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

“My King, there are several outbursts of violence happening in Manehattan. The reports… are disconcerting. Bloodshed seems to be on the rise,” an aide said. “Magistrates all across the region are requesting reinforcements.”

“Those pleas can wait,” Svenn interjected, kneeling before me and my throne. “My King, there are reports of probing assaults all across the borders! Gryphons, Zebras, Saddle Arabians, and other stray creatures are trying to sink their unworthy fingers in what is rightfully ours! We need to dispatch and train more regiments of Loyalists and Turned!”

My head hurt after hearing his booming voice. Complaint after complaint followed. Two hours without stopping. Fifteen days after Oksho unleashed Surtr without fail. I turned to Storm, the contemptible bastard. “Storm, why have you not deployed the Enchantment against our new foes? Vestri, what do these vermin want with us?”

Storm was the first to reply. Something was… off about him. More than usual. He didn’t look like himself, but rather as something wearing his flesh. However, I pushed those thoughts aside. “My Liege… I regret to inform you that… the Enchantment does not work on them for reasons I cannot fathom. I’ve been trying to modify the enchantment, but it seems my greatest work is too efficient and… I’ve been unable to undo what I’ve done to create it in the first. Luckily, Turned stallions and Guard-Mares are eager to defend their master and you, my King.”

“About that,” I frowned, ignoring the Spirit hovering next to me. “Why is it that the Enchantment works more on stallions than mares? Ponies should be affected equally, according to your overbloated ego.”

“All through paths of darkness and vile, yet you see not the answer yourself? Pestering I will be until you see, that your death and torment will not cease without disbelief,” the Spirit of Harmony whispered.

“Ahhhh… Yes… Mares are, of course, females and inferior beings, thus they can’t understand the glorious message of our creed. Only those few who know the truth within themselves, that females are but animals and unworthy of anything besides serving us, can see the Light of Male Superiority. The males are much more enlightened, as their tragic past is uncovered and the deceit of their corrupt sexist and female-led alicorn sluts. But some are as blind as the heretical females. They will be re-educated or Switched in order to serve us--You, mighty one.”

“Lies, deception, ruse, and strings. A puppet you are not, so why do you latch to be?”

“Find a solution, then, Storm. We must spread the glory of our message and bring forth an undying Caribou Empire, forevermore,” not even I believed my words back then. Such idiocy. “Vestri?”

“These are but scavengers and riffraff, my King. opportunistic vermin that wish to gnaw at the bones of our riches thinking Equestria was rendered weak by our rightful and just conquest. In truth, they are not as dangerous as one may think. Gryphons are content with gold. A few coins are nothing to us and we can use them as mercenaries. The Saddle Arabians are, in truth, an annoyance to maritime commerce. They shall be dealt with swiftly. The zebras are… an oddity. Some wish to join willingly, others cry out our actions as crimes and fight on with an unmatched ferocity. There are other species involved, but of little value.”

“And… what about dragons?” I asked, shaken as the memories of Spike came to the forefront of my mind.

“None have been seen… to think they were real? They are content to stay where they are except for our local beast,” Ivangri replied, partially recovered from his wounds. I smiled, chuckling as I remembered his shame and screams of pain. “There are, sadly, other problems.”

“Such as?” I asked, eyes narrowing.

“My King, the unworthy fields of the ponies are being repurposed to cultivate our seeds and tend to our needs. Initial reports indicate that the soil is rich and fertile. We will impregnate the very soil itself and enjoy the fruits of our labor soon!” Another aide boasted. “Heretical tools are being destroyed, history is being rewritten to show our truth, re-education camps and efforts are prospering, and the alteration to the strange pony technology is underway.”

“However, I must point out, my Liege, that the disruption of agricultural tending will lower our stockpiles. Not to worry, for the warehouses are full and will be many, many months before we even begin to see an issue. By that time, our crops shall grow and we shall thrive, as per your wishes,” Hrathr added.

I could feel my headache becoming worse already. “Explain to me why those tools are labeled as ‘heretical’. Those tools have been developed and created specifically to tend to crops, irrigation, agriculture, and cattle. I’ve seen a few in action and they seem to be more effective than our own. Why destroy them when we can use them?”

Ivangri spat angrily, not bothering to hide his disdain. “Those tools were developed by females, my King! Heretical by nature. Nothing is superior than what the male mind has conjured. Besides,” he grinned darkly, “how are the mares tending the fields to know their worthlessness without humiliation and suffering?”

“Behold thine Voice, cruel in nature and cruel in soul. A fool greater there is none, except for the one who sees with closed eyes.”

I frowned, ignoring the Spirit yet again. “Again with that stupid, pointless reason?” I countered angrily. “Females may be inferior and worth no consideration, but to shove aside perfectly usable tools and equipment for such a foolish reason? And why is it that females are to be tasked with farm labor? Do you idiots have forgotten what happened to the caribou that tried to force females to toil with cruelty and humiliation as the main goals?” I asked and everyone tensed for a moment. The howls of pain of those farmers were so loud that the entire capital heard them after Svarndagr was done punishing them.

“But, my King, we are few in numbers. We, males, must focus on breeding more worthy males! It is our duty to repopulate our magnificent race with strong males while the females toil for our benefit, as it should be,” Hrathr retorted.

I raised a finger and pointed it at my backstabbing council members. “From now on, you are forbidden from destroying those tools based on such stupid motivations. Svarndagr always complained that our equipment was too backward and primitive. He would’ve liked these tools, regardless of their origin and so do I. We have a nation to build and maintain. Forget those stupid squabbles and focus on what needs to be done!”

The aides, scribes, and councilors bowed their heads, unable to argue against me so openly. “What’s next?” I sat there, hearing report after report. Hardly any good news, plenty of problems. Infrastructure was being repurposed without permission by Turned to host breeding schools, rape tournaments, and more. More land was taken from former mare-controlled hands and handed to incompetent or unprepared males. The weather was starting to create havoc as it went uncontrolled and unattended. Changeling incursions and kidnappings were happening constantly. Not to mention the issues of logistical nature, the burning of countless books, the destruction of monuments that would be replaced by my own mockeries, natality reports, population reports, and so much damn paperwork.

I was working understaffed and beyond my limits, and yet, that wasn’t the worst of all. I couldn’t see it then, but there were cracks everywhere spreading and appearing one after the other. Yet, not even I could hide my fury and disbelief when the last report of that day reached my ears.

