant margin. By my estimates, the stallions are outnumbered by a total of four to one in the town of Lindisbarne. Perhaps this number is an anomaly, but that would explain why I’ve noted a few stallions doing strange things such as placing their lips on the lips of more than one mare, or cohabitating in a single homestead with two or more mares. I was about to end my report when something unthinkable happened. I had observed a large blanket covering what I suspected to be a statue in the middle of the town’s square. The blanket was lifted as a gathering crowd watched in awe at the unveiling of a statue. The statue of a mare with a horn, wings, and pointing a sword to the sky. Every pony fell to their knees and praised the statue in a sort of ritualistic fashion. My eyes do not deceive me. They were worshiping a female. Ancestors protect us. Equestria is a Matriarchy. End report.”

The silence was deafening.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Please tell me you didn’t approve an attack after that!” Twilight cried out, her wings flaring.

Dainn shook her head. “No. I didn’t. Everyone else, though, was on the warpath,” he admitted with great disillusion. “They demanded a meeting to discuss immediate action. I agreed, but what I desired was a peaceful solution. I never thought… I never… huh,” he blinked, stopping for a moment. “I… never considered that it was merely the ponies’ way. That worshiping their Princess was part of their culture. All I could see were misguided people in need of aid, but one that we could learn something from. Why didn’t I consider that in the past? The more I think about it, the emptier the answer becomes. It was… as if something blocked part of my rationale. Now I can think clearly and see even more mistakes. Hmmm. Or perhaps I’m older than I thought and less capable than I presumed?”

Twilight frowned. “That’s something I noticed about your tale. If you’re right, this is the second time some outside force clouded your mind,” she sighed. “Let me ask you something, Dainn. Why was a matriarchy so despicable to the caribou? Why did you fear it so much?”

“Fear is the correct word, Twilight. The answer itself compiles many factors that boils down to dogmatic, unchanging, unflinching, old-fashioned traditions and culture. Remember what I said about how the strong have the right to rule over the weak?” The alicorn nodded. “Well, apply that line of thinking to caribou culture and you'll get something I was too blind to see until everything came crashing down around me. Simply put, while we accepted that simple fact, we caribou couldn’t see any other being stronger than us. Without even knowing it, we saw ourselves as the pinnacle species; the only ones worthy enough to rule over everyone else and everything by divine right. Who could deny us? Our culture was perfect and true. Our way of life was unmatched, our government unparalleled, and we could never be in the wrong,” he chuckled darkly and Twilight could’ve sworn the whole room rumbled when he did. “Nothing more than pathetic fools we actually were. Unable to change, unable to coexist with others as equals, unworthy of life,” he sighed again, falling silent for several moments.

“Did you… share those fears and feelings, Dainn?” Twilight asked.

“Should I be wounded that you must ask that? No. I did not share them. If anything, I was envious yet ignorant at the time. Your way of life seemed to be better than our own. I was genuinely intrigued by it and I wished to learn from your mentor, to see if I could change ourselves for the better and be free from the Cycle once and for all,” he shook his head. “Now, may I ask you something?” She nodded. “In your dimension, do you have herds? How many times do mares outnumber stallions?”

“Yes, we have them. It’s as common as being monogamous, actually. In the past, herds were the norm but now a stallion mainly chooses a single wife and usually forms a herd with three or four pseudo-wives. Or a mare can simply request a mating and breeding contract,” she answered without shame and in the tone a teacher would use to describe a touchy subject. “We outnumber our stallions 6 to 1. We kinda have to ‘spread the love around’, if that makes sense.”

Dainn nodded. “Another similarity with this dimension, then. You see, that was another problem with us. We could not only NOT accept that any other species could be stronger than the caribou. We were unable to accept anything that was outside our grasp and couldn’t control it. And who was strongest among the caribou?”

“The stags,” Twilight answered bitterly.

“Correct. Male Superiority became not only a philosophy or our culture, it became our way of life. And to most caribou, the nightmare scenario was a Matriarchy. A society ruled by weak, stupid, unworthy females? Inconceivable. The very thought made most stags foam at the mouth. How could any of us accept a being more powerful than us? Worse if said being was a female?” Closing his eyes for several silent minutes, only his slow, shallow breathing was heard until he spoke with heavy, slimy sadness. “In that blasted meeting, I was weak and foolish…”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The council meeting was nothing short of a circus. To my surprise, not everyone sided with Ivangri and Vestri. There was a division of three opinions among them. Storm, Ivangri, Vestri, and Anvari clamored for an immediate invasion against Lindisbarne with the goal of liberating the stallions from female oppression and learning how pony magic worked. Hrathr, Thramm, Durnir and Fauber were of the opinion that we had to be wary and learn more about the ponies before doing anything. Thror and, surprisingly, Svenn, argued for a more friendly approach. At least until we could increase our numbers.

