War...*edited*
Admin by Qwerty Words
War. It’s an easy concept, really. Simply kill the other side. Mortar them, burn them, shoot them, torture them, hell, even tear them limb from limb. It’s a concept that spans across all realities, going back as far as time would allow, or HE would allow, that is. War was never meant to be a blood sport more than a simple competition, though, like everything else in the face of existence, it evolved, becoming more psychological, more… brutal.
When war is declared none are safe. Children and women are slaughtered, buildings are burned, cities are destroyed, people are enslaved, and entire continents are nuked. It seemed that no matter what reality he was in war was sure to exist.
*Sigh* War… war never changes, he thought as he turned another page of the old, dusty, hardcover book, shaking his head in slight anguish.
The Administrator wasn’t always one for reading manually; his ability to automatically scan a reality to become familiar with its data made reading books quite pointless. Sometimes, however, when he wanted to feel the dependency mortals felt about acquiring knowledge, he’d pick up a book and read it. He didn’t always remember them, but at least he could say he did it.
There was one thing that he always remembered, though, and that was the suffering and misery of those around him, even if not current or immediate. It rattled his very being, making his anger flare and showing his dark side, which he keeps locked away tight for the safety of those around him….
He had read many of the books and scrolls in the Canterlot Archives, but nothing he found indicated what happened during the ‘Great War’ as it was labeled. No cause of war, no evidence, no artifacts, nothing. All he had to go by was the hundreds of dusty books that lined the shelves. Here he felt at home: the Archive, a mass storage of information over a collective span of time. The smell of parchment was new to him, but hey, data was data and he wasn’t picky either.
He casually walked down the aisles of the Archive, his impossibly white hoodie seemingly untouched by the dust that littered practically everything he saw in the dull grey room. He walked down another row, his finger running across all the books’ spines as he walked, leaving a clean trail across the books as he went, his black steel-toe boots made a muffled CLUNK sound with every step. He wasn’t an “equine” as the local inhabitants were, his bipedal form easily standing out among the image of the local populi, which was why he remained hidden from the curious eyes of most and revealed to others who needed him, each having been sworn to secrecy.
The next ten minutes he spent just skimming through random books he pulled. He opened a book and started flipping through all the pages, his complex mind automatically highlighting key words and sentences he might find useful and storing them away for later use. He closed the book and pulled out another, repeating the same process.
He closed yet another book and slid it into its respective spot on the dusty shelf, turning his attention to the large open window overlooking the city. He calmly made his way to the window and leaned against the inner edge with his arms crossed, eyeing the town a few miles away with subtle curiosity.
This place is so… peaceful, beautiful even. How could such a place have ever been involved in the mass killing of its own kind? He thought to himself, letting his head rest on the inner frame of the window. The Love and Tolerance thing just seems so popular and heavily rooted into their psychology- he looked down at the city below him. He saw a unicorn patron at an outdoor café look to an earth-pony waiter as if he were common trash –well… most of them anyways.
He turned to go back to the shelves and was greeted by a tall figure on four legs. Judging from the pony’s uncanny resemblance to the pony depicted in the books as “Princess Luna”, the Administrator began to scan her form. He hadn't heard her sneak up on him.
Deep blue coat, wings of a pegasus and the horn of a unicorn, a dark paint splotch with a white crescent moon on her upper thighs, royal armor, flowing mane and tail that looked like one was gazing into the night sky itself. So far nothing seemed off from what he already knew, though the blank look she was giving him admittedly made him feel uneasy.
Admin didn’t budge, didn’t blink, didn’t breath (not that he could anyway), and just waited for her to speak first. In the eight seconds of silence that had filled the room, the Administrator felt a powerful rush of Temporal Flux. Normally he only felt them when he met something with some serious time on it, so he figured that some of the really old books he had just read labeled “autobiography” weren’t meant to be humor inducing.
“Who are you,” she asked in a simple tone, eyeing him curiously. Something was rather off about her English. How long had she been speaking it?
He raised an unseen brow, resuming his crossed-armed stance. “I am the Administrator.” He smirked, looking uninterested in the conversation taking place.