“What did you just say?” I asked, my voice cold and my eyes wide with disbelief.

Hrathr, that repugnant maniac and coin pincher, stood proudly, mistaking my reaction for one of pride and bemusement. “Precisely what you heard, my King! Several hectares of forest have been cut and burned and all the fields surrounding Trottingham and Coltdelphia have been repurposed for the exclusive growth of Rape Vines. The podlings are already growing nicely and are expected to start producing Hardshaft, our prized stimulant, within a month! Thousands of females are being selected for the process.”

“YOU INCREDIBLE IMBECILE!” I shouted with unbound fury as I jumped to my hooves. “You absolute lecherous moron! Do you have any idea what the words that left your unworthy mouth mean!?” I raged, wishing nothing more than to kill Hrathr at that very moment.

“M-My King?” The moron asked as every set of eyes looked at me with confusion and fear at my outburst. “If you’re displeased with the amount seeded, I can see to it to expand it immediately!”

I clenched my fists and I slowly, so slowly I thought I would fall with every step I took, I descended from my throne to face Hrathr. “Burn it all! Burn it immediately!”

“A fickle fly, a fickle lie. A stab to the wound, a salve for the mind. What is it that you wish to prevent when the die is already in the air? Too late, too foul, your play has been set.”

“B-But my King! With the surplus of whores and sluts at our disposal, proud males will need Hardshaft by the bucketload!” Hrathr replied, confused.

“One single Rape Vine consumes incredible amounts of resources and water. It grows fast. It propagates fast. And if the number is too great, it shall spread without control! It drains the soil from nutrients and nothing except that damnable drug is produced in return!” I barked angrily. “Do you not remember the laws set by Svarndagr!? A SINGLE rape vine is a reward for outstanding farmers and herders who do their work to enjoy and have extra profit. One. Singular. Vine!”

“That is precisely why a field--”

I shut him up by delivering a backhand to him. I was stronger somehow. Even then I could feel the difference. Something within me was changing, but I was too blind to give it my attention. I stood over a bleeding Hrathr as he coughed a few teeth, staring at me in disbelief. “Do you remember what the consequences of unchecked Rape Vine growth can cause?”

“B-But he was a fool! A simpleton farmer!” Hrathr tried to argue, but I continued.

“A farmer so idiotic that he thought nothing wrong could ever happen if he planted a second vine. Then a third. Then ten. And when he only had twenty to deal with, they spread like frostbite in a blizzard! He nearly caused a famine outbreak with his idiocy! All because he was greedy and his cock made the thinking for him!” I remarked angrily.

“M-My King--”

“THE KING IS SPEAKING!” I snapped, kicking his stomach. “Hrathr, your stupidity and greed have cost us dearly! You are the Beastmaster. Have you consulted with Thror about this at all!? WHERE IS MY MASTER OF COMMERCE!?”

“He---He is overseeing trading dilemmas across the north, your Majesty,” Vestri replied.

“Then, surely, he has not agreed to this debacle of stupidity!” I glared at the cowering stag with repugnance. “The food shortage I projected has gotten worse thanks to you, Hrathr. Fertile fields are now unusable and who knows how many seeds and podlings are spreading out already, unchecked, across the land. You are an excellent trainer, but you had no right to call for such an ignorant move… more so without consulting me about it first.”

“B-But, my King… there are… there are so many females now! The ugliest and oldest ones can serve as stock for Rape Pods! A never-ending supply of Hardshaft would be at our disposal, and, with it, we can make more drugs to help break the stubborn black collars easily!”

I snapped at him again. “Do stags only ever think with their dicks!? Tell me, you ignorant, uncultured, uneducated moron, what good is an endless supply of Hardshaft going to do when we are STARVING BECAUSE OF YOU!?” I covered my face with my shaking, terrified hands in exasperation. My headache was getting worse as I thought about the logistical nightmare unfolding in my mind. “Ivangri, Vestri. Cordon the area, burn the entire fields and burn every square inch in a two-hectare diameter from the fields immediately! We have to contain the spread of the vines NOW!”

Ivangri made a noise with his throat before speaking. “Is it… that too extreme, my King? Your response could be perceived as… worry for the bitches that--”

“Am I surrounded by idiots!?” I snapped at him, almost foaming with anger. “Have any of you incompetent fools ever heard of malnutrition!? Lean produce!? Scurry!? Anything at all regarding our health!?” I raised a finger at him. “And that brings me to question a topic I wished to discuss in private with you, Ivangri. What is this stupid order about feeding females nothing but water and kibble!?”

“My King… they are females. Eating that much is already more than they deserve,” he replied with disdain. “If anything, they should be feeding on our waste as a show of how lowly they truly are,” she said and many gave silent nods of agreement.

“...Ha… hahaha…. AHAHAHAHAHAHA!” I laughed, but it wasn’t a laugh of mirth. It was a laugh of despair and pain. “Now… Now I understand why my mentor never trusted any of you. Why he maintained such a tight leash on everything? You are… you aren’t just stupid, you are actively self-destructive and take pride in your stupidity!”

“Think… use your fucking brains for once… and think long and deep about what I am about to tell you. If you eat one thing and one thing only, you will grow weak, you will grow sick, because your body needs all sorts of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in order to survive.”

Vestri scoffed. “My King, we are not calves.”

“Since you refuse to hear reason, I shall speak to you as I damn well please!” I retorted. “What do you think will happen to females if they eat nothing but kibble?”

“...why should we even care? They are females. Unworthy of our attention or care,” Ivangri replied, unable to see reason or refusing to understand logic.

“Because, you mulling pack of imbeciles, if the females grow weak and suffer from malnutrition, they will be unable to get pregnant! Then what? How are we supposed to reproduce without females to give birth?” I asked the most basic, simple question I could come up with.

At long last, I saw fear and some understanding fall across the faces of all those in front of me. From my guards to my aides and my Councilors. “Destroy those fields and make sure to feed females a balanced diet from now on. Not ‘wastes’, I glared at Ivangri with disgust at the sheer stupidity of even suggesting that, “no rotten food, no uncooked meals. Svarndagr understood that a healthy female is better than a hundred starving ones who can’t give birth to more males. In his own way, he cared more about the well-being of females than all of you combined.”

