Taking the Reigns
Rarity
Ponies came from all over, at least as short notice would allow, to join in the celebrations leading up to the coronation. Dignitaries and well-bred families of all sorts had been offered invitation to the event itself, and Rarity was not among them. She and her companions, Shadowgloam and Ember, traversed the outer walls of the palace. Bits of the celebration reached them in sight and sound, and the scent of fair foods, fried goods and otherwise streetworthy snacks warmed the air about the palace.
A part of Rarity longed to abandon her resistance in the castle and walk among the crowds, to stand next to the line of banner mares and marching bands as they passed. The event combined all of the fineries of Canterlot with the earthly enthusiasm of Ponyville, and the streets were packed with ponies of all ages. Even from the castle rampart, she could feel the boom of horns and drums thrumming through her chest.
“There will be many more celebrations to come,” she said, more to herself than the stallions that walked with her. “For now, we should focus on taking down Blueblood.”
Shadowgloam snorted. “Everyone seems desperate for a princess. Even if it means putting up that spoiled colt.”
“And there seems to be no moving the council,” Rarity agreed. “I'd hoped that the unicorns would show more reluctance, but Blueblood has more than enough support. There isn't enough time left for cleverness. We're just going to have to stop the ceremony and hope for the best.”
Ember rattled a wing in his armor and glanced over at Rarity. “Are you sure we have to do this? Discord and Nightmare Moon are one thing. Blueblood is just a pony. It might not be so bad.”
“I'm not so sure,” said Rarity. She paused a moment to lift some of the floating stones from the air, putting them back in place on the walkway. Discord may have been gone, but much of the mess he'd made still remained. After they'd all passed over the cracked rampart, Rarity continued.
“Unicorns don't exactly have the proudest history. As it is there are many who would rather keep 'Canterlot for unicorns,' if you get my meaning. Blueblood might not be particularly dangerous, but there are those around him that would have us return to the older ways. And I do not trust him to have the better judgment.”
She held her tongue as soon as she heard the faint beating of wings, and then let a sigh of relief when Snowflake set to hovering beside her.
“Good, you're back,” said Rarity. “The tower?”
“Spike's still fast asleep,” said the pegasus.
“Mm, good. If this goes badly, at least he won't end up in chains like the rest of us.” She laughed in spite of herself. “And my things?”
“Blueblood's people took out everything you'd prepared for Nightmare Moon's ceremony,” she said. “Lyra was asked to join the courtiers. Everything else is accounted for.”
“It would seem they took my invitation as well,” Rarity muttered. “But his pomp will be his undoing. Anything else?”
“The throne room is locked up.”
Rarity blinked. “What?”
“Take a look for yourself.”
They trailed around the towers and arrived at one of the side-entrances to the palace's main halls. Where normally stood a wooden door held by two guards was now a single door of stone, filled with a mosaic of colors and shapes. Only a single hole perforated the center, ending in a faint glow.
“How do you suppose we open this?” asked Snowflake.
Rarity frowned. “Of all the gall... an arcane lock? What about the other doors?”
The pegasus flapped her wings irritably. “The same. Unicorn door after unicorn door. And the windows have been shielded.”
“Princess Celestia only used these to protect the most dangerous of artifacts, the most invaluable of things... and now Prince Blueblood is using them to hide behind.” Rarity rubbed her temples. “But unless we know the exact spell they used, there's no way to get them open.”
“I figured you'd say that,” said Snowflake. She whipped around mid-air and then charged at the door, shoulder first.
“Now hold on a second, don't...!”
But before she could stop the pegasus, Snowflake smacked hard against the stone. It made a dull thud and then some magical force threw her backwards, sending her tumbling tail over hoof.
Rarity sighed and trotted over to help her up. “You already tried that, didn't you?”
“Uh huh,” said Snowflake, dusting herself off with her feathers. “And unless you have a better plan, me and the boys better be prepared to get a mighty headache. They've probably already started in there. That door has to come down.”
“That door won't budge,” said Rarity, gritting her teeth. “They've taken all precautions. But... but I hate to think that I've been bested by a door, of all things.”
A familiar voice caught them from the garden nearby. “Perhaps you could use another way in?”
Rarity turned about to see Time Turner sifting through the garden. “Really, you have some idea how?”
