Iron Maiden sat on her Grandfather's lap on a Hearth's Warming Eve, long ago. The pageant had come to a close hours ago, and the filly's eyelids tried to force themselves closed. Her stomach was full of eggnog, and her head was weary from the excitement of the day. "Do you want to hear a story?" her grandfather asked. Her small white head slowly nodded, and then nuzzled into his chest. He smiled.
"Let me tell you the real story of Hearth's Warming Eve."
Every Hearth's Warming Eve afterwards was similar. After the pageant and the presents, when all was quiet, when the fire barely glowed from the fireplace and her parents had headed out to eat together, she would sit on her grandfather's lap and he would say, "Do you want to hear a story?" She would always say yes, and he would say, "Let me tell you the real story of Hearth's Warming Eve," and she would listen until her tiny head couldn't stay up and her eyes would force themselves closed no matter how hard she resisted. Then she woke up, tucked neatly in her bed with a single piece of candy left on her bedside table, and a note. "Until next year," the note read, "stay safe. Love, Grandpa."
When she was twelve, that changed. The festivities were like the years before, the food was like the years before, and the story was like the years before. Her grandfather asked her, "Do you want to hear a story?" and she said yes, and he said, "Let me tell you the real story of Hearth's Warming Eve." Everything was exactly as it had been so many other times, except, this time, she didn't just listen to the story. She understood.
"Long ago," he said, "there were three tribes of ponies. There were the unicorns, foolish and frivolous ponies with a horn stuck on their heads. They were selfish and frivolous ponies, and they were lead by by Princess Platinum, an idiotic mare who cared more for gemstones than her subjects, and Clover the Clever, whose sorcery was based on trickery and deception. The unicorns would rather let the world, and themselves, starve than be 'unfashionable.' They were overindulgence at its worst. Unfortunately, they would not raise and lower the sun and the moon were their demands not met, so the other tribes were forced to comply.
"Next, there were the earth ponies, who lacked any of the gifts of the unicorn or pegasus. Realize, dear child, that nothing in this world is sadder than being an earth pony, for you are cursed to live a life without meaning. Instead of bearing this curse, which was surely a punishment for sins in past lives, the earth ponies instead turned to jealousy at the pegasi for their mastery of the skies, and even at the unicorns for their frivolous magic. They resented the other tribes for their talents, and were lazy with what little ability they did have. Their leader, Chancellor Puddinghead, an addled mare who somehow believed in her own tribe's superiority, tried to keep the food her tribe grew from the pegasi and unicorns, even though she knew her people's existence relied on the gifts that these tribes brought. Her adviser was the best mare that the earth ponies had, for she knew her place as a subordinate tribe, but the Chancellor would not listen, and their insubordination grew.
"Finally, there were the pegasi. That's what you are, my dear."
At this, Iron Maiden stretched her wings, which were covered with a soft, white down. She was extremely proud of her wings, even though their size made flying difficult.
Her grandfather noticed her gaze, and said, "Yes, my dear, those wings are something you should be proud of. They show that you are a descendant of that tribe of long ago. The pegasi tribe was a proud tribe, and their diligence was in stark contrast to the laziness of the others. They were precise, practical, and strong. The pegasus race is superior to the others, my dear, because while the others are restricted to the land, the pegasus can roam both the land and the skies. Anything the other races can do, the pegasi can do faster. Anywhere the other races can go, the pegasi can go farther. Still, the pegasi, lead by the fearless Commander Hurricane, would give good weather to the other tribes in exchange for food, when they could have taken it by force. They tried to be kind to the inferior tribes, even to treat them as equals, but..."
"But what Grandpa?" the young filly asked, almost hysterical in her desire to hear the rest of the story.
"But the other tribes were too jealous of the pegasus's majesty. They plotted against them, and the treacherous Private Pansy assisted them. She carried to the unicorns and earth ponies the secrets of the weather, which belonged, by all rights, to the pegasus tribe. The unicorns tampered with the weather, and the earth ponies withheld their food from the pegasus, claiming that they had a lack of crop due to bad harvests when, in actuality, their harvest had been bountiful that year. Again, the noble Commander Hurricane tried to be reasonable with the other ponies, but it was in vain. The other tribes used deception to pull the pegasi from their true place as rulers of the land to their level, and have used trickery ever since to keep them there."
"But then what about the frozen horses--the windigos?" asked Iron Maiden, her golden eyes round and wide.
"An excuse made up after the fact, my sweet filly," said the old stallion, his eyes shining the same color as hers. "The unicorns and earth ponies had to cover up these acts somehow, or else the pegasi would have seen their true places long ago, and be on thrones in the sky instead of here serving the Princesses."
The young filly gasped. "What do you mean? Are the Princesses...bad?"
