Chapter Twenty-Three
Unexpected Passengers
The first thing we did was get the wounded back to Equestria. One healthy pony went with each two that were wounded, and we also sent Swift Wing. I hated to lose one of our few fliers—particularly a pony as capable as Swift—but he knew the geography back home very well from his service aboard Pole Star. He would be able to orient himself and get to the nearest town or city to fetch help as quickly as possible.
I wish I had had time to write a note, telling everypony back home not to worry despite the sudden influx of casualties, but I had other urgent things to do. We were pumping gas from our reserves into cell number three at an alarming rate just to keep Nebula afloat.
Ao, Skyla, and I worked the rest of the night improving the patches, cycling out to keep watch and grab an occasional half-hour nap. By dawn, we had done as much as possible with our limited materials, and though we were still having to add gas to the cell, it was at a much slower rate.
"Will our reserves get us to the gate in the Badlands?" Skyla asked, peering over my shoulder at the figures I'd scrawled on my clipboard.
"Maybe we can salvage some gas cylinders from the wrecks." I chewed on the end of my pencil. "Or some proper cell fabric to make a tighter seal. We might be able to find some large pieces that weren't burned."
"So that's a no," Skyla said.
"It's a not yet," I corrected. "In any case, we can still distribute a lot of medallions before we have to tap out. I'd rather not leave the Western Territories intact if there's any way to avoid it."
Skyla nodded. she looked up at the underside of the envelope and sighed unhappily. "We will find more gas or the minerals to make it from. There's no urgency now that the Imperial Fleet has been destroyed."
There was a thump of a pony landing on the quarterdeck, and a familiar voice said, "There are still many things to fear."
It was Loose Leaf.
She had spent the night lying on the apron in front of the gate. I'd sent Sirocco down to check on her a few times, and he had always reported that she was awake, but wouldn't answer him.
"How are you feeling?" I asked her, keeping a sharp eye out for any sudden movements. She seemed calm, but with Leaf, that really didn't mean much.
"There are still a lot of warships out there," she continued, ignoring my question. "In Nebula's condition, even a couple of revenue cutters would be a threat to us."
Us? Her choice of words was interesting.
"And cutters are exactly what we will run into crossing the border," Loose Leaf continued. "There is a route the smugglers use about ten leagues north of Fort Blood. It's a secret pass that's just big enough for a ship our size. I think it's our best bet for getting across undetected."
Skyla and I glanced at each other. She gave me a tiny shrug.
"That sounds good," I said to Loose Leaf, keeping my voice carefully neutral. "We're going to see what we can salvage from the wrecks first. How long will it take to reach that crossing?"
"There's a waning quarter moon tonight, so we can't risk the pass until it's up to give us light. We can spend four or five hours and still make it by midnight when the moon rises," she replied.
"You should get some rest now, if you're going to be up late guiding us through the mountains," Skyla said.
Loose Leaf saluted her, said, "Aye aye, Captain," and went below.
Skyla turned to me when Leaf had gone and said, "Any idea?"
"Not a clue," I replied. "Last night, she was trying to run a spear through me, and now she's... well..." I waved a hoof in the general direction of the crew's quarters.
"Did anypony from the fortress talk with her last night?"
"Not that I know of," I replied. "Sirocco flew down to check on her a couple of times, but she wouldn't speak to him. Maybe..." I trailed off in thought. "She's a believer. She needs something to be a focus for her."
Skyla nodded. "Big Bad Twilight went home, the Blacklips didn't care enough to come out and see if she was okay, so all she has left—"
"Is us," I finished for her.
Skyla gave me a shrewd look. "I think you're only included because you're part of Nebula's crew, Ms. Nightshade. I doubt she's forgiven you so soon." She stared off toward the dawn-lit peaks for a moment. "Of course, the other possibility is that she's decided to commit suicide and take us with her. Betrayal for betrayal, as she would see it."
"No, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure she just wants something to believe in. She isn't really a devious pony."