“It's a bit of a long shot,” he admitted, “But I might know a shortcut.”
“Oh, Mister Turner,” said Rarity, “I could hug you. We've no time to waste. Where is it?”
“In my bedroom,” said the brown colt, matter-of-factly.
Rarity's mouth hung open a little. The other ponies glanced at her, and she shrugged. “I... are you sure?” she asked.
“It's far fetched, but trust me. Come along.”
The unicorn sighed and tossed her mane. “You had better be right about this. We can't afford to be running about...”
“Have I let you down yet?”
Rarity shook her head. Soon the lot of them made a mad canter back to the tower. They went without interruption, for it seemed that every guard and staff had either been moved to the celebration or into the inner chambers of the castle. The rest of them, it seemed, would have to stay out of the way and take care of themselves until Blueblood had secured rule.
Not after I've come this far.
Rarity whipped the door to the tower open with her magic, slamming it against stone. They piled into the spiral staircase and worried their way upwards to the storage chambers that Time Turner had been using as his room. They paused as the brown colt led them inside.
The room itself he'd kept rather spartan—only a bed and a wardrobe, a pile of incoherent scribbles on his desk, and a single emerald hourglass sitting in the window. Turner himself ignored all of these things and threw the doors to his wooden wardrobe open.
“Aha! Still works.” He nodded and gestured. “In here, everyone. You'll see.”
Rarity exhaled. Maybe Discord has gotten his claws into the poor colt, she thought. But as she pushed passed him and looked into the wardrobe, she noticed something amiss. For one, it was completely devoid of clothing of any sort. But more importantly, she had to remind herself, the back panel of the furniture seemed to sparkle with an unnatural light. When she touched it, her hoof went right through it.
“What is this?” she said, turning to Turner.
“If you haven't noticed, Discord has been leaving little holes in the fabric of space,” explained Turner, tapping the wardrobe. “And rumor is some ponies have taken to using them for convenient locomotion. Never mind the unfathomable consequences of doing so...
“Anyway, I noticed quite quickly that all of my socks were going missing after I tossed them in here. At first I thought it might have been a practical joke, but on further investigation...”
The stallion then demonstrated by clamoring up into the wardrobe and walking through the back wall. He disappeared in a flicker of light. Rarity gestured for the others to follow, and then took a graceful hop up, careful not to bump a single part of her in the process. The static sensation caused her to shudder, but she held her breath and pushed her way through.
A wide chamber greeted her on the other side and she could not help but marvel at the untouched nature of it. A collection of shelves and a long desk graced the center of the room. A fireplace, though devoid of wood, made a constant crackle and emitted a familiar warmth in the corner. It even made light gleam off of the walls, color like the sky at dusk. Broad cushions lay spread about in a strangely orderly fashion and paintings of ponies older than any she could imagine rested on the walls and ceilings.
“Is this...” she murmured.
“Princess Celestia's drawing room, I'd guess,” said Turner. “Quite secret too. I haven't seen evidence of a single soul finding this place. It's probably magically concealed.”
Rarity strode forward to make room for the rest of the ponies to pour out after her, pausing as she stepped through a pile of socks—wool, woven, and in a multitude of colors.
“Why do you wear socks?” she asked, eyebrow raised.
“I like socks,” replied Turner, without missing a beat. “Socks are cool.”
For a moment Rarity lost herself in pondering the strange fashions of ponies. It never occurred to me to try putting these up in the shop... but I suppose it might be worth a try. Then she shook her head and cleared her throat. The chime of music seemed to be barely reaching them through the far wall. She hurried over and pressed her ear against it.
“That sounds like Lyra...” she said. “I... goodness. That's the Ballad of Princess Platinum.”
Turner made a face. “That ghastly song? It's about sixty minutes too long. Sixty two, to be precise. Of course they would let her play that self-aggrandizing racket.”
“She may have bought us time enough,” said Rarity. “We're close. Let's hurry and find a way out.”
It did not take them terribly long to find the grooves along the wall. As they pushed their hooves upon it, the false wall gave a click and opened outwards into an empty hallway. Rarity caught herself mid-fall and trotted forward a few spaced onto the familiar carpeted corridors of the palace.
“Do we have a plan?” asked Snowflake.
Rarity huffed. “We've tried plans. Forget plans. We're taking action.”
