Side Story to The Demesne of the Reluctant Twilight Sparkle
When Doctor Princess Twilight Sparkle got Ponyville and the surrounding lands as her exclusive demesne, she knew it meant changes and stuff. Glittering opportunities. Dire crises. Friendships gained and imperiled. The dawn of a new age for Ponyville. A renaissance of the arts and sciences. A great test of her abilities as a leader and as a friend.
The brewing civil war took her by surprise, on the other claw.
The Princesses and their allies in Canterlot are working to change the laws, disband the new militias and ensure a lasting peace, but they need time. Soon, this cold war of arms and intimidation will heat up, and all the laws and decrees in the world ain't stopping it.
Doctor Princess Twilight Sparkle will buy them time. She will do what it takes to keep her friends, her family, and yes, her demesne safe.
With the help of a handsome griffon security professional—that's me, by the way—a devious illusionist, a ruthless athlete, a bored noble, and a pair of boater-clad con-ponies, she'll stop the damn war herself if she has to.
Touch wood I'll live to tell about it...
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/242/631/382.gif
YESSSSSS!
Can never get enough of your action fics.
Oh HELL to the YES. Chuckfinley in the Demesneverse. That's like chocolate in my peanut butter. No — better. That's like bacon in my bacon. Or orgasms in my sex.
BRB stopping literally everything I'm doing to read chapter 1.
(Except breathing. I'll try to remembrnmnmnmrmrmhhhhhhhh*@%~~~~~~
5194837
I am awaiting your feedback on the tenterest of hooks
5194825
what can i say i'm awesome
God, I'm loving this already. Bringing flashbacks to my Burn Notice-watching days, or even a grittier version of Psych. And Doctor Princess Twilight made a hell of a cool entrance.
I'm hype.
5194894
I'm hoping that this story will be what Banishment Decree (nominally a burn notice crossover) could have been if I'd had the skills when I started writing it. Glad you like it!
Back! (The doctors say that there shouldn't be too much permanent brain damage. The ambulance arrived after only about 12 minutes of diaphragm paralysis.)
Yeah, this one instantly joins Banishment Decree on the actively tracking list. (Speaking of which, will there be enough Burn Notice in here that you plan to label it a crossover, or are Gilda/Trixie/Dash enough of their own thing now?) Does a good job of setting the scene, along with the venality of the surrounding nobility, and I know there's going to be some proper fireworks once you start digging into the brewing civil war.
I'm pretty sure that what just happened this chapter is that a day or two beforehoof, Demesneverse!Twilight finally got around to talking to Banishment Decree!Dash, given that Twilight had inside knowledge of Gilda's job. Looking forward to the scene where that's explored! I predict a bigger role for Dash in this one, given that she's got a role in both of the universes you're mashing up. Although a bigger role for Trixie could be interesting too, considering that Twilight is positioned as a major protagonist, and in this universe (if not necessarily the BD one) you'll get to juggle the trio's canon relationships with the way you've developed them as a team.
When your only tool is bending the fourth dimension over your knee and wailing on its exposed gluteal muscles, I guess everything looks like a nail.
5195052
Oddly enough, this is not canon in any way to Banishment Decree or the other Gilda/Trixie fics. Gilda is still a criminal, but not as much of a psycho. Rainbow Dash doesn't appear (apart from peripherally) in this story, there is however a different speed-freak pegasus athlete involved in Twilight Sparkle's Dirty Dozen.
5195078
Interesting! Well, I'm out of guesses, then, at least until another chapter brings some exposition for context.
Yes. More of this.
5195078
I bet it's Lightning Dust.
Dash was off limits because the main fic has her relationship with Twilight as an unresolved plot point, I assume.
5195352
You are correct about Lightning Dust. I'm keeping the mane six out of the story (bar Twilight) not so much because of the events in Demesne, but because Twilight Sparkle doesn't want her friends involved A) in military actions or B) doing the kind of things she'll have the dirty dozen doing.
5195380
It is somewhat hard to believe Rainbow Dash wouldn't insist on helping with this sort of stuff, but I suppose there's plenty of ways to keep her in the dark or otherwise occupied.
My first non-mature, non-Pipsqueak (as of yet), story of yours that I've read. This should be an experience.
5195479
I eagerly await your feedback
Oh boy.
5195502
Well, it certainly threw me for a bit of a loop. I'm assuming that Gilda is taken directly (or at least heavily based upon) the character she plays in Banishment Decree, since quite a lot of this has a very Burn Notice feel to it. A lot tends to feel like it's in a very similar yet still unfamiliar universe from the terminology, making it seem pony-related, but still keeping me from immersing fully.
Part of that comes from when Gilda drops into being undeniably British.
I'm somewhat used to it from Pipsqueak, but it feels off coming from Gilda.
It's a well put together story, but there's too many minor things that keep me at arms length. I'll keep it in tracking though and see how I feel after we get a bit more of Doctor Princess Twilight Sparkle.
5195380
5195352
Plasable deniability. The team is made of expendable minor baddies. Pretty much Twilight can dispose of them when needed
Your Gilda in this continuity? Yes. All of the yes. I'm eagerly looking forward to more.