"No, my dear, not bad, for they have pegasus blood in them, but their minds are clouded by the unicorn and earth pony blood that also runs through their veins. They are result of of Chancellor Puddinghead and Princess Platinum and Commander Hurricane's lineages mixing over the years. Were they to be reminded of the noblest of their ancestors, I'm sure they would be fine rulers. But you should be in bed, shouldn't you?"
Iron Maiden groaned, but then her ears perked up once more. "I'll go," she said, "but first you have to tell me about Commander Hurricane."
A wrinkled smile appeared on her grandfather's face. "Okay, you win," he said. "Commander Hurricane was a strong mare, who could fly around the world in less than a day. She didn't look like the actresses they usually get to play her. She had blue hair that lightened as your eyes went across it, and a coat so perfectly white that Princess Celestia herself cannot compare. She had eyes that shined and shimmered like gold leaf, and a strong, wide chin. She was bigger than most ponies. She looked...well, she looked like you."
Iron Maiden's eyes scanned her body, and she found that what he was saying was true. Her face was shaped differently that other ponies, which she thought made her look distinguished, and her wings would only fit a pony close to the Princesses' size. Her coat shone brightly, and her mane was the same blue that he described.
"I need to tell you something, Iron, that your parents won't tell you. It's no coincidence that you look like Commander Hurricane. We are direct descendants of her, and I believe that you ARE her, come back to us after so many genrations. I believe that the reason she came back is to fix the mistakes she made so many years ago, when she submitted to the earth ponies and unicorns. I believe that you are the rightful ruler of the pegasi, and the rest of Equestria as well."
The small filly, or, rather, the small Commander Hurricane, trembled a little, not with fear, but with excitement. Could it be true? Could she be that Commander of so long ago? "If that is true," she said as her grandfather carried her up to her bed, her voice shaking, "then what should I do."
Her grandfather paused as he tucked her in to think for a second. "The others have proven that they cannot be trusted. They have shown that they cannot be dealt with using kindness or mercy. They will not listen to reason. They must be forced."
General Iron Maiden had served loyally in the army for 10 years before she attained her current rank. She was a shining example for other pegasi, the picture of loyalty and bravery. She stood a head or two taller than all her subordinates, but treated them as equals. She was swift, fearless, and strong. She was loyal to the Princesses and to her soldiers. One thing that everypony else didn't know was that she was also loyal to an old stallion with golden eyes who had died thirteen years ago.
Another thing that nopony else knew was why she always lead the same group of guards. She could have been General of Equestria long before, but she didn't leave the ranks of the Royal Pegasus Army. Some said it was loyalty. Others called it fear. Nopony knew the real reason until the Day of the Dark Skies.
That day started like normal for most of Equestria. Ponies got up with the rise of the sun, ate their breakfast, and went to work. For the Royal Pegasus Army, however, things were different. The men got up at the crack of dawn and marched down to the planning room. They said the Pledge of Harmony, as was usual for a royal force. "We pledge allegiance to the Princesses of the Royal State of Equestria," rang out all the voices in unison. "And to the trinity, for which it stands, one kingdom, under Celestia, with toleration and love for all." All of this was normal. What was abnormal was the list of tasks for the day on the board.
"1) Enslave Earth Ponies and Unicorns," it said. "2) Don't Harm Any Pegasus Ponies, 3) Rule the World."
The much-loved General Iron Maiden walked calmly to the front of the group. "Read these tasks. Know them," she said, in her calm, level voice. "Obviously, this is a gross over-simplification, but should you forget your job, remember these words. We have lived under the lies fed to us by the treacherous far too long. We have lived a life undeserving of our abilities, our aspirations, our knowledge. We have been told that we are an inferior race, marred by idiocy and laziness, but it is not us who is marked by these traits!"
"NO!" shouted the crowd of pegasi in front of her.
"It is them who are lazy, them who are idiotic, them who should be subordinate!"
"YEAH!" came the reply.
"We have been tricked before, and the time for mercy and kindness is OVER! We have tried to be nice, we have tried to be reasonable, but what use is reason against those without it? What use is mercy to those who will not give us the same? What good is kindness to those who would oppress us, hold us down at their level, force us to play the part of the kindly mailmare or the friendly athlete when we can be so much more? NONE!" The General herself shook with anticipation, and then continued, "That's why today we must fight! We must show the world who the true leaders of Equestria are! We must remind the Princesses who they got their wings and their power from! We must rid the world of the frivolousness of the unicorns and the resentment of the Earth Ponies. Now, I ask you...are you gonna sit back? OR ARE YOU GOING TO FIGHT?"
"FIGHT!" rang throughout the auditorium. Not a single soul wasn't roused by the speech, and every wing stood straight up.
"Well then, LET'S FIGHT!" yelled the mare, her short blue mane draping just slightly across her face.