Lyra
At the height of the fifty-third chorus of the Ballad of Princess Platinum, one elderly unicorn cleared his throat, and again, but Lyra would not cease playing. Only when he pinched her strings tight in a spell and silenced her did she stop, and it took all of her restraint not to throw him across the room.
“With all due respect,” said the unicorn, adjusting his monocle, “we cannot delay any longer. The prince must be crowned and Canterlot must begin its reconstruction.”
“And with all due respect, you can shove that crown...”
Her mouth snapped shut as she found two lines of golden armored guards glaring her way, wings and horns raised. She tucked her instrument away and sat back against the provided stool, crossing her arms against her belly.
C'mon, Rarity, I'm at the end of my rope... she thought, glancing from door to door. It was almost a cruel joke to invite her to the coronation, as if to be witness to her and Rarity's failure. Five older unicorns, tinted gray in their fur, sat around the throne while another even elder lifted a jeweled platinum crown from its casing and levitated it in the air. A small court of nobles stood in obedient silence along the walls and waited for the moment to come, while their number was greatly outmatched by the force of the royal guard in attendance.
Blueblood chuckled with his compatriot and lifted a hoof to beckon the stallion over. He sat just inches from the throne, decked out in all sorts of strange regalia. On each of his hooves he wore several black and onyx bands, and around his neck a thickly woven chain of gold. Over his chest he wore a sash with the star crest of his family upon it, and over his back, he wore the cape that Rarity had made. The glimmers of dark beauty seemed utterly out of place upon him.
“Now then, my young lord,” said the councilpony, “there has not been a crowning like this for at least a millennium. There aren't a lot in the way of remembered traditions. However, I find it appropriate to say a few words. Start a tradition of our own, perhaps.”
“I can't agree more,” said Blueblood, holding his head high. “If you would do the honors?”
“Very well then,” said the unicorn. “Today, we are gathered to witness and bless the crowning of Prince Blueblood to the highest throne and office held in Equestria. You will join in history the ranks of our nation's finest, most benevolent, most noble leaders... Prince Blueblood, do you vow to uphold the highest of virtues and lead the unicorns into an age of prosperity and well-being?”
“I swear it,” said Blueblood, barely able to restrain his smile.
Lyra burst forward. “There's more to Equestria than you spoiled unicorns, you know! What about the rest of the ponies? Will you care about them?”
The councilpony sighed and flicked a hoof. “Silence her.”
A pair of guards broke off from their ranks. Before they even reached her, a powerful force of magic gripped her forehooves and lifted them into the air. Once the pegasi reached her and held her with steel-like wings on either side, the unicorns wrapped the magic about her mouth. She screamed and the sound simply vanished into nothingness. She twisted and kicked but couldn't break free. Even trying to use her magic, she found her concentration broken by a painful tingling in her horn.
“I think we've had enough of this debacle,” said the councilpony. “Equestria needs a ruler. Equestria needs you. And by the power granted to me by royal tradition, I crown you...”
Rarity
As the platinum circlet fell towards Blueblood's head, it suddenly stopped, jammed in place by a blue field. The guards turned as Rarity stormed down the stairs with half a dozen ponies in tow. She turned her horn to the air and yanked the crown out of the councilpony's grip. It flung across the room and she zapped it again. The metal bent and contorted, losing rigidity, and fell to the floor in a mangled heap.
“How dare you?” gasped the councilpony. “How could you be here?”
“I do apologize for my late arrival,” said Rarity, tossing her mane. Her companions formed a circle around her as she moved to the center of the carpet. The guards immediately surrounded them, but held their ground. “I cannot help it that the place has become difficult to traverse as of late. And besides, I'm afraid the coronation is canceled anyway.”
The sound of seven ponies bottling their anger filled the room with heated breath and the elder council pony stamped his hooves upon the carpet. Blueblood lifted his hoof and bid them calm, though.
“Dear Rarity, I am glad you were able to see this moment after all,” he said. “So what if we're missing a crown? Merely a formality. Even our ceremony matters not. Equestria will know that I came for the coronation and will now sit upon the throne as its ruling prince. The council will put it into record. All you have done is in vain. Now that you see this, maybe you'll come around to my way of thinking?”
