The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

by mint20

First (Official) Contact

First (Official) Contact
The Nineteenth Century: The Saga of Equestria

Hearth’s Warming Eve, 1014 CYP (December 25, 1815)
Canterlot, Equestria

“What should we do?” asked Twilight, nervousness clear on her voice.

Behind her mask of calm, Celestia’s mind was on overdrive. “Where’s Shining Armor?” she asked, with a barely hidden note of urgency.

A pink Alicorn flew up alongside the informal Royal Council meeting. “He’s down on the ground, waiting for you to give him orders,” said Cadance, for the pink Alicorn was, indeed, Princess Cadance. “I may add that he’s more than a little ticked over being forced to mobilize the guard on Hearth’s Warming Eve. And I doubt that he’s the only one.” Her last sentence was rather pointed.

Celestia felt, for a second, a pang of guilt. They must have been having a special evening.

The guilt vanished quickly, however, when she saw the ship changing course. It was heading right for them.

Celestia, seeing this, dived quickly, without a word to her fellow Princesses. Spotting the Captain of the Guard, she landed beside the white unicorn.

“Captain Shining Armor, reporting for duty!” said Shining, snapping to attention. Underneath his professional mask, though, Celestia picked up on the anger that Cadance had been speaking of.

Pushing the issue aside, though, Celestia adopted a business tone and asked, “Report on the Guard and it’s current readiness, Captain.”

“Yes, ma’am! In response to the general mobilization of Canterlot, five hundred soldiers of the Night Guard have reported for duty, under the command of Lieutenant Starry Scale. As of now, one hundred fifty members of the Day Guard have reported to myself. We await orders, Your Highness.”

Making a few quick decisions, Celestia said, “Have the Guard follow us. Keep a distance while we meet with these...what I presume are humans. Be ready, just in case.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“And get me a retinue of a dozen guards, purely for ceremonial acts,” added Celestia, as an afterthought.

Turning around, the Princess motioned to the other three Princesses, who quickly joined her on the ground. As one, they marched to meet the humans.

---

HMS Majesty

“Brace yourselves!” ordered the captain. “We’re running her aground!”

The crew grabbed onto anything that was relatively stable as the ship headed towards the beach. The city that they would later know as Canterlot had a port, of course, but it was much too small for vessel the size of the Majesty.

The ship was moving moderately fast - over ten meters per second - and the stopping was rough, sufficient to shake most of the crew loose, including the captain himself.

“Well, here we are,” said the first officer, somehow still standing.

Quickly breathing a very quick prayer of thanks to his God, the human captain slowly started moving...only to find he was wedged between two large planks of wood. Getting out seemed to be quite the trick.

“Crap!” he heard the first officer exclaim, presumably as he noticed the captain’s entrapment. “Where’s our ax?” he yelled, undoubtedly looking for a way to cut the captain out.

“It...It must have flown overboard!” came the anguished reply. “It’s nowhere to be found!”

“Damn! Well, then the natives must have one! We need to get them to help!”

Here, the captain gave a small groan, as he did not want them to speak with the natives of the region without him. But the wood absorbed the groaning, and the crew did not notice it.

---

“Humans!” said Luna, as several of them appeared in her view.

“So it seems,” replied Celestia. And thus, my fears are confirmed…

“There’re almost frantic,” observed Twilight. “I wonder if something is-”

As she said this, the humans noticed them. Now, as nobody on the Majesty (except the captain) was an officer in the British navy, but rather a group of colonists seeking an easy fortune, they lacked discipline that officers would. The second they saw the ponies, the group of five did a collective double-take. They took a step back, hesitated for a moment, then, as if compelled against their will, resumed their run towards the Princesses, but at a slightly slower pace.

“Something is wrong,” noted Celestia.

When they came within a few meters, the Royal Guards crossed their spears and looked at the humans suspiciously. The humans stopped, and one of them started to speak. “Look, I don’t know who or what you are, but we need your help!”

“Who are you?” replied the foremost guard.

“Who is in charge here?” demanded the human, the desperation now clear to Princess Celestia. “We need help!”

Making a snap decision, Celestia walked forward and said, “Thank you. Stand down, guardponies.”

The guards turned and looked at her for a minute, then slowly parted for the Princesses.

“I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of the Principality of Equestria. This is my sister, Princess Luna, my niece, Princess Cadance, and a former student, Princess Twilight Sparkle. We are the ones ‘in charge’ around these parts. You require assistance?”

The humans took a step back, undoubtedly because the Princesses’ imposing presence. Gathering his thoughts, the first officer of the Majesty spoke quickly, “We do, Your Highnesses. Our ship is damaged, and our captain is trapped in-”

“Say no more,” replied Celestia, nodding to Twilight.

The former student stepped forward and said, “If you will lead me to the site, I might be able to help.”