“Oh, Lord of Fools, now you see glint and gold. Oh, Negligent Lord, are your eyes closed when seeing forth? Too little, too sparse. Unquenchable is the thirst of the maw. Your actions: abhorrent. Your will: irrelevant. Burn and burn and burn it goes and in a circle… the Cycle you fear shall end… when only ashes remain.”

For the first time since the Spirit appeared to me… I saw it smile.

A smile of pure hatred, obscured within a friendly mask. Mocking eyes pierce me. And I felt terror grip my heart.

What had I done wrong?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dainn stopped, closing his eyes while his hands shook. Long minutes of silence passed until he once again regained his composure. “That there was the moment I realized I had failed to see the truth about our nature. How… our secular culture and way of life was wrong and invited nothing but destruction and pain for us and those around us. The caribou species, is so self-righteous and so hilariously stubborn that it fails to see itself as anything less than the pinnacle of creation itself. We can do no wrong because we are the greatest and smartest creatures to ever exist. If nature itself goes against us, then, surely, nature is wrong. We are right. We are always right… because we are the strongest and everything else is there to serve us and our needs,” he sighed deeply.

“Svarndagr… I think Svarndagr understood this and was repulsed by it. He tried, in his own brutal, self-centered way to steer our species from that. He was a hard stag. A harsh master. And an iron-fisted tyrant. He whipped the caribou into an actual semi-civilized society. Despite everything, we were thriving, but that is the trap of the Cycle. Something he didn’t come to realize until he was made undone.”

“My mentor… he trusted no one. He confided a few secrets to me, but nothing more than that except when using me as a female. He never had true aides, only pupils like myself. He never trusted his council. He didn’t even trust his own cooks. He prepared his own meals, crafted his own weapons. His was the belief that if you want something done right, do it yourself. He was a monster, a deplorable teacher, and a cruel master… but a brilliant leader, a great warrior, and someone actually capable of reining in the worst aspects of caribou culture.”

Dainn pointed at the throne and glared at it. “That throne… that… filthy thing. He would’ve never used it. He never cared for his throne. ‘A throne? I don’t need a throne. That throne isn’t the nation. I AM the nation. A chair or a stool is the same to me as that throne because it is just a fancy chair. Without me, there is no nation. A throne only gathers up dust and empty air’. He used to say that.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask… no. I am afraid to ask but I must. W-What is a Rape Vine?” Twilight asked softly.

“I’m sure you were able to see a few long-torn posters or something akin to them at some point. The giant plant t-tentacle things?” He answered, flinching for just a moment.

“Those are Rape Vines?” Twilight asked, shuddering with disgust. “Given the name I can only imagine what they do to earn it. Were they really such a big problem?”

“Imagine the unholy mix between weed and creeper vines. Rape Vines were almost self-aware in a sense. As I said, they grow fast, draining the land from nutrients and eroding the earth. The juices that females produce are their favorite ‘meal’, though they also enjoy male juices… they are still plants at the end of the day,” he said, pausing for a moment. “They are a plague, in all essence. They can fling their seeds far and wide and other animals can carry them too. Once an outbreak happens, it is hard to control.”

“And the sole reason those plants were kept around was because of the stimulant they produced?” She asked.

Dainn nodded. “It was a prized commodity, giving the stag that drank it endless stamina for some hours. The sexual kind. It was produced naturally, but when ‘feeding’ off female juices, the production rate multiplied tenfold. In some cases, the vine would encapsulate its prey, keeping it inside the pod, hence Rape Pods, and continue to violate the female captured inside… using its willing, multiple tentacles just to extract as much of her juices as she’d left drained. Some mares would… be left in a catatonic state. Others were left broken by the experience. You tell me which are the lucky ones.”

“I rather not,” Twilight replied, suppressing the urge to vomit. “So… did they do it? Did they follow your orders?”

Dainn scoffed. “They tried, I’ll grant them that much. But from the start, they weren’t going to do exactly as I said. The females would end up getting an improved kibble with more feed to them, so, make that whatever you want from it. The Rape Vines were burned down but, as I feared, it was too late for containment. Wild, unsupervised vines started to pop up everywhere. Plenty of other stupid idiots like Hrathr thought the same as him and… it was a nightmare to deal with, Twilight.”

Twilight frowned. “I hope that you punished him accordingly. He doomed so many,” he said, shaking her head slowly. “I am floored that none of your advisors, councilors, or aides had any sort of logical, critical thinking.”

“And did I before that point? Oksho’s actions and words rang within me, snapping me out of the stupor I had been in since the start. But it was too little too late. Even though I was changing, No one really respected me. I was just a puppet King. Under the table, Vestri and Ivangri profited immensely and did whatever they desired. Ivangri, especially, made sure to have a collection of over thirty females all to himself. Thirty. Svarndagr set a limit that no stag would ever have more than thirteen females as his own. Mainly because, while there have always been more cows than stags, it was a control of the gene pool and it escalated with social status and ranking,” he shook his head tiredly.

“A sudden influx of females, vastly outnumbering males, made things even worse, didn’t it?” Twilight guessed, gaining a nod from the decrepit, mummy-like stag. “Did you… never try to take assistants or secretaries?”

“And who would I turn to? Stags under my command had two brains and the biggest one was attached to their groins. I would lose all respect if I kept females at my side for support and aid. Turned stallions were even worse. And the precious few capable of fulfilling that role were eaten away by my bureaucracy. No, I was alone. Left to control and manage a realm a thousand times bigger than our homeland, with a fraction of our original strength, and with a King that was a mere shadow of what Svarndagr ever was.”

“Was there a Raven Inkwell in this dimension? Celestia’s secretary?” Twilight asked.

Dainn nodded. “Yes. She was one of my ‘females’. Celestia and Luna were just bedroom decorations. Trophies. My females were… pets? I do not know how to describe it. Sadly, Raven’s mind was ravaged by the Enchantment. Not quite a red-collar but her brilliant mind was excluded. I made her my maid. I liked her. Her company was enjoyable and in those rare moments in which her mind was returned to her, her advice saved me many headaches.”