Rarity growled and flared her horn. “You stupid colt. You have no idea what you're getting into, do you?” She set her eyes upon the cloak over his back and the gem fixed on his neck. She made it with one purpose in mind--to be the perfect focus for her spells, upon whoever was foolish enough to take it from her. She sent a spark of magic to the stone. It flared a bright red and he began to lift into the air, flailing helplessly.
The guards pushed forward but she lifted a hoof. “Not another step! Or he will regret it.”
“Listen to her!” choked Blueblood, trying desperately to unbutton the neck, but to no avail. “Please, put me down!”
The collar glowed brighter as she leaned forward. “No. You've proven far too willing to step on everypony it takes to get to the top, and endangered one of my friends in the process. I cannot imagine what you will do for Equestria. Renounce your claim to the throne, or I'll...”
“Or you'll what?” snapped the elder. “Choke him to death? What will that do for our fair country?”
Rarity shook the prince from side to side like a ragdoll as the room looked on in horror (save Lyra, who managed a mute chuckle beneath her guards). He let out a restrained sob and frantically scratched at his neck. Oh, as much as I loathe him, I could never kill him. she thought. But this should scare him enough to give up.
The councilpony persisted though, pushing his way through the crowd, closing on Rarity and her bunch. “You haven't thought about this at all, have you? If you do stop the coronation, what then? Who will rule in Blueblood's place?”
“We'll find someone,” said Rarity. “Anyone else.”
“There is no one else,” said the councilpony, snapping his hoof down. “Did you plan on taking the throne yourself?”
“Of course not!” Rarity huffed.
“Then tell me. Who will head Equestria? It has not been without a ruler for thousands of years. Even Discord played the part. One must rule. Only Blueblood has that claim. If you cannot answer my question, then please. One unicorn to another. End this madness. I am willing to chalk your betrayal off as the taint of chaos if you stop now.”
Rarity bit her lip. There was truth enough to that. Equestria would expect a ruler, if not to rule them, then to fill the void that Celestia left. Long enough for them to get on their hooves. To be left abandoned now would tear the country to pieces. Furthermore, she couldn't bear the guilt of tormenting the prince any longer. She thought seeing him writhe under her grasp would make up for all the times he slighted her, but it only made it worse. He was just a spoiled colt, and she was hurting him.
It's terrible... but it's not over. Rarity closed her eyes and slowly lowered Blueblood back to the floor, letting her spell fade. Accept it with grace, Rarity. There is nothing more we can do right now.
Blueblood busied himself with frantically tearing the cloak off of himself and then backing into a corner, staring at his hooves and whimpering.
The councilpony smiled and lifted a hoof. “Very good, very good. Now then.” Without losing an ounce of his congeniality he waved the raised hoof. “Bind them.”
Rarity stamped. “What!? But you promised--”
“I promised nothing,” said the councilpony. “I only did what I had to do to protect the noble Prince from traitors. Since you like lurking about the castle so much, why don't you see how you like the catacombs after the ceremony is complete?” He turned and waved at a guard. “Fetch me that mess of a crown, would you? It's an ugly thing, but a crown is a crown.”
The six of them fought and flailed but the guards outnumbered them greatly. The soldiers backed them up with Lyra and watched in silence as the councilpony lifted the ruined crown above Blueblood's head.
It can't end like this... And what about Spike? Oh, I promised to take care of you, you poor dear. I can't leave you alone in such a wretched castle.
All seemed dreadful and silent as the councilpony prepared to finish the ceremony. But before he reached Blueblood, a trembling quake took the hall. They all looked up to see a bright blue light shining through one of the stained glass windows. The image of Discord and three ponies trembled as the magic shield turned from a dull purple to a bright blue and soon shattered, spraying glass and magic everywhere.
A blue-maned stallion dressed in purple armor leapt through the open window. “Stop everything!”
The elder unicorns looked to the guards. The guards stared at the newly arrived stallion before they broke their stoic stations and yelled out as they flocked to him.
“Captain!” they called, and many other things, but now Rarity picked out his name. Shining Armor.
Behind him two more pink ponies made their entrance. One, Pinkie Pie, bounded over the new-released Rarity and helped her up.
“You won't believe what I've been through,” she giggled. “Where to start?”
