Chapter Nine
A/N: This chapter is brought to you by CANADA! Because I wrote it there. It was cool.
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Chapter Nine
“Lady Blue Star! Lady Blue Star, I need to talk to you!”
Blue Star groaned quietly as a voice that she was learning to dread even after only a few months at the castle called out for her. She debated ignoring the shrill command and continuing down the hall to the conference room, but ultimately, it would cause more problems than it would solve. So, putting on her politest face, she turned around to meet a pony she was quickly growing to regard as a nemesis. “Yes, Lady Blueblood? What can I do for you?”
Behind her, huffing and puffing as she attempted to keep up, was the bane of all freedom and progress, the one and only Lady Blueblood. Blue Star had been somewhat dismayed to learn how far back the Blueblood line stretched, and even more dismayed to learn how similar her assumed name was to that less than esteemed family - a fact Lady Blueblood had attempted to take advantage of by claiming to be related, before Blue Star made it clear how different their priorities were. Lady Blueblood was, in Blue Star’s opinion, wasted opportunity incarnate - she was a member of the Royal Court, one of the richest ponies in Equestria, a society lady and the holder of most of the work contracts for earth pony and pegasi laborers in Canterlot. Her position could work wonders to reform Canterlot and all Equestria, but instead she used her influence to squeeze every last bit from those unfortunate enough to not be born with a horn on their head.
The same theme of wasted opportunity carried over to her appearance. Lucky genetics had gifted her with what most ponies considered the ideal of beauty: white coat, blonde mane, and the naturally tall, long-legged appearance that was supposedly a remnant of Celestia’s stint as a fertility goddess a long time ago. Unfortunately, she was noticeably overweight and lacked the grace and elegance normally associated with her build, and attempted to make up for it with dresses, jewelry, and makeup that Rarity would have called gaudy.
Lady Blueblood puffed herself up in a way clearly intended to make her look imposing and indignant. “My Lady Blue Star,” she began, with that haughty false politeness Blue Star had come to dread, “I really must protest your latest policy at that... school of yours. Bad enough you let common ponies attend at all, but now I hear you intend to place them in the same classroom!” Silently, Blue Star marveled at Blueblood’s unique command of the Equestrian language; she’d never before met a pony that could take innocent words like ‘common’ and turn them into vulgar swear words. “I have spoken to you before about your dangerously radical policies, but if this continues I will have to go over your head and speak to Princess Luna herself!” She pointed an accusatory hoof at the smaller pony. “Your fantastic ideas about the three races threaten the very fabric of Equestrian society, and I will not allow it!”
‘I’m trying to save our society, you pompous, bullheaded Princess wannabe; all it threatens is your already astronomical income,’ Blue Star did not say, as much as she’d had liked to. Instead she breathed in deeply, composing herself. “First of all, my plans for integrated classrooms are more of a long-term goal. I certainly don’t intend to implement them until the school has been running successfully for at least a few years. In fact, I question how you knew of those plans at all - I’ve only ever mentioned it to ponies I know would not have told anypony else, and I’m sure you know it is illegal to spy on a member of the Court.” Lady Blueblood blanched a bit at that; it was a very blunt threat by the standards of Court politics, but then Blue Star tended to wield her political power like a berserker griffon with an axe. “Secondly, I’m quite certain that, far from threatening our society, my school and the others like it that are under construction will revitalize what has become, if you’ll excuse my saying so, a stagnant and corrupt culture.” Lady Blueblood was turning red with anger now, but Blue Star stopped her before she could begin a tirade. “Thirdly, I doubt speaking to the Princess will yield any results for you; she supports my work, and does not appreciate your bull- er, aggressive style of negotiation.”
Blue Star politely waited for her fellow Court member to get herself under control. “You think you’re the first pony to try using Luna to back their plans?” she hissed angrily. “Whatever you’ve promised her, I guarantee you it won’t last. Her support will evaporate eventually, and when she does your entire little game will fall down around your ears.”
Blue Star smiled smugly. “Oh, I don’t think so. Princess Luna won’t get tired of what I have to offer so easily.” Friendship wasn’t something one tired of, after all. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very important appointment to attend.” She turned away from Lady Blueblood in dismissal, but the obese noblemare wasn’t through with her yet.
“Oh yes, I heard about that as well. Inviting barbarians and animals into Canterlot for ‘diplomacy’, as if they were ponies!” Blue Star gritted her teeth and ignored the other pony’s mocking tone as she trotted away. “I’m surprised you were born a unicorn at all, considering how much time you spend with lesser races!”
Blue Star studiously ignored her until she turned a corner, letting out a sigh of relief when Blueblood declined to follow. “Arrogant no-good complacent overweight oppressive little...” she muttered to herself.
“Another encounter with ‘Lady’ Blueblood, I take it?” Blue Star looked up and smiled when she saw Starswirl approaching. “I wouldn’t let her get to you. She’s a powerful pony, but you have more support than I think she realizes. The school has just received donations from three more members of the Court.” Starswirl had spent the last few months proving he was not only a talented magician, but a skilled teacher as well. Blue Star had made him assistant headmaster of the school, at his request.
Blue Star smiled broadly. “That’s great news! That makes eleven Courtly supporters so far; that’s nearly half!” She felt her spirits lift, which was desperately needed after her encounter with the dreaded Lady. “And the wizards?”
“Most of the younger magicians support you,” Starswirl said cheerfully, as they began to walk together towards the conference room. “The elder wizards are more stubborn, but I have some connections. I’m confident I can convince a least a few. How goes the search for teachers?”
Blue Star’s smile vanished. “Not as well as I’d like. That’s why I wanted the wizards on board so badly. Earth pony and pegasus teachers don’t have the qualifications, and it’s getting harder and harder to find a unicorn with the right temperament. At least Posey’s interviews seem to be weeding out the most unsuitable ones.”
Motivating ponies to take the job had been easy - everypony could see that Blue Star was making waves, and most would prefer to ride that wave rather than drown under it. Unfortunately, there were far too many applicants for Blue Star to interview personally - and the interview really was necessary, not just to determine qualifications but to ensure they wouldn’t abuse their authority and torment the earth pony and pegasus students. Thankfully, Posey had devised a clever interview method to weed out the worst of the lot; she’d escort the potential teacher into a waiting room, give them a questionnaire Blue Star and Starswirl had developed to test their qualifications, and assure them that the interviewer would be along soon. She would check on them frequently to apologize for the wait and offer tea and other refreshments; if the applicant restrained their temper for forty-five minutes, Posey would call Blue Star for the actual interview. Sometimes, she’d leave it longer for particularly rude applicants. There had been a small problem early on when a particularly incensed unicorn had actually attempted to assault Posey, but Firefly stopped the violence before it went too far and asked some friends to act as bodyguards to prevent a repeat. It was a far more devious scheme then Blue Star had expected from her timid hoofmaiden; she’d been gaining confidence rapidly ever since she’d begun working for Blue Star. She was still timid and stuttered constantly, but she no longer feared the unicorn nobility like she once did; Blue Star was surprised at how firm she was with those who failed her test.