The Lunar Princess sat on her haunches, looking at him with even more curiosity knowing now that he was intelligent. “Greetings, Sir Administrator. I am Princess Luna, Princess of the Night,” She said proudly. “My sister is, as I’m sure you’ve heard, Princess Celestia, the Goddess of the Sun.” she looked to him expecting lavish praise, but she was greeted by his side as he continued to rifle through the books and scrolls on the shelves nonchalantly, as if he didn’t care that he just met royalty, a goddess no less. She coughed into her hoof to get his attention.
He didn’t look at her as he continued to sift through a stack of uncoiled scrolls. “Yes?” came his casual reply.
Luna blinked back surprise. Why wasn’t he bowing and worshipping her like all the ponies did for her sister? She furrowed her brow and frowned at him, but her curiosity still remained; she’d chastise him AFTER her questions were answered.
“So… mind telling me what you’re doing in MY archives?” she wore a smug look, awaiting his apology for being so rude. No, instead he reached up and grabbed a book off the shelf next to him without looking and pulling out a small book. He turned it skillfully in his hand so that the back of the hardcover book faced Luna, a small bronze plaque with the words “Property of Celestia” etched into the metal. He tapped it with one finger before putting it back in its spot on the shelf above him, all the while looking through a stack of books.
Luna blushed, her ears splayed back as she looked away in embarrassment. Several seconds passed and she noticed him turn to her. He leaned sideways, his shoulder resting on the shelf and his arms crossing once more. “I’m certain you have more than just basic questions, otherwise you would have left already,” he said with a sigh. His voice reminded her of the bored teenagers that visited the castle on High School fieldtrips.
Luna took a moment to collect her thoughts before finally asking, “What… ARE you?” she took a cautious step towards him and examined his coat. From what she saw there wasn’t a speck of dust on him.
“I am many things,” he replied simply, shrugging.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Another shrug.
She sighed in annoyance. “Alright then, is ‘Administrator’ a name or a label? It certainly isn’t a name I’ve ever heard of, and I’ve been around for a long time.” She put extra emphasis on ‘long’.
He looked over his shoulder for a second before sitting on a stack of books a third the size of Luna. “It’s… complicated,” he said hesitantly.
“I’m sure I can-“
“It’s VERY complicated,” he said bluntly.
Luna looked at him, studying his body language. She noticed how he visibly tensed at the mention of the possibility of him having another name. Opting to bring it up later, she hid her suspicion behind another pleasant smile.
“O-…kay, then. What are you really? I’ve seen thousands of intelligent species before, but I’ve never laid my eyes upon such a- and please forgive my saying- bizarre creature such as yourself, save for Discord, of course.” Luna looked at the darkness under his hood, wondering if he even had eyes or if he saw using other senses.
He didn’t reply immediately as he looked thoughtful, his left hand rubbing his chin. For a moment Luna swore she heard the sound of ticking, like in an old mechanical clock of sorts.
“I am… not equine,” he answered finally.
“No! Really? Never would have guessed,” she exclaimed sarcastically, then deadpanned. The Administrator visible smiled at that and laughed loudly.
“Ah, see?” he patted her shoulder playfully. “Who says immortality’ll kill your sense of humor, eh?” he laughed. He sobered quickly; a sad smile remaining as he idly pulled a nearby book out of its spot on the shelf. He flipped through the pages absentmindedly, clearly not reading them. He closed the book and held it firmly in both hands, looking down at the cover.
Luna sensed an air of anguish surround him all of a sudden, so she reached out with her wing and touched his shoulder in a comforting manner. The Administrator looked up at the wing, then at her.
“Thank you for trying,” he said in a normal tone, the air of misery now gone completely. It was as if he had changed emotions like the flip of a switch or the press of a button. How Strange…. “Now as for your question; I cannot tell you exactly what I am, or where I originated… yet.” He stood up and walked over to the window again, looking out over to country before him. “May I ask you a few questions,” he asked over his shoulder.
Luna trotted over and sat down next to him, looking out over the land she co-ruled. “I do not see any harm in it,” she replied, trying to match his level of nonchalance.
“I’ve looked through some of the books in the history section here and so far I’ve only found vague references and brief mentions of something known as the ‘Great War’. I wish to know more about this… ’Great War’. Could you perhaps enlighten me?”