Rarity rubbed her eyes, still staring at the other pony. Though not very much larger than the rest of the ponies, she bore the full body of an earth pony, the wings of a pegasus, the horn of a unicorn. It could not have been. And yet there before her eyes stood one who held the perfect image of a Princess, sherbert colored mane tucked elegantly around her neck even amidst the chaotic scene.
“Who in Equestria is that?” said Rarity.
Even the council stared, bewildered at her.
Cadence
Cadence never thought she would have to see Canterlot Castle in ruins, nor ponies turning against ponies in the very halls of their kind and loving princess. Her heart felt heavy, but she looked to Shining Armor, and in the support of him and his royal guard she found the courage to go forward.
None stood in her way as she stepped her way to the throne. “I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” she declared, using a bit of magic to amplify her voice. “Though it is not my place, I come to Canterlot now to offer aid in her time of need.”
“It is not your place,” said the council elder, head low and eyes narrowed. “Not for a stranger to come in and take the throne when it is convenient to her. Blueblood is Prince now.”
Rarity, now unrestrained, went to Cadence's side. “Prince yes, but not prince of Equestria,” she said. “The ceremony is incomplete. And the same right you would invoke to put him on the throne also says that she has first claim. Unless you'd like to lay all your treachery out and be done with it?”
The two unicorns looked as if to come to blows, but Cadence put herself between them and shook her head. “Please,” she said. “This is not the time for us to be fighting amongst ourselves. We've survived an endless night and the rule of a crazed chaos beast. A fight for the throne would be the breaking point.”
The elder unicorn furrowed his brows. “Still, you cannot expect me... us.. Equestria to crown a stranger.”
“But she's not a stranger.” Prince Blueblood spoke this time, a bit meekly, and rose from his corner. He seemed remarkably well groomed for what had just transpired, and took to Cadence's side opposite Rarity. “I did miss you, cousin Cadence.”
Cadence smiled and accepted a little affectionate nudge from the colt. “I missed you, too. I know we've never been the best of friends, but I wish we could have met again under better circumstances.”
“I know,” said Blueblood. Then the prince turned to the councilpony and shook his head. “Equestria will not accept me if they know that one of her bloodline is present. It wouldn't suit ponies of our standing to try to force her anyway, don't you think?”
Rarity clicked her tongue and leered over Cadence's back at him. “Or are you just back to kissing Princess fl--”
“Rarity,” Cadence interrupted, sternly. And when the unicorn's eyes went wide with surprise, she shrugged a shoulder towards Pinkie Pie. “She told me all about you. All about everything. I knew I had to come back. This isn't just my right. It is my duty to lead Equestria.”
“I suppose you're right,” sighed the councilpony, lowering his head. “The citizens of Canterlot expect Blueblood to be crowned, though. If we go out there...”
“I will speak to them,” she said, “and I will not be alone. Prince Blueblood will sit beside me, as well as the captain of the guard. If the council would work with me as well, I would be most honored.”
The council elder sighed and buried his face briefly in a handkerchief. “You do indeed have your aunt's grace. Very well then.”
Cadence bowed her head. “Thank you. Now, please, free these ponies and come on. Our public is waiting. We should continue and put this whole mess behind us.”
“Of course.” The council elder glared at Rarity and her herd, but quickly let it go.
Lyra reclaimed her instrument case and continued to sneak in faces and hum a few bars of a lewd song at Blueblood--up until Cadence gave her a pleading look, and she agreed to behave. All stood still and watched as the council elder took up the crown for a third time. Clearly tired of the whole affair, he simply lowered it onto Cadence's head and gave it a little twist so that the contorted thing rested against her. “By the authority granted me by royal tradition, I hereby crown you rightful ruler and Princess of Equestria.”
And those words alone brought a great calm to the room. Something about the certainty of having a ruler seemed to put the ponies at ease. That left her to stand alone, with the full weight of Equestria's destiny bearing down upon her. She hung her head and closed her eyes.
Shining Armor pushed his head under her neck, and nuzzled a little, as if sensing her stress. A great warmth washed over her, and though she'd have liked it to take the pressure with it, it did not. Still, having him there, and the other ponies she knew supported her, made it possible to bear.
“Come on,” said Shining Armor, giving her a nudge. “I know you've been working on a speech.”