Normally, the first officer would have scoffed at such on offer. Really, in a normal situation, he would be convinced that he had finally gone insane, with the colorful horses speaking and having wings and whatnot.

But this was no normal time, and the captain was in danger. Questions would have to wait.

“Follow me,” he said, and started to jog back to the ship. Twilight followed, and when the vessel came into clear sight, she had to stop herself from gasping at the grand ship.

Excellent design. Maybe we could get some ponies to study this, see if we cannot build one of our own…

Pushing such thoughts from her mind, she trotted to a stop beside the place the humans claimed their leader was stuck. Opening her mind, she immersed herself in rivers of magic that she knew oh so well and began to reach out with her mind, trying to find the life-force of the human.

She found it, and quickly began magically probing the area around the human. To her, it seemed that the human was simply stuck in a massive pile of debris. As she analyzed the wood, it became apparent to her that almost every one of the pieces of wood were much too heavy to be lifted by muscle alone. Something akin to a mast had fallen on him.

But where brute strength may fail, magic and fitness may yet succeed, Twilight had learned. As such, she quickly applied her knowledge of physics, fulcrums, and force magnification to her knowledge of magic and used rudimentary machines to enhance her mechanical advantage over the debris.

The work took some fifteen minutes, as Twilight had to make sure to triple check each of her spells before she cast a single one, in case she moved too fast and destabilized the whole pile.

Finally, as she moved out the final large piece of debris, the human buried within moaned. The first officer sprung forward and helped him up, along with most of the crew.

As Captain Elijah Walter got to his feet, he was not quite sure if he was hallucinating or not. For he saw a colorful pony with wings and and a horn...but surely the myths of the unicorn were false! And were they not supposed to be pure white, instead of this shade of lavender?

Princess Twilight, for her part, felt the scrutiny of the human and shifted uncomfortably under it. Attempting to break the awkward silence, she asked, “Are you hurt?”

The human jumped slightly at the unexpected words. Quickly composing himself, he said, “A few bruises and cuts...nothing more.”

“Good,” said Twilight, feeling relieved.

Now that the conversational block was broken, the human felt more comfortable plowing forward: “My apologies, but I have never seen a creature like you before…”

“Of course. Where are my manners? I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, co-ruler of Equestria,” said Twilight.

“I am Captain Elijah Walter, of the ship Majesty. We are from the British Empire, or the United Kingdom.”

Recognizing the name of his country, Twilight quickly said, “If you will follow me, I can introduce you to my fellow leaders…”

“I would be pleased to meet them.”

---

“...and this is Princess Cadance, my sister via marriage,” finished Twilight.

“I am honored,” said the human. “I lack nearly as noble friends as you, but come simply as the servant of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, George III.”

Princess Celestia shifted position and spoke for the first time, saying, “You said you are from the ‘United Kingdom?’”

“A colony of it, but yes. Do you know of it?”

“Very little,” she said carefully. “Only that there was war between it and a republic named the ‘United States of America.’”

“Yes...that war ended several months ago,” replied the human. “All and all, it was something of a foolish distraction, over a few miscommunications and poor decisions on the part of both parties. “

“According to our knowledge, the United States declared the war because your nation impressed their citizens into service and cut off their trade,” said Princess Luna. “Is this true?”

The human shifted uncomfortably, but said, “Well, that is partially true, but only a part of it. What you should know is that the Americans are very good at selling half-truths as fact.” After a moment, he said, “While, yes, the Kingdom did impress a few American citizens, these were accidents in the system. Most of the sailors forced into service were deserters from the Royal Navy, and the United Kingdom does not grant the right for British subjects to relinquish their nationalities and hide like cowards on foreign ships when their country calls upon them to serve.”

Celestia nodded slowly, noting the contempt the human had for the alleged cowards he referenced. “Now, as to their grievances regarding disruption of trade…”

“Of course. You should know that, at the time, the Kingdom was at war with a country named France, attempting to constrain their aggression against another state named Russia. And American merchants traded with France, making them stronger and more difficult to fight. I am not saying that the actions of the United Kingdom were completely in the right, but please, see it from our point of view before you pass judgement.”

“Very well...how did the war fare against this ‘France?’”

“Hmm? Oh, reasonably well. After two bloody years, we were able to force the warmongering Emperor off of his throne and strip his country of much of its ill-begotten territory. Of course, he returned this year and started up some more trouble, but was stopped by another coalition of nations...enough European politics, though.” Here, he paused shifted his bottom hooves - feet? - and then said, “You will forgive me if either I or my crew stare, I hope. We have never seen horses-”

“Ponies,” cut in Luna.

“Pardon?”

“The correct name for our species is ‘pony.’” she responded. “There are also sub-species.”

The human paused for a minute, then shook his head slightly and said, “Right then, my apologies. As I was saying, we have never seen hor-ahem, ponies quite like you...ever. There have been a few myths of similar creatures in the past, but little more.”