I was utterly disappointed with all of them, however. None of them even considered a peaceful resolution.

“Silence!” I shouted after hearing them argue and bark at each other for ten minutes without pause. My head was pulsating and I could feel myself grow dizzy as I heard their annoying screeches. “Arguing between ourselves solves nothing!”

“That is why, my King, an attack must be launched at once, before the ponies return in larger numbers!” Ivangri proposed.

“Are you mad or just stupid, Ivangri? Can you do simple mathematics, can you not? Our numbers are limited and we don’t know how vast Equestria really is!” Svenn countered.

“Who can stand against the might of the caribou? No creature! We are strong, they are weak! They worship a fucking cunt, Svenn! A CUNT! I’d rather die trying to reign them in into our proper, deserving rule than ever kneel before some lowly bitch!” Vestri replied, angrily.

I rolled my eyes at his argument. But he had a point. He shared the mentality the vast majority of stags held regarding females and their place of servitude under male rule. It made sense that a matriarchy was anathema to him, Ivangri, and almost the entirety of caribou civilization.

“Then go ahead and die, you idiot! We know next to nothing about Equestria and any other potential threats! We could be outnumbered a thousand to one; that’s my most optimistic view! Their power… their… their everything is beyond what we can achieve through rune crafting! So unless you have some great trick or strategy to play, I can only see defeat in our future.”

“You call yourself a male, a Warmaster at that, Svenn? Cowardice,” Anvari snarled. “All I see is cowardice before my eyes. You speak as if you fear these rowdy sluts in armor! Next, you’re going to tell me you believe dragons are real and not legends!”

“There was land across the sea, Anvari. Who is to say dragons are but legends? They could be real for all we know,” Thror replied. “I, for one, detest the idea of their matriarchy… but I support Svenn. Fighting them is out of the question. We must first establish our economy and then we can worry about everything else. I would even encourage trade with the ponies, if possible.”

“Oh really?” Ivangri scoffed. “Since all of you are too blinded to see it, I think I’ll have to spell the problem for all of you idiots,” he growled. Why did I hear his next words? Why was I convinced to act? Was it fear or duty? I don’t know anymore. “They are a matriarchy. Our worst enemy and a true nightmare given form. Now, think about it. Really, really think about it. They know where we are, or at least only those in Lindisbarne know. We have no idea if other settlements are aware of our existence. A new species appears and lands on your territory, you meet with them, and depart in peace. Tell me, Warmaster Svenn, what happens to important or urgent reports; taking into account these females have half a brain to maintain any level of organization whatsoever.”

“It goes up the chain of command, of course,” Svenn frowned. “And your point is?”

Ivangri lifted a finger. “My point is that such a report will eventually reach this… unicorn-pegasi hybrid slut they worship. This is a matriarchy,” he narrows his eyes, “we rule through the divine knowledge and mandate of Male Superiority. What do you think they’ll do when they learn how we treat our females? Because I assure you, they won’t fall to their knees and be enlightened by the truth. They won’t beg to be put in their proper place.”

The room went silent and I, reluctantly, imagined myself being beheaded by a mare for my crimes. Our people slaughtered, the survivors taken as cattle and slaves, as was only right and proper, and our people dying out under the servitude of ponies that had shown nothing but understanding to our struggle.

“Fortunately for us, I can help with that,” Storm said, pulling out a large black crystal with several blue-glowing runes carved on it. “This is what I’ve been working on and I’ve already done some minor testing on our surviving number of slaves. The results are promising, but I will need to test it on a wider scale for definite conclusions.”

“That’s why we must attack Lindisbarne, my King! Before they get a chance to mount an assault, we must show we are strong and that we won’t be subjugated,” Vestri pointed out.

I stood up from my seat, wishing I had acted upon my desire to strangle the Runecrafter right there and then. “You’re speaking of mind control! Svarndagr was many things, but now I understand why he saw you with such contempt, Storm. Using runecraft for such lowly objectives is not only dishonorable, but cowardly! How can you say the caribou are strong if we rely on such methods!?”

