A Canterlot Catastrophe [S2: "A Canterlot Wedding"]
The wedding reception had long since wound down. The bride and groom had departed hours ago. Most of the guests had dispersed to their own homes or their rooms at the castle. Twilight Sparkle was curled up in an orderly but exhausted pile in a corner of the garden, fast asleep. A low-hanging cloud floating near the DJ's stand had a rainbow tail hanging limply over one side. Pinkie Pie had long since taken over for her friend DJ PON-3, but her eyes were drooping and the hoof she was pumping in the air sagged listlessly.
Princess Celestia sat at a table in the corner opposite Twilight Sparkle, nursing a half-eaten piece of wedding cake and a glass of sparkling cider that had long since stopped sparkling. Her eyes were clouded; her muzzle was set in a grim expression of consternation and woe.
Princess Luna descended gracefully next to her. "Sister? You really should be getting to bed soon, if you are to raise the..." She trailed off. "Sister? Are you well?"
Celestia sighed. "How did I fail so spectacularly, Luna?"
Luna frowned. "To defeat Queen Chrysalis? You were taken unawares, and she had soaked up quite a bit of true, pure love to power her—"
Celestia raised a hoof. "That isn't what I meant," she said. She looked across the garden at Twilight. "Twilight Sparkle knew something was wrong. She knew the wedding shouldn't proceed. She knew the false Cadance was evil." Her ears flattened against her skull as she turned sad eyes on her sister. "How did I not know?"
"Celestia—"
Celestia shook her head. "Luna...Twilight's memories of Cadance are all from when she was a young filly, as a foalsitter. I have known Cadance most of her life. I raised her." She took a long sip of her flat, almost tasteless cider. "Should I not have seen that something was off? Shouldn't I have known Cadance had been replaced by an impostor?"
Luna looked down at the table, her eyes clouded. After a long moment, she said, "Sister...she fooled Shining Armor. If she could fool the pony who loves Cadance so deeply, the pony who committed himself to spending every day of his life together with her, then it stands to reason she could fool even you."
Celestia frowned. "Shining Armor's entire life is barely a blink of an eye to me. I am not perfect—I have made mistakes, and some of them have been truly stupendous—but my years and experience should give me enough wisdom and insight to...to at least suspect—"
Luna gently cuffed Celestia's head with a hoof. "You did not see my betrayal coming until it was too late," she said. "You've told me of Sunset Shimmer, and how you blinded yourself to her growing arrogance and disdain until it was far too late to salvage her." She looked down at the table. "And...I read your journal. I know about Mirror Sombra."
Celestia's mouth set into a grimace; she hung her head in shame, hot tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.
"Love is your greatest strength, Celestia," Luna said. "Your love makes you a gentle, compassionate, wise, and forgiving ruler. You value friendship and harmony above all else, and Equestria stands strong, whole, and at peace because of your wisdom and gentle leadership. But sometimes..." She looked away. "Sometimes, love can blind you. Sometimes, you can't see what you need to see because..." She trailed off.
Celestia sighed. "I suppose," she said heavily. "Still. It bothers me that I didn't notice anything amiss." She chuckled mirthlessly. "For Twilight Sparkle to have better judgment than I..."
"Well, being an overprotective and jealous little sister seems to have had as much a role there as not," Luna said with a smirk. "At least, if I understand the events of recent days."
"True," Celestia said. "Still, her fierce dedication to her brother, to her friends...and to have sensed something even I failed to see..."
Luna glanced over at Twilight, a mild frown on her face. "So...you believe she is ready, then?"
Celestia's left ear flicked as she followed Luna's gaze. "Not yet," she said. "But soon." She smiled fondly. "Very soon."
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It's actually kind of refreshing to see "A Canterlot Wedding" be given an epilogue of sorts that does NOT revolve around the rest of the mane 6.
Celestia, you're a wonderful mare, you've ruled Equestria so over 1000 years, but you're not perfect. Nobody is or ever will be, heck I don't WANT to be perfect because the idea of being perfect means I'd no longer get a challenge out of anything whatsoever, it would get boring. You're imperfect Celestia, embrace it, and know that you have plenty who are willing to support you.
Well, this was satisfying to see.
Although,her being fooled by Chrysalis makes a lot more sense if Chrysalis was purposefully taunting Twilight and playing the stress of the wedding into her favor, while staying in character around Celestia and Shining. There's an entire youtube video going over the theory that she was so out of character around Twilight because it was part of a plan to neutralize the Elements of Harmony-if Twilight is ostracized by her friends and their friendship is broken, then they couldn't use the Elements.
Rather interesting, but just a though to consider that Chrysalis may in fact have been perfectly in character around Celestia.
Shining Armor was mostly fooled because of the brainwashing spell that Chrysalis used on him.
Nice connection to future events, and an excellent job sidestepping the usual tropes with post-wedding stories.
imperodisney.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/bella-domanda-sala.jpg
the English joke is: "you got me, it doesn't make any sense", and that works too.
But I preferred the Italian one
Celestia does make a lot of mistakes, but she always has good intentions and tries to see the best in her subjects, for better or for worse.
Funny, this talks about how loving Celestia is, but when Twilight clearly is having an issue there's no talk of the love for her.
Basically, this epilogue completely forgets just how badly everyone dismissed Twilight. Even if Celestia thought Twilight was being foolish and jealous and other embittered emotions, shouldn't she have at least responded with concern rather than dismissal or outright disgust, which is what she actually did in the episode?
Sorry, this one is a flop.
7312601 that doesn't really work because she was also unpleasant around the rest of the Mane 6 as I recall, cause as they were setting up the real wedding they had a thing with Cadance being real nice to the rest of them. They just thought it was pre-wedding stress, but they could have sided with Twilight
Hehehe, hmm... not really anything else to say except nice job!