“I’m sure some suitable teachers will turn up,” Starswirl reassured her. “If nothing else, we just have to wait ten years or so and we’ll have former students to draw on.” Blue Star frowned but said nothing; Starswirl didn’t realize that ten years would be five years too late for the school to succeed. “In the meantime, worrying about it will just distract you. You have an important meeting to get to, don’t you?”
Blue Star’s eyes widened. “Ohmygosh, I’m late! Starswirl, I’ll meet you for our study session later, okay?” Not waiting for an answer she galloped down the hall, leaving a chuckling Starswirl in her wake.
Thankfully, she was already close to the conference room, and arrived a mere three minutes late. She took precisely five seconds to catch her breath and cast a translation spell, then entered with a bright grin. “Sorry to keep you waiting, everypo- everybody. I had a minor emergency to attend to, but I promise you all have my undivided attention now.”
Seated in the room was a sight that, even in Twilight’s time, would have been the most unusual gathering of species in Equestrian history. Seated to the left of Blue Star’s own seat at the circular table was Zaraha, a mischievous Zebra shaman from the most respected village in the loose allegiance of Zebra tribes that made up their nation of Zebrica. Blue Star had impressed him by greeting him in his own language, without use of a translation spell, and with the sort of proper, but quite clever, rhyming pun that Zebras were so fond of. Next to him was Chief Ironhorn, a massive buffalo from the Buffalo League whose tribe had been selected to represent the League as a whole. He’d hardly spoken a word since his arrival, but had been polite and gracious with what he did say. Beyond the Chief was Warrior-Prince Gunnar of the current High Clan of the griffons. He was still a bit bruised from what Blue Star delicately termed a ‘minor misunderstanding’; what one nation considered a polite greeting, the other considered treachery and assault on an acting diplomat. Luckily, Blue Star knew griffon culture well enough that she was prepared for the attack, and ended the fight quickly with a few choice spells before Firefly and her comrades could cause a diplomatic incident. The Warrior-Prince was honestly a friendly sort, once you got past the necessary cultural differences between an herbivorous race and an omnivorous one. Beyond the Prince, and seated on Blue Star’s other side, was Rex, Low Lord of the Diamond Dogs - actually a title of great honor, as Diamond Dogs used ‘Low’ in much the same way other races used ‘High’; they were ruled by a Low King, for example. He’d been impressed with the castle’s opulence, as material wealth was very important to Diamond Dogs.
“Waiting for you we did not mind; in truth, you wasted little time,” Zaraha said cheerfully, his voice light and musical. The translation spell Blue Star had cast filled the room, translating the Zebrican words in the native language of each species present. Most of them spoke at least a little Equestrian, but they all found their own native tongue easier.
“I agree with the stripy one,” spoke Gunnar, in a deep, heavy voice that nonetheless sounded amused. “In my homeland, you’re lucky if griffon nobility show up within a few hours of the appointed time. As far as I’m concerned, you’re right on time.”
“Enough talking,” said Rex, in a voice that sounded like he gargled with gravel daily. “Rex here for trade-talk, not boring time-talk.”
“Of course, Lord Rex,” Blue Star said smoothly, seating herself at the table. “Shall we begin, then?”
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“Blueblood did what?” Blue Star very nearly screamed.
Starswirl winced. “My Lady, please. There’s some very delicate equipment in here.” The pair were in Starswirl’s lab, drawing a complex magic circle on the floor in chalk. Or, at least, they were a second ago; Blue Star had dropped her chalk in shock.
“Sorry, Swirl.” Blue Star had taken to using a nickname with the elder scholar, which Starswirl found he didn’t mind. She turned to Posey, who stood nearby in a corner, quivering at her mistress’ outburst. “But please tell me I misheard you, Posey. It’s too soon!”
Posey stared down at the ground, clearly wishing she had better news. “I-I’m sorry, L-Lady Star. My friend B-Bluebell says Lady Blueblood is p-planning to force a vote - s-several, actually - at the next C-Court meeting.”
Starswirl’s face was grim. “If Posey’s source is correct, Blueblood is probably planning a major offensive on our policy changes. She’ll go after the school, the diplomatic meetings with the other species, the public libraries... she may even go after the ideas you haven’t put into motion yet, like the patent office.”
Blue Star was frowning, as well. “We don’t have enough support in the Court yet to block her, do we?”
“No, probably not.” Starswirl sighed deeply. “We have a lot of support, but if it comes down to a straight show of hooves Blueblood simply has more friends in the Court than we do. A lot of our support base is outside the Court, among the wizards, the lesser nobility, and the other two pony races. Great for gradual social change, not so much for politics, I’m afraid.”
“What about Princess Celestia? Can she block the vote?” Blue Star asked hopefully.
“Not without declaring open support for our- your policies.” Starswirl’s voice was heavy. “Even the Princess has to play politics; there are some friends she can’t afford to lose. What about Princess Luna?”
Blue Star shook her head. “I’m making progress with her, but she won’t help. I still can’t get her to interact with Equestria in the daytime, much less attend Court.”
Starswirl looked across the half-finished circle at his defeated-looking counterpart. “I told you it was too soon. You pushed too far, too fast. If you had waited for the schools to properly hit their stride, given the others time to adjust, we could have made the change so gradual that ponies like Blueblood and her ilk would have barely noticed. But you insisted we go all in, and now she’s pushing back before we’re ready.” His gaze was mildly accusing; there was no venom, but there was a certain tone of disappointment.
Blue Star wished she could explain the urgency to him, but he probably wouldn’t believe her. He didn’t realize the true purpose of the school, the libraries, the patent office, the diplomatic meetings, none of it. Nopony did, not yet. But each and every one of these things had Princess Luna’s image on them. It was her signature on the decrees, her approval that moved the projects forward. More and more, Princess Luna’s presence was being felt in Equestria, and Luna herself was taking more of an interest - she’d thought of the libraries herself, with a minimum of hinting from Blue Star.
