Chapter 10
Twilight wanted to just ignore it; pretend that she hadn’t heard the familiar Royal Canterlot Voice literally shaking the walls.
The instinct only lasted a second though. She knew that running away from the situation would not help her, and so she kept marching towards the exit.
She looked longingly down the hall that would have lead towards the library, but held back the sigh she wanted to release.
The former Empress guided Twilight to a courtyard of sorts. Flanked on all sides by the high walls of the palace, the grassy patch had some sort of wooden stage built up against one of the far walls, but she paid it no mind. As soon as they were clear of the doors, both took wing.
Once airborne, the owner of the booming voice could be easily spotted. Though only a speck in the distance, the wings of an alicorn could be clearly seen amongst what looked, from this distance, like a swarm of flies.
“Come Twilight Sparkle!” Luna shouted across the length of the city, “Come so that we may see if you bear the power to do what none other has before! Face me, so that I may prove your folly or acclaim your might! Come!”
Now Twilight could only fight to keep an exasperated grimace off her face.
When it rains trouble, it pours. Twilight hoped this would be resolved quickly, but deep down she knew better.
Meanwhile her companion was reacting quite differently to the situation.
“Empress, the Alicorn of Night has come in the company of her Special Guard! The generals are already in assembly, I suggest we allow the city guard to buy what time they can while we muster our forces!”
Twilight squinted at the specks in the distance impressed by how much better the griffon’s avian vision was compared to her own. She could only barely make out the difference in size between Luna and the others, let alone identify them. Nonetheless, the former empress’s assessment of Luna’s companions seemed accurate, if the predominantly blue-tint to the specks was any indication
Twilight looked to the agitated female, before giving her a tired smile.
“No, don’t worry, I’ll just go see what she wants. It is probably just that Friendly Fire’s report reached Canterlot and Luna misunderstood. How about you go see about preparing lodgings for her... entourage? This should not take long but I doubt they’ll be heading back tonight.”
The griffoness nodded dubiously, but Twilight had a lot more experience dealing with Luna. If nothing else, Luna was a pragmatic mare, and Twilight was confident that if she just explained the situation…
---------------
“Yield knave!” Luna shouted, firing another blast of magic at Twilight, who was forced to dive to evade the incoming shot.
“Luna! What is this about? Why are you attacking at me? Can we-” Twilight shouted as another blast was avoided, “Can we talk about this?”
“Nay! Only a fool allows the sweet words of a deceiver to poison them during a fight!”
“What are you even- Wah!” she gasped as she dropped to avoid another close shot, “Why are you even here? I’m telling you that whatever Friendly Fire said is not the whole story!”
“I know not of any Companionable Combustion, nor does his fable inspire me!”
“Then why-!” Twilight shouted as she dodged yet another shot from the hovering, armored alicorn, “-are you here attacking me?”
“Sister has told me of your treachery! If you vie for power you should have known this would come to pass! Did you think that fleeing this far would take you from our sight? Nay! There is nowhere you can escape the moon!”
“Celestia said what? What are you talking about! You KNOW what I’m doing here! YOU WERE THERE WHEN I LEFT!”
“Yes! Even I was taken by your deceit! But no more! You show promise, but you are a thousand years too young for this! Now yield to me, so that you may be pulled from this path before those who may seek greater punishments for your crimes arise!”
Luna’s attacks had started as soon as Twilight had approached, much to her surprise. Only experience and a little bit of luck had allowed her to avoid the other alicorn’s first shot, and despite her shouted pleas, the elder mare refused to stop her attacks.
Seeing the bare aggression, many griffons who had remained impressively restrained in the face of Luna’s appearance, had taken wing.
Now, as Twilight continued to dodge shots of magic, she could see that they were building up into a rather sizable force, encircling the thestral unit that had yet to take action.
Both sides of the standoff were looking to their leaders, but while Luna was wholly focused on Twilight, Twilight was able to see what was happening behind the lunar mare.