“It's a dumb speech,” muttered Cadence. But she let him move her anyway, and they formed a line-- the council, the guard, Rarity, Lyra, a small herd of ponies—out towards one of the doors. One of the guards opened it and it parted to reveal a balcony overlooking the whole of Canterlot.
Princess Cadence drew a deep breath and stepped out into the open. Hundreds of ponies beneath her chattered in surprise and then stared in silence.
Alright, filly, breathe... she told herself. She waited for Prince Blueblood and Shining Armor to stand behind her. Then she took a thread of magic and bore it through herself, almost on second nature, enhancing her voice so that she could be heard all the way to the walls of the city.
“Citizens of Equestria! Thank you for coming here today to witness the coronation of a new ruler of Equestria. My cousin had intended to receive the crown, but has instead decided to support me, and has seen that I have been crowned as Princess of Equestria.”
The rumble of a city of applause echoed up to her, but she could sense awkwardness and confusion in them still.
“It was by Celestia's wisdom that I evaded the touch of Nightmare Moon and Discord, and by her will that I come to you now. I have the blessings of the royal guard and of the royal council and its ministers. But I do not come because I desire the throne. I come because I heard Equestria's cry for order and have answered the call.
“Princess Celestia ruled not only with wisdom and fairness, but with kindness. Never before had the world seen a more wonderful time of happiness and prosperity. And though we have been met with troubled times, we are not without her love and guidance. It is in her name that I will carry out my duties as princess and rebuild the country that we knew and loved. Not one family, not one pony will be left wanting.
“I know that I can do this, but as Celestia has trusted me, she has also entrusted you with responsibility. Work together and help one another. Treat each other with kindness. Share with those that have less. Be true to yourselves and those around you. Give no quarter to those that would threaten us. Continue to live your days full of joy and meaning.
“Celestia has not abandoned us. She has given us the strength to continue on just as strong and wonderfully as we have ever before. As long as the light of her sun shines down upon us, we know that there will soon come a day when she will return. And when she does, she will return to find the country that she loved, the country that loves her, bright and prosperous and everlasting. Long live Celestia. Long live us all. Long live Equestria!”
“Long live Equestria!” The ponies echoed her this time, and without the doubt that had plagued them before. Their voices could be heard from mountains to plains, hundreds and thousands of voices in unison. They cheered and applauded for what must have been minutes, and she smiled to look over them: an Equestria that still had the strength to continue on.
Still, she was grateful when the band started up again and the celebration broke out en masse. She left the edge of the balcony and retreated to the quiet of the throne room, where several of the staff had already begun to clean up the mess of their entrance.
Shining Armor quickened to Rarity. “Is it true?” he asked. “My sister. She went with Discord?”
“To find Celestia,” said Rarity, an extra bit of sweetness in her voice. “Oh, you must be so worried. But we've seen her hold her own against Nightmare Moon, and against the beast. She's proven more than capable of handling him, or any danger like him.”
The stallion heaved a sigh and chuckled. “That's my Twily, alright. Never knew when to quit. Still, if there's anyone that can bring Celestia back, it's probably my sister.”
Cadence approached the throne and sat upon it when she was certain that no one was looking. Blueblood retreated to whisper with the council. Lyra settled in with the guard, joking and coaxing them into a round of crass songs. After all that had happened, all that was going to happen, the comfort of the cushions could not have possibly been enough. She sunk against them and closed her eyes for a moment. It was practically an invitation for Pinkie Pie to bounce up to her.
“You're a real princess, right?” she asked.
“Uh huh,” said Cadence, smiling quite wearily.
“Then do you know how to raise the sun and the moon?” she asked.
“No, that was always my aunt's duty,” she said. “From well before any of us were born. No one really had to learn how. Why?”
Pinkie Pie turned about and pointed to the sky outside, still tinted a familiar blue and orange. “Because Discord's gone. And Nightmare Moon. And Princess Celestia. And the sun has been rising for about three days now. If you can't do it, then I don't think there's a pony out there who can.”
Princess Cadence sunk further back into the throne and tucked her wings in. That's right. Discord's days and nights were always a little unpredictable... but how did we forget it wasn't changing at all?
“Well,” she said, unable to hide a nervous laugh, “time was, unicorns managed the day and night themselves. Celestia help us, we need to learn how to again...”
