The Conversion Bureau: The Palladium Wings-Sigma

The floating crystal screens gave Empress Celestia a look at what was going on at the contested battle site of the Panama Canal, an area that she wanted to control-Once the Canal is under Equestrian control, she could choke supplies coming and out, and Central America will become ponified, adding more land to the Federation. Perhaps she can have the new lands as her personal property and use the Newfoal labor to increase her personal coffers. There were so many ideas coursing through her head. Ideas of what she could do next with the new lands that will become settled.

But, the human problem still remains-Especially the Atlantic Remnants that were giving it their all to ensure that the Canal does not fall to her. They were a mere nuisance, who are they compared to her? She who commands a vastly superior nation? And these humans, they reject her salvation? She is not only saving them from themselves, she is making them better. Their struggle is futile, in her mind, the human gods abandoned them, and yet they still fight as if they were promised an afterlife of rewards.

Somehow, time felt like it has stopped. What was happening? What was going on? She felt that she was in a black void, but she was neither falling nor anything.

“Ah, there you are.” A familiar voice said. “It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it Celestia?”

“Discord?” The alicorn Empress asked. “Show yourself! Reveal yourself. I am not in the mood for games.”

“Is this how you greet someone after millennia?” Discord made himself known, not as a draconequus, but as a human or trying to pass off as human. His sclera was yellow, and his pupils were red, which was a dead giveaway. He wore a brown and red business suit with blue gloves. His hair was a silvery gray, a sign of aging. In his hands, he carried a very ornate cane.

“And you take a human form?” Celestia felt nothing but disgust. “How dare you mock me, you appearing as a human.”

“Ah yes, how could I have forgotten, you currently have such a venomous hatred for humanity as a whole.” Discord smirked a bit. “I knew that I coming in this form would get a rise out of you.”

“What is it that you want?” Celestia asked.

“I just wanted to pay you a visit after all these years. I see that the colonization project has gone well. But tell me, was it necessary to leave the Large Magellanic Cloud to the Milky Way?” Discord asked. “And was it necessary to come to Earth? What for?”

“That reason is for me and me alone.” Celestia said coldly. “I don’t know what you are thinking Discord. You left us when we needed you the most and-”

“I left you?” Discord suppressed a snarl. “Says the one who sent the Elements to their deaths, your final gambit to prevent the fall of Equus. Tell me Celestia, was it worth it? Sending your student and of course, poor Fluttershy to their deaths? Victory was assured yes, but I did not expect it that you were desperate. The invasion of our own world was horrible and devastating. It left scars on the world and there was no way to restore it, even with my magic.”

“I did not send Fluttershy to her death. She knew her role and what to be done.” Celestia said, her voice hiding a sinister truth.

“You’re lying.” Discord said as he raised his cane in a threatening motion, as much as he wanted to strike her, he could not. “You’re lying to me, and to yourself. You know well of what you did. You took Fluttershy from me, you took Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie from their families, from their friends, from everything. All because you wanted victory, victory at ANY COST.”

“And allow the invaders to take over and enslave us? You saw the horrors that they did! You saw what they did to everyone. They were not going to stop, they were going to either enslave us or kill us for nourishment. Something had to be done! I had no choice!”

“No choice? How did you explain it to Princess Cadance and Shining Armor? That you sent your star pupil, a sister, a sister-in-law to her death? Please, spare me the lies because you know well what you did. You know so well what you did that you lie to yourself.”

“Sacrifices had to be made.” Celestia said. “And they knew well of what had to be done.”

“And tell me, did you really expect that only Ponykind would be allowed to leave Equus while you gave the Griffons and everyone else a ruined world? Without you and your sister, the planet would be forever locked in one place. Was it also planned that you leave them to burn or freeze to death?”

Celestia raised a brow. “The Palladium Wings were a secret, I ensured that it became a state secret. If all of Equus found out, the post-invasion peace would have been shattered and everyone would have struggled to become master of the colony ship.”

“And yet, you were so blind when the Order betrayed you. The Steamers had no love for you. They hated you, so they built colony ships for the others. You thought you were so smart, and yet, the Steamers were five trots ahead. All that just to spite you! You really are a villain Celestia.”

“Villain!? I have done only what must be done to ensure the safety of my ponies.” Celestia countered. “How dare you say I am black-hearted.”

“Ahh, taking the title of Empress sounds black-hearted to me.” Discord argued. “Putting your sister and adopted niece beneath you. You came to this world to seize it from their rightful masters.”

“Masters? The humans? They are nothing but dangerous. They have ruined this planet, all they have done is bring war and chaos to it. I am actually saving it from them. I am saving the humans from themselves too.”

“Let me tell you something Celestia,” Discord snapped his fingers, a table appearing along with a tea set. He poured cups for the two, adding the proper amounts of sugar for him and her. “What you want, what your entitlement issues desire. You think that you are doing something good. You claim to be saving them from chaos? It is natural to them. Chaos is a natural part of the human experience. It is something that you will never understand.”

“I understand enough.” Celestia refused to touch the tea provided by Discord. “I have seen their history, I have seen the worst that they have done to themselves.”

“And yet, you are the one who is doing the same to them. What is the justification for coming after them? That they need to become soulless ponies that praise you no matter what? That the only way to enter Equestria is to surrender their humanity? That this planet should be yours and not theirs?”