Luna was quiet, blankly staring ahead as she contemplated a proper response. It had been a very long time since she last heard that title, almost as long as her lifespan. It was something that pained her to remember, always striking her heart like a sharp stone and bringing about a fresh wave of emotional distress.
After what seemed like an eternity of silence, she spoke, her voice just barely above a whisper. “Before my sister and I ruled over Equestria the lands were divided. To the ground were the earth ponies; strong, hearty, and honest workers. They took care of the harvesting of vegetables and fruits so that all may survive. They were the humble ponies that never wanted anything to do with fighting or violence.”
“The skies belonged to the pegasi, fast and agile ponies born with the natural gift of flight. They built their villages on the clouds and took care of the weather so that the food would grow. Like the earth ponies, the pegasi had no desire for bloodshed when all could be shared equally.” She paused to look down at the royal city below, her eyes staying motionless yet seemingly seeing everything at once. “Then the unicorns came, traveling from the mountains. They had not the strength of earth ponies, nor the speed of pegasi, but they did have something the two other breeds lacked.”
The Administrator looked to her, awaiting her to continue. Luna’s horn glowed a deep blue as several books floated off the shelves and hovered there for a moment, then slid back in place, the glow fading. Having seen this happen, the Administrator turned back to her. “Mental superiority and telekinetic control.” Luna nodded, looking back towards the city.
“Magic. The unicorns demanded that the pegasi and earth ponies give 80% of the harvest to them. Of course the others were outraged by such outrageous demands, so they were right to flat-out refuse. Unfortunately the unicorns were not as easy to be rid of. They came back the next day with powerful pyro-mage unicorns and set fire to some of the villages, knowing full well how close winter was coming. Back then getting a cold was like a death sentence,” she added forlornly, looking down at her silver clad hooves.
The Administrator looked out once again, his jaw set as Luna continued.
“Many earth ponies died during that winter, and with so few ponies to deal with the harvest, the pegasi grew angry. They claimed that the earth ponies were taking their weather manipulation for granted and didn’t deserve the warm weather, so the pegasi unleashed a blizzard upon the poor farmers, killing off many more. With their numbers dwindling, the earth ponies fled, searching for refuge somewhere safe.”
“Two on one, eh?” she nodded slowly.
“At first, but as time went on, the pegasi grew hungry and frail, and with no earth ponies to tend to the dying crops, they went out in search of food. Guess where their search landed them.” She gave him a sideways glance.
“The mountains.”
“Yes,” she nodded. “They figured that the unicorns, what with their magic and all, had mastered the production of food.” She let the sentence hang.
“They were wrong.”
“So very, VERY wrong…. The unicorns were probably worse off than they were. The unicorns may have been malnourished, but that didn’t make them weak by any means. They saw the pegasi’s actions towards taking pity on them as demeaning and unleashed a small scale war, in which only a hoof-full of survivors on either side survived….” She sighed and looked down.
“Years later after the survivors escaped and sought out sanctuary, their numbers had grown substantially, just as their hatred for the other geneses grew like a wildfire.” She looked straight ahead, wistfully. “It was this very land that each race found refuge under the loving warmth of the sun, which my sister was just learning to control.” The Administrator looked to the sun for a second then back to Luna, nodding for her to continue.
“One might think it impossible for three massive, powerful races of ponies could thrive on the same land without becoming aware of the others’ existences, but it happened. The earth ponies were already living in large villages they’d built and expanded over the decades since the winter so long ago. They had not just crops, but orchards! Rows upon rows of fruit and vegetables. Every pony had their own garden, stores were being built, they were truly thriving.” Luna smiled, letting out a soft laugh.
“But war never changes…” the Administrator said quietly, also looking down. Luna’s smile vanished as she nodded slowly.
“The pegasi attacked out of nowhere, using the clouds as cover. They would swoop down, grab ponies, often mares and foals, and would drop them to their death.” Luna paused to take a shaky breath. “The earth ponies were far stronger and healthier now. The would capture the enemy soldiers and rip off their wings as painfully and violently as possible, relishing in the spilling of another’s blood.” She choked back tears now.
