About Twilight
Sunset took a deep breath. Around her, the Canterlot gardens were unusually silent. Somehow she'd remembered them being more noisy, the leaves echoing with the sounds of exotic birdsong. Then, she saw a glint of armor disappearing into the bushes, and her mouth twisted into a frown as she realized just why the animals had taken flight.
“My sister insisted,” Celestia whispered, not glancing towards Sunset as she gave the wryest of smiles. “She's slow to trust these days.”
“Can't say I blame her.” Sunset shook her head and sighed. “I knew coming back was going to be… difficult.”
“I'm glad you did.” Celestia smiled in earnest, and Sunset found a grateful blush rising to her cheeks. “I've missed you.”
Sunset blinked away tears. “I missed you too.”
There was silence for a moment between them.
“So how has life been beyond the mirror?” Celestia finally asked, feigning interest in the surrounding foliage.
“It's been good,” Sunset answered quickly. “I feel like I'm really making headway on the arcanodynamic differences between both worlds. Admittedly, working with magic on the far side can be dangerous, but that's all the more reason I have to study it. Clearly portals between our worlds are disturbingly easy to open, and we need to be prepared if we're going to avoid any more… incidents.”
“Yes, I heard it was quite the show over Ponyville.” Celestia indulged in a giggle as Sunset flushed with embarrassment. “Think nothing of it. You should have seen the aftermath of Twilight's battle with Tirek. The cartographers guild was livid.”
“Oh, yeah, I heard that was quite a fight.” Sunset's expression fell slightly, growing distant. “She's really one heck of a pony, isn't she?”
“I do try to pick the best for my students.” Celestia stepped a little closer to Sunset, sweeping a wing over her.
Sunset nearly skittered away, her eyes averted. “Well, I guess nopony's perfect.”
She could feel the gentle frown on Celestia's face. “Sunset...”
“Please, I didn't come back for forgiveness.” Sunset said, her eyes still downcast. “I've turned my life around, but the past can't be undone. I know that. It's enough to get to come back, to have a horn again, to walk through the gardens again.”
Celestia snorted. “You sound like my sister.”
“Excuse me?” Sunset blinked.
Celestia rolled her eyes playfully, her wing darting out quickly this time to catch Sunset and tug her to her side. “You sound like Luna. For a good year after she came back, all she could talk about was 'sorry this' and 'forgive us' that. Not to speak ill of her, but it became exceedingly annoying.”
Sunset gaped at her mentor, not even trying to escape. “But, didn't she try to--”
“Plunge Equestria into eternal darkness and trap me on the moon for all eternity?” Celestia rolled her eyes once more. “Honestly, with what I've had to put up with in this past year, I'd consider that a misdemeanor at best.”
“But--” Celestia cut Sunset off by booping her on the nose with a hoof.
“No buts. What you did was… understandable in light of the circumstances. As was what Luna did.” Celestia paused. “Did Twilight ever tell you about her little adventure with Starlight Glimmer?”
“Only that she traveled to alternate Equestrias,” Sunset said, frowning in puzzlement. “Our discussion was somewhat overshadowed by her meeting her counterpart.”
“Yes, I imagine it would be,” Celestia giggled. “Regardless, one of the futures she saw was one where Nightmare Moon had bested me. And do you know what she found?” When Sunset shook her head, she continued. “She found ponies. Grumpy ponies, to be sure, but ponies alive and well. Employed ponies living in a well kept, if gloomy, castle. It was never Luna's, or by extension Nightmare's, desire to destroy Equestria, or even truly inflict harm. She simply wanted her due recognition, and it was due, make no mistake. Few mares can run a nation, much less when slaved to a physical manifestation of their own bitter jealousies, and yet Twilight traveled to an Equestira very much alive, and at least by some metrics well. Luna, and by extension Nightmare, were never monsters, despite what she thinks.”
“No, I suppose not.” Sunset shook her head, sighing. “Is this some elaborate metaphor for my own… incident?”