“That will be enough of from you, Discord. Now leave and never come back.” Celestia said with venom in her voice.

“I will leave,” Discord finished his tea. “As much as I wanted to have a nice conversation. As much as I wanted to strike you with my cane…That would be something that my Employers would dislike. It would be a breach of my employment contract.”

“You? Employed? By whom?” Celestia wanted to know.

“I can only say that they are powerful interests far beyond your ability and reach.” Discord grinned as he got up. “Interests that wish that humanity wins and that you are defeated at any cost. They do not like what you are doing. They do not like that you just go anywhere and do as you wish without any regard to the outcomes of your actions.”

Celestia made an expression of confusion.

“Coming to this world to invade and colonize it for your little ponies? A master plan. I get why-No predators, no dark magic users, an entire planet for them, for you. You did not want to start from the beginning. No, you knew that Earth existed all this time. You had options back at the Cloud. There were many worlds suitable for colonization. It would have taken generations to bring a new planet up to your standards but, you wanted a planet that is already developed and subjugated for you. All you need to do is wipe out the humans, the rightful masters of this world via Ponification or this war that you launched.”

Celestia started to tremble from anger. “Silence!”

“But what you didn’t expect was that so many ponies would defect to them, and amongst those ponies were members of the Order that you declared yourself Grand Master, when the true Grand Master is Gear Steamer. You did not also expect that humanity would fight back, you thought if you could cause the Rain of Steel-When you deliberately made their satellites crash all over the Earth. You manipulated their sun with your magic, you caused the Rain and you took pleasure in the destruction you caused. You planned this since the beginning, you planned this when the Wings arrived on Earth. You hid your intentions so well that not even Luna or Cadance found out about it until it was too late.”

“Silence!” Celestia ordered. “Silence!”

“You thought that the Rain would fragment humanity, poised for the kill. If willful Ponification could not do it, years of trying to convince them that the only way to immigrate to Equestria is through that. But you forget a little something years back-You hired human mercenaries to solve your Changeling problem. So these mercenaries were exempt? Why? Oh, they had specialized skills that your ponies lack. But it didn’t matter, none of your speeches about friendship and harmony mattered. You just wanted to remove them because they are unfit to live in this world, THEIR world. This world is not yours to conquer Celestia. No matter what you do or try, they will fight until their last dying breath.”

“We will see about that.” Celestia said with confidence. “Once I am fully attuned to their sun, it will be mine to control. The same with their moon once Luna has control of it. Once the ritual is complete, we will-”

“So overconfident in your magical rituals, that’s where you are wrong.” Discord kept his smile. “You may notice that the Earth lacks the powerful magic veins that were found on Equus. The ritual to enslave Helios and Cynthia to you and your sister will be an expensive venture. Have you noticed that when you caused the Rain, hundreds of unicorns died, they just dropped and had no life signs?”

Celestia remained quiet. She always wondered why that happened.

“You see Celestia, what happened was that you used a spell from the Old Magic. Yes, the Old Magic. I was there when it was written. You see, nature does not like it when you try to bend or twist it to your will. What you wanted had a price and you paid for it. When you use the Old Magic, the first rule of it is that everything has a price. The Old Magic works via transactions, you cannot have something for nothing. You must pay to be granted that amount of power. So you wish to enslave Helios and Cynthia to your wills? That will accrue a debt you and your sister will never pay in full.”

“You are lying.” Celestia wanted to cast a spell to be done with this. “You are lying!”

“I was there when it was written, it was a long time ago. Now? I see you are so willing to have victory at any cost that you want Helios and Cynthia enslaved to you and Luna? The same desperation that made you send the Elements to their deaths. You got your victory. Now? I am afraid to tell you that this time, you will not have it.”

“I find it funny that you are against me. I was hoping that you could join me. Flutter-”

“Don’t you dare utter her name or use her memory against me.” Discord slowly became incensed by the choice of words. “The wounds in my heart have not fully healed, but if you dare open them…I promise you that I will make your life, as the humans say a living Hell. My contract has made it clear that I am to only operate by certain restrictions. Torturing you until you beg for the release of Death? It will be so worth it.”

“And what have your Employers offered you? If you join me, I can bring her back.” Celestia’s voice oozed honey.

“You and I know well that Death does not like it when someone tries to trample on its domain.” Discord hissed. He then calmed himself. “When I left Equus, I did some wandering across time and space. I did dabble in necromancy and other magics that are far beyond your abilities, only things you can see in your dreams and fantasies. I tried it myself, I tried to bring her back, but she is gone to me. She is gone, even if I could make her a body of flesh and bone, or a body of clay, or even a body of steel, even if the rituals were successful, it was only temporary. She is gone, I cannot bring her back…Neither can you Celestia.”

“You doubt my abilities, Discord.” Celestia tried to sound convincing. “If you help me in conquering this world then I can-”

“Good luck with that Palpatine.” Discord said dryly. “It may have worked with Skywalker, but it won’t work with me.” He materialized a pocket watch, looking at it. “Well, it seems that this is all the time I have to spare. I wish I could stay but I am needed elsewhere.”

With that said, everything returned to normal.

“Sister. Sister!” Luna barged in.

“Luna? What is it?” Celestia asked in worry.

“Prepare…” Luna said coldly, her voice repeating words that were implanted in her mind. “For unanticipated repercussions.”