"Unlike some I could name," Skyla replied.
Ouch. I frowned and gave her a non-committal grunt.
"Well, let’s get to it, Darkness Nightshade," Skyla said, using my full sophomoric nom de guerre. "Take the helm, if you please."
At the time, I had no idea why she was in such a prickly mood. But with everything we had been through, allowances had to be made. So I simply said, “Aye aye, Captain," and stood to the wheel, reaching for the ballast levers.
We lifted out of the valley and made for the largest wreck we could see. It seemed like a good choice, both because it was on lower ground and because a couple of large sections of its envelope were still intact. Ao made a scouting flight to make sure there were no imperial troops lingering in the vicinity, and then reported back to Skyla.
"It appears she made a relatively soft landing, Captain," Ao said. "This one believes we should be able to acquire many usable gems from her."
"No soldiers?" Skyla asked.
"No, Captain," Ao replied. "The nearest this one observed were a league distant and heading for the foothills. This one examined several discarded parachutes against the possibility that the enemy might be using them as cover for an ambush, but such was not the case." She sounded distinctly disappointed.
"Well then," Skyla said, happily clopping her front hooves together. "Let's go shopping!"
I took us in close, and we dropped our anchors and set out spring lines to keep Nebula steady in the uneven breeze.
It turned out that the wreck wasn't completely abandoned after all. About an hour after we descended on the broken airship like parasprites on a molasses spill, Sugarpine galloped over to where Skyla and I were carefully cutting away a section of gas cell fabric.
"Captain!" he called out as he approached. "I think there's somepony trapped in the wreckage!"
We followed him to the place he had heard the voice, and used our magic to carefully tear away the jumble of debris. I couldn't help noticing that a lot of what we lifted was highly carved and gilt paneling.
What we discovered was a young colt in a military uniform. There were so many medals and decorations on his jacket that it would have made fairly decent armor. Evidently, the Emperor's troops had deserted him.
I stepped back and let Skyla precede me, because I thought that the poor kid had been through enough without having my gruesome visage looming over him. If I had known what a brat he was, I wouldn't have bothered.
He wiped at his grubby, tear-stained face with a foreleg, and looked up at Skyla. When he noticed her horn, his expression went cold and disdainful. "You will assist me out of here, and then summon a sky chariot!"
Skyla lifted him carefully in her magic and spun him slowly around, looking for any obvious wounds. He sputtered in indignation and cried out, "How dare you touch me with magic, you filth! Put me down at once, or I will have you whipped!"
A couple of weeks before, I might have thought such behavior from a tiny tyrant amusing, but at that moment, I would have obeyed his command by dropping him on his head. Skyla merely floated him out of the wreck and set him down gently.
He stomped his little hooves, which made all his medals jingle musically, and shouted, "Don't you realize who I am? I am Emperor Fauvel the Seventh, and I—"
Skyla snapped her wings open with a loud whump of displaced air, and said, "I am Captain Skyla Windsong, the most feared alicorn pirate in the world,[1] and commander of the fleet that has conquered your miserable empire![2] You are my prisoner, and you will conduct yourself as such if you wish to avoid being chained in the bilge. Do you understand?"
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[1] Taking into account that she was one of only two alicorn pirates in that world, and had been our public face for most of our stay, this assertion was eminently defensible.
[2] Not so defensible.
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He flinched back and then visibly collected himself. "I see," the pint-sized Ironhoof said coldly. It was difficult to look down his nose at a pony so much taller than himself, but he managed it. "Very well. I acknowledge that I am your prisoner until such time as my knights rescue me and chop you to pieces. Show me to my stateroom and have a servant bring me breakfast."
Skyla smiled. Her smile was not a pleasant one. "Of course, Your Imperial Majesty! Ms. Nightshade, attend the emperor."
He hadn't really noticed me until then. When he got a good look at me, he gasped and tried to hide behind Sugarpine's legs, which almost got him stomped into jelly. I rescued him from the resentful rebel by subjecting him once again to lowly unicorn levitation, and things went rapidly downhill from there.