Celestia smirked, and squeezed Sunset a little closer. “Still quick as ever, I see. So much of ruling is perspective, the ability to see why others do what they do. Neither you nor Luna lashed out from true malice for the world, or even indifference to others. You both lashed out because you felt the world was not giving you your due.” Celestia's smile died, and her eyes grew distant. “And in both cases I'd say you were correct.”
Sunset reached over and wrapped her hoof around Celestia's. “It wasn't your fault.”
“Not entirely no, but certainly the majority of it lies with me.” She held up a hoof as Sunset began to protest. “Before you argue, consider who else we might blame. Was Luna to blame that neither her sister nor her subjects would make time for her? Were you to blame that your mentor held you back?”
“You were only trying to--” Sunset began.
“Protect you, yes, you see that now. But I, like so many adults, didn't understand how you couldn't see that before,” she sighed. “For all that we like to talk about how much more we know than foals, we so often forget that fact when it comes to actually explaining ourselves. In time, we wind up relying on our authority alone, undermining it until it holds no meaning. And then those foals rebel.”
Sunset was silent, and Celestia offered her a sad smile.
“Who is to blame for such a thing but the mare called princess?” Celestia shook her head slowly. “If those dark days were anypony's fault, they were mine.”
Sunset merely hugged her hoof tighter.
“Thank you,” Celestia whispered.
Silence settled around them again, not even the wind daring to disturb the trees. As they walked, distant voices became audible. Before long, the palace walls loomed from amidst the trees. Casting a quizzical look at Celestia, and getting only a mysterious smile in return, Sunset followed her as she started up the wall's stairs.
“What do you think of Twilight?” Celestia asked, making Sunset jump.
After taking a second to regain her composure, she offered a warm smile. “She's really an amazing mare. Intelligent, compassionate, determined. You couldn't have picked a better replacement.” The last words came out tinged with a touch of sadness.
“I disagree,” Celestia said, and Sunset's eyes went wide.
“But, I mean--” She found herself silenced by another playful boop.
“How do you feel about a lesson, for old time's sake?” She patted a spot beside herself on the parapets, and after a moment Sunset joined her. From the top of the wall, all of Canterlot was visible, especially the guard training grounds below. Training grounds that were currently playing host to a game of hoofball amongst the elements of harmony. “Tell me, Sunset, what do you see?”
“I see Canterlot,” Sunset sighed. “I see Twilight playing with her friends.” It seemed to have devolved into a game of two on four as Applejack and Rainbow lived up to their reputations. The sight made Sunset smile, bittersweet though it might have been. “She's not half bad,” Sunset lied.
Celestia's eyes glittered. “Yes, half bad is not the phrase I would use either. She is a mare of many talents, though not all of them.” There was a yelp from down below as a certain alicorn in question took a hoofball to the face. “Still, you seem to think she'd make a worthy successor. Why?”
“Why not?” Sunset snorted. “I've never met a mare with more integrity or talent. She… honestly? She reminds me of you.”
“Interesting,” Celestia nodded, but her smile had gone. “She reminds me of me too.”
“Princess?” Sunset asked.
“Perspective is a funny thing,” Celestia continued after a moment. “So much of our world is defined by what we see, rather than what's really there. Tell me, Sunset, when you look at Twilight, what do you see?”
“I see...” Sunset thought about that, casting the occasional look at Celestia between watching Twilight and her friends below. They were doing better since they'd moved Pinkie to goalie, to the point that Rainbow and Applejack had clearly begun to complain. That sadness that had lingered beneath rose to the surface. “I see the mare that's everything I should have been.”
“Oh, so you should be purple then?” Celestia smirked, giving Sunset's mane a ruffle. “Or perhaps you just need a more utilitarian manecut? Do you suppose the salons are still open?”
“What?” Sunset recoiled, quickly smoothing out her mane and trying to control her horror. “No! I mean, not that her mane is… it's just...” Sunset coughed. “It… works for her?”
“That it does,” Celestia agreed, giggling more. “But I think yours suits you much better. Still, I suppose that means she's not entirely the mare you ought to be.”
“You know what I meant.” Sunset grumbled.