As she continued to dodge attacks, she scanned the gathered griffons who were likewise watching her.
As she looked at the situation, a plan began to form.
“You cannot win by dodging alone! I shall not tire if that was your plan!” Luna shouted, yet another blast coming from her horn, which Twilight evaded with increasing ease, “Finish this like an alicorn! Fight me like a mare!”
Twilight dove back, separating herself from Luna, before turning tail entirely and bolting back towards the palace.
The move had the intended effect, drawing Luna forward into a blind chase. Alicorn and greatest threat out of the way, the griffons filled in, cutting off and surrounding her forces.
Twilight kept her eyes forward, racing towards the entrance to the palace.
“Don’t do this Luna! I don’t want to fight you!” She called over her shoulder.
“Tis not your choice! You will fight, or I will drag you back to Equestria in shame!”
“I’d love to go back!” Twilight shouted over her shoulder in exasperation, “but I can’t right now! There’s a lot going on, and I need to be here! You can help though! So if you could just-!” her words stopped as she finally saw fighting break out behind them.
Both mares turned, looking back over the surprising amount of ground they had covered. Such a distance separated from their forces that it was hard to make out specific details of the fight, but it was clear that while the slightly smaller dots representing the lunar pegasi had formed aerial defensive postures, the slightly larger griffon dots were harassing their formation lower and lower.
While Twilight would have preferred to have ended this entirely without conflict, she was quite happy to see that despite their feints and harassing, the griffons had thus far not actually violently engaged the thestral unit.
Realizing that her plan had been figured out, Twilight looked to see how Luna would react. She was actually surprised by the shock and… was that fear(?) on the older mare’s face.
With only the slightest pause, Luna had doubled back, charging at the fray with horn lit.
“Luna, wait!” Twilight shouted as she made chase.
“Thou shall NOT harm my charges!” with the cry she let loose a beam of magic.
Twilight teleported ahead, using a personal shielding bubble to reflect the beam off into the sky.
Changing tactics from before, Luna shot forward to engage Twilight.
Twilight’s response was to keep up her shield, even as Luna’s horn pierced the bubble’s shell.
Only a hair separated Luna’s horn and Twilight’s throat when Twilight ejected her shield, the shock wave sending Luna tumbling.
By this point, separated from their commander and outnumbered a good ten to one, Luna’s accompanying forces had been driven entirely to the ground and surrounded. The group of perhaps a hundred blade-wielding thestrals now stood surrounded by hundreds of griffons, many armed with only their claws, but a number also brandishing wing-blades, swords, and even a few crossbows.
Twilight was worried the mob may do something extreme, but had little time to weigh her options as she was struck by a spell from the still tumbling Luna that made her whole side go numb.
The frost spell was not particularly damaging itself, her pegasus aspect naturally resisting the element, but it certainly didn’t help the stability of her flight.
Luna finally managed to right herself shortly before she would have crashed through the roof of a building, Twilight too having to lower to shake the frost from her wing.
“You talk of peace, yet your actions speak louder! You have captured my knights and your soldiers keep me in their sights!” Luna shouted back, firing another bolt of magic at her, which she again deflected with a shield.
Twilight looked down to find some of the griffons on the ground around the lunar pegasi were, in fact, aiming their crossbows up at the hovering Alicorn.
Twilight groaned to herself, “For goodness sake, stop it! Stop aiming your weapons at Luna!” Twilight shouted down to them with enough magical amplification behind it that it actually made Luna’s hover fumble, sending her next shot way off course.
~
On the ground an officer turned to the acting field commander, “Sir? We’ve been commanded to stop, should we secure the prisoners in the dungeons in the meantime?”
“No, she commanded us to stop aiming at Luna.”
~
Back in the air, Twilight was still narrowly avoiding what shots she could, and flashing up barriers for those she couldn’t. Clearly Luna was at no risk of running out of steam anytime soon. At this rate she would actually need to fight back just to not fall out of the sky from exhaustion.