Twilight smiled. “That’s Raven Inkwell alright,” she chuckled. “Celestia is fortunate to have many assistants and she knows how to delegate her duties. I should take a few more lessons in that regard. I also tend to be a control freak like Svarndagr, but, you know, not because I don’t trust anyone. I have Spike by my side and now I can rely on Starlight,” she paused for a moment, then leaned in curiously. “Say, Dainn, how many mares did you have in your harem?”

Dainn made a rasping noise. Itchy, dry, and unpleasant. “Harem? Hardly. Sex was meaningless to me, as I already told you. But I was forced to have some females as a sign of status. In total, I had ten, excluding Celestia and Luna. But I was only fond of Raven Inkwell and an ex-guardsmare by the name of Nightingale. Thestral. Such curious ponies. She was Luna’s aide.”

Twilight smiled warmly at him. “You try to deny it… and it was hard for me to see it beneath every atrocity that happened, Dainn, but you were, in truth, a kind and noble king. It surfaced now and again. I wish… I wish you could’ve been given a real chance to be yourself, not the thing you were carved out to be. Your side of the story is so much different than what the canvas offers.”

“There are always three sides to any story. The one you hear, the one that’s blemished, and the one left by history. Which one is the true one?” He shook his head tiredly. Offering a small smirk, he raised a finger. “That aside, you’ll be pleased to hear that I, indeed, punished Hrathr for his incompetence and stupidity. I followed Svarndagr’s example and did to him something far worse than death for a stag.”

“I castrated him over the course of three days in such a way that he never stopped screaming. Fire, pliers, acid, and several poisons were involved in the process. I added a touch of creativity using red-hot nails. Then, only after the process finished, I ordered that he was to be healed enough for him to survive and undo everything I did to him. He’d recover, but the pain would never leave him for several months at the very least. Lenient? Perhaps. But it sent a message. Besides… as much as I loathed him and the others, they were irreplaceable. I had tied a rope around my own neck. I couldn’t do away with any of them without suffering setbacks and other complications.”

“And they positioned themselves in such a way that doing so would only weaken your already fragile position,” Twilight reasoned. “Whatever real power you had was only valid as long as your Council remained strong, leaving you with little to no room to do anything yourself. I do not envy that position at all, Dainn. If the closest subjects, advisors, and aides of a ruler are untrustworthy, then who can you rely upon?”

“Have I told you how much I regret not getting to know my Twilight more? That everything turned so… it doesn’t matter,” Dainn sighed. “Sparring with someone with a sharp mind as yours would’ve been something for me to enjoy greatly. For me to learn and understand… something I did so very little in the past. Especially in regards to the Spirit.”

“Speaking of which…I never would’ve imagined that the Spirit of Harmony could ever have a scary side. Just hearing about it was enough to send shivers down my spine,” Twilight said, shuddering.

“Something I came to understand is that Harmony, as I said before, is a force of equilibrium. It’s neither good nor bad, it will try to get its point across, and if it fails? If Harmony is broken? Nasty things can happen… they did happen,” Dainn explained, his voice soft, icy, and wary.

“So… what happened after that?” Twilight asked. “I mean, after you punished Hrathr.”

“The following month was inconsequential, not worth going into full detail, but what do you think happened? Work and problems began to pile up one after the other. More and greater acts of depravity were taking place all the while Surtr roamed the land, destroying facilities and entire villages without us being able to do much against him. His followers perished one by one… I made sure they would be buried with honor. Even their trophies,” he sighed in defeat, his tired eyes flashing anew with regret and pain.

“Overpopulation was still a distant problem, but one looming closer and closer. Have you any idea how hard it is to keep track of such huge numbers of impregnated mares? Even with the deaths brought by battle and during the conquest, the population was about to explode. I had to oversee this issue myself because my people, in their infinite greed, gorged themselves on the number of available females. The Turned were even worse,” he paused for a moment to draw a line across the dust on the stone table. “Drawing up laws that kept stallions and stags from just raping or ‘stealing’ a female that belonged to another went through rather easily,” he drew another line. “Returning mares to their rightful owners was trickier, but it worked,” another line. “Finally, establishing a Switching as punishment for whoever broke that law. It was effective on the stags since being a female was worse than death itself. To become that which you loathe and see as inferior? Unthinkable.”

“But the stallions didn’t fear it?” Twilight asked, concerned.

Dainn swept his hand over the three lines, destroying them. “Oh, they feared it alright… but as time went on, that fear diminished, and soon more and more Turned were switched. That was another red flag I should’ve taken notice of. It was as if they stopped caring about any consequence whatsoever. It was a gradual decay… but one I should’ve paid more attention to. The incurable rebels were also Switched, though, without exception as punishment.” Dainn let out a hollow chuckle. “But in the case of the stags and stallions that broke the law, a first warning was issued because I didn’t want to lose males constantly. I implemented Svarndagr’s favorite method for imparting discipline: a summary kick to the groin. Even with my changed body I… was not strong enough to even begin to shadow his strength. My strongest kicks only put down a stallion for a day at most. But it got the point across somewhat.”

“I can’t say I don’t exactly approve of such… measures,” Twilight replied, wincing slightly. “You really were left without options, were you?”

“We had no Harmony because I was a stupid fool. We had no Unity because I was too weak to enforce it. Without any of those… there was no loyalty, no love, no drive other than to let loose to our worst desires and impulses,” Dainn replied somberly.

“My last desperate attempt to unite my people and my new subjects and force Harmony to come back was an utter failure. I tried to do what Svarndagr did… I tried to follow in his hoofsteps despite how much I loathed his brutal ways, but I saw no other possible option.”

“W-What happened? What made you fail?” Twilight asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

“Spike happened.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Ahhhhh, that’s too bad! Olaf the Mallet has been defeated! Yet another candidate that has proven to be too weak to be the new champion of our great King, Dainn!” The announcer shouted as the public cheered, demanding more entertainment for their enjoyment.

Drink and bread flowed like rivers and I winced at the sheer consumption rate of it all. It was a strain on our diminishing resources, but one I could afford in the name of drawing a loyal champion to my side. I simply waved at the sixth participant as he walked off the stage, unable to defeat the challenge placed upon him: two angry manticores. “He made it further than I thought he would,” I commented to myself, or rather, to my sole invisible companion.

“Dance macabre, dance of empty. You try too late to bring that which was deemed before the ruination set in. Warriors of what? I wonder. Look around and you’ll see the truth; one’s new liege comes after which has mouth,” the Spirit said in a mocking tone.