“But do you know what I meant?” Celestia's tone dropped, becoming serious. "Do you really think Twilight is the mare I wished you were?”
Sunset averted her gaze, staring down into the field below. The argument had ended, and now the laughter could be heard all the way up on the wall. “Yes,” she said.
“Then you're wrong!” Celestia said with a chipper smile. “But everypony is sometimes. Don't take it personally.”
“I am?” Sunset blinked, then frowned. “Don't just try to make me feel better. I'm a big mare, I can take being second fiddle.”
“Why do you think you're a fiddle in the first place? You always struck me as more of a guitar mare.” Celestia rubbed her chin, then giggled. “Then again, I might have been keeping up on your adventures since you reformed.”
Sunset's frown deepened, and she huffed. “Why's it always games with you?”
All of Celestia's cheer died in the blink of an eye. “Why is it always games with me?” The question didn't even seem directed at Sunset. “It just, feels right, I suppose. They keep you sharp. To play games, you always have to be one step ahead of your partner, sometimes two or three. In that way, ruling is the biggest game of all.”
“Celestia?” Sunset asked, her voice growing quiet.
“You said she reminds you of me.” Celestia's eyes moved to follow Twilight as she began to organize another game of hoofball. “From some perspectives, that might be an insult.” A hint of her smile returned, but it was twisted and bitter. “Did Twilight ever tell you about the Smarty Pants incident?”
“No,” Sunset slowly shook her head.
“It was barely a year ago,” Celestia began. “Twilight was still my student, nominally studying abroad in Ponyville, reporting on friendship problems she'd solved every week. Most weeks she had a ready supply, but one week, nothing happened. No fights, no adventures. Of course, Twilight thought nothing of it until the week rolled to a close and she hadn't written a report. Do you know what she did?”
Sunset thought about the mare she'd met and grown to know. “She reacted badly, didn't she?”
“Oh, very,” Celestia nodded. “She decided that if she hadn't solved a friendship problem that week, then she needed to do so. But to solve a problem, she first had to have one.”
“Oh mare,” Sunset shook her head.
“Indeed. She started innocently enough, just digging for a fresh problem she'd missed. But after a few hours, she realized she wasn't going to find one in time.” Celestia paused. “So she decided she'd make one.”
“Seriously?” Sunset asked. “That sounds… like an extraordinarily bad idea.”
“Oh, it was. But at the same time, it does make a brutal sort of sense, doesn't it? If you don't have a problem, make one, then solve that,” Celestia said. “It was elegant, if not particularly sane. Except she couldn't solve the problem she created. She stuck a want-it-need-it spell on her Smarty Pants doll, got the whole town fighting over it, then proceeded to be completely incapable of stopping the riot. I had to personally step in to defuse the situation.” Celestia frowned more deeply than Sunset had ever seen. “On that day, more than any other, I truly saw myself in her.”
“What do you mean?” Sunset looked up at Celestia with wide, quiet eyes.
“We are all flawed, Sunset, myself included. Myself especially,” she sighed. “When I look back at Luna, at you, do you know what I see?” She turned to Sunset. “I see instances where a stodgy old mare couldn't change her mind. I had a plan, and I stuck to it past all reason. If Luna had born our subjects' neglect before, then she would again. If my filly of a student had followed my lesson plans before, then she would again. It's said among lawyers, 'never ask a question you don't already know the answer to.' For me, that adage has been my life. Even today, this conversation right now, was planned out weeks in advance. Every move charted and mapped out to perfection. And you know what I would have done if Rainbow had sprained a wing this morning, and Twilight and her friends weren't playing down below?”
“No?” Sunset answered.
“That's unfortunate, because neither do I,” Celestia let out a soft chuckle, bleak as could be. “For all that I've ruled this nation for millennia, I've never been one to improvise well. My solution to my sister's sudden discontent was to ignore her until I had to banish her. My solution to an unruly student was to wait for her to grow up,” Celestia sighed. “I'm sure you heard about when Chrysalis beat me before a public audience, yes?”