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How is it Monday already? (Yes, it's still Monday until I go to bed.) Why do I keep updating at the flank of dawn...?
Yes, we OCCASIONALLY have to leave our lovely leads, as we come to think of them, to worry about the affairs of the rest of the kingdom. Don't worry; we'll be back there soon.
Some updates have to be wide by necessity. This isn't a bite at people who like the bite-sized chapters; I actually prefer these and will try to do more in that vein. But they tend to be broken down by idea/conflict, rather than POV.
Things just get funner from here.
1450084
I certainly don't mind longer updates, I read the chapters of Xenophilia in about 15 min apiece. Also, it's more fun silly.
Well that ended better than expected. Now Changelings.
Dah. changelings are best insects
How come Discord looks like a girl while twilight looks a little stallion-ish?
A fantastic chapter, loved Cadence's speech.
YES! BLUEBLOOD IS NOT RULER OF EQUESTRIA! STUPID, SPOILED OAF!
Great chapter by the way. This story is really good and I look forward for the next chapter.
- Super-Brony12
*reads chapter title* I see what you did there
(It was on purpose, right?)
Rarity's magic is light blue
Do you mean "air"?
Should be "save Lyra"
Either "as will" or "as well as," take your pick
Say what now?
Sun hasn't set for three days. The planet's gonna get zorched!
I really liked Cadance's speech. But ...
"without the doubt that had purged them before."
I really don't think "purged" is the right word here. "Plagued", perhaps? Or something.
Shining Armor! Hell yeah! And Cadance too. Aww yeah.
I can already tell that Lyra is going to be a bad influence on the royal guard.
Short updates, long updates, I happily read all lengths, especially happily when major plot points are resolved. Speaking of which, serious credit to Blueblood for knowing when to gracefully fall in line and give up his attempted claim on the crown.
1451707
Oof. Fixed. And thanks. I'm still not sure how I miss stuff like this. Some chapters go better than others...
1453761
Equestria isn't bulemic so much. xD
Same here.
1453429
And the other side is going to get very cold. Weird solar cycles are more complicated than I'd like to think...
1453843
I love these two and don't feel like we give them a fair shake (though to be fair we catch them at the last minute of S2) . . . there is a question as to whether Blueblood REALLY knows what's better for everyone, or if he just kisses alicorn butt.
Thanks for the feedback, EVERYONE, as always. Ever onward...
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My guess is option 2. Less because she's an Alicorn, and more because he knows his cousin can make things go very badly for him. Win the crown but loose the throne, so to speak. Perhaps even literally.
Amazing chapter as always. I cannot wait for changelings and to see celestia.
1450084 I seem to have the same perception of time. If I'm still awake at 4am, then it's still yesterday for me.
Also, long chapters are quite welcome.
Wait a second... did Rarity just win THE GAME?
Eh, even if she didn't who else can claim to be a coronation crasher? Also well done with the speech I think that will go down as one of the most memorable quotes on the site, wish I could favorite this story twice maybe then I'd receive notifications on updates. Oh well more reading to catch up on.
1450842 Because they Swapped gender. Chaos Magic works in unpredictable ways
Great update, great plan by Rarity and nice intro to Candance.
Truly an interesting change of events for this storyline to go through. Do keep up the good work.
Aw, yeah. Totally guessed Cadence was going to be ruler.
>Turner himself ignored all of these things and threw the doors to his wooden wardrobe open.
[youtube=TMlle0gBZ7Q]
So Candence and Shining Armor are now in the picture. I wondered when they would realize the whole sun and moon problem.
DRAMATIC ENTRY!
Best line ever!
I know this story is super old, but I still wanted to dump my thoughts about it so far.
1. Screw Celestia. You wouldn't see me anxiously awaiting the return of a ruler who abandoned my people in their time of need.
2. Screw the population of Equestria at large. Honestly calling Discord a beast feels like a race thing. He brought them their stupid sun back, and gave them food. Still bad-mouth him constantly.
3. Screw Shining Armor and Cadence. See the reasons given for Celestia. Feels good when your military commander and second in line to the throne run off for a rural honeymoon when your country is invaded.
4. Screw Rarity. Just for that atrocious coupe and her poor planning honestly.
So are bowties.
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It amuses me that your username fits the contents of your comment lol.