The Visionary Rebellion,
Salt-Lick City
Salt-Lick City
"I'll let you and Visionary take care of the politics; I'm a commander, not a politician and not a priest. While you two work on your documents, I'm going to dispatch a messenger to Ponyville to get Deep Insight to set up an Inquisition force here in Salt-Lick City; the abominations and Celestial traitors aren't going to kill themselves, after all. In the meantime, while we wait for the Inquisitors to set up shop, I'll be organizing and drilling our militias, getting them prepped and ready for battle. The All-Maker never rests, and neither will His army. Farewell." Iron Rose said, giving a quick salute before leaving to start managing the Temple's military forces.
"Right, well, seeing as you are the one with political experience, I will leave most of the details of the Holy City's charter up to you. I am extraordinarily well-versed in all matters of theology, having committed every revelation and decree from the All-Maker to memory, but I'm afraid I'm not particularly educated in matters of politics. By the divine decree of Providence most high, I live as a humble overseer of the All-Maker's Temple and one of His representatives on Equus; I have never had any involvement in political affairs, nor do I wish or intend to. Contrary, perhaps, to what the enemies of the faith may claim, the goal of the Temple is not to impose some sort of theocracy upon Equestria, ruled by the clergy; our goal, in fact, is simply to rid Equestria of the forces which seek its destruction, such as the abominations and the alicorns. I have no desire for political power; once the alicorn demons have been cast down from the throne, we will establish an elective monarchy, with fair and just rulers being elected by the citizenry. We're not here to conquer Equestria; we're here to save it. Along the way, we will, of course, revoke all the tyrannical laws created by the oppressors, and we will establish a justice system under which all who transgress against our society, be they murderers, rapists, enemy sympathizers, or any other manner of criminal, are righteously killed to protect and preserve Equestrian civilization." Visionary said.
"Beyond demanding that ponies refrain from transgression and refuse to associate or sympathize with abominations and other enemies of Equestria, under threat of execution if they fail to comply, and destroying all vestiges of oppression and inequity, there is little that the Temple asks from lay ponies. So, I suppose the primary thing of note for the new charter, in terms of compliance with the All-Maker's law, is an automatic death sentence for most crime; the threat of slow and horrifically painful public execution is a very powerful disincentive for criminal behavior, I assure you, especially when we have effective means of discovering crimes. Head Inquisitor Deep Insight has made revolutionary insights into all kinds of magic, especially scrying spells and ways to dispel illusions; with his help, we'll be able to set up a truly cutting-edge police force. The combination of extraordinarily effective means of rooting out criminals and terrifying punishments for all crimes will make even the most dedicated of criminal scum far too afraid to even entertain the notion of breaking the law. Beyond that, we will obviously repeal the Celestial restrictions on outing a changeling as being a changeling, the ban on same-sex marriage will be repealed, worship of the alicorns must be strictly outlawed, all legal protections of abominations and their sympathizers must be gotten rid of, privacy laws should be revoked in favor of allowing for far more comprehensive police activities against criminals and enemies of Equestria, etcetera. Everything else, I will leave to your prerogative; just never forget that our goal, first and foremost, is to protect Equestria from all who would harm it and its denizens. All who work inequity in our society must be killed for the greater good; it is the only way to ensure the everlasting safety and security of Equestria." Visionary continued.
"There isn't much more to know about the All-Maker's divine law. Dedicated ascetics and priests such as myself must live by numerous strict commandments, but lay ponies have no such obligation; as long as you ensure the new charter is sufficiently thorough in waging war against the wicked, and extensive enough in discarding the unjust edicts of Celestia and her lackeys, my comrades and I within the Temple shall have no objections to it. Now, if you don't mind, I really ought to be on my way. Numerous civilians were injured in the battle, and I have a righteous obligation to help them to the best of my abilities. I'm going to go to the All-Maker's sanctum here in Salt-Lick City and begin tending to the sick and wounded; you can find me there if you need me." Visionary finished before taking his leave.
The Great Salt-Lick Temple
Visionary stood before the immense structure in front of him and was filled with an overwhelming sense of awe, standing before a holy monument unlike any other which had ever been seen in Equestria. He wasn't a particularly well-traveled stallion, having spent his entire life in and around small towns along the frontier; Salt-Lick City was the first major population center he had ever been to. He had never seen the world-famous feats of architectural ingenuity which big cities like Manehattan were famous for, but, upon beholding the All-Maker's holy oasis, he knew no mortal would ever be able to match the glories of his lord. As he passed through the golden barrier surrounding the vicinity, life began to feel completely surreal; he felt as if he was in the midst of a small patch of the heavens which had manifested upon the mortal world. It certainly was a steadfast and powerful reminder of the strength and might of the All-Maker.