“Tangentially?” Sunset hazarded.
Celestia nodded. “Do you know how she beat me?” When Sunset shook her head, she continued with another chuckle. “Stupidity. I'd expected her to worm her way deep into our ranks and entrench herself in Canterlot before realizing I'd lured her into a trap. Even when she was challenged by Twilight, I'd expected her to slink into labyrinthine plots and decoys, my own area of expertise. Instead, she decided she was going to monologue, and then duel a god that she'd apparently forgotten she was sharing a room with.” She burst out laughing. “It was so stupid I never saw it coming! All I could do was blunder along with some showboating of my own, and then I couldn't even beat her in a straight up fight! I half expected her to unzip herself and let Discord out, it was all so insane!” Her laughter trailed off, taking her mirth with it. “And yet it almost cost me everything. To think, if I'd just adapted for Twilight's discovery, acted on her suspicions instead of trying to preserve my endgame, how much safer would it have been?”
Sunset carefully edged closer, and nuzzled Celestia's side, receiving a gentle wing-hug for her trouble.
“I'm sorry, Sunset, age comes with a terrible inclination towards the maudlin.” Celestia briefly shook herself, taking the chance to settle her wings on her back. She smiled softly as she looked down at Sunset. “Still, do you see my point?”
Sunset thought for a minute. “You're saying Twilight's not perfect.”
“Quick as always.” She gave Sunset a gentle nuzzle as she sighed. “It's a shame how often ponies just see the wings and horn, and not the pony beneath them.”
“Sorry.” Sunset blushed, kicking a hoof against the ground. “She… kind of turned my life around, and I guess I started to idolize her.”
“Oh, Sunset, no.” Celestia blinked and shook her head. “I didn't mean that to refer to you, but I am glad you have a bit more perspective now.” Celestia turned her head to the field below, but instead of looking at the friends playing together, she glanced at the lone figure sitting on the sidelines. “Really, I think Spike suffers the most for it.”
“Spike?” Sunset followed Celestia's gaze, spotting the young dragon. It took her second, but comprehension quickly dawned in her eyes. “Oh, yeah...”
“Indeed.” Celestia smiled warmly as Spike stood up and ran a bottle of water over to Twilight. “So many ponies see princess Twilight, and look right past the assistant who got her there. Did you know that he was the one who contacted me when Twilight decided to produce her friendship problem?”
“No, I didn't,” Sunset said.
“She wouldn't be here today if not for him,” Celestia said, smiling proudly, before glancing at Sunset. “Something that does not hold true for you.”
“Excuse me?” Sunset blinked.
“If it weren't for Spike,” Celestia continued. “I daresay Twilight would never have graduated, certainly not with her sanity. Have you ever heard her stories about magic kindergarden? Poor mare still has nightmares about it.”
“Nightmares? About magic kindergarden?” Sunset's face screwed up in confusion. “Is she afraid of naps?”
“Quesadillas actually, but that's another surprisingly related story.” Celestia sighed, her smile becoming bittersweet. “No, she spent most of her early academic career working herself into a state of perpetual panic. It was so bad that she frequently worked herself into magic paralysis. If it hadn't been for that fateful tryout for my school, she might well have grown up diagnosed with weak magic syndrome. Even after that, she might have choked out of the daily curriculum without Spike to even her out. Not that you'd know anything about that.”
“Huh?” Sunset cocked her head, frowning. “Uh, sorry?”
Celestia grinned. “That wasn't a jab. I mean it seriously. You never had a problem with obstacles. To you, magic kindergarden was easy. You passed my school's entrance exam with borderline flair. I even remember the judges notes on how you struck a pose at the end.” She giggled as Sunset blushed. “That's an amazing thing to have. You never drown, Sunset, never shut down or freeze up. Nothing stops you. Honestly, from what I heard from Twilight, right up until the element of magic rejected you, you were winning.”
“What?” Sunset's eyes went wide. “How can you say that?”
Celestia just laughed. “It's nothing to be ashamed of. Your motivations were wrong, certainly, but that doesn't mar the execution itself.”