The spirit was right as I saw Olaf walk away. He was the same as the other participants I’ve seen so far. His muscles and strength were still there, but their movements were sluggish. Their gut was also larger, more so in some cases, and they tired too quickly. “Oksho would’ve beaten those manticores whilst blindfolded and with an arm tied behind his back. Any of his warriors would’ve achieved victory easily, too. Why have my people grown so weak?” I asked myself, though the answer escaped me at the time, now it is all so clear.

Complacency is a slow, silent killer. To grow lazy and fat in the indulgence of overabundance was the unforeseen trap I had failed to see.

“Send in the next one!” I announced as the manticores were dragged back to their cages and the field was reset to start anew. “Finding a new champion is going to be… tiresome.”

“He comes! He comes! He comes! He who was the purest of them all! He who fell deepest in the name of love! A dark and tainted soul beckons with glee! Of Crystals and Hearts, of Light and Shine! Tremble, tremble, he comes… and brings damnation to us all!”

“What?” I asked, turning to the Spirit only to find it smiling an empty, hollow smile. The announcer then said something that froze my heart with fear.

“Coming from Ponyville to try his hand comes Spike the Dragon! You know this slave trader and trainer! You know of the quality of his whores! Truly, will he be able to become the champion our glorious King deserves!?”

I wanted to run away as the memories of Spike beating me half to death returned to me. He had been a crazed brute but with a purpose and a focus. Now… now he was worse. So much worse. Taller than any caribou, he walked as a veritable mountain of muscles, strength, and power. His blazing green eyes promised nothing but suffering and sadistic glee. He was naked, but he needed no armor, for his scales were sturdier than any piece of metal could provide. His claws and fangs were weapons that could sunder anything.

And his heart filled with cruelty and malice. “N-No…” I muttered, feeling my legs shake but unable to move. I was too damned scared to move an inch.

“Hail Dainn!” Spike bellowed with mockery as he stepped into the arena. The crowd cheered him, not knowing what his goal was. “I’ve come to take my rightful place!”

I was frozen in place, terrified of the monster locking eyes with me. “D-Do your best, Spike the Dragon! Earn the right to be my Champion!” I said as firmly as I could, but my legs were shaking and my heart was beating so fast and hard I could hardly believe I was still alive.

“Champion?” Spike repeated the word as if it was poison… beneath him. “Why would I be the Champion of a weakling?” The cheering stopped and murmurs began. He pointed a finger at me filled with malice and ambition. “I’ve learned the lessons of caribou well! The strong rule, the weak obey! I’m stronger than Dainn! I will rule! I will become King!”

“Nonsense!”

“King Dainn is the Alpha Male!”

“Insolent fool!”

The crowd cried out, but not to defend me. In truth, the caribou would never accept any member from another species as their King. It would mean that someone was mightier than us and that line of thinking was anathema. By that idiotic logic, they shouted my doom.

“King Dainn shall kill this fool!”

“None can stand before King Dainn, not even the alicorn whores!”

“Teach the dragon a lesson, King Dainn.”

Fools! Fools, all of them! I had no chance against that monster. I couldn’t even stare at his eyes without feeling my guts clenching in terror. I wanted to run out of there, yet I couldn’t move. But now that my image as King was in jeopardy, I couldn’t deny the challenge. By sheer force of will, I stood up to face the deranged dragon. “Begone! You are no caribou! Insolent wretch, leave before I unleash my warriors up--”

My words died in my throat when I saw him leap at me from the arena. I was more than ten meters above the arena and yet he closed the distance in the blink of an eye. He grabbed me by the throat and pushed me back into my palace, away from prying eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“What he did to me, Twilight… I cannot describe for even as years have passed, I still recoil at the memory. He nearly killed me once again and I only survived due to the timely interjection of several warriors and guards. Spike truly aimed to kill me and take the crown for himself. He had taken our core philosophy and turned it against us. Against me… that’s when I knew that I was in the wrong for adhering to such an ideology. But it was far too late to change or do anything about it,” Dainn confessed, his voice tired and wary.

“I can’t… begin to imagine Spike doing or saying things like that… but this is the truth. What happened to him after that?” Twilight asked, then leaned forth. “What’s more, what happened to you?”

“The former? He went into hiding. I never saw him again,” he went silent for a moment, his cold eyes lingering on nothing and everything at the same time. “Nothing survived after the Cycle struck. Nothing except me. Of that, I’m sure. As for the latter? I spent weeks recovering, always outside the public eye and doing very little to guide my nation. Had I known what my Council would do in turn, I would’ve chosen death instead.”

“I remember,” Twilight whispered, afraid that her words would somehow summon a dark spirit or a demon. “They lied, didn’t they? They embellished the fight and then took advantage of the situation to do whatever they damned pleased, didn’t they?”

Dainn nodded. “While I recovered, they spread lies across the populace. How the fight was fierce but I managed to drive off the crazed dragon. Of how I stood firm and proud in victory, emulating the old glory of Svarndagr -never mind that Surtr was still rampaging across the land- and statues in my ‘honor’ were erected. Of course, they looked nothing like me.”

“The coins entered circulation. What little good I brought upon mares and females alike was rendered null and void. Crop production tanked to abysmal levels. Lavish parties and banquets were organized despite our dwindling stockpiles. And so much… much worse things,” Dainn shuddered with discomfort. “I took on jewel crafting and… and spent a lot of time with Celestia and the rest of my trophies. I know I had no right… but the more time I spent with Celestia, the happier I felt. Food had taste again, my migraines lessened, and the pain melted away along with my worries. I was… am, such a pathetic stag.”

Twilight wanted to reach out to Dainn, but refrained from doing so. Gone was the King, replaced by an old stag that only knew pain, regret, shame, hatred, sadness, and loneliness. Was his pain justified and deserved? Yes. None could argue that. Yet, her heart went out to him. Several long moments passed in icy silence until she found her voice once more.

“Is this… is this the part where cutting yourself with a knife is pure ecstasy?” She asked, her stomach making knots at the graphic description that felt so distant now.

“Not quite… but we are not far off, Not My Twilight,” Dainn estated with disgust and pure resentment. “Before the nightmare truly began with the Grand Galoping Gala, I saw things that Svarndagr would’ve never approved. Things I could not fathom how degenerated to such an extent. Rapes were rampant, historical revisionism was outlandish and outrageous. The founding myth of Equestria? Bastardized to fit the caribou norm.”