I floated the kicking, squalling brat aboard and locked him in the passenger cabin. Having seen the looks on the faces of the crew who witnessed the loading of the loathsome cargo, I gave strict orders that no unicorns were to go near him. I strongly disliked the nasty little colt, but I certainly didn't want him murdered. I even had Cream Puff bring him some food.
We got several large power crystals and enough fabric and gas cylinders from the wreck to get Nebula back into fair shape. The only problem was that it would take us a couple of days to make all the necessary repairs.
"We can't stay here, Captain," I said. "There are at least two destroyers out there, and even though they might be too afraid to attack us now, they might well decide to shadow us, either looking for an opportunity for a quick strike, or waiting to gather reinforcements. Our best defense is to disappear as quickly as possible."
"That means trusting that Loose Leaf is telling the truth about the smuggler's passage, and isn't out for revenge on you," Skyla pointed out. "How did a scribe hear about something like that, anyway?"
I sighed. "I'll ask her about it when she wakes up. I need to talk to her, anyway. I don't know what good an apology will do, but I do owe her one."
Skyla nodded. "In the meantime, we get underway. We'll set course on a heading north of Fort Blood. That's the general vicinity of Leaf's supposed secret pass, and well away from any towns."
Star took the wheel, and I went down to check on the brat. I met Cream Puff in the companionway outside the second mate's cabin. He was carrying a tray of food for the emperor that looked liked it could have been the chef's special at the Hayloft.
"That's quite a meal, Puff," I said, taking in the delicious aromas. "I'm not sure the kid is worth the effort."
Puff scowled at me. "This morning, he said that my fabulous primavera omelette was 'quite adequate.' I'm going to get some honest appreciation out of him, or he's going to get oat rolls and water for the rest of the trip!"
"Well, if he turns up his nose at this, you know where my cabin is. Don't…" I trailed off, struck by sudden inspiration. "Wait here for a second. I've got to get something out of my cabin."
I rejoined Puff a moment later, and we entered the Imperial Suite together. The colt's eyes went wide when he caught a whiff of the sumptuous meal. "Ah, supper! You may place it on the table, my good pony." Despite his affected casual air, I could swear I saw a bit of drool on his lower lip.
I held up a wing to stop Puff, and said to His Imperial Condescension, "There's just a small bit of business to take care of before you eat, sir."
"It can wait!" he snapped, already climbing into the chair at the table.
"Very well," I said, calmly, motioning Cream Puff out the door. "We will return later."
"I'm hungry!" he squalled.
I took two ships biscuits that had been sitting next to my writing desk for a week or so, and floated them over to the table.
"Here you are, sir. Wouldn't want you to starve, would we?"
He went red in the face and raised a hoof to sweep the biscuits off onto the deck. I watched him calmly. He sneered at me, but lowered his hoof. "What business?" he muttered.
Ah! I thought. The child can be taught! "Just a tiny bit of paperwork, Your Majesty!" I took the folder out from beneath my wing and set it down as I removed the biscuits. "If you will just sign here… and here…"
= = =
Near sunset, Sirocco found me in the bow scanning the countryside ahead of us. "Ms. Nightshade? Loose Leaf is awake and asking if we have any tools for tattooing aboard."
"Oh?" I stowed my spyglass away. "Is she… Does she seem—rational?"
He shrugged. "Well, she's not actually raving or spraying spittle, but she was saying something about a conspiracy against you."
I sighed. "Send her forward. I need to talk with her. Would you also fetch a bottle of ink, some clean rags, and a sail needle from the stores, please?" He saluted and turned to go. "Oh, wait! Also a set of hobbles—discreetly. Just in case, you know?" I added.
"Are you sure you don't want to start with the hobbles, ma'am?" he asked, only half-joking.
I stifled an ungenerous chuckle by forcefully clearing my throat, and went back to scanning ahead of us.