“But… Twilight won the crown,” Sunset said, frowning again. “She did beat me.”
“And what did you do?” Celestia bumped her on the shoulder encouragingly. “You kept going! You just made a new plan on the spot and carried it out. You adapted. The very thing Twilight, and I, struggle to do.” She leaned in closer, and looked Sunset in the eye. “So trust me, when I say that Twilight could never replace you.”
Sunset merely stared back, until tears began to brim in her eyes. Squeezing them shut, she leaped up and hugged Celestia tightly around the neck. She said nothing, even as Celestia's wings wrapped around her, and held her close. She merely nuzzled in tighter.
“You're welcome.” Celestia whispered, nuzzling right back.
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Interesting take on the differences between Celestia and Twilight (detailed planning/entrenched habits) and Sunset (improvisation/rashness)
And of course, the heartwarming parts are always nice!
Aw, that was really sweet and heartwarming, great job. And nice comparison between Twilight and Sunset (and Celestia). To Sunset, Twilight really would seem like the "perfect" one, the student who listened to Celestia and succeeded, ascending to princess. Yet Sunset still has plenty strengths of her own (just as Twilight is far from perfect), Sunset just let it go to her head too much, and Celestia didn't see it in time (a recurring flaw with her as your fic said).
Also, I just want to say that I love that Spike was mentioned as being a key part of Twilight's character growth. The show rarely pays much attention to how much of a role Spike played in keeping Twilight stable and sane.
Great job, as usual. I especially liked your explanation of the Celestia vs. Chrysalis fight.
Those ponies under Nightmare wer possesed by other nightmares. It's so simple. Taking someones body is always the worst evil there could be, because they must watch as the world around them dies.
Twilight is not Sunset's replacement to to Celestia, Twilight is Twilight and Sunset is Sunset. Neither can substitute for the other. With Twilight her title as "Princess of Friendship" pretty much spells out that she shines brightest with others backing her. Twilight needs others, especially Spike to keep grounded and flexible. Similarly Sunset needs others to be less rash and think though consequences.
7100599
I disagree, I don't think it was mind control as much as it was adaptation to the situation. People(or ponies here) try to make the best of a situation for themselves. Rainbow is the most aggressive of the mane 6 and Rarity is the most self interested, things that in Nightmare Moon's Equestria are encouraged and rewarded, as a result Rainbow gets more aggressive if not violent and Rarity becomes more haughty and cold.
To be honest I always saw Twilight as a glorified pawn if celestia tells her to jump she'll say how high if she tells twilight to get her some banana cake she'll buy a whole dammed bakery. Twilight to me seem like someone that has to have someone/thing give her instructions to function otherwise she's helpless.
"Noisy", not "noisome" -- unless Sunset used to think that the Canterlot gardens stank!
I'm tempted to rant about the "it's all been one year" brainbug, but I'm gonna cut that off right here, and instead concentrate on the good stuff! Namely, I really liked how you contrasted Twilight's -- and by extension, Celestia's -- nature as obsessive planners with Sunset's adeptness at adapting, and the explanation for Celestia's actions with Chrysalis in Canterlot Wedding. The idea that she was outdone because Chrysalis went with something so blatantly stupid that Celestia hadn't bothered to come up with a contingency for it, and couldn't adapt quickly enough, is a fun and pretty plausible one.
Smashed it, GF.
You get a favorite.
There's an odd double standard that pops up in fics like these, and this one illustrates it particularly clearly. According to this fic, Luna did nothing wrong, but Twilight is certifiably insane. Presumably, then, the one deserves to be built up, the other torn down. I get that it's a reaction to the show's boosterism of its main character, but I'm still quite tired of it.
This wasn't half bad, though the one problem I have here is when Sunset and Celestia were discussing the Nightmare Moon ruled future and saying that the ponies there were just grumpy. Hello? I'd say it was more then that. As much as I love Luna, seems like you were looking past Nightmare's actions there a bit. Just saying, sorry if I had rant there a bit.
Ah, Villain Virtues.