I need more of this in my life.
That was a very strong opening chapter. Which reminds me, I absolutely should catch up on Banishment Decree, too!
Just a note: the phrase is 'knock on wood', not touch wood. (Came from Native Americans who would knock on a tree before praying to it, with the thought of making sure that the spirit inside was awake to hear their prayer.)
5197026 American English is "knock on wood". British English is "touch wood".
Source: am British
5197038 ... Huh. The more you know... Where did it originate for you UKers, then? (Since ours came from Native Americans, I have to assume that yours comes from something else, or else it doesn't really make much sense for why it's said differently over there.)
That first part.... I got that reference. Don't remember the title, though.
That was a very well timed job interview.
Looks fun so far. I've been meaning for a long time to get around to Banishment Decree, but time doesn't always let you read every story you want to and still, you know, go to work, and I just haven't gotten around to it. It's always more fun to get in on the ground floor of a new story anyway, so to speak, so hell yeah and bring it on.
Hah!
5197069 It's really hard to say. There are lots of contradictory explanations!
finally someone who takes things seriously.
5197142 Wow. Thanks for that! I now know more than I used to.
This great. I'm liking this. Please continue and I will happily follow along.
Oh yeah.
This is going to be good.
I just realized this is recursive recursive Fanfiction. It's Fanfiction of The Reluctant Demesne, which itself is Fanfiction of A non-epic pony war in the near distant future (or was it Twilight, Princess of books? I can't remember.), itself Fanfiction of MLP:FiM!
5197142
Face it "Knock on Wood" and "Touch Wood" are both valid ways to say the same thing, their regional variants.
I like this fan fic myself, Twilight is a smart pony and she's going to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. Collecting "Experts" in some fields means you do have to deal with less savory individuals, I'm sure at least some of her other contacts will make Guild seem like a cuddly kitten by comparison. Lots of the show's antagonists aren't straight up villains and would likely be willing to give a lot to get on the good side of Dr Princess Twilight. And of course their are always social climbers, greedy business people, and criminals looking to clear their records who aren't wholly irredeemable. Heck as she is now a princess Celestia might be secretly teaching Twilight all this cloak and dagger stuff now.
THE WORLD!
Looking forward to what happens next...
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/8/4/390844__safe_twilight+sparkle_trixie_ponified_parody_jojo%27s+bizarre+adventure_stand_artist-colon-cruxtar_johnny+joestar_the+world.png
5198385 On that note, I eagerly await the TV Tropes page to accompany these fics.
5196564
Not quite my usual Gilda. This one is less bloodthirsty, more bully. More thief than fighter. She's a lout, not a killer. But yes, regardless, I write best gilda
5197071
Johnny Mnemonic.
5197374
I haven't had one of those for any stories yet...
Interesting, not exactly sure what all the AU tag is for, besides the obvious. I feel like Gilda should be suffering from pretty serious shock at the moment. There's multiple of levels of crazy going on here. Gilda's clearly got the place marked out, Pauldron figures he has everything locked down tight, and meanwhile Twilight has somehow snuck a untriggered time stop spell into place. I look forward to hearing more.
Boy is that pony going to feel played, like a losing hand of cards.
Sweeeeet!
... I'm never going to enjoy a non-Spec Ops Gilda, am I?
*Thinks*
I'm okay with this.
5201581
More 'military washout thieving lout' than spec ops in this 'verse. In my headcanon for this story, 'griffon military scout' means 'pathfinder working for an army' rather than 'scout sniper badass.' She also kinda sucked at/hated it, given she dropped out after the minimum term of national service + 3 years.
5202056 True, but compared to most of the Equestrian military, that's still basically spec ops :P
5199317
You're also one of the few who write any Gilda, so it's a good thing you do it well.
...Interesting...
This is gonna be a joy to read.
5202130
Do Chuckfinley stated the military skill difference between Equestria and other country regarding this story? I mean, I do have a mind to criticize you on the implication that Equestria military sucks, then I myself didn't realize what the author view/headcannon in this story.
So, do the author state any difference in military skill to justify what you comment?
5221856
Difficult to say because its all from Gilda's point of view and she's not the most reliable of narrators. She did say that the local guards were weak, but also said that was due to a lack of resolve rather than physical and training deficits. She also stated that the local guards are different from the 'shiny-armored' ones in Canterlot, and they might be the actual military of Equestria proper.
Kind of weird going from the heavily fantasy first chapter to raiding what felt like a modern office building. Kind of liked the fantasy vibes more.
Woo! I'm getting a 'Castle' vibe here.
5223542
I kinda get that from Gilda's comment, but what is your actual thoughts / view in this story? Are they better, worse or so-so comparing to other countries or do they have any OTHER advantage / disadvantage like tactical planning?
Or will you say nothing or something vague and mysterious cuz it have no bearing in the story current present or future's?
Sorry if it sounds a bit pushy and rude, I have made comments that seems so in real life and here, Just curious. Silence is an acceptable answer.
This made my day. And it was already a pretty good day.