Starswirl thought it was just about changing the world, and it was, but there was more to it. It was a propaganda campaign, pure and simple. Blue Star was not, by nature, a subtle or politically minded pony, but her detail-oriented mind was remarkably suited to finding all the little ways to put Princess Luna’s name out there. The problem was, this campaign had a time limit of five years, which was not very long at all in politics. Starswirl didn’t see that time limit, didn’t understand how little time they had to make Luna feel popular and loved before her loneliness drove her mad.
Knowing the future really bucked sometimes.
“U-umm, excuse me.” The two scholars turned their gaze to where Posey sat, nearly forgotten. She blushed at the sudden attention, but continued. “Umm, I d-don’t mean to interrupt, b-but... I might have an idea.”
“You do?” exclaimed Blue Star, eyes widening.
“Um... maybe...” Posey took a deep breath. “Umm... d-do you mind if I’m honest for a minute, Lady Star?”
Thoroughly intrigued now, Blue Star nodded. “You can always be honest with me, Posey. What is it?”
“Well... see... the thing is... I’ve spent a lot of t-time around the nobility... just listening. N-nopony notices me, you see. I’m j-just a hoofmaiden. So they talk about things, and I l-listen. I know how they think, at least a l-little bit, and...” she took another deep breath, steeling her nerves. Blue Star had seen her do the same thing before telling an applicant at the school they’d failed the interview. “You’ve been going about this all wrong. Convincing the other n-nobles, I mean.”
Blue Star and Starswirl shared a glance. “What do you mean, Posey?” Starswirl asked, not unkindly. “We’ve already got a lot of support from the nobility.”
“Well, yes,” Posey admitted. “But those are only the n-nice ones, and there’s a lot more m-mean ones than nice ones. And the mean ones have more m-money and p-power, too. Like Lady Blueblood. I’ve m-met them all, so I know. You won’t c-convince them to help pegasi and earth ponies just because it’s right.”
Blue Star’s brow furrowed. “What then? Do you have a better idea?”
“Umm... y-yes. I do.”
Blue Star and Starswirl listened intently as Posey explained her simple idea. It only took a few minutes, but afterwards both scholars were grinning ear to ear. “Posey, you’re a genius,” Blue Star said.
“An absolute genius,” Starswirl agreed. “I’m surprised it took us this long to think of it.”
“It’s my policies they’ll be voting on, so I should have the right to address the Court before the vote’s taken,” Blue Star continued, still grinning. “Good work, Posey.”
Posey beamed at the praise.
“In the meantime, though, let’s finish this experiment.” Starswirl said eagerly, his attention returning to the chalk circle. “I can’t wait to test this theory of yours. You really think we’ll be able to open a stable window into the past?”
Blue Star nodded. “With the added stability of the formula you invented? I’m sure of it. I wouldn’t recommend doing it by feel, though. I had a... very narrow escape the last time I tried that.”
“I would imagine!” Starswirl laughed. “A fundamental force like time isn’t something to meddle with lightly. I would have thought you’d be more cautious, My Lady.”
Blue Star blushed and ducked her head, focusing on the chalk drawing.
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“WE NOW DECLARE THE ROYAL COURT OF EQUESTRIA TO BE IN SESSION.” No matter how many times she heard it, Blue Star would never be able to reconcile the sound of the Royal Canterlot Speaking Voice with the image of Princess Celestia. Then again, the Princess Celestia who sat on her throne at the head of the long, rectangular table bore little resemblance to the one Blue Star remembered from her time, or even to the Princess she occasionally met privately for tea in this time. She was in full queenly form today, towering over the table, her face a mask of majestic calm. “LADY BLUEBLOOD, WE BELIEVE THOU HAST A MOTION TO PROPOSE?”
Blueblood waited a moment for everypony’s hearing to recover; the Court chambers were large, but that just meant there was an echo to amplify the Voice’s effect. Once everypony could properly hear again, she stood up. “Yes, thank you, Your Majesty. I have a matter of great importance to bring to the Court, one that threatens our very way of life!” Her voice was irritatingly melodramatic, Blue Star thought. “I urge the Court to swift, decisive action to deal with this threat as quickly as possible.”
Here it comes, thought Blue Star. The Royal Court held a great deal of power in Equestria. While the Princesses were the unquestioned rulers, and could even award seats on the Court that were not currently controlled or occupied by a noble family, even they - in theory - had to answer to their subjects. In practice, they answered to a small group of unicorns, each of whom controlled a different aspect of Equestrian life or performed a function for the Princesses. Blue Star’s function was, technically, to advise the Princesses in all matters involving magic and scholarly matters; Blueblood’s job was to regulate and control the city’s labor forces, which she did very poorly. Unfortunately, her real job, as was the case with most of the Court, was politics, and at this she excelled. If she forced a vote now, there was a very real chance she could cause all of Blue Star’s plans to collapse.
“The problem at hoof is, shamefully, one of our own. The so-called Lady Blue Star!” This sent a wave of mutters around the table, and Blue Star’s eyes widened. A personal attack was... unexpected. She glanced at the Princess, but her expression had not changed. Personal feelings were dangerous in politics; Blue Star was on her own.
“Blue Star, despite not truly being of noble birth, has sorely misused the authority entrusted to her by our benevolent Princess Celestia,” Blueblood continued, her chins wobbling as she really got into her speech. “She has shown flagrant disrespect for our traditions, openly insulting the way we have done things for hundreds of years! She seeks to overturn our society - indeed, she told me only yesterday that she considers our society to be ‘stagnant and corrupt’.” Blue Star had to exert herself to keep from defending herself. Wait your turn, she told herself fiercely. Let her say what she likes; in five minutes it won’t matter what she says.
“Her policies seek to upset the status quo, distracting our laborers with unnecessary knowledge and burdening them with unneeded concerns.” Blueblood was practically quivering with excitement and rage. “She seeks to muddy the purity of noble bloodlines, allowing the children of noble unicorns to interact freely with those of earth ponies and pegasi! She even meets with representatives of other species, giving access to our utopian Equestria to heathen barbarians!” Blue Star felt her temper rising, and clamped down on it hard. “Mares and stallions of the Court, I move that ‘Lady’ Blue Star be expelled from her position as Magical Advisor to the Court, and that her policies and institutions be dissolved immediately! All in favor?”
Blue Star’s heart skipped a beat as she realized Blueblood had already moved to vote. “Wait!” she exclaimed hurriedly, the sound of collapsing plans echoing in her ears. “Don’t I get a chance to defend my case?”