Loose Leaf approached a minute or so later, began to bow, then changed her mind and saluted me. "You wanted to see me, ma'am?"
Behind her, Sirocco quietly set the requested equipment down on the deck behind the capstan.
"Yes, Leaf," I said, indicating with a wing that she should sit next to me. "I hear that you want a tattoo? I can do that for you, if it's not too intricate."
"No ma'am. Just a couple of stripes on my lip."
I thought it might be something like that. "I don't know the symbols the Blacklips use. That would make you…?"
"A senior archivist. High enough that most would automatically defer to me, but not so high that they would expect to have heard of me. It will makes things a lot easier for us depending on who we run into on the way west."
"I'm sorry, but I have to ask," I said. "I did lie to you. I pretended to be your Twilight Sparkle, and I used you in a fairly horrible way." I looked down and I scuffed a hoof on the deck. "So—why? Why would you want to help us?"
"I… realized that you really do want equality of the tribes." Her voice softened and she looked down at the deck. "You come from a place where that's something that everypony takes for granted, don't you? I know I don't deserve it, but..." She paused and swallowed hard. "That's someplace I'd like to live."
I reached out and curled my wing around her shoulders. "Loose Leaf, you would be welcome in my kingdom."[3]
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[3] Notice that I didn't say which kingdom. Though Loose Leaf might not fit in very well in Equestria, Twilight Town was jam-packed with "characters", and mere eccentricity would go completely unnoticed there.
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She sniffed and wiped her eyes with a foreleg. "I can't thank you enough, Majesty."
"Oh. no!" I said quickly. "I get enough of that from the crazy kirin! Unless it's a formal setting, I want you to call me Twilight, understood? Uh… Well, except here, and then it's Ms. Nightshade or ma'am, okay?"
She sniffed again and nodded. "Understood, ma'am."
"Good!" I said, levitating the ink and needle up in front of her. "Now, how far apart do I make these stripes?"
"They should be a pin feather in width, separated by the same distance. One in the center and one to the right… Oh, wait!"
I assumed she was having second thoughts about getting her lip impaled a few hundred times with a sail needle, but this is the very aptly named Loose Leaf I'm writing about.
"I almost forgot! Before you begin, I should tell you that, after what the big dragon said to her last night, I'm pretty sure the captain is going to try to kill you. You probably should take her out as soon as possible."
My wing slid off her back and the ink bottle and needle dropped to the deck as I stared at her in shock.
"I can wait, if you want to do it now," she said, pleasantly.
= = =
=
...Whut.
8322426 That seems... unlikely. So either Loose Leaf is being more devious than suspected, or Skyla is planning to do something else to Nightshade (because she's worried about her turning evil?).
But what did Spike say? That all Twilights become evil in the end? Find out next time!
...Wat.
8322426
8322455
I know, right?
8322435
Leaf isn't exactly crazy, but she is a few cupcakes short of a baker's dozen. Doesn't mean she's stupid, though.
Uwotm8
...I really need to reread the story from the start again, I'm starting to lose track.
That was unexpected, to say the least :O
Hmmm, I'm curious what Spike said, but I also don't think Skyla would trust Midnight Sparkle's Spike enough to actually do anything to her proper Aunt Twilight. It could still cause a rift between them, though.
Hmmmmm. I await for the next chapter to clear this whole fuckery thing came into place.
Oh great, they found pony Joffrey. Wonder how long it'll be before even Twilight wants to toss him overboard.
What are the chances that Loose Leaf just heard Skyla literally saying that she was going to kill Twilight when she only meant it figuratively?
8322877
I think she means Ao, not Spike.
"spent the night laying on the apron"
"lying"?
re the ending:
...Eh?
Hmm... Mmmhmhmmm. Indeed. Very interesting.
I wonder if that has to do with this...
Hah gotta love that loose and calm delivery about family member wanting to kill you.
YAY CHAPTER!