7100794 A tool that is to be used to utmost and then thrown away like who knows how many that came before
What do you do when you're up against world-class athletes? Cheat!
7100814 Vocabulary for the win it seems.
I'll fix that. Though I suppose if anywhere would have those exotic 'rotting meat' flowers, Canterlot Gardens would.
Honestly, I HATED the "it's been one year" development that they dropped after Twilight's ascension, but Word of God confirmed it. I actually made a huge post a while back about how absurd the whole concept was considering the show had two separate cycles of winter episodes... but Word of God is Word of God. Twilight's time from Ponyville to Ascension was one year, as absurd as that is.
7100862 I know that feeling. My very first fic on this site was written because I disliked how the majority of stories handled HiE. Still, I'm not sure it's a double standard, because Luna is acknowledged to have seen the error of her ways, while Twilight's volatility has gone largely unaddressed. A lot of this has to do with how their characters have been handled in the show. Luna's main character conflict is her own guilt contrasted with her redemption, and it drives a lot of her stories. If she didn't feel guilty, or if others denied her redemption, she'd lose that driving conflict and stall as a character. Likewise, if Twilight's over-reactivity were cured, it would remove one of her more compelling aspects and make her a dull mary sue. There's a reason Lesson Zero is one of the most talked about episodes even today, because it did so much to make Twilight flawed and therefore interesting. Still, I'm curious to hear how you'd prefer to see the topic handled in the future.
7100872 It was 'simplified' for space, I'll grant. Still, as far as villain takovers go, NMM's did seem fairly livable. Honestly, in many ways it was one of the better futures, as at least ponies had lives and jobs, something that can't be said for some of the futures Twilight found.
7100919 Have some fitting music.
7100982 To be fair, you do have a point there. But still, it did seem to me you were ignoring the fact that said future was being controlled by Nightmare Moon.
7100982
They did? Man, I'm going to studiously ignore it.
I love stories like this. Sunset just having a conversation about the past and how everything just sort of screwed itself over due to various factors regarding personality flaws and or poor judgement. It highlights so much character about the cast. And it makes the story so appealing b/c the author understands that everyone has had these problems in one form or another in our lives making extremely relatable. Celestia admitting to not being able to adapt and prone to foolishness regarding the Chysalis situation is gold. Plus massive point bonus for giving Spike credit where credit is due. And it's true we see the heroes and the important people and look past and never realize or like to admit that they would be nothing and probably wouldn't have gotten to where they are today if it wasn't for the assistants or supportive friends. I also feel that those same heroes sometimes forget that too. Anyway nice story easilly in my top five regarding stories written round this subject.
Sorry for the rant.
A true slice of life, and a great interaction between Sunset and Tia. Great job!
As I've said before and I'll say until the end of time, Sunset would've made a better Princess of friendship than Twilight.
You probably won't be able to understand what I am about to write. Heck, if it was somebody else writing it, than I wouldn't be able to understand it, and I know from experience how nasty that can become if it gets out of hand. Bottom line is, I won't hold it against you if you misunderstand what I am trying to say.
To put it bluntly, I did not like this story. And yet, I found myself agreeing with you on several points, particularly in regards to how Celestia believed that Luna's resentment was justified to a point, and how Nightmare Moon's reign of Eternal Night was ultimately successful, if not exactly pleasant, in spite of the countless ways it could have gone wrong. And yet, I still found that I disliked it, which confused me greatly. After sitting back and thinking about it for a minute, I figured out the reasons why I disliked it, but explaining them in detail would require more time than I'm willing to spend on a commentary that I changed my mind about not writing on a mere whim. In the end, I have come to the conclusion that the heart of my problem is mere incompatibility. This story is, from my point of view, a purely intellectual work, and I can hardly call myself an intellectual by nature, which means it is uncommon for me to enjoy stories of that nature.
In the end, I simply have to acknowledge that this story is of good quality, and accept the fact that my dislike for any given piece of work does not guarantee that it is a failure, as much as that may bruise my ego.
Just like those miserable Psalms... they're so depressing...