“We are few in numbers, my King. We must survive as a species. If we must take a blow to our honor, then so be it. I shall bear the burden so you may not,” Storm said, bowing respectfully. The rat. I swear he was smirking when I couldn’t see his fucking face.

“Svarndagr was a strong king. But he was a stupid king. Right now, and I hate to admit this, my King, but Storm is correct. I’m sure our people can overlook some minor foul play on our part against our enemies if we can ensure their survival and prosperity that way. Surely, honor and pride are less important than the lives of our younglings?” Ivangri asked with wide, innocent, pleading eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“It’s curious,” Dainn exhaled with contempt. “With what I now know, I can see the blatant lies and manipulation at play. And yet… using the lives of children so callously? Only cowards do that. And I’m the biggest coward of all.”

“That convinced you to order the assault, didn’t it?” Twilight snarled. “Applejack was right. Your council was filled with backstabbing, manipulative, fucking assholes,” she hissed, barely containing her fuming rage.

“Ah, that makes sense now,” Dainn barked out an oddly lively laugh. “You told them about me, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Twilight admitted, sighing. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t keep this a secret.”

Dainn shook his head. “I’m not mad. I would be disappointed if you hadn’t, Twilight,” another chuckle left his throat. “So, how much do they want to kill me?”

“They hated you at the start. But that hate got shifted to your council, for the most part. Rainbow Dash would drag you to Tartarus on a rope at maximum speed if she could,” Twilight replied.

“That sounds like her,” Dainn replied somberly. “Could you do me a favor? Tell your Applejack that she hit the nail on the head regarding my ‘council’. With an emphasis on the backstabbing part.”

“I will… but, what made you suspect I told them?” Twilight asked and Dainn pointed at the discarded lunch box. “The food?”

“The juice,” Dainn corrected her. “Even after all this time, Sweet Apple Acres juice tastes the same, even if it comes from another dimension.”

“Of course. I should’ve known,” Twilight replied, imagining for a moment her spending decades without a morsel of food and always missing her favorite dishes. The sweet teas of Fluttershy, the cheesy pizzas of Rainbow Dash, the delicious pies of Pinkie, the apple products of Applejack, and the chocolates of Rarity. She shook her head, pushing those thoughts away.

“How could you? No one can foresee every little possibility or outcome. To do so is folly. Putting that aside alongside my gratitude, tell me, how are Shining Armor and Cadance doing? I hope they are happily married and undisturbed, unless they do not exist in your dimension or they are not together?”

“Oh! N-No, they are married. Happily so,” Twilight replied, smirking longingly. “Cadance… she told me that she doesn’t hate you. She feels pity for you, Dainn,” the pain in his eyes squeezed her heart after she spoke those words. She saw him tremble and stifle a scream of regret. That was enough to tell her that Cadance had either played a big role in his past, or he had done something terrible to her. Most likely both, she thought grimly.

“Sweet, kind Cadance. Oh, Twilight. Of all the things I regret, turning her force of love into pure, ravaging lust is my second highest one. Tell your Cadance that I’m sorry. I know it’s not the same, but I’m sorry. I… I wish I could’ve met her under better circumstances. Who knows? Maybe she would’ve fixed my--- It doesn’t matter,” he sighed. “If Shining Armor is the same sort of stallion, then is it safe to assume he suspected we mind-controlled him, his wife, and thousands upon thousands of ponies?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, he… thought that’s what you did and your only viable option in your case. The caribou as a whole, I mean. Conventional warfare would’ve seen you defeated easily.”

“Your brother is a smart stallion and sensible, too. Under our mind-control spell, he was my biggest weapon against his people. All of their secrets, mine to plunder and exploit. Oh, Dainn, you fucking, stupid, blinded, spineless idiot. Spike, where are you? Burn that fool down!” He squeaked in pain, slamming a fist on the table in anger. Moments of silence passed until he regained his composure. “I thank you, Twilight.”

The alicorn blinked in confusion at the sudden gesture. “For what?”

“For not bringing Spike with you,” he shuddered. “I… developed an extreme phobia towards dragons. But Spike? Spike nearly killed me. Twice. I wish he had. Believe me, I wish it so.”

“You couldn’t control him?” Twilight asked, curious and surprised that her little brother could be so dangerous.