Just as she was about to make one last plea before starting to send her own stun spells, Luna suddenly broke focus, looking down, eyes widening.
There was her opportunity! Whether there was actually something on the ground distracting Luna, or if she was just trying to draw her attention away, it didn’t matter because Twilight wouldn’t let the opportunity pass. She released her own blast of magic, an ice spell much like the one she had just received.
As it connected, Luna’s wings froze up and she was sent tumbling.
Unlike Twilight who could afford to lose some altitude when she had been hit, Luna was only just above the buildings as she began her uncoordinated fall. Twilight swooped to catch her, but the bad angle and exhaustion conspired against her, having Luna reach the ground seconds before Twilight could catch her.
For a brief moment she panicked, hoping Luna had not splattered on the ground, but was relieved to see her from rising almost immediately.
As she landed, she cautiously approached the dark mare.
“Clever ploy,” Luna spat, a smile on her face despite the blood coming from her head and dripping from her mouth, “Play innocent until the right moment, distract me, and then strike.”
Twilight was stunned silent by the sight of Luna’s wings, one was bent at a wrong angle and both had the majority of their feathers frayed and broken. She was clearly not taking flight again soon, but what was worse was the tip of her horn was missing as well. Probably only a fraction of an inch, barely noticeable, but until she could get it re-filed and adjust her spell focusing she was without the use of her horn for anything more complex than a light charm.
“Medic!” Twilight shouted, looking back to both the thestrals and the griffons, before turning to check the larger mare’s vitals.
A pair of griffons escorting one of the thestrals arrived in seconds.
Twilight moved to let the thestral over to the downed alicorn.
He began prodding her and feeling head and neck, leaning her head over carefully, he pinched open one of the alicorn's eyes and shaded it from the sun with a hoof only to pull his hoof away again a second later, “She has a concussion..." he said, carefully resting her head on the ground before prodding her barrel, articulating her legs, and inspecting her busted wing. “-and I would say any other normal mare would be losing this wing, but I see it’s already starting to heal.” he said before twisting it with a sickening crack. He inspected it again, opening it and closing it naturally, though twilight could see it articulating in places where there were no joints. Twilight could feel bile rising into her throat.
The medic nodded, closing the wing, “That will need splinted.” he said gesturing behind her. She turned to see he was speaking to an arriving team of griffon medics that were arriving on the scene. A griffon with a medic's armband dutifully began bracing the wing.
As Twilight watched on, one of the griffon medics began poking at her, and while she wanted to force him away, or at least turn his focus to Luna, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
“And her horn looks fine.” the thestral medic said, bringing back Twilight’s attention, “Though you’d probably know much better than I princ- uh, Empress.” the thestral medic said, standing.
Twilight looked down at the tip of Luna’s horn. Yeah... She’s going to need to settle for the rounded look for a while, at least until enough has regrown for it to be re-profiled. Twilight chuckled in a detached way as she pictured Luna with the rounded tip favored by parents for their unicorn children and those who prefer to not put holes in their pillows or stab their special someones by accident in the night. She had kept her own horn rounded until Celestia had recommended she go for the more “alicorn-esque” pointed look. Twilight now wondered if it was actually about looking majestic and powerful, or if it was just because Celestia’s own horn would look silly without it’s nearly absurd needle-pointed length.
As twilight mused, the object of her musing stirred.
"Luna! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for you to fall like that! Well, I did, but not like this!" Twilight rushed forward to support her as she stumbled.
"Nay Twilight, pay it no mind." Luna said with a casual tone incongruent with the state of her body, "Rather, A celebration is in order! I had not expected you to best me like this! Though to use such under-hoofed tactics! Again your persona of an innocent mare led me astray, and I even knew of your ruse!"
Clearly Luna could see the confusion on Twilight's face, because she continued with the tone of a parent not fooled by their child's lie.