Though he had come with a specific purpose in mind (performing his obligation to provide charity to the destitute), he couldn't help but be overcome by an immense desire to take a moment to explore the vast and grandiose temple complex around him. After all, it wasn't every day that one got the opportunity to visit the holy sanctum of a god. He took some time to wander the marble halls of the magnificent structure, exploring for quite a while until he eventually found himself in front of an unusual door, discreetly hidden in the corner of one of the building's numerous altar rooms. It was made of stone, had no doorknob (rather, there was simply a narrow slit through which nothing could be seen), and was covered in engravings depicting a great battle between ponies and changelings. Rather quite interested, Visionary touched the door with a hoof, and, suddenly a brief vision flashed before him, in which he saw himself holding Dawnbreaker and inserting it into the door.
Following his vision's instruction, Visionary unsheathed Dawnbreaker and inserted it into the narrow slit in the door. Immediately, the door started turning transparent and emanated a golden glow. Visionary reached out again and tried to touch the now see-through door, only to find his hoof go straight through it; the door was visible, yet could not be touched or felt. Feeling even more intrigued, Visionary withdrew the blade from the now-ethereal door and, holding it in a hoof, proceeded to walk into the dark room beyond him. He found himself in a large, wide-open, high-ceilinged room, illuminated by the faint glow of Dawnbreaker, the most prominent feature of the room being a large and elegant altar. Surrounding the altar was a circle of twelve gilded statues depicting Visionary and his eleven apostles. Each statue was surrounded by a circle of unlit red candles, and each of which was holding a sword (with the sole exception of the statue of himself, which was noticeably missing one).
Curious, Visionary placed Dawnbreaker in the empty hooves of the stone statue; the response was immediate. There was a blinding flash of light and, when Visionary's sight returned, he saw that all the red candles in the room had ignited themselves, and the statues each had glowing eyes. A beam of light started emanating from the altar, with a single scroll was floating in mid-air in the center of the ray of light. Compelled to investigate it, Visionary dropped his sword and picked up the scroll, unfurling it and reading its contents. The scroll contained a poem, written in red ink, which Visionary proceeded to read through:
As Visionary finished reading the final line of the scroll, a circle of purple flames appeared around him, and the ground started sinking out from underneath him. The world started spinning, and consciousness quickly started fading from him. Visionary blacked out, and when he awoke again, he found himself somewhere completely different; he looked around his new surroundings and saw a completely different world around him. He was in a city of solid gold, built in a strange architecture reminiscent of the ruins scattered throughout the Forbidden Jungle. There were huge structures all around him; vast pyramids, temples, castles, and every other manner of immensely impressive building could be seen for miles in every direction, in addition to innumerable smaller buildings. Everything looked extremely different from what Visionary was used to; even the sky looked completely different, the new sky above him being full of colorful lights. Despite the vastness of his surroundings, there was nopony else around him from first glance; the city which surrounded him appeared to be completely empty. Before Visionary could explore his surroundings, he was interrupted by the voice of his master.
"Good; you've arrived." the All-Maker's voice whispered.
"My Lord, what is this place? Why have you brought me here?" Visionary asked.
"This is my own personal realm, beyond the reach of mortals; a separate dimension, the very existence of which has gone unknown for many millennia. It is a truly safe place, for no mortal even knows it exists, let alone how to access it; you are the first to ever enter it. As for why I've brought you here...we'll get to that momentarily. Enter my palace, the large square building behind you, and we will speak face to face." the voice commanded before fizzling away.
Visionary, filled with anxiety and excitement, did as the voice commanded. He turned around and walked inside the building behind him, an immense golden palace; it was a very wide, three-story tall structure, built in the shape of a hollowed-out square, a large and open courtyard existing in the middle with an innumerable variety of exotic plants. He walked through the doors, and navigated the entrance hall of the great structure, finding himself awe-stricken by the unbelievable extravagance of the place, the walls and floors being entirely built of solid gold and lined with jeweled statues and sculptures, while many diamond chandeliers lined the arched ceilings (accompanying masterful artistic murals painted across the entire ceiling). It was a sight which would easily put Celestia's royal castle to shame, eclipsing even the most lavish of mansions and castles in Equestria, a true testament to the All-Maker's splendor.
At the end of the hallway Visionary came to a set of tall golden doors, adorned with hundreds of shining gemstones; Visionary went through them and found himself in a great throne room. The floor, rather than being made of gold like the rest of the palace had been, was built from a great variety of gems, with colorful patterns being laid out throughout the room, forming intricate mosaics. Several gilt columns had been built, upon which were banners displaying a coat of arms (upon which the primary feature was a rainbow-colored eye, much like Visionary's cutie mark). Hanging from the ceiling (which, much like the floor, was composed of jeweled mosaics forming a variety of patterns) were four jeweled chandeliers which provided the only light in the dimly-lit room. At the end of the room, with a series of stairs leading to it, was an elevated ivory throne underneath a large, gilded baldachin.