“Oh, he was absolutely under the power of the spell. I’ll explain that later, but what happened to him was of my own doing. A seamless innocent gift turned him into my worst nightmare,” Dainn shuddered again. “For now, let us continue. I’ll skip to the attack itself since the in-between was nothing more than preparing the troops, logistical issues, and supplies. You know, preparing for an assault. We had to move fast and quietly to avoid early detection. We wanted to assault Lindisbarne by surprise,” his eyes turned colder as he narrowed them. “It was a complete success.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I stormed out of Lindisbarne library fuming in rage thirty minutes after our attack concluded. A Warbeast walked past me as it pulled a wagon filled with plunder. Amazingly, there were no casualties on either side, just some wounded. The attack had been a total surprise as we took advantage of the coming dusk. Still, the lackluster garrison put up a valiant fight and, to our surprise, even the civilians fought back. But they couldn’t compete against trained true warriors.

“AAARRGGHH!” I turned my attention to the source of the scream. An earth pony mare had tried to run from her captors but a shock rod hit her back, sending electricity across her body before she fell to the ground, shaking. I ignored her a moment later, my sense of pity dimmed as I made my way to the town square.

A few houses were on fire, a few more had signs of fighting, but almost the entire town was still intact. Lindisbarne had fallen, it was officially my first conquest, but the disgust I felt towards myself was crushed down under the weight of the rage I felt. The entire population of Lindisbarne, a little over 1500 individuals, were being held in the town’s square.

When I arrived, I saw huddled masses of ponies in chains or shackles. All of them set before the disgusting statue of the alicorn that, at that moment, I saw with nothing but hatred. I stopped in front of the statue and turned to my captives, the swollen, glaring eyes of Striding Star locked with mine, but a swift hit from Ivangri made her docile once more.

“Don’t you dare glare out your King again, slut,” he said with obvious superiority and smugness. Vestri was next to him, holding the chains of a yellow-coated mare with a blue mane who was kneeling at his side, crying and with a cheek swelling.

I spat my anger out and focused it on the gathered crowd. “Citizens of Lindisbarne, your so-called Princesses have failed you! They have failed you for centuries and yet you continue to toil in squalor under their rule! NO MORE! Today, I, King Dainn, liberate you from the incompetent rule of Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, and Princess Twilight! ESPECIALLY PRINCESS CELESTIA!” I turned around, pointing an accusing finger at the statue. No, you fool! Stop!

“You have failed your people, Celestia! I have spent time reading Equestria’s history. And what do I find? Failure after failure! Villains happily trot about the land scheming how to dethrone you! And what do you do? NOTHING! You are a coward and a weak-minded female! You are unworthy of leadership, unworthy of your positions, unworthy--”

“Shut up! Princess Celestia has been our ruler for over a thousand years, invader!” A pony shouted.

“The Princesses have always protected us! Equestria lives in peace!” Another one shouted.

“Live in peace? Protects you?” I asked angrily. Stupid fool, shut up! Stop, listen to them! I looked around mockingly. “I don’t see your Princesses here. Where are they? Living a lavishing lifestyle in their private mountain castle as they rule over their foolish slaves, too stupid to realize they have been indoctrinated into a false, corrupt way of thinking! And where is this peace you speak of!? Nightmare Moon returned, plunging your land into darkness. Where was Celestia then? Then, Discord devastated the land. Where was she then? Handing the task to another. The changeling Queen defeated in single combat!” I snarled. “WORTHLESS! USELESS! INCOMPETENT! That’s what your Celestia is! She is undeserving of her power and status.”

I couldn’t contain myself, hatred guided me. “Her sister is just as bad! A lying bitch that safeguards your dreams? HAH! Do not make me laugh! Then there is Cadance. Princess of Love? Only a female could find value in such stupidity! Another weak fool who was granted a new land to torment over with her tyranny and stupidity while you drool over her like pups! The only one I can find some worth is Twilight, for she at least tries to fulfill the duties your Princesses should fill! But even she is lacking and her title a mockery. Princess of Friendship,” I spat at the notion of it. FOOL! ARROGANT FOOL! STOP!