Blueblood sneered at the smaller noblemare. “We have all heard your petty justifications, ‘my lady’.” Again, innocent words turned to ugly swears in the overweight mare’s mouth. “We tire of your endless talk of equality and education. Such things are simply not needed. Equestria has functioned without them for centuries, and it will continue to do so for centuries more.” Despite her confidence, though, the other ponies around the table looked ill at ease. Expelling a Court member was not lightly done - if one did it without due consideration, what if they were next?
“I understand now that my previous arguments were not, in your view, terribly convincing,” Blue Star said, with a bit of relief. She was back on script. “But I’ve prepared some new ones I think you’ll find a bit more compelling.”
Blueblood opened her mouth to speak, but she as cut off by a far more impressive voice. “WE WILL HEAR BLUE STAR’S CASE,” boomed Princess Celestia. “THY CHARGES ARE SERIOUS ONES, LADY BLUEBLOOD, AND LADY BLUE STAR HAS A RIGHT TO DEFEND HERSELF.” She nodded to Blue Star, who smiled gratefully at her monarch.
Blue Star took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. The direct assault on her character had been unexpected, as was the motion to have her expelled from the Court. Still, in the long run it didn’t matter. Blue Star had a Plan, and that made her confident and invincible. What’s more, it was a plan that let her do what she did best - lecture.
“Mare and stallions of the Court, Lady Blueblood claims that my policies would disrupt Equestria’s status quo. She believes that I would cause change and uncertainty, and this frightens her. What’s more, she is not wrong.” This sent a wave of concern through the Court, but Blue Star was far from done. “Where she is mistaken, however, is in her assumption that change and reform are inherently bad, and that my policies will somehow harm or degrade the quality of life here in Equestria. I intend to prove, conclusively, that not only is this not so, but we all stand to benefit greatly from my reforms.”
Blue Star had their attention now; she had a talent for oratory. She had allies on the Court, sure, but many of them were allied more out of the desire to back a winner than true belief in her cause. That would change now. “I’ll start with my diplomatic overtures to other species, as this seems to have caused Lady Blueblood a great deal of distress.” Ignoring Blueblood’s frown, Blue Star gestured to Posey, who lurked silently by the chamber door. Posey approached just long enough to gently place a saddlebag on the table, before hastily retreating. “I understand the anxiety in interacting with cultures so fundamentally different from our own. Ponies fear what we don’t understand; it’s our nature,” Blue Star said, remembering her own experiences with Zecora. “However, while other cultures may not be quite as advanced as Equestria, they are not barbarians - in fact, they have much to offer us.”
Blue Star magically opened the saddlebag and telekinetically lifted out the first object. It was big, flashy and ostentatious - sure to catch their attention. It was, in fact, a nearly flawless diamond slightly smaller than the head of a fully grown stallion. Every pony in the room immediately locked their gaze onto it. “This was a gift from Low Lord Rex, of the Diamond Dogs, from his own private hoard. While still valuable in their culture, diamonds like these are considered negligible in value when compared to a Low Lord’s hoard. When it comes to precious stones, they are wealthy beyond the most opulent dreams of ponykind. However, they do not have much in the way of advanced magic, and therefore are forced to live hard lives in caves and mines, searching endlessly for gems. They are willing to pay handsomely for magical assistance to make their lives easier - and a handsome payment from a Diamond Dog is enough to make us all rich beyond measure.”
She had their attention now, no doubt. Posey had been right - these ponies were practical ponies, not philosophers. In a way, they were rather like Jonathan Apple. The morality of her policies didn’t do much to sway them - but profit? Profit would convince the most traditional of ponies to join her cause. It was a dirty tactic, but if it worked Blue Star would gladly use it. She set the diamond down, making sure it was still in clear view, and pulled out her next present; a small vial of blue glass filled with liquid. “This vial was a gift from Zaraha, a very pleasant Zebra shaman. He used his homeland’s native alchemy to craft it, specifically for me. He thought I’d find it interesting.” She pulled the stopper on the bottle, and poured a little onto the table. The Court ponies all craned their necks to see what was happening. A collective gasp arose as the liquid soaked into the table, leaving the area it touched bright gold. “Feel free to inspect it magically, that’s solid gold. The transformation is permanent, and it’s real gold in every way. This potion is difficult to create for all but the most talented shaman, but its ingredients are cheap. Zebras consider the formula almost worthless, as they have no concept of money, but they are quite willing to trade this and other alchemic secrets and ask to be paid in their primary currency - stories and knowledge.”
Murmurs of disbelief and excitement were circulating around the table, but Blue Star spoke over them. “The other races have their own wonders to offer. Buffalo know the secrets of the desert, like a flower whose petals grant a moment of pure joy when ingested, and ask only for food and medical aid in return. The griffons craft metalwork so exquisite it makes our own forges seem primitive in comparison, and ask for pegasus assistance in weather regulation.” She smiled at the Court as she removed a magically protected potted plant and a small, beautifully crafted dagger from her bag. “Are these offers we can afford to pass up?”
The answer, if the general sound of chatter was any indication, was ‘no, they are not’. Blueblood was looking nervous; Blue Star pressed her advantage. “As for the other matter, that of my schools and libraries, I’m surprised this matter is even up for debate. Surely it is self-evident that education will increase production in almost all trades and jobs, as better, more efficient ways of doing things are discovered. Ponies who might otherwise never become educated may one day invent something incredible; even if they do not, education opens avenues to new jobs, new opportunities, and new ways of revitalizing the economy.” That was a good phrase, revitalize the economy. She meant “the poor ponies would no longer be poor”, but the Court nobles heard “you will all make even more money”. The beauty of it was, they were both right. “As for integration, well, I’ve already shown the benefits of working hoof in hoof with entire other species. Are the benefits of working with others of our own kind really so hard to see? It promotes cooperation and the free sharing of ideas, which can only work to help Equestria progress even further as the most advanced nation in the world.”
She took a deep breath, slightly drained from her speech but satisfied. “Now, the Court may vote however it wishes. I only ask that they carefully consider what I have said, and that they make the choice that is best for everypony. In the interests of fairness, I will abstain from the vote.” She packed away her gifts, slowly, and deliberately put the most impressive one - the diamond - away last.
The Council deliberated for some time. Blue Star was politely asked to step aside, as she was abstaining from the vote. She waited patiently, outwardly calm though her heart was pounding. The plan would work. She just had to keep repeating that to herself. The plan would work.