Sitting upon the ivory throne was a tall draconequus with a black body, a manticore's tail, a rabbit's paw and a diamond dog's claw in place of fore-hooves, a griffin's talon and a goat's hoof in place of hind-hooves, a red pony's head bearing two jagged, curved horns, with a dark blue mane and rainbow-colored eyes, and a griffin's wing and a bat-pony's wing adorning his back. Resting upon his head was a large crown in the shape of a skull, made of solid diamond, encrusted with a number of diverse gemstones and adorned with a great deal of colorful feathers, while covering his body was a suit of golden armor bejeweled with rubies. He had a very regal appearance, giving off a very commanding presence. Visionary bowed before him and the draconequus spoke.
"I bid you welcome to my sacred domain, my Prophet." the draconequus, the All-Maker's physical form, said.
"My Lord, your avatar is a draconequus?" Visionary asked, rather curious about his master's physical form.
"I can bend my appearance into whatever form I so desire; I mastered the art of transformation magic many thousands of years ago. Ponies normally associate the ability to change one's appearance with the abominations, seeing as they have natural knowledge of shapeshifting spells, but such spells can be learned by almost any talented wizard. I could easily assume the mantle of any mortal race, but I see little reason to do so. This form stands out; it distinguishes me from the common rabble, and creates an air of mystery and power around me. This body makes it clear that I am no mere mortal; rather, it makes it abundantly visible that I am on a far higher level than any mortal being. It is well that you would ask me about it, because I have a relevant task which requires your urgent attention." the All-Maker said.
"What would you have of me?" Visionary asked.
"As you surely know by now, I am powerful; more than a match for almost any opponent. However, even gods have limits, I'm afraid. While I am capable of exerting some minor magical influence over the mortal world, speaking to mortals and creating some minor weather effects for example, my power on Equus is actually very limited at the moment; my little magic show in Salt-Lick City was a matter of smoke and mirrors, creating the illusion of an all-powerful wizard being involved on the battlefield. Conjuring clouds and manipulating electric charge to create lightning strikes is child's play for an experienced magician, and voice magnification is an almost effortless process, though, I must admit, it was rather effective at striking fear into the enemy. In order for me to access more dangerous powers, and truly utilize my full force against the abominations and their armies, I must have a physical presence in the mortal world, which leads us to our problem. My avatar is stuck here in this dimension, and has been for an incredibly long time; I stopped counting after one thousand, three hundred and forty seven years." the All-Maker told Visionary.
"But how? How could you possibly be stuck here? Surely you must have the power to go wherever you please?" Visionary asked, rather confused.
"Ordinarily, yes, I would, but I have been under...less than ordinary circumstances. Let me explain the whole story; I suppose you deserve a history lesson. You see, many, many thousands of years ago, I was the God-King of the land you now know as Equestria, having unified the continent millennia before the abominations ever migrated there. Back then, the indigenous races were the griffins and buffalo; they were rivals, very dedicated enemies. The two races were in a state of constant war, each determined to conquer the continent for themselves. Then, I came along and...convinced them to make peace with one another, and I crowned myself as the new King of both of their kingdoms to enforce the peace I had made. I reigned for thousands of years; I was, indisputably, the sovereign lord of the entire continent, King of the Griffins and King of the Buffalo. Times were great back then; everyone lived in peace, because they knew I would kill them in the most gruesome of ways if they ever decided to go back to the old ways of violent rivalry and war. I ended up getting too accustomed to not having to worry about threats, because my subjects were far too afraid to ever violate my laws. I was incredibly unprepared when a real, incredibly dangerous threat manifested itself from a faraway land." the All-Maker explained.
"I was still the absolute monarch of the whole region when the changelings started their conquest. They arrived in endless swarms, migrating by the thousands into my realm, pretending to be innocent refugees seeking asylum. My subjects warned me that they were not to be trusted, that they were nothing but monsters seeking to destroy their civilization, and that I should drive them out before they had the opportunity to strike. Full of hubris, having come to believe that nobody would ever challenge my authority and that I could easily overcome any opponent, I ignored them; I let the abominations settle throughout my lands, expecting that they would be easily reformed into loyal citizens. I was wrong. Not long after I started allowing the endless waves of mass-migration, they started a coup against my rule, ambushing my soldiers and attacking me in my capital. That wasn't the real problem; I could have defeated them under ordinary circumstances. The problem is that more or less all immortals like myself happen to have an obscure weakness somewhere; usually a magic weapon of some kind, the Elements of Harmony being a pristine example. Somehow, they managed to find a magic artifact capable of defeating me on the battlefield, much to my complete surprise. They utilized it to great success, draining much of my magical energy, delivering a powerful blow to me in battle. I was forced to flee the mortal world; I cast a teleportation spell on myself to allow me to swiftly escape, arriving here in my private dimension. While I was able to recover from the effects of their little artifact, swiftly regaining my energy, it left me with an unforeseen after-effect. You see, their artifact created an indefinite anti-teleportation ward on my body; I fled here before the effect was fully in-place, leaving me in the rather frustrating condition of being trapped in this realm with limited ability to interact with the mortal world. I can still teleport other things, and I still have some degree of power over Equus, but, for the time being, I am more or less crippled." the All-Maker continued.