“I dared to hope Equestria was different. Enlightened. And yet, I find rampant sexism, discrimination, and incompetence. All of your Alicorns are females. Why? Are stallions. No. Are MALES not worthy of such a title? Who decides who can become such a powerful entity? Celestia. Celestia decides that. My brother stallions, fret not! For we, the caribou, bring you salvation under the rule of Male Superiority! You shall be truly enlightened and comprehend our ways! Mares, rejoice, for you shall soon forget your treacherous instincts and embrace your true calling in life.”

Screams. Oh, the screams. The ponies tried to fight back, but the rods came down. There would be no escape, no chance to resist our will.

I could feel my mentor’s words flow through my voice, his many lessons engraved into my memory surging forth. Don’t listen to them, stop! “You are unworthy to carry the powers you hold. A solution shall be implemented, but your magic cannot be allowed to be wasted in the hands of worthless, emotional females.”

“If their horns are the problem, we should chop them off,” Ivangri suggested as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I could see the horror forming in the stunned faces of unicorn mares that heard him. “Why would they even need it for? They’re unworthy of using magic. Better to cull it from the root. Heh, from the root, get it?” He joked, elbowing Vestri who looked down at the terrified mare covering her horn with her hands. As if that would save her horn.

“Yes,” NO! “You’re correct, Ivangri. But first, Storm, enlighten our new slaves. Show them the glory of the caribou and Male Superiority,” KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! Don’t let him do it, you spineless bastard!

Storm obeyed and pulled out several similar runes to the one he had shown me days prior. His acolytes took one each and formed a circle around the captives. He spoke ancient words of power, the runes glowed… and the screams came to a halt for a moment. Most ponies seemed dazed, confused. But not all of them. At least a sixth of them remained unaffected by the effects of the enchantment.

“It seems the prototype is a success, for the most part,” Storm said, pleased with himself and his work. “With your permission, my King, I’d like to take prisoners and further conduct experiments to improve my runes.”

NO! NO! NO! “You may have them, Storm. My warriors!” I reached out to Durnir, who was holding a beautifully crafted warhammer. The blacksmith handed it to me and I gripped it. I froze for a moment when I noticed how heavy it was… and how effortlessly I was holding it. But I was angry, adrenalin was pumping in my veins. I blamed my sudden surge of strength on that. With a swift swing, my warhammer struck the right leg of Celestia’s statue, cracking it into pieces. The rest of the statue fell a moment later, breaking and shattering against the ground. “My sword,” I commanded, returning the warhammer to Durnir and accepting a sharp blade instead.

I turned to the unicorn mare who was no longer cowering in fear, but rather looking around in confusion. “Mare. What is your name?” I asked. HELP HER! DON’T DO IT!

“My… name? S-Sunrise Splendor, my King,” it was apparent she was struggling to think straight, but there was no hostility in her voice, only uncertainty. “How may this slut serve you?”

“I see your rune enchantment is effective, Storm. I praise you.” IT IS AN ABOMINATION! STOP! “Sunrise Splendor, bow before me,” she did so without protest, though she was trembling, shaking. I lifted my sword-holding arm, I aimed the cut true and certain… and I sliced down.

“AAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGGGG!” Sunrise Splendor shouted, in pain. She grabbed her stump while her horn rolled on the ground.

I leaned down to pick it up and handed it to Vestri. “I presume you’ll be taking her as your own? You seem to like her.”

“Ah, my King, you have good eyes,” Vestri admitted, licking his lips. “She shall be most entertaining. I do wonder how different pony cunt feels compared to cow cunt.”

I turned around, uninterested. STOP HIM! “Do whatever you-- Ivangri, what are you doing!?” I shouted, horrified when I saw Ivangri holding one of Striding Star’s wings with one hand and the other ready to strike down with his sword. Thankfully, he stopped and turned at me with a look of pure bewilderment.

“Getting rid of the nuisance?” He replied in the most nonchalant tone ever. At the time, I failed to see the masked veil of perversion and sadistic delight behind his eyes. “If the horns must go, then the wings should go too, right?”

“You bloody idiot! If you cut her wings, she’ll bleed to death! There are several arteries and blood vessels connected to her wings!” I replied, shoving him aside. “At least read about their anatomy before you try to do something so incredibly stupid again, Ivangri!” I reprimanded him… and it felt good. To hold authority and status over him. Still, he shrugged off and crossed his arms.

“So we just let the sluts fly off when we aren’t looking?” He countered.