“Interesting…” replied Celestia, mentally filing away this knowledge. After a moment, she said, “Well, I must say that you have intriguing timing. Today is Hearth’s Warming Eve, and the ponies across Equestria are projected to throw some of the largest celebrations in our known world - which, granted, is apparently not as large as we thought it was. If you wanted to see an example of Equestrian culture, this night and tomorrow are definitely the times to be here.”

“That’s another interesting coincidence,” replied the human. “Today is December 25, a day celebrated throughout the civilized world as Christmas, remembering the birth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.”

Perhaps he did not mean it as an insult, but not one of the Princesses of Equestria failed to notice the implication that those who did not celebrate this ‘Christmas’ was not civilized.

Mentally brushing aside the implied meanings for now, Celestia said, “It is interesting to see such cultural similarities. Perhaps we could discuss this more later. But it is late, and I assume that your ship will need repairs and the such before you can travel back to your home, correct?”

“Umm...I will have to look at the ship, but I would assume so, Your Highness.”

“Very well. I suppose that in the mean time you will need to rest and relax. Guards!”

The Royal Guards snapped to attention. At this, the humans flinched, then relaxed.

“Make whatever arrangements are necessary for our...guests. See to their comfort, and ensure they get plenty of food. Answer their questions as you see fit, and allow nopony to disturb them, except those under orders from one of us.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” said Celestia dryly, “I need to go explain to the press why I ordered a general mobilization of Canterlot during a holiday, while avoiding a panic. That should be fun.”

“Good luck,” replied Luna, dryly as well.

“I’ll need it,” muttered Celestia.

---

“Well, this is impressive,” said Captain Walter, as he walked through the city of Canterlot.

The guard that was escorting him said, “This is Canterlot, the seat of Equestrian power. It was built just over a thousand years ago, and is the shining jewel of the realm.”

“A thousand years…?” asked the human.

“Yes. Founded just after the devastation of the Lunar Rebellion, it was build to replace the Castle of the Two Sisters, which was destroyed in battle. It’s construction nearly bankrupted the nation, but since then its position has made it develop into a massive trade hub for all of Equestria.”

“So it has paid for itself.”

“Many times over, by now.”

The human’s pace shifted slightly, as he noticed something interesting in the pony’s previous answer: “The Lunar Rebellion? What is this you speak of?”

A shadow fell over the guard’s face, and the human noted that he missed a step. “The Lunar Rebellion...one of Equestria’s darker moments. It occurred just over a thousand years ago, and is remembered to this day in the Summer Sun Celebration. The Rebellion was the...the end point of a very complicated political and personal dispute between Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It reached it’s height when Luna, corrupted by dark magic, brought up the moon to cloak the sun and attempted to administer a coup against Princess Celestia.”

“And?”

“She failed, of course. Princess Celestia banished her to moon for exactly one thousand years, and the troops she lead were either destroyed or disbanded. Still...ponies fighting ponies…” The pony shuttered.

The human nodded, but he felt that something was wrong with that statement. It should be noted that he dismissed the claim that Luna controlled the moon as pure superstition. After mulling for a moment, he found it. “Did you say that this rebellion involved both Princess Celestia and Luna?”

“Yes.”

“The rulers I just met?”

“The same.”

“And...it happened over a thousand years ago?”

“...Yes.”

“You mean to tell me,” said Walter, “that those Princesses have been alive for over a thousand years?”

“Actually, closer to thirteen hundred years, but yes.”

“I...I...Excuse me if I find that difficult to believe,” the human replied, experiencing something like what Livingston felt when he learned of the Princesses’ age. “Are they immortal?”

The guard stopped dead in his tracks for a moment, tilting his head thoughtfully. “You know what? I don’t know. Nopony does for sure, except maybe the Princesses themselves. I think by now, though, everypony just assumes that the two sisters will live and rule forever.”

“That doesn’t sound right,” muttered the human.

“Hmm?”

Trying to find a diplomatic way of saying what was on his mind, Walter said, “No monarch, king, queen, princess, whatever, should live forever. Even if they’re not held accountable to their subjects, ultimately, they can all be held accountable to death. An immortal, however...they hold no allegiance to anybody.”

“Well,” said the guard slowly, “I see what you mean, at least theoretically. But Princess Celestia, and recently Luna, have ruled with an even hoof for all of their reign. They hold themselves accountable to the ponies underneath them. We have nothing to fear from them. Plus, every time one of your rulers dies, what happens then? Is the crown arbitrarily passed on to a relative of the ruler? Or, better yet, what if there is no heir? The crown is up for grabs, and the strongest claimant takes it, right? What defines the strongest claimant?”

“Well-”

“The military, of course. Civil war. Chaos. Distruction. No, this way, Equestria remains a stable and harmonious state.”