Ok, I'm good. Can't wait for the next one though.
Wow that last one leaves a whole lot of confusion. Who is Leaf talking about? And who was Skyla talking about.
That dragon can either mean Spike which I don't think is true or it could mean Ao being half dragon which I think is more likely.
Also if Skyla actually said something along the lines of killing Twilight I think it's most likely she is talking about other Twilights from around the multiverse specifically the one she just met.
And all that is assuming that Leaf is actually saying the truth and not just trying to cause trouble which I think is equally likely.
Either way I hope Twilight is not just dismissing what she has been told and asks Skyla (and Ao) about it.
I think that Loose Leaf has realised that a compassionate Princess is better than a psychotic and amoral goddess. I wonder if Midnight is going to find her reserves of cultists somewhat smaller than she expected. I doubt she'll care but I also expect that it will get her thinking on just how to deal with the 'interloper/imposter' currently exiting stage left.
Not enough gas or minerals. When did this become Starcraft?
In any case, time for the recovery phase. And would you look at that, they salvaged an emperor! On the one hand, I'm surprised the imperials left behind the imperial. On the other, going by his attitude, I can't blane them. It's possible he pulled a Home Alone and got lost in the chaos of evacuation. Or he's a figurehead and this isn't so much a decapitation strike as it is a haircut. Still, that document could prove very helpful. His continued presence may not.
As for the captain's potential amitacide, I'm not sure whether Loose Leaf is misreading signals or Spike really got to Flurry. I suppose we'll find out next chapter.
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dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15337940/NotSure.png
8322491
You haven't forgotten. I haven't yet revealed what Spike and Skyla were talking about!
8324267
It is Spike, actually. The confusion is my fault, and I went back and added in "big" so that it would be clearer. I don't think of Ao as a dragon, but I can see how that confusion could arise.
8323217
My bad for not making it clear: It is Spike she's talking about. I've corrected the text to make it clearer.
8327280
You underestimate my ability to forget things, good sir!
But really, I just wanted to have it all fresh in my mind as we head to the finish line. Wouldn't want any untoward confusion spoiling the impact of the first reading.
Okay onyl a week late, but let's DO THIS! Twi's won, Empire has a dwindling supply of unicorns, their mane fleet has been crushed, and she's dealt with a Dark Twilight and lived. So,what else is she going to break on the way home?
And this makes sense, get them medical care ASAP, and send enough ponies to look after them, plus a flier to go get help if they land somewhere not near other ponies. Smart thinking, and given less likely to run into any major issues, the smaller crew should work out fine. Plus they can give the Princesses an update and let them know Twi's on her way home now.
Well, not a note, but he can still fill them in on the details so they don't worry.
Wait, why? I thought they were fine with just three cells? Guessing it means the patch is leaky but, why keep filling it before they get the patch fixed?
That's a 'Not without getting creative."
Ah, take their time, spread the love, and do what they can to get more away as they go. Nice one Twi. So yeah get something to fix the gas cell with.
Well yeah, but also... Loose Leaf.... please have learned your lesson... you don't stand a chance, and they don't want to hurt you. Still, Skyla.. NO that's a BAD SKYLA! That is way to close to taunting Marephy!
Yes, so she took the 'flawed avatars of my will' literally and now believes this Twi is working for Her Dark Mistress?
Also, eh, after all this, Twi can take them. Or the ships will be so bucking terrified they won't even try.
Yeah... not in the least. Way to direct to be devious. Still this is quite interesting, and their ideas do make sense, she has no idea what else to do now.
I dont either, unless it's just hold over from seeing a darker version of Twi and thinking her Twi might be more like that one then she lets on.
Ao Is awesome!
Shopping means you are paying for it. This is looting. Or, if you want to make it sound better, battlefield salvage.
Given it's the largest of the vessels, and the way things go for Twilight... I've got a good idea just who that would be.
And that just ups the odds of it being who I thought they'd end up finding.