“You knew you couldn’t best me in outright and honorable combat, so you used my retainers to distract me. Celestia would curse you for under-hoofedness, but only because she has grown soft!” she let out a short laugh, “I accept my loss, and deem it honorable! You have bested me in single combat, and I accept your intention and aim! Make me proud Twilight Sparkle! I desire to see you claim all Equuis in your name!”
Luna painfully lowered herself into a full bow, “I accept you, O Twilight, Empress of Griffondom. May your conquest continue with the blessings of the moon.” she rose, wavering on her hooves, “I must return to Equestria, but you may hold my knights in my stead. T’would be ill fitting for me to do any less. I pray you will guide them well.”
Twilight just stood there, first in concern, but that was quickly overcome with burning frustration as the blue alicorn turned and began limping off.
Seizing control of her senses Twilight shot forward.
“Oh no you don’t!" she shouted , throwing a barrier around Luna, "I am NOT letting you just walk away after all this! Firstly, I am not letting you wander off while in such bad condition, and secondly you owe me an explanation! Tell me what's going on!"
"There is no need to keep up appearances for me Empress, not only have I seen through your ruse, I have already been swayed to your cause! Though..." she said, turning her head to examine the state of her wings "You may have a point about traveling in such a state. My legs may be bruised and tired, and my wings may be far from fit to fly, but there is yet one more way for me to return! I wish you the best Twilight! I shall spread the word of your conquest!"
With that, Luna charged her magic, and before Twilight could alert the larger mare to the apparently unnoticed state of her horn, the magic she had been channeling released in an explosion that sent Twilight sprawling.
"Oh no no no no!" Twilight chanted as she recovered, noticing a distinct lack of Luna in the area. She moved to the site of the explosion, scanning the ground and air with her horn.
"Ma'am?" a worried voice asked, it was the thestral medic again, "What happened?"
Twilight allowed her horn to fade and released a sigh of relief.
"Luna tried to perform a long-range teleport without adjusting her spell focus for her damaged horn. The teleportation succeeded, so the spell's landing site was clear, but who knows where she ended up, and with how ill formed the spell's execution was, I doubt she-" Twilight stopped herself, bringing her hoof to her chest and taking deep breaths, "Luna is probably lost, and in no doubt worse shape than she started... which was pretty bad to begin with."
She exhaled again, this was just another worry on her plate. She would need to tell Celestia, and then attempt to trace the-
“Mistress! Are you alright?” A familiar griffoness called out interrupting her thoughts. Twilight shook herself before nodding, “The generals pass along their congratulations for your masterful dispatch of this situation. Masterful forethought, how did you know that Luna would turn her forces over to us? Speaking of which where is Luna?"
"She teleported with a broken horn. She's probably on the other side of the planet, knowing my luck."
Twilight looked over to the thestrals who looked tired, but otherwise no worse for wear.
"Oh, well, okay then." she dismissed casually, "Then would you like me to escort these... guests? prisoners? to their quarters? I prepared rooms, but if we need, the dungeons can fit them."
Twilight put a hoof to her temple and massaged her aching head, "Sure. Please take our guests to some decent accommodations. And bring their commander to me in a few hours. Preferably after I've had a nap. I'll need to speak to them about what just happened."
"As you wish my empress" the former empress said as she bowed before the nearby griffons began carrying out her orders escorting the thestrals away.
In a daze Twilight stood there just allowing herself to process where she was and what was going on around her. With detached amusement, she realized that she was almost becoming comfortable, the chaos around her was becoming familiar. It was as if the life of panic-induced struggles to save the world, or a species, or just herself was now becoming trivial.
Ever since the Emperor's letter- No, really this had all begun that fateful day before the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration when it all really began. Things had just picked up the pace since the arrival of that letter.
She sighed, watching the thestral unit being peacefully marched off.
They were soldiers, trained specifically to fight! Luna’s personal unit no less! Trained by an ancient warrior from a time where there were real wars that held the fate of nations in the balance! And yet she, quite seriously, had seen more combat than any of them. Maybe even Luna herself by this point.