“Of course they did,” Twilight sighed in exasperation. “Do I even want to know what changes they made?”

“Revisionism,” Dainn replied. “It made any mare involved incompetent, exalted the stallions, and presented evidence of impersonation and ‘mare manipulation’ to overshadow other historical figures,” he scoffed at that. “Tell me, Twilight. Do you know any pegasus of renown by the name Commander Drizzle?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of. Are you, perchance, referring to Commander Hurricane?”

“Indeed. Fauber, in all his idiocy, rewrote the founding mythos of the Three Tribes. I didn’t stop him from doing so,” he replied with a cruel smirk. “You see, Fauber claimed to have found the grave of Commander Drizzle, the one he replaced Commander Hurricane with, but it was a lie. Stallions were quick to catch on to it and they were outraged. Especially the pegasi. This ‘Commander Drizzle’ was Fauber’s idealized version of himself in pony form, which is bad enough. But he ousted Commander Hurricane as a mare impostor. There were riots because of this and he lost stallion supporters left and right,” a chuckle escaped his throat. “His downfall was exquisite.”

Twilight nodded. “I concur. Commander Hurricane and the rest of the founders are historic figures of great importance even to this day. To tamper with such a core piece of our history just to fit his agenda? I hope the worst came to him,” she said, peeved beyond measure.

“It doesn’t end there, I’m afraid. You never got to see it, but with so many females, especially black-collar ones, they were put to work. Careless crop control, stupid, nonsensical cleaning duties, and most were put into physical labor. Pulling carts with their teeth or via plugs. They would be made to work on treadmills in the open while chained to each other. What was their work? To run and keep running to generate power. To add insult to injury, a red-collar mare would supervise them and smack their rear ends with a heavy, spiked paddle to keep them motivated.”

Twilight felt faint. “Running on a treadmill--H-how!? WHY!? Were they willfully incompetent!? Why would anyone rely on muscle power when we have generators, both electrical and magical?”

“My thoughts exactly. I complained… but I was ignored. Svarndager would’ve never allowed such cruel and wasteful measures. The idea alone of smearing the good name of a prominent male in history would have been punished with an immediate Switching at the very least. My mentor was a cruel monster… but he wasn’t a senseless monster,” Dainn sighed tiredly.

“When I recovered enough, I was able to travel again. My first point of interest was Appaloosa. There had been some problems there and was, thank the Spirit, one of the few places that was still producing food regularly. I was not ready for what waited for me.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“What… what is this?” I asked as I sat in my private booth and I stared at the hole left on the mare’s seat.

“Ah, this must be your first time traveling in our train system, your Majesty,” the stallion that guided me said with a pleasant smile, but I could sense something was off about him. His eyes were shining with a sinister hunger and I felt like I was talking not to a pony, but something else using his body as a suit. How I wish I had paid more attention to my instincts. “Regretfully, you travel alone and your escort is waiting on other sections. You will be unable to enjoy the brilliance of watching a stupid whore being raped while in transit! Ingenious modifications and a worthy purpose, don’t you agree?”

“...are you telling me that this whole hides a dildo or something akin to it for the sole purpose of penetrating a female while the train is in motion?” The stallion nodded eagerly. “What sort of mechanism is implemented to allow such a… wasteful action?”

“The engine and the tracks were modified to take advantage of the train’s locomotion! It cost virtually nothing and now mares and other bitches will always remember their place beneath our strong, proud hooves, my King,” the stallion said, bowed, and then left.

I turned my focus to the Spirit floating aimlessly at my right. “You’re not going to say anything this time?”

‘A tyrant speaks, a fool with no ears. See dark purples and blue quills, a torment you know but not one yet seen’ it said and nothing more as the train began to move.

Truth be told, I was eager to ride a train. I read about them and I was impressed by their efficiency and power as a means of quick, cheap, and easy transportation. It didn’t take long for me to see the dildo pop out from the hole, only to then return down and rise again. I heard the wheezing of the engines, the crack of metal cogs and axles, and the whine of the motor in the distance. Slowly but surely, the images outside my window began to move and I half expected the trees and houses and hills to become mere blurs of motion.

I waited for several minutes but nothing happened. A peak speed had been reached. Fast but… underwhelming. “This can’t be it… nothing I read about trains correlates with this lacking speed,” I said and stood up, opening my window to peer outside. The wind hit my face but not enough to make my eyes squint. With nothing else to do, I closed the window and sat down, trying to ignore the faint noises of moans for the better part of three hours.

But my patience was at an end by then. I summoned the driver, a tall and hearty stallion. “What is the meaning of this speed? I demand that you go faster! According to my calculations, I should be arriving at Appaloosa by now. And yet, we have not entered the desert!”

“We are going at maximum speed, my King!” The driver said.

“Then what is the matter!? Are the engines failing? Are the tracks damaged? What is the reason for this delay?” I demanded to know.

“I do not know, my Liege. Everything is working properly and in top conditions; from the engines to the whore-impalers,” he replied and I winced in disgust.

“Whore-impalers… are you referring to the dildos?” I asked, pointing at the dildo going up and down through that lonesome hole. “Wait… no… y-you can’t be that stupid… are these modifications drawing engine power from the train itself!?”

“Of course, my King! They put a strain on the wheels and the pistons, but the results are well worth it,” the driver replied, proud of himself. “It reduced our speed by sixty percent, but that is no issue.”

“Sixty percent…,” I muttered in disbelief. “My mentor, Svarndagr, would detest these useless, detrimental modifications on such a wondrous machine! This speed is barely above my running limit! The logistical issues and delays… now I understand! How can I expect a smooth, fluid transport of resources when-- no… I will not bother with this stupidity. Disable the whore-impalers. NOW.”

“M-My Liege, we can’t! They are affixed to the pistons and the locomotive itself. For us to disable them, we would require days to dismount them,” the driver replied, then paused for a moment only to then offer me a wicked smile. “Besides, what does it matter? These sluts get what they deserve and that is all that truly matters.”

I was furious at such a response. “Leave. Now,” I said with venom in my words. The driver left in a hurry and I sat down again. “My mentor… you were impatient for such frivolities. I wonder, would you have run instead of waiting? Who am I kidding, of course you would.”