CALLED IT! Well now, what will Twilight do with this little bit of unexpected? Going to be one hell of a time.
So he could be defeated with a really good magnet then?
So no getting through to his spoiled-ness then? Though it might go that way, but could have been other ways. Still see how long it takes him to realize he's lost everything by this point.
Ohhhh yeah this is so going to work well. Granted, given how young he is, and how he's likely been brought up, hard not to understand him ending up this way, but still, see if he can learn and change at all.
Just keep digging that grave little asshole.
Twilight has put up with enough shit the last few weeks. How long will it take the little brat to figure this out.
Ohhh time for competing 'Who can out Royal Title the other". Twi, care to weigh in on this one?
Ehhh most well know yes, but Nightshade is the one they fear when they meet her. So.... might be a challenge to that
Yeah, 'crippled' maybe, 'conquered' not so much. Yet.
They really do not get how the whole 'prisoner' thing works. Given the last one acted like this too, this is a common thing for them isn't it?
ehehehehehehe
Wait, even MORE downhill?
"If you kill him, he can't learn anything."
But yeah, really hope we get to see his reaction to finding out what Twi's been doing with 'his' unicorns.
This is just so perfectly pony. Just, such a nice, fun little touch of who they really are. I love it!
Oh? Well now, what little toy does she have in mind?
OHHHHHH The whole 'Declaration of War' thing. Turns out, yup, you DID get a chance to give it to him.
Slowly, but maybe. Still, this should be interesting.
Putting some of those black stripes on her lips?
Okay then, one all in her mind? Or, one of just her? Or, something else going on?
Why am I not surprised in the least Twilight knows how to tattoo somepony?
So, other Blacklips setting out to deal with the 'imposter' then?
D'awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Yeah definitely more a Twilight Town type pony then a Ponyville Pony.
Crazy AWESOME kirin you mean.
Ooookay, so what did Spike tell her, when, and, just Loose over reacting? Some warning about how far Twi is going to go or some such? Still, nice ending, oh wait, one bonus of this timing, I don't have to wait to read more, YAY! Still that is... one hell of an ending, but yeah, we know it's gotta be a misunderstanding. Still, nice way of making things keep going, figured it would be into the wrap up now, but nope, And that is awesome.
8339223
Yup. A very medieval concept of treating noble prisoners, i.e., ones that could pay a hefty ransom!
Well, of course!
Nnnnnnnyes... sort of.
You're not the universe where the settled, tamed zones are surrounded by widespread Everfree-style wildlands right? (Trying to pin that one down, but it doesn't sound like the Winningverse and I haven't read enough of the Lunaverse for it to be likely either.)
Anyway, despite that, sending him is probably a good idea. It doesn't feel like you've been traveling enough to have gotten too far outside Equestria, but in case you did, there are the previously-Forgotten Lands and the zebras' desert saying there's plenty of wide-open space where it would be really nice to have some idea of which direction to fly to get to civilization. Heck, the desert outside Dodge Junction is big enough to get lost in. And that's assuming there's a one-to-one correlation in distances between the worlds; who knows where you might end up if they're uncoupled?
Brief worry, sure, but the news of your safety is probably not going to be too much slower.
No, but there's some decently-likely ways around it. Hot as dragonfire is, Spike was aiming for the envelopes. Too bad the quarters aren't still suspended on Imperial ships – the fire could snap the lines and everything splintering would pretty decently put the masts out, so long as the trailing fabric didn't settle over the ruins. Gas canisters and especially spare cell fabric probably wouldn't be too harmed in the fall. Enclosed gondolas make the fire spread all the more damaging.
Oh, good. Actually glad you're still around. Let's see how well you mellow out now that you aren't worshiping Twilight and have met Midnight for comparison.
Laying or lying? It's a bit of a difficult construction that I could be overcorrecting for.
Also, not even Sirocco? I'll admit to thinking he was the one cast as her first friend on the crew until I went back to check, and so her silence being all the more despairing, but Sirocco's plenty friendly on his own. That's rather painful, to say nothing of what it means for her.