Finally, she was called back to the Court table. Blueblood was looking sullen, while Princess Celestia looked - to those who knew her very well - pleased. However, it wasn’t either of them who spoke, but an elderly stallion near the head of the table, Lord Platinum. He was a powerful pony with a reputation for level-headedness, and claimed to trace his ancestry back to the original Royal Family of Unicorns from the founding of Equestria. He was in charge of records, scrolls, and general knowledge in the Canterlot and all Equestria, and so he and Blue Star were at least friendly acquaintances. He had yet to support her openly, though she knew he’d been considering it.
“You make a convincing argument, Lady Blue Star,” Lord Platinum said mildly. His face betrayed little of his thoughts. “However, there is some value to Lady Blueblood’s fears. Your policies are radical, and pose a potential danger to our way of life.” He paused briefly, during which period Blue Star nearly had a heart attack. “That said, the potential benefits cannot be ignored. So, the Court has decided to vote against your expulsion from the Court. The Court has further voted that your policies be allowed to continue - under a condition, of course.” Lord Platinum met Blue Star’s eyes with an intense gaze. “We require proof. The mingling of the three races of ponykind are by far the most radical change you have proposed; prove to us that unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies can cooperate peacefully, and the Court shall support you. You may use your school as a test group, if you wish.”
Blue Star was stunned briefly by this bizarre request. How could she prove something like that? There was no formula for cooperation - she should know, she’s looked for one. There was no way to collect hard, scientific evidence that ponies were capable of looking beyond a horn or pair of wings to see the pony underneath...
Wait a minute...
Blue Star grinned. “I think I can manage that.”
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Blue Star watched as the students were lead into the school’s assembly hall, filing in through three separate doors. Earth ponies through one door, pegasi through another, and unicorns through the third; three classes worth of each. Enough to ensure random selection; the ponies wouldn’t know each other very well, and would be unlikely to recognize each other on sight.
The students were nervous, which was understandable. If there was one constant at Princess Luna’s First Center of Education, it was that everything ran according to schedule. Blue Star insisted on it, with a vehemence most ponies reserved for mortal enemies, as if disorganization itself was some malevolent entity she must vanquish. This assembly, however, was not on the schedule - it was a last minute change, which was doubly strange as it was Blue Star herself who made the change.
The fact that the entire Royal Court was in attendance, Princess Celestia included, probably contributed to the nervousness too. Blue Star was pretty sure it was mostly the abrupt schedule change, though. Celestia knows it upset her enough.
The Court members sat on the stage at the front of the room, arranged in a semi-circle with Celestia in the center, and Blue Star at her right hoof. To Blue Star’s right, looking bewildered, was Lord Platinum. “I’m not sure I see what you’re trying to accomplish here, My Lady,” the elderly stallion said quietly. “Would it not be better to preform your test on a smaller scale? Just a few foals from each race?”
Blue Star smiled cheerfully. “This is an experiment, Lord Platinum. It’s important to have a large sample size in order to obtain the most accurate results. You’ll see.” She stood up from her cushion and strode to the front of the stage; immediately, the chatter from the students ceased as their gaze fell upon her.
“Hello, my little ponies!” Blue Star said cheerfully to the crowd of fillies and colts, her voice magically amplified so everypony could hear. “I’m very sorry to disrupt your classes today, but I think you’ll find this just as enjoyable. We’re going to play a little game today, in order to improve your skills at making friends and talking to other ponies. You won’t be graded, but...” she gestured to Firefly, who was hovering nearby. The bubblegum pink pegasus flew over, holding out a jar filled with sweets. “Anypony who does well will receive a reward of one piece of candy per point.” That got their attention; nothing like candy to get foals to focus.
“Now, here’s how the game will work. Right now, your teachers are handing out capes and hats for everypony to wear. Make sure you keep them on; if you take them off, you’ll be disqualified and you won’t win any candy.” As she spoke, the teachers did as instructed, pulling around carts full of hats and capes to hand out. Surprise had been a huge help in finding all the supplies, and what she couldn’t find, Sparkler had made. The result was a mishmash of a hundred styles of hats, and a veritable rainbow of capes. “At the same time, you’ll also be receiving ten pieces of paper and a pencil. Don’t lose these; you’ll need them for scoring. Make sure you have the right number, and put your name or Cutie Mark on the back of each one.”
Blue Star waited a bit for everypony to settle down; every colt and filly was now wearing a hat and cape, looking simultaneously excited and confused. The teachers, too, were wearing their own outfits. With a smile, Blue Star put on her own hat and cape, nodding behind her to the Court. With varying degrees of trepidation, they all donned their own outfits, though theirs tended towards the dignified, rather than the silly combinations everypony else was wearing. Nonetheless, a brief spat of laughter ran through the crowd as Princess Celestia herself donned a top hat and a comically small shawl.
Everypony looked ridiculous, of course, which helped lighten the mood considerably. The important thing, however, was that it was now impossible to tell merely by looking whether any particular pony was an earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn. With capes to cover wings and hats to conceal horns, race was more or less invisible.
Once everypony was properly attired, Blue Star began again. “Now, here’s how the game will work, everypony. Once I say ‘start’ you’re going to walk around and talk to each other. Try to talk to ponies outside your class; ponies in the same class as you won’t earn any points. After you’ve talked to them for a bit, write down their name on one of your pieces of paper, along with what race you think they are. If you don’t know how to write yet, or just can’t spell very well, you may use that pony’s cutie mark and a picture of a hoof, wing, or horn instead. If you’re caught cheating, whether by trying to peek under a hat or cape, or by just asking somepony their race, you’ll be disqualified. For every name you match correctly with their race, you’ll get one point, and one piece of candy. You have one hour to fill out all ten pieces of paper and leave them in one of the baskets for your class. Once you’re done, you can go and sit with your teacher, or continue to walk around and talk to the others. Any questions?” There were waves of muttering and chatter, but nopony raised a hoof. “Very well! Everypony ready.... START!”
Blue Star smiled as she returned to her cushion as the foals began moving about and mingling. Chatter filled the assembly hall as they began to talk to each other, quietly at first but quickly gaining in volume. Lord Platinum and Princess Celestia were both giving her impressed looks, while Lady Blueblood’s stare could have curdled milk. The other Court members watched the game with varying degrees of interest and nervousness.
Lord Platinum leaned over to Blue Star. “I think I understand. You don’t expect any of them to win this ‘game’ of yours, do you?”