I seemed to have invoked misfortune, for no long after that a wheel broke and needed repairs, further delaying my arrival at Appaloosa. Two more delays followed with overstrained pistons breaking.

“THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!” I cried out, my voice hoarse with rage. “I demand that the one responsible for this incompetent design and alterations made to a perfectly working machine is switched!” I shouted at the driver, my frustrations getting the better out of me.

“M-My King, please, you must understand the glory and perfect purpose that--”

“I am TIRED of hearing your single-minded excuses! Do you know no other justifications that do not revolve around the violation of females!? How many accidents have these modifications caused? How many derailments!?”

“None, my Liege! The sacrifice in power was accounted for and managed accordingly! No fatal accidents have been reported; no worthy males lives lost or the loss of merchandise mounted,” the driver replied.

“I am… both amazed and flabbergasted at the same time. To think that such foresight was implemented into the most stupid and ridiculous-- leave my sight and fix this wretched machine immediately. If further delays occur, you will be Switched, driver.”

I did not give the driver the time to say anything and merely shoved him out of my cabin. Sitting down once more, my gaze shifted to my invisible companion. “Well? Aren’t you going to say anything?” The Spirit did not reply to me for the rest of our journey.

Long overdue, my arrival at Appaloosa was both underwhelming and shocking. The former because it was a large town, rural in nature, but with a certain charm to it. My arrival wasn’t met with parades or cheers, but that set me just fine after that dreadful train travel.

The latter, however, was another story altogether. Propaganda posters, statues, and criers were everywhere. Naked mares under the blistering sun worked and toiled on the land, serving as carriage pullers, or being raped and abused on the town square on public stocks. The sight alone revolted me. Canterlot was one thing, I knew of horrors but I was trapped in my gilded cage so I never saw them directly. Now? It was my first taste of what the caribou had done and what had happened to the ponies.

Buffalo cows were no better. They were taller, stockier, and clearly strong, but they too were forced into those same conditions. The black-collared females were raped without end, always made to suffer and serve their Masters. The laughter… good Gods, the laughter of the ponies haunts me to this day. They tormented them in ways I wish not to remember nor describe. There were no buffalo males anymore either. All of them were switched for their transgressions and defiance.

“So this is what enraged Oksho so much. To defile a worthy enemy like so?” I muttered to myself as I saw a line of buffalo being taken to the fields by a twig of a male. Every groan they made or yank at the chains caused the male to yelp or freeze in fright. It was… a rather pathetic sight.

I turned my gaze to the Spirit only to find it staring with an expression that I knew matched my own: drained bemusement and stunned to stupidity. I could only watch the sorry sight while my escorts chuckled darkly, mocking the weakling but finding the situation funny in their own sick sense of humor.

The Spirit’s eyes were half-closed, with a glare that showed just how unamused it was. Dry, humorless, and empty. Reflected on its eyes, my expression showed those same sentiments, but I was simply too stunned to process the sheer idiocy before me. My eyes were wide open and I stood stiff as a board, unable to move.

“Okay that… that is just… what? What am I even looking at? It is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen,” I muttered so weakly that only the spirit could hear me.

‘Of tragedy and moonlight gleam, many sorrows and roads they meet. A track lost in insipid grime, the loss of mind does our hearts cheat,’ it said and for the first time, I completely understood the meaning of the cryptic message, for I felt the same way.

But despite the deluge of incompetence and the ridiculousness happening all around me, there was something I noticed. Something… odd. The enchantment didn’t work on non-ponies, so why were the buffalo being so obedient? My answer came when a familiar voice called to me.

“My King! You’ve arrived at last! I was waiting for your arrival hours ago!” Storm, of all stags, announced his presence as he approached me followed closely by two near identical lanky, yellow-coated stallions.

“I would’ve arrived on time were it not for the idiotic changes made to the trains,” I replied, finally tearing my attention from the buffalo line. “Who are they?”

“My King, may I present you the genius inventors Flim and Flam. I scouted their talents and I believe they are the answer to the disobedience problem we are facing,” Storm presented them with great enthusiasm causing me to immediately distrust the stallions.

“Please tell me these are not the ones responsible for the alterations made to the trains,” I said, utterly uninterested in whatever the Rune Master had to say.

“Sadly, no, my King. Our field of expertise lies elsewhere,” Flam replied, saving Storm a scolding gaze.

“We noticed that you were looking at the buffalo merchandise not too long ago! Would you be interested in what our minds have produced to take advantage of their strength?” Flim asked and I, like an idiot, agreed. I was tired, annoyed, and drained from… everything. I wanted to check on the crop production and then go to sleep and at least forget my worries for some hours.

As luck would have it, they guided me to the orchards and the farms of the town. It was a beautiful sight. No Rape Vines afoot, the crops were all local growth and thriving, and even the apples looked tasty. Such a shame the sight was tarnished by mares toiling the soil in the most humiliating and counter-intuitive way possible. But the worst was when we reached the grain mill.

“What. Is. That?” I asked when my eyes saw the monument to the depravity that was the power source of the mill. A large circle of mares chained together, with dark bracelets around their wrists and ankles. They were huffing and puffing, jogging slowly as their efforts churned the mill onward.

“Magnificent, is it not?” Storm asked, oh so proud of himself. “The mares work, constantly turning grains into useful flour and powering the rest of the mill’s uses right here.”

“Storm… are you proud of what these stallions have created here?” I asked, ready to send the two worthless backstabbing opportunists away. What Storm said next only boiled my veins.

“You seem to be mistaken, my King. This,” spreading his arms to the mares forced to never stop moving, “is my own design. The bracelets they are wearing are what Flim and Flam have developed with a minor usage of rune commands,” he replied with a wide, pleased grin.

“...” I was too angry to say anything, but I was curious about what he’d said. The bracelets were new to me, so what did they do? My silence was mistaken for interest and the brothers carried their own.

“Black-collared mares are such a bore! A handful to deal with!”

“Well, not anymore with the Flimtastic Flamtabulous Obedience Bracelets!”

“These bracelets will teach the rebellious mare her place!”

“No more revolts or silly independent thoughts!”

“A simple command and BOOM! The bracelets hook together, stopping the mare immediately!”

“Rape her! Beat her! Whip her! Do whatever you want to your stupid property!”