Definitely, along with her choice of discarded subjects. There's a chance she sticks with them back to Equestria, now that her ideal of an (ultimately and selectively) loving goddess has been blown apart, but that hinges on how well she got along with the crew as a whole when Nightshade wasn't around – and given the perspective, a bit difficult to figure that out. If she does, and if she sticks with the fleet, she's definitely going to be settling under Skyla. She might wind up making peace with Twilight given enough time in that culture, but she's not going to completely forgive her.
You forget that you were the one she was following, despite your differences from the myth. She tried to run you through in the heat of the moment, after you made it obvious that acting the goddess was act, that you had taken advantage of her beliefs. Not after you attacked her in turn, but until that point she had lived for any degree of your praise, basked in your freely-given attention.
I was too engrossed in the debate to notice, but there's a passage last chapter that seems key to Loose Leaf's decision:
Twilight has been merciful the whole trip, and she's cared for everypony alongside her. She was vicious in battle and her form reflects that, and it's easy to see the connection between her and Midnight, but Loose Leaf was enough a part of her crew to be included in her love. Midnight doesn't do that. Even after their mutual betrayal, Twilight sees that Loose Leaf is hurt and tries to soothe that pain in one of the few remaining ways she can; she may have admitted to using her as a tool, but she also sees her as a pony, recognizes her desires, wants her to succeed and be, to some extent, happy. Midnight dismisses her off-hand, just as much a tool to be used, but not even giving her enough of a thought to let her speak. Beyond that, she's leaving the entire world behind – probably not for the several years she mentioned if Twilight were to join her and help guide it, but it's clear that she's almost as hooves-off as the Twilight of the Tower.
The Cult, appropriately, seems the perfect example of Midnight's philosophy that ponies love a ruthless shield. And they do, from a distance. But Loose Leaf is an even better example to the contrary, that the one who ponies actually love is someone who loves them back. The scary thing is that the two aren't mutually exclusive.
I'm going to remember that for if I ever get around to writing the merger of this story with MrNumbers' The Mare Who Once Lived on the Moon – I don't tend to go for (deliberate) philosophical arguments but love even more ambiguous villains, so am trying to figure out how to write a ruthless but justifiably-beloved
NMMQueen of the Night. The biggest stumbling block, though, is that it's taken me a year and a half to get a little over halfway through my current four-chapter fic, and I don't want to spend a decade on a single story.Exactly. But as much as they frame it in terms of belief, I still hold that it's love.
No. She was numb in her responses to Twilight, not sneakily calm. Moreover, she acknowledged Skyla and accepted her command. She's definitely going on the secondary ship after this.
She was last night, too. It's something in your dealings with Midnight, but I'm not entirely sure either. It started after your outburst at Leaf (though I'm sure that didn't help), and doesn't seem to be stemming from your more restrained reaction to the destruction of the fleet, either. You didn't seem particularly friendly with Midnight, but maybe it wasn't as obvious from an outside perspective?
Steadfast foe, or eventual friend?
I guess I missed the fact the Emperor had actually joined the fleet for the attack; I was imagining him back at the capitol.
"Keep looking. See these?" fluffs wings "Are you really going to cross an al-leekorn?"
...no idea who that was supposed to be, but the last bit should be read with as much coldness as you can put in your mindvoice
Got to say, doesn't have the same weight when there's nopony around to help carry out the threat. Doesn't say much for his observational skills, either.
In-universe, probably getting close to snapping everypony's last nerve. Out-of-universe and in stories to grandfoals, this is a welcome laugh after everything's come to a head.
Really? You didn't spring for the cells you kept the other pegasus that came in with Loose Leaf? Guess that would be making quite the statement if you did.
Ah, an artist in the kitchen. Good luck with that.
It's the declaration of war, isn't it? Followed by a white peace once you get to the portal and kick him off with the nearest passing donkeys?