“Tie their wings. Simple solution… I’ll figure out what to do with their wings later,” I say as screams of horns being chopped off reach my ears. Foals were crying, fillies were being dehorned and screaming for their parents who couldn’t do anything about it. And what I thought about it? How inefficient manual dehorning was. “I’ll have to find a way to make that a faster… less painful process,” I said to myself.

Kill yourself and rid the world of your stupidity, coward! Delusional idiot! Gullible fool!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“...” Twilight stared at Dainn with wide-open eyes as her jaw threatened to hit the floor at any moment. “W-Why? WHY!? Why would you… oh sweet Celestia,” she exclaimed before rushing to a corner of the room before she began vomiting. The process lasted for several moments until she managed to get a hold of herself and return to the table. “Just why, Dainn? A-And the wings? What did you do with their wings?”

“For some time? Nothing. But the reasoning we used was that females should have neither wings nor magic; they were unworthy of such gifts. It eventually turned into the belief of seeing them as defects of nature, failures of birth, and even considered as abominations. But the horns? We did something about them. I invented a specialized guillotine to cut unicorn horns in the quickest, most painless way possible,” Dainn replied, his voice returning to his emotionless, ethereal chill. “I could tell you now who developed a way to deal with the wings… but I think you wouldn’t believe me until we reach that part of the story.”

“You’re probably right… but, Dainn, how could you reach such ludicrous conclusions after skimming through a history book!? I thought you were a scholar!” Twilight cried out in protest.

“A manipulated, culturally indoctrinated, bigoted, stupid scholar who knew no better. And I didn’t skim through it. I read it in detail… the relevant information, at least. I even had time to read about pony anatomy and verify all pony races were, in fact, all ponies. But at the time I wasn’t reading it through the eyes of a scholar, but through the eyes of a King. A King that saw Equestria as a corrupted place ruled over by ignorant tyrants. I was thinking about the safety of my people, Twilight… I… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he said, a few tears falling from his eyes.

“Dainn… I… I can’t forgive you. It is not within my right to hate or pardon you. I’m not from this dimension, this place… this place is not my home and I am here to listen to your story… for the sake of my people, friends, and family. I can’t forgive you, but I understand your motivations,” Twilight sighed. “Please, continue.”

“There’s nothing else to talk except… after I stopped Ivangri, I gave the command to my warriors to plunder and claim their prizes as is tradition. Twilight, I do not believe you wish to know what happened next, or do you wish to learn in detail how a town-wide gangrape orgy goes by?” He asked, disgust dripping in his voice.

“You’re right, I do not wish to know that. However, there is something else I do need to know. Why, in all that’s holy and pure, did you think chopping off horns would rob a mare of her magic?” She asked.

“Pardon?” Dainn blinked. “It doesn’t?”

“NO! Our horns are hollow and only help to conduct our magic into spells. Our brains do all the actual work, the horn focuses and canalizes it. In fact, you can craft wands using unicorn horns because of that same fact! My friend, Tempest Shadow, had her horn broken when she was a filly and she could still do magic, but never got training to use it efficiently. The loss of connection with the magic is what hurts.”

“I’m sorry, what?” He blinked a few times until realization dawned on him. “Hmmm, that would explain the rumors and reports about mares without horns producing bursts of magic… but who is this Tempest Shadow you speak of? I have never heard that name before.”

“No? How about the Storm King? Hippogriffons?”

“If they existed here, I didn’t know them,” Dainn replied. “Was the Storm King formidable?”

“Very. He was a raiding despot and a megalomaniac. He tricked Tempest into serving him in exchange to fix her horn. She defeated Celestia in combat and--”

“Wait, what? You’re telling me that a mare with a broken horn managed to defeat Celestia… just like that?” Dainn blinked, his voice showing his disbelief.

Twilight blushed in embarrassment. “Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. She, uhhh, had these artifacts that nullified magic and turned anyone they touched into stone. It was also a surprise attack - of sorts- and she almost defeated me, but another dear friend of mine, Derpy, saved me just in the nick of time.”

“...You should train more, Twilight. Honestly, why are all alicorns such poor fighters? Or are you just overconfident in your ascended abilities?” He sighed. “I was hoping my Celestia was a special case, but it seems like incompetence is an unchanging trait between them, huh?”

“How dare you! Princess Celestia has--!

“Tell me one time your Princess Celestia has saved the day or defended your nation against invading forces on her own,” Dainn countered.