“The best part? No matter how hard they try, the bracelets won’t give up until another command is given!”

“...” Again, I was too stunned to say anything. At least, for a few seconds. Then, I turned to Storm. “Storm… you do realize that using such bracelets would break our traditions?” I asked with an icy, cold tone of righteous fury.

“Only useless traditions, my Liege,” he replied, failing to note my displeasure. “Why should we give females any consideration when they dare to defy our rule?”

“At the cost of us forgetting the glory of our civilization? What makes us great? Females are not animals, Storm!” I cried out in defiance.

But the bastard nodded eagerly. “You are correct, my Liege! Animals stand higher than worthless females. At least now, thanks to Flim and Flam -and my knowledge- these bracelets shall enter commercial production soon at a very affordable price. The income will boost our coffers and everyone shall benefit. Perhaps I should be in charge of commerce?” He said trying to jest, but I don’t think he was.

“Storm… my answer is this. Two words: The Worst,” I said, staring deep into his eyes.

“Huh?” Storm countered, confused. “My King?”

“What you have done here… is wasteful and cruel without measure. Why use these mares instead of a generator? We have access to such technologies! This… this is needless cruelty! The bracelets? Control at best and excess at worst!” I pointed a finger at him in anger. “Svarndagr would’ve never allowed this to happen! He was a dictator and a tyrant, but he always upheld our traditions, and our ways, and was never needlessly cruel nor vindictive! For this, he would deem you worthy of using The Worst upon you three imbeciles on the spot!”

I declared, but instead of fear in his eyes, I saw amusement. Fucking. Amusement.

“Well… Svarndagr is dead, isn’t he? The King is Dead, Long live the King and all that? Besides, who is going to do The Worst now?” He scoffed. “Svarndagr was a mighty King, but flawed. Now we can truly make the caribou greater without his restrictions and limitations in place.”

I screamed in rage. The Spirit laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“I would like to say I beat the crap out of Storm and those two stallions, but I was so exhausted -physically and mentally- that I simply stormed out of that mill,” said Dainn tiredly. “Then again… there was nothing I could do by then. Storm had already implemented the production of the bracelets and his ‘Marepower’ generator was embraced everywhere.”

“I am both enraged at what they are doing to mares and at their monumental incompetence. H-How can anyone be so damn stupid?” Twilight asked, astonished at every detail she’d heard so far.

“That was the work of the Enchantment. A subtle poison that corrupted the minds of all, inkling those affected to seek out more and more outrageous limits, to break with taboos, and always seek greater heights of excess in all things,” he replied, disgusted. “I must ask, were Flim and Flam always like that?”

“Yup. They didn’t change all that much. Always seeking quick money-grab ploys and get-rich-quick schemes. But that was low, even for them,” she sighed. “I’ll… make sure to keep an eye on mine after I return to my dimension.”

“Smart move.”

“Dainn. May I ask what The Worst is?”

“You do not wish to know. Trust me. I saw my mentor do it once and I wish I could unsee what I witnessed that day. Rest assured, it is a method of torture so gruesome, painful, and cruel that the victim starts begging to be Switched just to make it stop because it is a better alternative than to go suffer another second of that torture,” Dainn confessed, eyes narrowed and, impossibly, looking even more lifeless than they already were.

“In that case, I won’t inquire further on that,” she agreed. “If stags already consider Switching to be a fate worse than death, then I do not wish to know what could possibly drive anyone to beg for that instead. I’m, however, surprised to hear that Svarndagr was a traditionalist at heart. Heh, Applejack really has a few things in common with him. Next, you’re going to tell me that ‘Nothing beats tradition’ was something he said often.”

“Actually, yes. He did. Constantly,” Dainn chuckled. “I’m sure your Applejack won’t be all too pleased?”

Twilight giggled. “No, she won’t! Although, she enjoyed the crotch-shot punishment approach, so maybe?”

“My mentor wouldn’t be happy to share those ideals with a female, but I think he would be amused at least,” Dainn confessed. “In his case, though, those restrictions and limitations were there for a GOOD reason. That being keeping the worst impulses of our species in check.”

“I will never like him… but I can respect his conviction, if nothing else,” Twilight said.

“Sometimes respect is better than liking someone,” Dainn agreed. “See, this is why I was so devastated that my Twilight’s brain rotted. You have a brain in your head and can see things for what they are, not just what guides your own views. Just like Oksho, you respect his strength. Just like me, you respect his conviction and leadership skills. And just like those few caribou with a functioning brain, you respect his influence and control,” he chuckled.

“Hmmm, that reminds me… the buffalo line? That wasn’t the only time I saw something like that happening. Another time, I saw a multicolored mare being led in by two large caribou, both holding on tightly to a pair of poles attached to metal yokes that had entrapped her neck and hands. Her legs had been likewise bound, shackles encircling her ankles with a chain barely half a foot long. She was a black-collar. Vicious and unbroken even after all she endured. Every time she pulled at the chains or strained against the yoke, it caused the two tall, strong stags to tremble or freeze up in fear.”

Dainn chuckled again. “Svarndagr would’ve sentenced those two guards to be Switched right away for being afraid of a mere female. ‘Dainn, did you see that? Caribou warriors, afraid of a weak female! Funniest shit I’ve seen in my life!’” Dainn said doing his best interpretation of Svarndagr’s voice.

“That was Rainbow Dash, wasn’t she?” Dainn nodded slowly. “That’s the Element of Loyalty and single-minded stubbornness for you.”

The howling winds raged outside the castle walls for what felt like an eternity as silence consumed the time between the caribou and the alicorn. After what felt like an age’s passing, Dainn found his voice.

“Problems continued to mount and I was unable to stem the tide. I could see a coming catastrophe barreling upon us, but I was blind to the true horror… until… until she presented herself to us during the Gala. I was talking with Hrathr, chewing him out for his stupidity, while Vestri and Ivangri flanked me, Storm was also with me as the Gala started in full swing when… when she arrived in all her perverse glory and I finally saw what the consequences of relying on the Enchantment were.”

Twilight already knew the answer. She already knew what she was going to hear… but she had to ask regardless. “What… no… w-w-who did you see, Dainn?”

Dainn slowly stared into her eyes, her very soul, and all his regret, sorrow, and guilt was laid before in full display.

“Cadance had come.”