"But...you're the creator of the universe! Surely, you should have known the true intentions of the abominations, right? And your powers are immense; surely, you must have some means to dispel the enchantment yourself?" Visionary asked, quite shocked that his master had limitations.
"Like I said, not even gods have limitless power. I'll let you in on a little secret; the concept of divine omniscience and omnipotence is just a way to scare people into showing self-control, by instilling the notion that they're always being watched and will be punished if they ever do anything wrong. The powers of the gods have always been exaggerated for the sake of creating incentives and disincentives for certain behaviors. It's all for the greater good, though; the illusion of always been watched by a being with limitless power can be a truly major force of behavioral alteration. That's not to say I've been lying, and that my divinity is nothing but smoke and mirrors; I certainly have a great deal of power, and take notice of a great many things, and ponies will of course have a positive or negative afterlife based on moral or immoral decisions. I have been honest in these regards, though some elements have been embellished on some level, I will admit; it's all necessary for the establishment of social order, as I learned long ago." the All-Maker told him.
Visionary didn't know what to think; he was completely taken off-guard. He had been under the resolute, unwavering, fanatically zealous mindset that the All-Maker was entirely all-knowing and all-powerful ever since he was first approached by His emissary in Appaloosa; to learn that his god had embellished his resume, and that his powers had been exaggerated, was a truly shocking revelation. He could understand the reasoning behind it; order needed to be maintained, and the illusion of a constant overseer was an effective means of keeping things orderly and civil in society, but it was, nonetheless, still a bit of a disappointing realization.
"Well...What do you expect me to do, exactly? I don't have any magic powers, let alone an understanding of archaic wards and enchantments or how to dispel them." Visionary asked.
"You don't need to; I've already figured out what needs to be done. I've devised a summoning ritual which will allow you to bypass the ward and summon my avatar to Equestria. I've studied for endless centuries, and I'm certain there's no way for me to manually lift the spell and return to the mortal world, but I believe I have found a reliable method through which someone else can do it by summoning me from Equus. You should be able to find the details of the ritual in the book I gave you; I created the Liber Secretorum as a channel of conveying sensitive information. The book will automatically show whatever I want the reader to see, and will only be legible to authorized individuals. It was, and still is, a revolutionary concept." the All-Maker explained.
"Is there anything else I need to know? Visionary asked.
"Yes; take these words to heart, for they are important. Trust absolutely nopony, not even those who profess to be your allies; the world is full to the brim with deceivers, traitors, and charlatans. Even as we speak, ponies who outwardly claim loyalty to our cause are conspiring to bring about destruction of the Temple of Vision from within. Treachery is rooted deeply within Equestrian culture, thanks largely to so many years of fruitless tolerance towards the abominations; be on your guard at all times, and be ready to strike at a traitor at any moment. Even at the highest level, loyalty is a rare commodity, and ponies will still let themselves die in vain for the sake of those who would see them living in slavery. Prepare the summoning ritual in complete secret; tell nopony about it, and carry it out in seclusion. Now, go; your comrades back on Equus are probably getting suspicious of your absence. Go in peace, knowing the time is fast approaching for my splendor to return to the waking world." the All-Maker finished. With a sudden snap of the All-Maker's fingers, Visionary found himself teleported back to Equestria, where he would have a lot of work ahead of him.
Lord Philip Blackwing,
Manehattan
Manehattan
"I won't need much, I'm sure. Unlike certain other claimants to the throne, I'm competent; I could win a war using half the resources Guto would need. Sixty million bits would give me more than enough to outfit a suitably large army with all the bare necessities; guns, ammunition, rations, etcetera. Alternatively, eighty million bits would allow for the purchase of a lot of extra artillery and other such devastating weapons for the battlefield, which would speed up my victory quite significantly. Eighty million, on top of my own wealth and the donations I will most certainly receive from my aristocratic supporters, will more-or-less guarantee a swift and decisive victory." Philip told Chrysalis.