What?! I see this yesterday when it has 2 views and now it's featured?!
But seriously, good job.
I liked most of this, though I can't really agree with Celestia's description of how she taught Sunset. I wouldn't call telling your student you can't ascend her to godhood on command "holding her back," nor would I apply that label to getting mad at her for reading the Necronomicon. Celestia certainly has an issue with sudden deviations from her plans, but that felt like shouldering blame that wasn't hers to bear.
Aside from that, an excellent character interaction piece. Thank you for it.
7101163
At this point, that may be true. But she only made it to this point because Twilight kicked her ass and gave her some friends to teach her. Twilight may have basically stumbled into her friendships, but Sunset had the same friendships handed to her.
That said Twilight does still show some difficulty interacting with people that can't handle the rigid, academic approach to life's problems. Honestly if they ever directly said she was on the autistic spectrum it wouldn't surprise me. Obviously very high-functioning, but still.
I really don't like the excuse to the Chrysallis saga...
This is really great characterization for Sunset, but more specifically, for Celestia. She is a very tricky character to try and understand, but the writing here does it amazingly.
This sort of idea is a fic I've wanted to see for a long time. Just a short visit from Sunset. Thanks for writing this.
Great Job!
7101206 I believe I get what you're saying, I myself have had stories that I respect in spite of not particularly enjoying them. Still, I think you for the praise, it means a lot coming from somewhere outside of just pure enjoyment.
7101830 I feel like the changeling saga is always going to require a dodgy explanation outside of the AU genre. The imposter plot is a tough one to sell an audience on with short notice, and the Celestia takedown was handled sloppily no doubt. But we do what we can with what we've got. Still, I'm curious, are there any approaches you thought handled it well?
7101022 Well, I guess that goes straight to a debate of "what is evil?" Is Nightmare Moon evil because she engages in evil acts, or because she acts on evil intents? Can saving a kitten be evil if one does it from evil intent, or is the act judged independent of personal context?
7101683 I had a similar discussion on a Luna story I did, and it comes down to my interpretation that whether or not Celestia handled the situation badly, she would consider herself to have handled it badly.
7101376 Is this a Project Horizons reference?
7102063
I thought it was a Monty Python reference...
[youtube=VZ42IMu7HIQ]
7102090
Also a Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons reference!
Meet Psalm the pony.
pre12.deviantart.net/1fc7/th/pre/f/2015/355/d/4/_foe_ph__psalm_by_bogdan97-d9kzpdb.png
The pony in question was, ironically, super depressing
7101376
Yes, yes - they certainly are. Would you...
(Wait for it)
... like Psalm Ore?
Ok, can I get more of this Celestia please? Seriously, next to maybe 3 to 4 other iterations out of literally THOUSANDS of Celestia depictions I've read since joining the Herd, this is THE BEST depiction of her I've seen, period!! A mare who understands her limits, one who understands her own flaws and has to grapple with them. A mare, for all her extraordinary talent and experience is not flawless, in fact the opposite. But the most important bit, one who is willing to expose her vulnerabilities, one who is willing to open up, to help and heal someone she loves!
This is the Celestia my heart believes rules Equestria, and one I'd love to meet and have tea with. Moreover, it is a mare like this that would, in my humble opinion, still be an excellent defender of her realm.
Wonderful fic, and your portrayal of Sunset rang very true too. Overall, 9.5 out of ten, pure excellence and the only thing that could bring it higher is more quality content. Beyond that, perfect one-shot material, ACE!
Best of luck, and thanks again for a great fic.
Depicting Celestia as an old, understanding, wise, yet flawed ruler, makes this story an instant success. The reader can easily follow along with little to no context and still understand the main point of the story. And the ability to write a one shot story like this has lifted this Author, and shoved him right into my following list.
10/10.
P.S. Needs more Alicorn.
That was... just really good.
Wow.
Just...wow
This Celestia is...awesome. A self admitted manipulator who knows her own limits? A Sunset who isn't painted as another "What Twilight Could have been?"