Two guards, a gray one and a white one, lifted a strong iron headpiece, emblazoned with her cutie mark of a lightning bolt with a shield peeking out on the upper left across the nose. Heavy armor iron armor, with only minor flares around the legs and neck, was also lifted onto her, as was her special weapon, a concealed knife that went around her lower leg like a bracelet. She was spectacular, even without the fine detailing that went into a more, as she would say, frivolous general's armor. "Let's fly," she said, her voice almost a whisper.
The town of Ponyville was first on the list. It was a minor town, but it tactically advantageous in many ways. It was a small town, so conquering it would be easy without much damage to either the pegasus army or the residents, keeping collateral damage to a minimum. Still, it would send a message to the rest of Equestria, which might make it possible to end the war before bloodshed even began. Also, if they were forced to continue the war, Ponyville was close to Canterlot, so they could effectively cut off the capital from the rest of Equestria. The only question was how many pegasi from the town would join. Victory was assured.
A small, light yellow filly with long, pink hair walked through Ponyville's streets. She kept her head held low as her cyan eyes scanned the crowd of ponies around her. Not a single familiar face showed itself. In fact, she didn't see a single pegasus child her age among the slow crowd of the day. While just a few short hours before she had been in heaven, surrounded by strange animals who had greeted her warmly, now the unfamiliar faces around her scared her instead of filling her with joy. She had a cutie mark, but what good would that do her if she couldn't make it back home? She would die on the streets, especially without Rainbow Dash, the tomboy who had stuck up for her ever since she could remember. Her wings could only take her up to the bottom cloud layer, while Cloudsdale floated far above, taunting her with its unattainable distance from the ground.
The young pegasus was pulled out of her thoughts only when a trumpet sounded from the sky. Her eyes locked on Cloudsdale, her heart filled with hope once more. Maybe she they had noticed she was missing. Maybe they were looking for her. Her heart beat faster and faster as shadowy figures, obscured by the sun's light behind them, began swiftly making their way towards Ponyville. "Over here..." she shouted, although it was just above a whisper to everypony else. But then, as the parade of ponies made their way over to the town, her heart sank down to a pit in her stomach. They were lead by a giant mare, dressed all in metal, and with a look of anger and superiority in her eyes. They weren't there to help anypony.
The skies darkened as thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of soldiers circled over the town. The residents first reacted with delight, believing that a parade was passing by, but delight quickly made way for terror as the cloud grew and blotted out the sun. The General herself was the first to land. She stood, her figure imposing compared to the small citizens of the town. Her golden eyes, seeming almost demon-like in the lack of light, scanned each and every horrified face, paralyzing each pony whose eyes she met. Finally, in a low tone, she uttered two words: "Get them."
The cloud became agitated quite suddenly, and like rain droplets each guard fell from the cloud, smashing into the ground at full force next to some trembling earth pony or unicorn. Each was grabbed, with no respect or mercy, and thrown, without ceremony, into a stormcloud carriage. These carriages were made to prevent escape, and simply touching the walls or bars of the carriage results in electrocution for a non-pegasus. Blood from the bite marks mixed with tears and sweat on the wooden floors of the carriage as they swiftly filled with ponies. Within seconds the first attack was over, and the remaining ponies were left in shock as the carriage doors were slammed shut, and all was silent. Then, all at once, the screaming started. Shrieks of terror rose from the chests of some of the ponies, earth, unicorn, and pegasus alike, which prompted those still frozen in place into action.
Iron Maiden watched, still as a statue, outwardly cold to the violence occurring around her. Inside, however, turmoil began to brew. This didn't feel like all the other battles she had been in had. The patriotism and strength and pride that were usually filling her insides were absent, and instead she felt something like daggers in her guts every time a shriek pierced the air. This wasn't right, and she didn't know why. The pegasi who were supposed to be roused by the removal of their oppressors and join in the fight instead took wing and fled. The unicorns and earth ponies, instead of fighting to protect their status quo, sat in the carriages, tears running down their faces. They wailed and reached out to other ponies of similar colors, and children curled up into balls and cried for their parents. Why didn't this feel right?
"What are you doing?" asked a pegasus with blue and orange hair and a body just barely off-white. His eyes were golden, similar to hers, except they glowed a color closer to yellow.
Iron Maiden's spirits lifted at the question. "We are re-taking Equestria for the pegasi, the true rulers of the land," she announced, the same way she had told all the soldiers before this stallion. "Would you like to join us in our quest?"
The stallion looked at her straight on, unwavering amid the chaos of stampeding hooves around him. "What makes the pegasi the true rulers?" he asked. "Why should I hurt my friends?"