Granted, things were much different back in Luna’s day, but that doesn’t mean that the fight with the Changelings or Tirek were any less pivotal.
She was, quite possibly, the most battle-hardened being on the planet. There was the possibility that Celestia, or maybe that ancient dragon Centraga, may have been in the running, but history was only spotted with eras of occasional war, never before had there been such a quick progression of threats fit into a single lifespan.
...or at least that was what the histories she had read seemed to say.
Recent events had cast significant doubt about such record’s legitimacy though.
So much of history seemed to have been “one thousand years” ago in the history books back home. So much, in fact, as to be profoundly suspicious… inconsistencies she had dismissed as errors on the parts of the writers and historians now seemed conveniently similar…
Perhaps before anything else came up, or even if something else did come up, it may be time to read that journal and do some duly needed and well deserved research.
She let out a sigh. She wanted Spike back. She had left him behind when she had come to the Empire, making up an excuse to keep him out of harm's way, but now she wished he could be there with her, adding his particular insight and juxtaposing commentary to her ridiculous circumstances.
And a hug.
She really could use a hug right now.
“Twilight!”
Twilight’s eyes went wide, tearing up as if by divine providence her desires were answered.
She watched as a griffon landed before her and the purple and green fixture of her life hopped off of the griffon's back.
They met half way, Twilight scooping up the equally excited dragon into a firm hug.
“I missed you Twilight! Things were crazy back in Equestria! The drill sergeant guy said I was in charge and made me give orders, which was actually kind of cool, but then ponies started showing up and started asking me about rationing and reparations and work camps and wing clipping and a whole bunch of stuff! I just told them all that you would handle it when you got back, but then you didn’t come back with the soldiers and your letter was strange and then Princess Luna passed by us with her thestrals and wouldn’t speak to me…”
He squeezed tightly against the lavender alicorn he knew could handle any situation, his rock in the crazy life he had been born into.
Twilight squeezed back, clearing her throat so her voice wouldn’t break when she spoke.
“I missed you too Spike.”
The little dragon laughed as he nuzzled into her neck.
“Sorry Twi, I know it’s only been a few days, but you have no idea how crazy it’s been...”
Twilight just laughed, rolling her eyes, and placing the drake on her back as the pair made their way back to the palace.
"I may have some idea."
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Luna's freakin' brainless I swear.
I will be honest... while I like this story overall, I think I'm going to stop reading.
10 chapters in and the whole story has basically revolved around 'Miscommunication' as its driving plot point and it's driving me up the wall...
It was fine when Twilight accidentally became sovereign over the griffons, that was interesting and if had just stuck with her exploring griffon culture, trapped on her throne while trying to figure things out, Perhaps with Celestia, Luna and Cadance offering guidance to her, then it would have been good. However, everything now feels off, with Twilight being the one sane mare in a world that won't listen to her for the five minutes it would take to clear things up... and Celestia and Luna both feel like they're acting out of character at this point.
It keeps feeling like it's supposed to be turning into some kind of black comedy with absurd elements rather than what it had started as.
8283399 I... well not disagree as such since we're just expressing opinions, but I'm actually enjoying myself quite a bit. I don't feel like either Celestia or Luna are particularly OOC myself; rather that Celestia knows exactly what's going on and is content to hang fire and see things unfold for herself; meanwhile Luna, while adorkable, is still well within the bounds of what passes for normal for her (at least within my own headcanon). And WoS, I'm sorry it's bothering you but from my angle at least, I just reread the whole thing yesterday starting from Twilight's letter and the flow feels like it's unfolding naturally... It's already liked and faved (or will be once complete; I have a standing rule that only Completed stories go on my Fave shelf) so have some mustaches.