“Ha! Easy! There was that one time… she… uhhh… mmmm… No… that was Luna… and no... that was technically Cadance… D-Does it count if she and Luna fought together? Oh… I think… I think she only defeated Nightmare Moon on her own…,” her stomach churned and she suddenly lost some color in her face. “Oh my feathers, I think something inside me just broke.”

“Something called blind idolatry, most likely,” Dainn said, unable to hide a hint of humor in his voice. “I’m not saying Celestia is a bad ruler, just a weak one. However, I later learned of her immaculate logistical and political acumen. Something needed to rule such a vast territory. That does bring up a good question that I never got properly answered. How does a pony become an alicorn? And please don’t say ‘it just happens’. I always got that answer from… you know.”

Twilight cleared her throat and used a hand to fan herself. “I should just not answer you after you thoroughly demolished my faith in Princess Celestia… but I don’t understand it myself, either. All I know is that a pony must do something extraordinary for the sake of ponykind. In my case, I created new magic. Although… my niece, Flurry Heart, was born an alicorn.”

“For the sake of your Equestria, train her as a warrior!” Dainn exclaimed, unsurprised by the mention of a fifth alicorn. “I know Celestia and Luna were also born alicorns, but what about Cadance? How did she become an alicorn? I heard it happened when she was pretty young, almost a filly.”

“I’m not too keen on the details, actually. All I know is that she discovered her powers and something incredible happened. So maybe she also created new magic? I’ll have to ask her once I return. Why do you ask?”

“Because I believe Shining Armor was more than worthy of becoming an alicorn. Or does Celestia only wish to keep the alicorn race as mares only? Perhaps only mares can become alicorns?” Dainn questioned, genuinely curious about the subject.

Twilight allowed herself to smile a little. There was the scholar he claimed to be. Full of questions and not a drop of hesitation when asking them. “Actually, Celestia doesn’t control the process. She’s the most powerful alicorn and the oldest, but she can only guide someone worthy when it happens. Hmmm, now that I remember, when they all gave me their power to fight against Tirek--”

“Who?”

“Big scary centaur that steals magic. Not important. But when they gave me their power, Celestia’s power was so much bigger than Luna’s and Cadance’s combined. It was so hard to keep all of it under control… so maybe Celestia holds back her powers on purpose?” Twilight pondered. Another worthy question for her once-mentor.

“Interesting hypothesis. Thank you for answering my questions, Twilight. Before I divulge what happened after I left Lindisbarne, can you ask Cadance something on my behalf?” With a nod, he continued. “If Shining Armor doesn’t ascend, what will you do when he dies? You’re immortal. He is not. Whatever her answer is, continue with this. If you don’t want him to leave your side, then guide him into alicorn hood. It should be easy for a pony of his talent and power. Unless, of course, he doesn’t want to.”

“That’s… rather morbid, don’t you think?” Twilight asked, feeling a bit squeamish at the thought.

“Why? Death is part of life. Alicorns are outside of that cycle in the natural sense. I crave for death, Twilight, but I am not blind either. Think about it. If Shining Armor eventually dies, what will Cadance do as the Princess of Love? Fade away? How will she cope with the pain? She will seek out a new lover, fall in love, marry, spend a life together, and see her second husband die. Pain follows, coping comes next, new love fills the gap, and tragedy awaits at the end. Thus, the cycle repeats and it’ll repeat again and again until the Princess of Love gets tired of love and eventually comes to resent it. Trust me, from one immortal to another, I know how lonely that path can be,” he chuckled. “Extremely lonely, on my part. An immortal is cursed with a solitary life if nothing is done to prevent such loneliness.”

Twilight nodded, understanding his words. She thought of her friends, of Spike, of her parents. She was an alicorn, an immortal. Would she remain while all of them faded away eventually? She shook her head, not wanting to delve into such thoughts. “...how did you become immortal, Dainn?”

“You’ll learn that, eventually. Just know this was a product of my incomprehensibly vast stupidity,” he said, extending his arms to encompass himself and everything around him. “Now, I promised what happened after Lindisbarne, did I not? Well… you may or not believe me, but what appeared before me was a gold-shining spirit in the form of a little ball. A flash of light later, it took the form of a mare I only saw a photo of. Imagine my surprise when a ten-inch tall crystallized Princess Twilight appeared right before my eyes staring at me with disappointment and pity.”

Twilight did a double-take after hearing that. “Wait, what!?”