The black marks on the lips? I almost feel that was presented as a mark of prestige, so maybe there's something else that marks an exile.
Or for deception. She's definitely come around with that night of meditation. Just wish the pleasant interaction didn't come at such a cost.
Are there minor factions within the blacklips, or did Seraphem's view of them perpetuating their own tribalism successfully convince me? I remember arguing that the pegasi didn't seem particularly racist a while ago, but her stating it here still surprised me a bit.
Also, a non-Ao
Huh. She might make the flagship after all.
So that's the conspiracy and Flurry's anger answered at once. Spike's not aware of his other selves' experiences, so it pretty much has to be telling her that his Twilight started out just like ours, or something along those lines. And that's not actually that bad an idea, after replacing "take her" with "talk things".
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They're off to a good start, and it's sounding really promising for the future.
Actually, Spike might have shared some examples of how the Council is morally-ambiguous itself, and how easy it is for even a good Twilight to go too far for Flurry's liking. She'd have even more trouble with the Twilight of the Tower than the Quester did.
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She's learned a lot on this trip. In some ways, though, Twilight did not prove a good influence. You don't see your parents calling the attention of the universe, do you, Flurry?
Glad I wasn't the only one! And I even praised her interaction with Spike last chapter.
I feel this might be the model used in medieval times, when you capture a noble you intend to ransom, but I've had trouble tracking down much to support that.
Does remind me of a scene in the Green spinoff, where Fancy Pants and Fleur wind up hiring the ponies who kidnap them because of their skill and professionalism – apparently politeness toward prisoners is rampant in the Canterlot of that universe as well.
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Yes, that.
8340029 EHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE
Ohhh can't wait to see your reaction to the next chapter! So much I could say here but, it all changes with the reveals from next time.
Except shit with the Emperor, he's just a spoiled brat, and really can't wait to see his reaction to learning just what this crew has been up to. Still Loose Leaf, she is a true believer, not so much in Twilight, as in what she felt Twilight represented. So seeing the 'real' one just act like such an ass, while having seen our Twi's love and care.... I think you hit it exactly, it's about love, or more specifically, Friendship. Loose is just, not exactly the sharpest quill.
Also, on the racism thing, yeah, it's just so ground into these ponies, such a huge part of the the world, of course it's going to be systemic. They are treated a certain way just for what they are. Why would they not see themselves as being different?
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I really adore The Mare Who Once Lived on the Moon, and of course it could take place on one of the many worlds in the same multiverse! That's the neat thing about my series... it doesn't contradict[1] anybody else's head-canon, because their world might be right next door!
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[1] Okay, there may be some stories that go into the structure of the multiverse that are at odds with mind, but probably not many.
Oops! No, you're right! Fix'd!
Yes! And that is generosity at work as well.
Dude! You don't know how much I want to cut out that part of your comments and frame it!
Exactly! This is typical of adventures re-told!
There are major factions withing the blacklips, all radicalized by the "return" of Twilight Sparkle.
Yep! Great if you're a noble whose family will pay to have you back. Not-so-great for the common soldier... 'cause POW camps weren't a thing back then.
Small typo:
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Fix'd, thanks!
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The universe with the small, tamed, settled zones surrounded by chaotic (Everfree-like) wild areas is Estee's Triptych-verse. Hope that helps! :)
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I don't think salvage rights apply to emperors. On the other hand, he may have just signed that into law.
Unspecific to curret chapter, I do love the ink-stained lip as a sign of devotion to the Midnight Librarian.
Replace 'or' with 'of' here. Otherwise, good chapter~ nice to see things might be going okish for Twilight for once...can't wait to see how that's proven wrong in the immediate future!
Flurry Heart could want to kill Twilight, or Loose Leaf could be driving a wedge.
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“Kill Twilight” Which Twilight?
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Oh, the questions we have to ask in a multiverse!
Rephase: "i'd rather leave the Western Territories intact if that's possible."