8283399
Celestia didn't misunderstand though, she just allowed Luna to go off on her own, possibly by inattention. Luna is absolutely the type to reach a conclusion and rush after it(the nightmare night episode and nightmare moon are prominent examples), and she's NOT the one sane mare. Everyone is behaving rationally, even if they make mistakes. I can understand where you're coming from, but your problems with the story simply don't accurately represent what is actually happening in the story.
Also, a significant number of the plot points thus far have been driven by Twilight adjusting into the role. Only two plot points in ten chapters and two intermissions have been driven by misunderstanding(Twilight receiving the throne and Luna). The dragon might not have understood perfectly, but he did UNDERSTAND. He saw an alicorn on the gryphon throne, and knew what that would mean.
Alright luna, why are you gripping the idiot ball like that? Celestia, why did you ENCOURAGE her misunderstanding?
8283388 Luna did fall and suffer a concussion. Maybe some of her mind went into the ground?
8283420
But that's just it... if Celestia understands what's going on, then why let Luna rush off like that? That's how ponies get hurt, wars start... I mean Luna is now grievously injured and missing. If she's aware, she's letting things deteriorate to a dangerous level and that speaks of either rampant incompetence or some duplicity that puts lives in danger.
Again, the major driving issues are born from miscommunication that could have been solved if Celestia had just acted rationally or Luna had just sat and listened to Twilight for 5 minutes instead of going 'Huzzah foul knave' every other sentence...
8283413
Fair enough, we simply have a different view of things. To have what happened in this chapter and last have occurred just feels off to me... Luna feels far more, for want of a better phrase, idiotic than I perceive her being. While I could see her challenging Twilight in ye olde spoken grandeur, to not give her a chance to explain herself just seems off.
As for Celestia... her actions just seemed irresponsible. If she knows what's going on, SHE should have been the one to act or should have stopped Luna from racing off half cocked to go attack a pony she's close to.
The lack of friendship, of compassion, of trust these two ponies seem to have for Twilight is what bothers me the most about this. Especially Luna going 'Well, Twilight is clearly evil without reason and has clearly always plotted against us.'
8283444
Why indeed?
Why would Celestia let her sister run off into a fight with Twilight, whom she now knows just took over an empire?
Why would she let something like that happen when she knows the world will be watching such developments...
I wrote out this whole page-long explanation of how the story has developed to this point and where it is going, but then I accidentally changed pages and lost it. So yeah...
8283459
*eyetwitch*
8283399
To be perfectly honestly I think I'm with him. Up until now the story's been a lot of fun and a really enjoyable read that I've been looking forward to seeing each update. But this chapter...
This one kinda just ruined the fun I was having with it. I don't usually leave negative comments for any reason but when a story I like suddenly takes a sharp unpleasant turn like this I feel like I have to say so.
Sorry, and I do hope I don't discourage you dear author. It may not be for me anymore but I hope you keep up your good work
8283459
Why would she allow her sister to go off and attack Twilight, where one or both of them will likely get hurt?
8283467
I'm sorry I can't really say anything to answer that without being spoiler-y, but the questions you are asking are questions you should be asking.
You should wonder why Celestia would let what is happening happen. You should wonder what Luna was thinking when she charged off.
One thing I can say is:
Luna doesn't think Twilight is evil. She's not such an idiot that she would charge off with troops and then just leave them hovering there while she goes off into oddly restrained single-combat if she actually thought there was much on the line.
8283464
I'm sorry you are discontent, but could you share the reason for your displeasure?
8283513
As I said my reasons are pretty much the same as Night Spinner's. So any reply you made to him could probably apply to me as well.
8283507
Waaaaiiit a second.
Is luna faking her injury?
8283520
Well then to address his issues:
The use of "Miscomunication" (or rather the lack of communication) will not play a significant role in introducing new elements. (Twilight's already hock deep in it, now she gets to start actually dealing with it.)
Culture and world building will continue to be driving, if not primary, story elements (we've only scratched the surface here).
While I don't know how you interpret their characters, the 'odd' actions from the princesses will (eventually) have explanations.
And finally, this is in no way a black comedy, nor will it be.