“Then it all changed when the unicorns became aware of the battle. They wanted the land and to exact revenge on their enemies, so the launched full-scale war right then and there. The grass was painted dark crimson for many days; the fields were littered with bodies from all races; houses burned with foal still trapped inside, crying, calling out to their parents to come save them but…they were out in the fields….” Her voice cracked as tears began to flow freely, her shoulders bobbing with her sobs. She had raised a hoof to her eyes to wipe away the tears when she heard it again, the constant ticking.
She looked up and was about to ask where the sound was coming from when she saw the source; in the Administrator’s right hand was a small, golden pocket watch connected to a golden chain leading into the pocket of his hoodie. The cover was open and he was looking into it, or at least she thought he was. She thought it odd how even though he was a foot taller than her and the sun was out, she would look up at where his eyes would be and only see darkness. It was as if he were hiding them on purpose.
From where she sat the back of the watch was facing her, the ticking growing more frequent, like the sound of a rising drumbeat. She figured a change in conversation topic was appropriate, so she turned to him, sniffling once and drying her eyes. “What time is it?”
“It doesn’t tell time,” he replied quickly before closing the watch and stuffing it in his pocket. He then turned his head to stare out the window again. “Luna, can I ask you another question?” he asked calmly again.
Luna only nodded.
“I see only happiness, love, warmth, and hope in this land. If this was ever a warzone, how did all of this come to be?” he gestured to all the land surrounding the castle.
“Because of Harmony.” She replied, the smile returning to her muzzle.
The reply seemed to catch him off guard. “Pray tell.”
“When we saw the battle taking place, my sister and I caused a solar eclipse, the combination of both our special talents. The fighting ponies halted at once. They were so scared that some unicorn even clung to pegasi or earth ponies in fear. It was there that my sister and I earned our cutie marks.” She gestured to the mark on her flank. The Administrator only nodded. “We saw the full extent of our powers, and so did the ponies before us. They called us gods, they worshipped us, and they even worked together and built statues in our name. We saw this as a golden opportunity and established the Laws of Harmony, which in time created all this you see before you,” she finished with a smile.
The Administrator looked thoughtful for a moment, and then he said, “I’ve monitored billions of dimensions before. I learned every detail, every fact, every advantage, and every flaw by merely standing still, but,” he strode leisurely to the center of the room, looking over his shoulder once he stopped. “I have never come across a world I had to manually learn about first-hand.” He turned to the door, “Goodbye Luna, for now, and thank you for your time. I truly appreciate the wealth of knowledge you have given me today, and don’t worry, I shall return the favor.” He said as he raised his hand to the locking mechanism beside the door, in turn making the door open. “I shall return to you by the end of the week and we can continue our discussion. Perhaps then I will be more… open.”
As he stepped out Luna called to him. “Wait! W-what will you be able to tell me? Are there more like y-” but it was too late, he had already stepped out and closed the door behind him.
In the hall the Administrator still heard Luna’s question. Quietly and to himself, he said, “In due time, dear Luna… all in due time….” he closed his eyes as her neared a corner.
~Q~
A royal guard came from around the corner at a brisk pace, only to jump back in fright as he almost ran into… something. He blinked. There was nothing there, but he swore he saw a tall figure nearly run into him, but it had vanished as soon as he blinked, its detail already lost in his mind. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, chalking it down to lack of sleep. He regained his composure and started trotting forwards when he stopped again.
The floors of the castle were always clean, as in no dirt, dust, or filth of any kind was ever found on the smooth marbled floors. The guard stood there inspecting his hoof as some strange, crunchy, and dry substance specked the underside of his golden-clad hoof. It was… sand? Why would sand be in the castle? They were nowhere near a beach. More importantly, why was it shimmering faintly?
He was torn away from his reverie when he spotted the very princess he had come to retrieve walking out of the archives, looking thoughtful. He trotted up to her and bowed respectfully, “Your highness, Princess Celestia has sent me to retrieve you. She requests your presence in the Council Chamber.”
“Huh... oh, oh right! Lead the way,” Luna said quickly, snapping to attention. The guard got up and trotted off down the hall with Luna close behind. As she trotted on in silence she began to hear something apart from the clopping of their hooves on the marble floor. It sounded familiar, soothing even. It oddly set her mind at ease, making her feel calm and collected once again. It… sounded like….
Luna smiled to herself as she trotted on, crooning “Tick… Tck’ Tock… Tick… Tck’ Tock…” as she went.