Hahaha, ooooh... well.
Nice.
7312532
Or a clop session of the two love birds consummating their marriage.
There's a much simpler explanation. Chrysalis is a bad actress and survived strictly on the power of mind control. By throwing herself into wedding planning she had an excuse to avoid Celestia. She never came up with an excuse to avoid Twilight because Chrysalis didn't know Twilight even existed until they met.
7682337 How about this? Chrysalis is a master tactician, and purposefully acted evil when Twilight was paying attention but no one else was, but acted like a typical stressed bride around everyone else when Twilight wasn't there, allowing her to isolate Twilight after the mare's obvious attempt to cancel the wedding would fail, giving Chrysalis, who had to have known about the Elements of Harmony, the perfect opening to separate them at a time when no pony would look for her.
After that, she taunted Twilight further so, if Twilight did find the real Cadance, she would attack her. She also set her bridesmaids up so that, if that plan failed, the bridesmaids could hold them up until the wedding was over and done with, allowing her to make Shining lower the shield and take over Canterlot, during which she would reveal herself and defeat Celestia AND Luna and take over as Queen of Equestria.
7858425 Short version: no.
How many pages of analysis do you want on the tactical deficiencies of her entire invasion scheme? The choice to invade through brute force, tipping her hand afore the appointed moment, neglecting at least three individuals of power in her scheme, the list goes on. This is to say nothing of the ends to which the invasion was a means. Far from a master tactician, she does not show the base competence of a rank amateur.
Interesting idea, unfortunately Chrysalis did no such thing.
This plan could work given Twilight's tendency to neurosis, and is even a plan worthy of a spymaster the Queen of the Changelings should have been. However, it suffers a single terrible defect. A spymaster capable of such discovery would also be aware that Discord had attempted the very same gambit, with far more certain tools. Separating the Elements is insufficient; keeping them separate is the key. Chrysalis dumped Twilight in a cave with an ally and a clear route back to the castle and her friends.
To what end? Dramatic, yes, but risky, unnecessary, foolish, and even if it succeeds in its entirety Chrysalis gains nothing.
Please tell me that's a joke. Three brainwashed background ponies against an alicorn and an Element Bearer is supposed to quality as a speed bump?
The mere existence of which kinda blows a hole in any interpretation of Chrysalis as "competent."
[qoute]during which she would reveal herself and defeat Celestia AND Luna and take over as Queen of Equestria....yeah, that's straight up bullshit. Someone showing shock at defeating Celestia alone has not planned to duel both Celestia and Luna. If this person has made such a plan, then that person has literally planned to fail. Not in the sense of "no plan survives contact with the enemy, so I'm ready to fail" but in the sense of "I am going to lose, badly, and fail to accomplish much of anything, but I'm going ahead with this doomed scheme anyway, because reasons." This is less a sign of tactical brilliance and more a sign of suicidal insanity.
7858425
7858760
7858760 has it right. Sorry for bumping into this convo. But there's the Chrysalis that could have been, and the Chysalis that we got.
What we got was a pony, who in a race of shapeshifters and infiltrators. Didn't do the simplest bit of research into her subject. Had magic that was noticeably completely different than her targets (how that escaped everyone's attention was as much bad writing, as it was showing how oblivious Celestia can be). And worst of all, mentally / physically (in a matter of speaking) tortured the Princess of Food. A pony who was capable of generating neigh infinite sources of sustenance that the invasion was supposedly about.
Then there was what she did with Twilight. Putting a well rested, and top of her game unicorn. With her prisoner (who btw has Earth Pony strength and endurance, thus could tank Twilight's mortal blows of indignation). Made it likely to fail. Especially seeing as how that prisoner could fly, and could do magic spell casting. Not to mention knew how to prove herself to Twilight.
Her entire plan was not only doomed for failure. But even if she were to miraculously succeed short term. She would still loose in the long run. As seeing as how her plan was to put ponies in pods (thus not only ensuring that her stock wouldn't breed, but even if they were to be let out to procreate, would have so little love, that they'd be inefficient long term). Thus dooming her subjects to a withdrawn, and slower death. So yeah ... doomed to fail.
________
________
That total bout of stupidity was what we got. What we could of had, was a pony who had the Xantos Gambit skills of Sombra; the chess mastery and planning skills of Celestia; and the ability to properly mimic her replaced target (like a Changeling should have been able to do. Seeing as how they can shapeshift into anyone).
Heck if she was a competent ruler, and she was interested in feeding her subjects. She would have gone with diplomacy. Seeing as how two of the alicorns are responsible for all life on the planet via celestial mechanics, and the other at the time was a generator of sustenance (thus ensuring the safety (under laws) of her subjects as well as ensuring that they were fed well for the rest of their days.).
Or if dead set on being a villain, would have had her minions slip susceptibility potions / drugs into the drinks of Cadence, and the other alicorns. While opening them up to overlook discrepancies of Shining Armor; got Cadence alone, and as she slept. Mind raped her like she did with Shining, talk her into eloping (again drugged over the course of weeks / months), then when nice and alone. With a good alibi. Put her into a cocoon and use her like the buffet battery that she is.
8249823
You do realize that anything goes in fanfiction as long as you can make it make sense, right? Begone with your petty bitching.
8250038
...Yeah, the problem with deleting comments is that you cannot know what they had said, prior to deletion; instead, all we're left with is "Comment posted by X deleted M DD" banner, which does absolutely nothing to satiate our curiosity.
It's worse when there's a reply to a deleted comment, because then you know the Original Poster must have written something spectacularly stupid to warrant both a reply and a deletion.
Ah, comment threads - you will never (well, sometimes) cease to either entertain, or annoy, me.