This story is a sequel to Forbidden Melodies
Two centuries have passed since Nightmare Moon's banishment, yet everypony's fear for nightfall still paralyzed Equestrians in every corner of the realm. Princess Celestia tasked her young student, Glissando, to venture into the world and soothe the hearts of her subjects before terror consumes them.
Now, five years later, Glissando has returned home as a grand maestro with his answer: a song to reshape the very foundations of the world and banish the darkness forever.
Proofread by ShutterflyYay
Special Thanks to: Manaphy
Cover art Strict by Mechagen
Updated: 10/15/21
Chapters (1)
Magnificent. A fitting companion piece to Forbidden Melodies.
That was so horribly beautiful...
Just as much as jealousy can lead to corruption, so to can unyielding faith.
Simply beautiful. The way Celestia was portrayed in this story is one of my favorite portrayals of her. Very well done.
I have to agree with 7015989, this is one of the best portrayals of Celestia. Thank you for writing this.
7015523
I'm glad you liked it! If you want to read the "unfitting" sequel, there's A Peach is Worth a Thousand Problems too. Despite the Comedy and Slice of Life tags, that is the technically the second fic in this universe that makes Gloria Celestia the third.
7015628
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7015693
Spoken like a true Sith.
7015989
7016043
I'm glad you both enjoyed this interpretation based heavily around my my own experiences at my church. There are so many hymns about heaven, God's light, and eternal day that the fiction practically wrote itself. Everytime we sang Gloria Patri, in the back of my head I was working out the lyrics for the first song. Mind you, this has been going on since before Forbidden Melodies because I came up with this story first. I've been distracted a lot on Sunday mornings...
7017223
Strange enough I missed Forbidden Melodies when it first came out and didn't read it until I came across Gloria Celestia. I may have to borrow part of this for my own headcanon, to give a stronger reason why the Nocturnes left Equestria, and why Celestia let them go.
I love this. I can totally see this happening, too.
A good followup to the original story. Thank you, it was a good read.
A great follow-up. It's especially good to see Celestia is regretting silencing the past.
7015693 Well... faith in any person or ideal that's less than utterly flawless, certainly!
Wow wonderful! I remember reading the sequel but I dunno if I read this first one. It was great nonetheless!
49 weeks later I reread this and it's still great.
7959519
Thanks. I should really break radio silence and blog something on here. The big thing I'm working on has been restarted so many times now that I feel bad for folks wanting more from this universe. Glad you still like it!
You can has review!
Hah.
I've not read this fic yet but if its what I think it is, this is another retelling of the positives of the Communist Manifesto. The description REEKS of it. I'm a Soviet, but I'm speaking of what I said in a ridiculing way.
Post Read Edit: Hmm, so not entirely what I thought. This one actually has worthiness that these other simpletonish fics do not, more adult themes and a decent build up and maturity. Well done. Well done indeed.
Soviet Approved.
Wow, what a read
On the one hand, we have this beautifully assembled story that serves as a prequel to forbidden melodies. As usual, you have outstanding prose that weaves scenes together gracefully and good descriptions of the events. Heck, you even feel a bit of NMM's character with how you describe Celestia's handling of the moon
Glissando's breakdown after the reveal was superb, and his later scene was brutally visceral.
So in the feels department, it's good.
What didn't I like? How obviously unshaken Glissando was in the scene where the nocturnal was attacked and Celestia aided her from afar. There was no question in my mind that left to his own devices, Glissando would've come to such a conclusion, or at least a different one from what Celestia envisioned.
11021821
Thanks for the read and the insightful comment. However, I am about to do something I don't usually do since I believe the work should stand on its own to defend itself. Here comes the defense:
You are a better person than Glissando. Honestly, I didn't like it either since I'd want to redeem him, but not everyone is after such indoctrination. You’d also think Princess Celestia would be better about seeing this too, but she blind to Sunset Shimmer’s interpretation of her teachings before it was too late as well.
I wish I was wrong about it, too, honestly. Wish humanity was better as well. Drawing from the place I wrote this, I’ve seen plenty of folks in the church as warm as sunshine until you mention something they do not support. You should’ve seen the look one time I got growing up when I mentioned I have gay friends. Furthermore, just go back into recent history and ask yourself if you grew up as X person, would you really not succumb to groupthink about Y? Hindsight is 20/20, but there was Apartheid South Africa, the Jim Crow South, and the Ordinary Men of the 101 German Police Order.
Edit: Rereading the line, you do have a point though. I need to convey the more subtleness of the magic used to deflect the spears. I hoped the idea of her expending her magic made the flicker of magic easily missable on the Princess' part.
11021846
I read that section where Celestia deflects the spears as done in such a way that no one but Celestia knew it happened. Gil didn't see it, and the guards must have been confused.
11076543
Oh, good! I hadn't changed it either and forgot that was what I though he meant. We had a convo about this piece over Discord and Glissando just doesn't vibe with everyone since we don't see him much. Limiting factor of the perspective the story is written in.
Hope you enjoyed it though! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. I appreciate it!
How long it has been since I last cried reading a story I know not, but this one is one I shall always treasure.
11170164
Aww! That's sweet. I hope it was a good cry. I know those can be very relieving.
This is fairly old, but I keep coming back to this. Initially I heard this to the hymn of "God of Mercy and Compassion". But then I listened to the one you
I somehow love this. Plenty of fics place Celestia in a religious role, but this is first time I've seen such a beautiful funeral song used in such a way. A forlorn meoldy. It makes you think. Even if Celestia is God on Earth for her little ponies... Who does she pray to? When her entire world is falling to pieces on the worst night of her life, mired in her failure and lonliness, who does she call out to?
When you think about all her students, throughout the years, who does an immortal turn to to say "Help me. I don't know what to do." The scene of her erasing Luna from her *world*. Really hit me.
Bravo.
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Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence despite its very, very heavy tones is usually considered a Christmas song if you can believe it. Really shows that light-hearted festive mood, doesn't it?
On an actual note, it is a song about sacrifice though, so even if I am using it for fan fiction purposes, it is surprisingingly fitting. I'm glad you enjoyed the song and the fiction. This is the foundational event for the "Silent-verse" that I write a lot in, so I'm glad folks still enjoy it after all these years.
9313033 Where the heck did that come from?
The first part anyway. I think the fact that you instantly saw politics and went on your high horse says far more about you (and not good things) than it does about the story.
11314712
I dunno. It's a very old comment and I thought it was pretty funny. I've always thought it was a thematic joke account with how over the top it was. He just chose the wrong book as it's not Marx, but a hymnal that this is about.
I also read it with Tim Curry energy:
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I know I'm seven years late to the party (good God where does the time go?), but both this and Forbidden Melodies were excellent reads and I felt I had to leave more than just an upvote.
This is a brilliantly dark piece. And after dark there came the New Dawn, but not one which that misguided soul sought.
I can hear Luna humming this melody you offered as closing theme.
11555575
Still writing in the universe, so I'd say you're right on time to start. You've arrived precisely when you meant to.
11555601
Glad you enjoyed it! The song I linked in the description is what Celestia sang. Just try matching the clarinet with the lyrics.