Blue Star shrugged. “Oh, I’m sure some will. Even with the horns and wings covered, there are hints. Accent, behavior, even names and Cutie Marks. The cleverest students will get their candy. And I’m sure at least a few students will get away with cheating. But that’s not actually the point. The point is to get them talking to each other, as ponies, not as a unicorn or pegasus or earth pony. If I can just get them talking...” She trailed off.
Lord Platinum nodded and fell silent. They watched the mass of students as they milled about, chatting amicably amongst themselves. Blue Star quietly cast a sight-enhancing spell on herself, to better track the progress of her project. It took her a few minutes to find somepony she recognized; little Applejack was chatting amicably with Star Chaser, a unicorn from a minor noble family. As Blue Star watched, both ponies turned away to secretly scribble on a piece of paper. Applejack made a crude but recognizable sketch of Star Chaser’s Cutie Mark, with an equally crude hoof drawn beneath it. Star Chaser, for his part, wrote Applejack’s name in elegant script, with the word ‘unicorn’ carefully scribed beneath it. Blue Star felt her smile grow as she dismissed the enchantment, settling down onto her cushion.
An hour later, the game ended. Most of the students had finished filling in the stacks of paper with the names of new friends, but they continued milling around, happily jabbering away with their newfound friends. It took a bright magical flare from Blue Star to get them all to sit down by their teachers. “Alright, everypony! The game is over; time to award points! Let’s start with Ms. Polar’s class...”
They went class by class, reading off each slip of paper. Blue Star felt smug as only a tiny hooffull of candy was handed out in the first class. The second class was a bit more successful, but the majority of the guesses were still wrong. Same with the third class, and the fourth. Even more interestingly, each pony seemed more likely to put their own race down, assuming whoever they spoke to must be the same as them. The earth ponies assumed all their new friends were also earth ponies; same with pegasi, and especially the unicorns.
As the fifth and six classes went by with a minimum of candy awarded yet again, the Court members began to shift uncomfortably. They saw the trend, too. With horns and wings covered, the differences between the pony races were nearly invisible, especially to foals. By the time the ninth class finished reading off their guesses, even Lady Blueblood hung her head in defeat. Blue Star, however, was not quite finished.
She took her spot on the front of the stage again, once again amplifying her voice. “Congratulations, everypony! You all did great! Now, can anypony tell me what they learned?” A veritable forest of hooves leapt into the air. Blue Star pointed a hoof at a pegasus filly near the stage.
“It’s really really hard to tell ponies apart if you can’t see their wings or horn!” the little filly chirped eagerly.
“Yes, that’s true, but that’s not quite what this game was about. Anypony else?” Blue Star surveyed the crowd, before pointing a hoof at little Applejack.
Applejack was bouncing up and down in place as she answered. “If’n you can’t tell ah unicorn from ah earth pony, then they’re like the same thing!” she exclaimed, beaming. “My papa always said unicorns were completely different from normal ponies, but they’re really just the same thing, aren’t they?”
Blue Star beamed back at the energetic filly. “That’s exactly right. Everypony is born with different abilities, but that doesn’t make them any different from anypony else. In a way, it’s sort of like a Cutie Mark. Now, one more question before I let you all go back to class. I’m sure you all made a lot of new friends, many of whom weren’t the species you thought they were. Who here would want to keep being friends with these ponies, even if they’re a different type of pony?” Nearly every pony in the room threw their hooves up. “Who wouldn’t want to continue being friends, now that they know the truth?” Their were a few half-raised hooves, but they fell quickly upon noticing how alone they were. “Excellent! Thank you, everypony, and good work! Remember to pay attention in your classes, and do all your homework. Back to classes now!”
As the young fillies and colts filed out of the assembly hall, Blue Star turned back to the Court members, smiling proudly. “How’s that for proof?”
There was silence for several long moments. Then Lord Platinum spoke. “All in favor in allowing Lady Blue Star to continue her reforms of Equestrian social and educational reform, raise your hoof.” He lifted his own hoof, and those of the rest of the Court followed swiftly. Only three ponies sitting at the end of the semicircle did not; Blueblood and two of her allies. Blueblood glared hatefully at Blue Star, while her two cronies slowly raised their hooves, shooting apologetic glances at Lady Blueblood. “Motion carried. Congratulations, my Lady.” Lord Platinum nodded amicably at Blue Star. “I move that the Court adjourn.”
-----------------
Blue Star was humming merrily to herself as she worked her way through the piles of paperwork that went into running Equestria’s first public school. It was a lot of work, but she didn’t mind; she found paperwork relaxing. Redundancy, organization, filing... what’s not to love? The sheet she was working on now held a particular place in her heart; it was a form authorizing the first mixed-race trial class. She didn’t need it yet, of course - Equestria wasn’t quite ready - but it was good to be prepared.
A knock came at the door of her office, rousing from her pleasant, paperwork-induced haze. “Come in!” she called cheerily.
The door opened slowly, revealing Princess Celestia, smiling softly. Blue Star stiffened suddenly, old habits kicking in. “Princess! I wasn’t expecting you; aren’t you needed back at the castle?”
“The castle can get along without me for five minutes. I wished to speak with you, Lady Blue Star.” Celestia strode into the office; Blue Star hurriedly cast an enlargement spell on the cushion in front of her desk for Celestia to sit on.
“Of course, Princess,” Blue Star said respectfully, neatly arranging her paperwork on the side of her desk. “How can I help you?”
“The question is not how you can help me. How can I help you, Blue Star? What do you want?”
Blue Star tilted her head in confusion. “Princess?”
“Blue Star, among all our subjects, nopony has done as much as you to improve Equestria and the lives of its citizens for centuries.” Celestia leaned forward slightly, her face kind. “More than anything, you have shown yourself to be a loyal subject, never asking for anything for yourself. In return, you’ve received very little other than gratitude from the poor and grief from the rich. It is time you were properly rewarded. So I’ll ask again, Lady Blue Star. What do you want? If it is within my power to grant, it’s yours. Think of it as a free wish.”
Blue Star froze. Her brain simply wouldn’t function; paralyzed by opportunity. She could ask for anything... all the knowledge in the world; more power to bring to bear for her reforms; magic to fuel her research; anything. There were so many choices, she could hardly breathe. How could she choose one?
What do I want more than anything in the world?
And then the answer was clear.
Blue Star smiled softly. “Thank you very much for the generous offer, Princess Celestia. However... other than being allowed to continue my reforms to help other ponies, I don’t think there is anything else I need.”
Princess Celestia looked stunned. “Nothing? Surely there is something. Everypony has a wish. Something you desire above all else, something you cannot gain alone.”