Well, my theory here is that, since Luna is still a little bit old-timey, she loved fights with foes that could actually stand up to her and provide a decent challenge. So, when she hears that after, what, 1000 years + another Alicorn suddenly turned into a "traitor", she instantly jumps at the opportunity for a real fight and let's nothing change her mind. A little bit mindless, yes, but somewhat understandable. And Celestia not stopping her? That's probably her just having faith in her student to resolve the situation. It's also a great opportunity for Twilight to show the Griffons just what kind of Empress she is/will be.
8283549 what explanation we all know luna is a battle hungry relic from the past who is eager for a fight and thinks the world has gone soft so as soon as that report came in she jumped at the chance for a fight thinking finally a villain i can get rough with
personaly im waiting to see loyalties response to this supposed 'betrayal' of Equestria by her best friend, im thinking the news papers catch wind and then loyalty reads said paper
8283507
You could've fooled me.
bear
You're a bit inconsistent with whether you capitalize thestral.
A decent chapter. I will definitely agree that all the miscommunication and most characters' refusal to stay around long enough for Twilight to beat sense into them is getting aggravating at this stage, though.
8283444
>you determine someone has been very successfully deceptive, and that you are incapable of seeing through the lies
>you decide to listen to their justifications
these two things do not mix.
Also, Celestia might be intending to cut the dragon issue off right here, by publicly cutting Twilight and her new Gryphon Empire off from Equestria, publicly. They can then become allies, but they won't be viewed as the same nation, as they might otherwise.
I like it and look forward to the next chapter.
8283606
Bear of power.
img06.deviantart.net/06fa/i/2014/020/c/2/lightning_bear_by_petrichora-d732j58.png
What do you think about the capitalization? Thestral or thestral?
And yeah, we're done with that. (sorry)
8283664
thestral, personally. They're a species, not an elite unit.
8283676
We'll go with that! Thx!
8283455
Aww, but exuberantly sociopathic Woona is best Woona!
*apropos of nothing, but that wasn't me that thumbed you down by the way.
Please, please tell me that this isn't Trollestia taking advantage of the situation to go on vacation with her sister…
Future Headlines from the Equestrian Inquirer:
* Lord Trottingham sighed. "What did I tell you? With an IRON HOOF!"
I know what feeling you mean, but in my personal opinion this chapter is written well and fits in perfectly with the rest of the story. No inconsistencies or plot holes either as far as I can see.
Though I hope the next chapter will feature Celestia's reaction. I really want to know if she actually expected that outcome, but I hope that she didn't and will react with appropriate shock and maybe some panic.
So far, everything here seems just fine: So very much of what happens in the show, after all, results from ponies rushing into things without thinking through it all. Twilight included, and especially. Remember the parasprites and how she "fixed" that mess?
What about the time Rainbow Dash was so excited to get a rare Daring Do book that she didn't realize until after the fact that she sold her best friend into slavery to get it?
There are, of course, other examples, but the point is made: Ponies react to things as soon as they happen, and then they consider any deeper meanings to what happened. This is enough of a common occurrence and is socially engrained bough that it is only after bein confronted with several contradictions that Twilight is even beginning to suspect that reality is more than she understands it to be.
After reading the interludes again, and the Imperial Library, I'm actually getting giddy wondering how long the Alicorn Sisters can keep up the performance.
So now the letter Celestia will send to Twilight will either be a formal declaration of Twilight's rescinding citizenship and/or acknowledging her claim as Empress, or she's finally going to let Twilight in on the "We're totally not annexing more land to spread Friendship & Harmony" plan.
8283388
No, she.just sees the world through a particular lens. She would not be the first I've known that sees only what they want to see.
It occurs to me that Celestia may be going along with this because a) it will be nice to have an unambiguously friendly power on the Griffin throne for once, or b) she just views this as Twilight's work-experience internship.