Iron Maiden was taken aback. Nopony had ever questioned her judgement before. "What makes the pegasi the true rulers?" she repeated back, infuriated. The stallions gaze stayed steady. She started speaking many times, but each time stopped short of answering. She looked across the town at the pegasus guards, still doing their duties and rounding up anypony without wings. What makes the pegasi the true rulers? Hadn't any of the guards asked themselves the same question? If they trusted her, she couldn't be wrong, could she? But then why couldn't she think of an answer?
"There," she said, pointing to where a gray stallion with a tail that was blue with orange tips had thrown a unicorn mare at a soldier to let himself escape. "Look at the cowardice of that one. They are all like that, the unwinged. Fearful, self-serving, and vengeful. The pegasus in front of her looked over for only a second before returning back to Iron Maiden.
"Most pegasi also flew away and left their friends and family behind when you came to town. That sounds just as fearful and self-serving to me."
Just then, the stallion's face turned to one of shock, and his eyes drifted to her right. She quickly turned to discover a blue pony with green and blue hair running at her with a stick. From instinct, she struck out at the pony, and placed her crystal blade at the neck of her attacker. Everything stopped. The guards around her dropped the ponies they had collected so far. Only then did Iron Maiden notice the wings, one twisted painfully underneath the pegasus where she had fallen, the other spread on the ground. Iron Maiden looked around her. A turquoise mare shivered, surrounded by soldiers, while the gray pegasus who had been next to her flew off in fright. A small, frail-looking pegasus with a yellow coat tried to fly, but her wings were pasted to her side from fear. The pegasi were reacting like any unwinged pony would. They weren't inspired by the capture of their oppressors; they were terrified by it. They didn't instantly recognize their superiority; they rejected it, as the young pegasi she was standing over had. Maybe they were so brainwashed that they could not see the truth. Or maybe...
"Ma'am?" said one soldier nearby fearfully. "Ma'am, remember task two?" Task two. Don't Harm Any Pegasus Pony. Iron Maiden carefully retracted her blade, but not because of the task. The guards around her didn't resume their jobs, but Iron Maiden didn't notice. She remained frozen in time.
"Is this..." she asked quietly, her eyes searching the space in front of her for something that made sense, "Is this what you want?"
"No," came the reply, just as soft as the question.
Iron Maiden's legs carried her without her intending them to, and her head became a mess of questions that were only answered by more questions. Why didn't the pegasus want this? What was wrong with this? Why hadn't she asked these questions before? Why had her soldiers so readily followed her? Why didn't she feel right doing this? Where was the revolution her grandfather had spoken of?
A sharp pain pierced her thoughts. A black earth pony with fiery red mane smirked as he saw his rock hit its mark, while his friend, a blue unicorn, readied additional ammunition in his magic field. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of these boys, and anger once again filled her heart. It was a rotten substitute for pride, but it would suffice. Once again, she uttered the same two words that she had started the whole battle with: "Get them."
The world began moving again. The soldiers, with devilish grins, all got back to their duties. The two troublemakers were dealt with without compassion or remorse. Iron Maiden stood tall, giving orders, but aware that the rage those two had given her was fading fast. She tried to stroke the flames, but the rage gave way to emptiness once more. They were taken care of, and she felt no joy. Worse she felt something deep inside of her, that she refused to name but knew was remorse.
That's when she saw the little yellow filly with blood running down her face.
The filly lay next to a cart of apples. She had a vague memory of one of her soldiers kicking that cart in the frenzy. Blood stained the wood and ran down the soft fur of the pegasus. The little filly looked up at Iron Maiden with cyan eyes before hiding her head under her hooves. She shivered in fear, but Iron Maiden no longer saw that filly. She saw a filly with a coat of pure white and a mane of blue, who faltered whenever she tried to fly, who was made fun of for her long legs which made her trip, and told she was different from other fillies. She saw a filly who would never hurt anypony, especially not when they couldn't fight back. A little Iron Maiden with eyes of golden innocence stared up at her, and all at once she realized the answers to her questions.
The pegasi were not a superior race. No superior race could continue wreaking havoc after injuring such a small, fragile filly as this one.
"STOP!" came Iron Maiden's voice, elevated to a level that was called "The Royal Canterlot Voice" once upon a time. Once more, everything froze. The soldiers looked up at her, their eyes the same gold as hers. She hated the way they looked at her, without questioning, without wondering, with total obedience. "Go," she said, her voice dripping with venom. The soldiers took wing almost immediately, taking only seconds to change their orders so dramatically. The doors to the carriages were left open, and the attack was over as quickly as it had began. Iron Maiden was deflated. The filly, once again with soft pink hair and light yellow fur, looked up at her submissively. Iron Maiden, her eyes soft, said one thing to the filly before taking off for her fate in Cloudsdale.
"I'm sorry."
Author's Note
The video that this story is based on is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3z_ajvapbw