Blue Star paused for a moment, letting a memory echo in her mind.
-----------------
“The girls and Ah are all gettin’ together fer a picnic later, and Ah promised I’d get ya’ll to come along.”
“I just have a theory I want to test; I’ll be done in time. I promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”
“Alrighty then! Ah’ll see ya’ll at the park!”
-----------------
“There is something, Princess...” Celestia leaned forward with anticipation as Blue Star spoke. “But... I’m afraid it’s beyond even your power to grant. Thank you, Princess, but there’s nothing else I need.”
Blue Star took a tiny measure of amusement at seeing the great Princess Celestia so flustered and confused. “As... as long as you are certain, I suppose. The offer will remain open, of course, should you change your mind.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Blue Star said as she retrieved her paperwork. “Perhaps... perhaps a thousand years from now.” She smiled, as if at a secret joke. “Was there anything else?”
“No, I suppose not.” The Princess said, standing up. “Good day, Lady Blue Star. Do try not to overwork yourself.”
Blue Star watched as the Princess left the room. Once she was gone, she ran to the door and glanced outside, ensuring nopony else was there. As soon as she confirmed she was alone, Lady Blue Star, Magical Advisor to the Royal Court and social revolutionary, locked the door and allowed herself to become Twilight Sparkle again. Twilight Sparkle, student to the Princess, Ponyville librarian, Element of Magic, who had six close friends that she’d never see again. Twilight Sparkle, who had a picnic to attend that she would likely never make it to.
Twilight Sparkle, who promptly burst into tears and did not stop for quite some time.
-----------------
A/N: I’m beginning to suspect I may be a horrible person. Ah well. Remember, I feed on comments and speculation, and I’m quite hungry today! Also, don’t forget to visit my brand new TVTropes page!
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This week is getting better and better. Aaaaaand then FimFiction stops loading for a few minutes. I thought I'd have to go to bed with this dangling over my head.
Whelp, let's read.
Also, great use of that last scene
Poor Twi.
Doing so much, but unable to see your loved ones.
Poor Twilight!!!
I think I finally understand how she became BlueStar the terrible. Her return to the past saved Luna from her isolation, but her own isolation she kept from everypony, and it drove her mad. I would rather die than suffer that level of atrocity.
>Chapter Uploads
>The awesome kills my internet connection for 20 minutes.
I'm okay with this!dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra.png
Wow, I have to say I didn't expect Twilight to get a win that big in this chapter without having to give some ground, it was unexpected but certainly welcome. On the other hand I have to say before the end of the chapter I was still divided between her imprisonment was only a ruse to travel to the "present" and she made herself a victim to NMM to save Luna, but after seeing her grieve like that it would seem that her transformation might not even be related to Nightmare Moon and just be a coincidence date-wise, other then time chosing her as a substitute while trying to fix itself.
Very nice chapter, but I hope you'll quietly drop the idea of an Equestrian Patent Office; on Earth, patents cause way more trouble than they're worth.
Oh yeah, Twilight, make those waves.
A Plan that involves Lecturing, there's no way Twi could lose. And splendid lecturing it was!
In your face Lady Blueblood!
Oh you used the suggestion from the comments...
So much Awesome!
Redundancy, organization, filing... what’s not to love? ~~ All of it.
Awesome, It's good to see that her slightly high-handed political strategy isn't completely ineffective. Though... still a bit easy.
The Student bit was an object lesson to be sure. I honestly love this story and can't wait for the next chapter.
All my luck is out in force. 4 different fics I love all updated within 3 hours of each other. Squee
Yes! Update!
Oh poor Twilight... and a thousand years from now eh? Methinks I smell temporal shenanigans abound in future chapters.
*reads through it and reaches the end*
Darn tooting it is! *merrily waves a Canadian flag*
Great chapter. This story gets better and better. Not much more to add, really.
SOOOOO Happy happy happy. New chapters of this story are like sugar rushes without the nasty crashes at the end, especially Twiblue chapters. Cannot wait for my next rush.
Amazing chapter. This one really made me think. I wonder if Celestia will look back one day and pick up on how Blue Star said "perhaps a thousand years from now"?
Now, I've got one very important thing to say.
If you ever stop being awesome, I'll burn your mother, kill your house, and rape your dog.
Wait a second...
1111586
The implication I'm seeing from the stories is that Nightmare Moon was a combination of a personal problem that Luna had and an external force that took advantage of that weakness. If Luna's weakness is lessened, or removed, by her actions and Blue Star is now open to the influence of whatever force comes in at that date, then it makes sense that she is the one that becomes the evil pony.
1111595
Patents cause problems NOW, but when they were first implemented, they were great for people that made discoveries getting credit for their work and getting paid for it. In a world where people jealously guard secrets for fear of them being stolen, a patent office would do wonders for encouraging the spread of new ideas and inventions.
I am posting this before I read because it's a TT (time-travel) fic. I believe she will just cause whatever was supposed to happen to, well, happen.
*sees AU tag*
Hmm...
this may not be so easy then.
Poor Twilight
Hurray, a new chapter from the past! I kinda look forward to these more that the ones that take place in the future. Although, they're awesome too.
Too bad these chapters take so long to be written :(, I'd gobble them all up like Nightmare Moon gobbles up little foals.
That was an astounding chapter. Also I love how you worked in that suggestion that was made in the comments a few chapters ago. Anyways I can't wait to see how things continue to progress cause this is awesome as it has been since the start.
Oh, so this is Twilight Sparkle from the Original Timeline that had gone into the past and messed up the timeline so its now going down a different path, with Luna not becoming NMM. I see it now. I really feel sorry for her, I hope she gets to go home in the end.
>After reading<
...and there's half the scene you were so graciously donated by 885449 who is also my current best friend in this comment thread for their being one of two people to remark my fan-image of Bluelight, and to become such after it had already dropped off the face of the thread. 885488 I respect you even more than I did at 4 PM this afternoon for informing him/her ahead of time. Good show.
Ah, the sads... it seems even Twilight's Steel Fortitude of Mental Defenses is not enough to stave of an infection of them. Unfortunately, even with a portal to Equestria, we will not be able to administer the cure to her, trapped in the past as she is. For those that don't think they can stand not doing anything, take these Colgates as the closest available substitute and hug the sad right out of them.
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Colgate_bedroomeyes.png
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Colgate_beam.png
1111567
Hmm, interesting theory.