“Huh.”

“Any other questions about the political landscape of Equestria?” asked the guard.

“Actually, yes. You said that Princess Luna openly rebelled against and attempted to overthrow her sister?”

“That is correct.”

“And yet, she was allowed to retake her throne?”

“Yes.”

“...After committing high treason and leading ponies up in arms against her sister.”

“Correct.”

“Excuse me, but that makes no sense. Shouldn’t she have been imprisoned? Or exiled? Or executed?”

At this, the guard recoiled. “Executed? Why in the name of all things under Celestia’s sun would we do that?”

“Because that is the penalty for high treason...at least, where I come from, that is,” replied the human.

“And you will note that this is not where you come from,” came the somewhat biting reply. “Here, we do not dole out punishments that cannot be reversed. Here, Equestria is concerned with remedying whatever caused the crime and then re-integrating the criminal back into society, so that they can continue on with their life. Also, it should be pointed out that Luna first had to endure one thousand years of isolation and banishment. I think that warrants punishment enough. And, finally, even if we wanted to execute her - which we don’t - we don’t even know if Alicorns can be killed.”

“Still, to allow a former rebel to retake such a prominent position of political authority...are you guys sure that was a good idea?”

The guard sighed again. “Yes, I suppose I get your meaning. Which is why, for the first year or so after the Lunar Restoration, certain nobles insisted that restrictions be installed on her. For instance, the Night Guard was not reformed right away, but rather a wing of Celestia’s guard was assigned to protect her. She was also barred from holding an independent court, making most public appearances, and every major decision that she made had to be ratified by her sister or a small council of nobles. These rules lasted for about a year, then when the nobles petitioned for their extension, Celestia herself struck them down and restored Luna’s position.”

“Exactly how much power do these nobles have over the Princesses?”

Here, the guard laughed. “Actual, real political power? Absolutely none, despite what they would have you believe. No, the nobility is little more than a bunch of big names. Occasionally, however, the Princesses listen to a few suggestions from them, if only to keep the nobles from getting too uppity and annoying. But don’t let that fool you. The only one that may have any kind of legitimate claim to political power is Prince Blueblood, who claims to be very distantly related to the Royal Sisters. Any kind of familial link has never been conclusively proven, and the sisters have never confirmed nor denied the connection.”

For several minutes, the group of humans and ponies walked in silence. The humans reflected on what they had learned.

As they approached the larger spires, the guard said, “Do us a favor. Make our job easier and wait out here while we sort out your lodging.” Not waiting for an answer, the guards entered the nearby building, leaving the humans unattended.

“So, what do you think, boys?” asked the captain.

“Well, they seem polite enough,” replied the first officer.

“I find the politics of this nation...interesting,” said the ship’s cook. “Immortal rulers wielding absolute power?”

“Yes, that seems rather dangerous,” agreed one of the other crew members.

“It seems to work for them, though,” replied the captain, musing over it.

“I find the fact that this nation is made of sentient ponies, some of them ripped straight from Greek mythology more shocking, though,” said another crew member. “I mean, come on! They don’t even have hands! How did they develop a civilization??”

“True,” Walter replied. “But, obviously, here they are. We cannot wonder with the ‘why’ or ‘how’ at this stage; rather, we must concern ourselves with what precisely we should do. The facts of the matter are that we are stranded here, until we can either repair the ship or secure an alternate means of transport.”

“So, what now, Cap?”

“Now? For now, we wait. We learn what we can, and observe. Who knows? This ‘Hearth's Warming’ holiday may be interesting.”

---

"Are you sure we can trust them, sister?" asked Luna.

Celestia sighed. "I wish I knew, Lulu. I wish I knew."

After a moment, she continued, saying "However, until I know that they cannot be trusted, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. I don't want to assume that they are bad people. With luck, this won't end up like the Lewis and Clark incident."

Comments

[TheTRPony]

I just love how all the humans aren't up in arms about talking multi-color horses. No, really, I find it hilarious.

[Acacia Sgt]

Well, the way I see it, the situation was bound to go a bit better with these British than with the Americans. However, I do have the feeling things may go about the same way down the road. Because really, what are the chances Equestria soon finding out about stuff like the British-Irish relations... well, more like the lack of, Wolfe Tone's rebellion isn't even 20 years old at this point, among other stuff?

But to a more positive point, the fact it's Christmas/Hearth'sWarming sure ain't a bad time to have stumbled into Equestria. Seeing the humans' reaction to the story behind it is sure to be quite gold, I'd guess.

[Moonreaper666]

6125875 Weed man. Drugs make you see all kinds of stuff. Besides, isn't HP Lovecraft in this century?

[BestinDworld]

The story is going great so far cant wait till the next update take as much time as you need

[Namelesskk]

...are you guys sure that was a good idea?

> is set in the 1800's