The Price of Peace

>Day Peace
>Location, unknown.
>The dreams have begun to subside.
>The nothing of the dream landscape fills your mind at long last.
‘Now.’
‘Wake up now.’
>You feel your eyes open, but still see nothing.
>You try to sit up.
>You almost make it to a seated position before something pulls taught, nearly yanking you back down.
>You struggle against the unseen force, and knock your helmet loose.
>You can see your hands, bound down on a table.
>With a few grunts and twisting of your wrists, you free yourself and throw the helmet off.
>The sudden influx of light causes your pupils to dilate, blinding you.
>For a few brief moments, all you can think about is how stale the air tastes.
>Processed.
>As the spots clear, you glance around and see what appears to be a hospital recovery room.
>The headset behind you, however, is like nothing you have ever seen.
>You swing your legs over the side of the bed, and take a few unsteady steps.
>You don’t know how long you have been asleep, and which memories have been real, and which have been dreams.
>What you do know is your body isn’t up to much physical exertion, so it must have been a while.
“Damn…”
>Your voice is a sick, croaking sound.
>No sink in the room, you make a note to find water, soon.
>Using the wall for support, you head out into the hall.
>The door opens to reveal millions of points of light.

>You stand in the door frame for a few moments, trying to collect yourself.
>The vast expanse of space just stares back, daring you to make a move.
>At last, you do.
>Taking several short, stumbling steps, you collapse into the clear sheet that is separating you from the oxygen-deprived environment outside.
“How is this possible?  There were, ponies.  I was on the ground.  Twilight Sparkle, and the rest.”
>Overhead a familiar detached voice comes on the intercom.
>“Anonymous.  Attention, Anonymous.  Please come to the aft of the ship.”
>A ship huh?
>That would make sense.
>But the ponies were low-tech, very low-tech.
>They had magic, certainly, but nothing like this.
>Needing answers, you follow the instructions of the intercom, using the marked passages for reference.
>Ten minutes later, you have arrived.
>An elevator opens in front of you.
>The overhead crackles to life again.
>“Anonymous.  Anonymous.  Step into the car.”
>What can you really do?
>The doors shut behind you, and you feel yourself rising.
>A small chime alerts you to your destination.
>The doors open with a whoosh.
>And there she is, in all her glory.
“Princess Celestia.”
>“Anonymous, I’m glad that you could make it.  What do you think of this beautiful vessel that we have created?”
“I think it sucks.”
>You really wish you had found that water.
>You sound less intimidating, and more like a dehydrated bullfrog.
>She gives you that small smile she always did.
>Condescending bitch.
>“You always were rather uncouth, Anonymous.  No respect for status.  But you have certainly served your purpose.”
“What is this thing anyway?”

>“This?  Oh, just a little something I put together in the five years you slept.  You designed it, and I had it built.  Celestia’s Dreadnaught.”
“And you say that I’m the one with an attitude problem.  My world doesn’t have anything like this, so I think you’re full of it.”
>She turns her attention away, but smiles still.
>In fact, you think it’s getting bigger.
>“Of course you don’t, you Humans are too busy fighting to throw yourself into creating something on such an epic scale.  Only a planet built around a single form of government could manage such a feat of engineering.  Such a planet would falter in the ways of war, however, and never be able to create something as beautiful as this.”
“Because something like this shouldn’t exist.”
>She laughs, oozing enthusiasm.
>“You are correct.  But, when you arrived, you changed all of that.  Your brain has been a compendium of the last ten thousand years of human existence.  Tapping into that knowledge, I took everything I learned from you, and took it to its logical conclusion.”
“What do you need a ship capable of bombarding planets for anyway?  You already have absolute control over Equestria.”
>That smile turns into a grin.
>A wide, face splitting grin.
“To spread the joys of peace, of course.”
>You glance up at the display
>Earth, on its silent spin through space.
“You’ve gone mad.”
>The grin never leaves her face as her voice begins to boom.
>“You are mistaken, Anonymous.  I have become as a Goddess of old, wise, terrible, unquestionable and loved by all who see her.  You are nothing but ants before the might of eternity.  Kneel now and beg, that your pitiful species might live long enough to wipe themselves out.”

>All the times you refused to bow.
>Insisted on a lack of formality.
>Is it really all about that?
>But, to save your planet…
>Taking a breath, you drop to your knees.
“Please, Prin”
>“YOU WILL REFER TO ME AS QUEEN!”
“Dearest Celestia, my Queen, spare my people.  We have done nothing to you and will do you no harm if you simply leave the Humans alone.  Please, I beg you, let my people live.”
>The face splitting grin fades, replaced with a small smile.
>You heave a sigh of relief.
>“No.”
>You jerk your head back up.
>“No, your species has proved itself to be too dangerous, to itself and others.  Prepare to bombard the planet.”
“Celestia!  I’ll kill you!”
>You struggle back to your feet, only to be forced down again by two gold-clad guards.
>“Anonymous, I thought I explained this to you.”
>In the distance, you can hear the thrum of life roaring through the ship.
>“I cannot be killed.  I have become a Goddess.  I shall live on into eternity.”
>You watch as explosions rock the planet below.
>“And you will help me reach the survivors.  I shall descend, and they shall worship me as their Savior.  And I shall show them the road to peace.”
“You’re a monster.”
>“Peace is worth any cost, Anonymous.  I am the one being who is capable of bringing peace to the universe.  It is a heavy burden, but I am not afraid.  Take him back to his room.  I must learn more of Earth and its customs.”
>In your weakened state, you are nothing but easy prey.
>As they strap you down, one of the guards speaks.
>“Now that you have met peace, we are brothers”
>Peace at any cost
>You don’t like Celestia’s brand of peace
>But as you slip away, you have one last thought
>It doesn’t really matter what you like, anymore.