I still think her becoming evil is a ploy. I'm thinking that at some point Luna will still go all emo, but instead of the jealousy alone turning her, a spell of some kind to unlock the power of Nightmare Moon. Then Twilight will take her place as a sacrifice. But she put in place the tools that would be needed for her to be cleansed, that being Derp... er, I mean Bright Eyes, to ensure that he future Twilight would be where she needs to be.
Simply fantastic, as always. The only error I could find: "Would it not be better to preform your test on a smaller scale". Preform should be perform.
Another enjoyable chapter! I had expected push-back from the aristocracy, though I didn't expect it to happen quite so suddenly nor be defeated so handily so quickly. I find myself content though. Each chapter is sort of bite-sized yet still chewy and sweet.
Very cool. and I hope Twilight has a happy ending. Maybe a way home once she's caught up to the right time?
909013 you two? Same here... it's kinda worrisome, though thankfully I've already dropped my 1-mil a week rate. Ten straight weeks of that was enough.
Oh man I love these chapters! The next chapter with AU Twilight and AU Trixie is going to be really disappointing after it... not that those are bad chapters, they're just NOT AWESOME TIME TO CHANGE EQUESTRIA CHAPTERS
1111674 There's a hint in the "present" chapters early on - I think in her conversation with Luna in chapter two - that she has more than once. And if I remember correctly, Luna missed her terribly, and this was Celestia's way of making things up to her. I can't see Twilight losing it the way Luna did, but posing - as someone suggested earlier - is definitely in her skill set. If she saw it as the only way, of course.
Posey's proof that Star's thoughts are true about ponies, as is the rest of her little crew. Imagine, three races of ponies working together with the right incentive ...and leader. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Trixie_lolface_1.png
Lady Blueblood, you have no idea that when the axe falls, it won't kill you, but you'll wish it had. The best revenge.
Poor Celestia. If she ever finds out - or puts it together - she'll have a dilemma not even her, Luna and Star can solve. That will hurt.
1111785>>1111567
OH OH OH! OR, it could be that Luna was still on the path to becoming NMM, so Twilight became evil to help unite her with Celestia. Sort of show that she was still needed.
Dammit, Koolerkid, stop writing such good stories and making me spend time thinking about them! I need to focus on writing MY story!
I'm so incredibly happy. As always, I'm on my dumb iPod, so maybe a more detailed comment tomorrow.
Huh, five years with an Unlimited Wish. I wonder if she gave into temptation and used it, or if her first words when she returns will be "I want a full royal divine pardon for any and all past actions!"
1111908 - Lots of different ways it could have gone down. Twilight take's her place, she does it to pass the thousand years so that she can see her friends again, her condition worsens and said outside force takes over, or it really is a entirely self-created issue and she just falls the way of Luna.
I can see her guilt, and the perpetual lie that is her new life spiraling out of control, but I expect it will involve an external force of some sort.
Very thought provoking installment this time around. Not that this whole story isn't thought provoking in some way.
It seems as though Blue Star has dropped the divide and conquer strategy and simply went with, "If you can't beat them, buy them!" Pretty simple, all around.
That promise from the princess. I can't imagine this ever coming back in any way, shape or form.
Well, you've shown that Blue Star can execute some political tap-dancing, but I'd like to see her actually fail at something and see how she deals with that. Of course, considering what she becomes down the line, perhaps you have that already in the works...
Lovely chapter! It's always a pleasure to see a new update!
Wonderful work as usual. Very clever confrontation scene with the council, I'm glad things are still working out. I do feel sorry for Twilight though, seeing as she will probably never be able to return to her version of the timeline again.
Perhaps when this is all over, and if "Darklight Star" gets purified from the Nightmare's taint, she'll still be able to attend a picnic with her alternate counterpart and friends, even if they aren't the ones she remembers.
From triumphant to sad in a short space, and done well too. Damn... *Hugs Twilight*
It's okay TwiBlue one day everything should work out.
A question, wouldn't Celestia recognize new Twilight's cutie mark as being the same as Blue Star's?
Anyway, great story. I hope you could update more often, but awesomeness takes time.
does this sate your comment hunger?
Their were a few half-raised hooves, but they fell quickly upon noticing how alone they were. Bad author! Don't mix up there and their.
Now that that's out of the way; I always love the Bluelight chapters, they're like the best things ever.
I think I saw a typo, but all the win made me forget
I'm starting to see this fic at something that's going to end up with a very bittersweet ending, could be wrong though.
Thank you for the update! This might be the best chapter yet!
1112012
...Somepony doesn't read the comment threads. This wish is known to everyone that has... and anyone who paid attention to Bluelight's emotions at all.
Search the term "!!!!!sreliopS" to skip over the answer to the rest of my comment. I've put my entire 1600 pixel screenwidth in line breaks on either side, so if you see it and didn't want to... it's YOUR fault.
Spoilers!!!!!
Bluelight just wants to go to that picnic from Chapter 1 and see her friends again. She misses them terribly...
!!!!!sreliopS
...and that is why Darklight Star comes about as a result of Bluelight's own internal angst... whether it was with or without help from an outside force to push her over the edge is still unknown.
If you're a big meanie pants to Twilight and don't let her go home at the end I will be very sad face, author!
Unless there is a plot twist with time paradoxes and stuff.
But I'll still be sad face!
That would just be cool.
--TwilitLightning
Amazing, as always. I'm impressed. I can't wait for more. Every time I see your fic updated it's like my day got 200% brighter.
I just love how I feel the hope Twi is giving to the two other pony races through your fic. This feel is nice, very nice, and I kindly ask you to keep it up.
You are an excellent writer. I love this story, especially the sections in the past. Then again, the future sections are good too, as we get to see Twilight enjoying the fruits of Blue Star's labors.
Can't wait until we get to the end, with the inevitable confrontation between Darklight Star and her friends.
Just got an idea for Darklight Star's first encounter with the AU Mane 6.
11:52, only far more
violentenraged in her reaction than depressed.1111595
Patents only cause trouble when they are indefinite. The original and true purpose of patents was to temporarily reward those who came up with new and innovative ideas.
After a small period of time, where everyone could pay a license fee to be able to use the patented design, the idea became public domain. Free knowledge as it were. Have you heard of the song Modern Major General? It is parodied and used a lot in modern culture. It started off as copyrighted or patented as it were, and then it entered the public domain.
In summary, patents are good as long as they are kept in check. But like any system, it is possible to corrupt it to benefit a few instead of the many.
I suspect there's some other purpose for the wish but Blue Star should've asked Celestia to be her friend! Give her that one anchor to the world she once knew.
that last part of the chapter