This is awesome. I want to see more of this. The characterization here is so strong and wonderful, it's practically perfect. The only downside to this is I wish there was more-I didn't even notice time was passing as I read it.
Definitely worthy of any favorites list, 9/10
I feel like the ending of Rainbow Rocks would make more sense about Sunset improvising. Still good fic.
Quite excellent.
This is brilliant... *doffs hat*
The idea of Sunset and Celestia meeting again has always fascinated me, and you pulled it off perfectly! Well done! Your point about Sunset's style being different than Twilight's and Celestia's hit the nail on the head. I never realized it before.
Yup. This is ten-worthy. *Puts in Display Case before I forget*
Honestly I could go into several reasons why I love this, but much of what I could say has already been said. This is a wonderful conversation, though I do wish Sunset had more input (if only so Celestia isn't dominating so much). Even so, it's wonderful. You kept things going toward Celestia's one truth, and it made the weight of it so much greater. Fantastic work.
That was a lovely read.
Celestia really likes her planning. She knew what to say.
But yeah, as she said herself, if something didn't go according to plan... it would have been quite funny to watch her stutter. Or sad.
I dunno.
But that ending was absolutely wonderful
I always figured Celestia had a plan for Sunset snd Twilight. As replacements for herself and Luna. They have ruled a long time and there tired. So Sunset the older as Celestia's replacement and Twilight as the younger to replace Luna when the time comes. A plan that went off track with Sunsets leaving for the human world.
This was just great.
(We got a nice bit of that right after the Tricross Relay).
Celestia´s perspective on things was quite surprising. I mean, that she blames herself for Nightmare Moon is nothing new, but that Celestia admits that when Sunset´s ambitions became dangerous, she should not just have relied on her authority alone was quite profound. And close to reality, I think. To real parent-children-problems that just exist because of this very thing.
And the next thing that made me really like this story was the comparison between Celestia´s and Twi´s permanent planning and over-thinking and Sunsets straight-forward never-go-down attitude I admire so much about her.
Even if Sunset is something like the new Element of Magic in the other world, even if she followed in Twi´s hoofsteps, she will still not be the same pony, alone because of her temprament
10/10 for a great, profound Slice of Live-Story and a funny headcanon about Chrysalis invasion^^
A great fic about Sunset taking Twilight off the pedestal she has placed her on, and some detailed analysis on how Spike has been so responsible for Twilight's successes. I always figured Celestia gave Spike to Twilight specifically to prevent her from turning out like Sunset Shimmer in the first place.
7100982 After the whole "only one year" thing, the S5 finale gave us new, more recent data, apparently NMM trapped Celestia in the moon "years ago," which makes it a lot less likely the first three seasons happened in under a year.
I have to disagree with the pleasantness of NMM's reign. Ponyville has been replaced by a bunch of dead trees and monsters Notice how the only living creatures we saw were NMM's direct employees living in the castle of the two sisters, and magical creatures like Timberwolves? No cities or villages seem to be left. Considering what would happen to food supplies in an eternal night situation, it looks to me like NMM is feeding and protecting her servants, and everyone else has died off. That's arguably worse than Chrysalis's timeline.
Great slice of life story.
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Rarity didn't look all that surprised to see Twilight. So logically tour groups of the castles were a regular thing.
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And Earth has pretty much adopted Sunset as its own.
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This Celestia does have a problem with hindsight; mooning over a lost sister for 365,240 nights will do that.
I see this Sunset as adaptable. I also expect her to ascend to be the Alicorn Princess of Redemption when she writes the right spell.
Interesting concept and introspective. I think Sunset and Luna have a bit more in common than they think, since Luna seems a bit more of a mare of action of the two.
The one thing I have trouble with is the 'Celestia knew Chrysalis was there all along' part. I really don't like that because it makes it seem like she LET Shining suffer instead of ending it then and there when she realized Chrysalis was there. It makes her feel more apathetic rather than flawed.
Dismissing treason, rebellion and insurrection as character flaws Celestia is responsible for seeems a bit out of character. Ponies are responsible for their own actions, even if there are mitigating circumstances.