(Bites into extra portion of dessert)
As funny as this is... It's also kind of annoying. I'll stick with it for now, but if I don't get an explanation for all this rampant stupidity, I may need to take a break from this for a while and come back when it's done.
Very nice.
Celestia just got Luna to set Twilight up with the realisation theres now a hostage exchange program available.
And if Twilight tries anything outside her training remit, theres plenty of civilian hostages on both sides.
This was good chapter. Keep up the great work!
I ship it.
Edit: And I have the impression that Luna does too.
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8283676
Given what we see in the season five finale, the show seems to disagree with that assessment. Because fan theories and expectations in MLP often seem to get only one response from the MLP staff:
That said, yeah, if you're writing them as a species then I'd definitely just go with thestral.
8283977
The Interlude showed that Luna was thinking about the old world (Well to her it was only a few years ago) and the thrill of war. So she utterly ignored Celestia, Twilight, and everyone cause she was aching for a good fight. Which she needed after going from centuries of violence and war; to the soft, squishy, namby-pamby beings ponies became since her exile.
Still doesn't make her any less stupid. But culture shock and needing something familiar from her past makes a bit of sense. Although I wonder when Celestia's going to get off her several tonne 455 and try communicating with Twilight? Especially now that Spike is there, and they can skip the conclusion jumping that her sister did. As well as the fact that she learned her lesson about trusting Twilight after she jumped to conclusions and let a Changeling invasion happen because she was being a c-wad.
8284067
Well we must remember reasons are not excuses. Excuses get you off the hook, reasons just explain your stupidity.
8284096
Well in a way her reason is her excuse. Since her mindset is still stuck 1,000 years prior to her exile. But rather than the royal We. We get the war goddess in her. Although there are lots of people who say an excuse doesn't get you off the hook (and there are plenty of ways that an excuse doesn't get one off the hook, such as ignorance of the law (else Twilight wouldn't be in this mess); or not knowing how different cultures take things (such as how showing the bottom of your feet to someone in Thailand or India is a grave offense (see entry #15, and #4). But in other places it's simply how some people sit, as well as another thing that got Twilight in this mess.).
8284056
An elite unit can be exclusive to one species, and species conversion can always just be made mandatory.
8283977
Pretty much have to agree with what these two said:
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8284067
The stupidity here really seems like a case of Luna just being ecstatic to actually find something familiar in the modern world after being completely out of touch after 1,000 years. Still not the brightest move, but not really unprecedented. Even in the real world it's not that strange for people to seek out (and even cling to) the familiar when in a very different environment than what they're used to, and Luna's situation pretty easily eclipses any situation like that in the real world.
And Celestia might just be pulling a fast one to prevent the idea that Equestria is trying to forcibly expand its borders by making it seem as though this was an independent action on Twi's part, but resuming their relationship by offering a peace treaty/alliance of some sort after the confrontation with Luna. IIRC, giving off that impression was one of the concerns that was mentioned when the dragon showed up, so Celestia might have just reached that conclusion and allowed this to play out so they could follow it up with some damage control.
8284134
True enough.
8283775
I already got the feeling this was heading for a Dotted Line reference.
8284096
I don't agree with you there on terminology. A valid reason will excuse you but an excuse is commonly viewed as an invalid reason despite what may be mentioned in a dictionary. Hence terms as 'Stop making excuses'. There are times I hate the English language and how it changes culturally because of things like this. In this case Luna is a unique situation that should be treated as such.
8284412
American English is a "mutt" filled with contradictory rules taken from other languages and well let's be honest worked used in the wrong context or being redundant. Like the non word "irreguarless" which is just a wrong was to say regardless. Excuse is the same, often it's used in a context that is the reverse of it's meaning
I really loved this chapter, ESPECIALLY with how things got even CRAZIER than I thought they would be with Luna.
I hope in the next chapter we have Spike & Twilight compare notes an talk about who has had things crazier lately!
I was so happy to see this story update! I can hardly wait to read the next chapter. Please, keep up the awesome work!!