You can't handle the truth.
It was late afternoon at CHS, with most classes ended the teachers retreated to their offices while students were finally free to go home or spend time with their various clubs. In one of the music classrooms, the band known as the Rainbooms were trying to do just that.
Trying being the keyword.
"Ugh! That was terrible!" Rainbow dash growled as she unslung her guitar.
"Crude, but I can't say you're wrong, unfortunately" Rarity sighed as she stared wistfully at her keytar. "We've been out of our 'groove' all day."
"I just don't understand why it's all going wrong all of a sudden," Fluttershy mumbled as she slouched over.
Applejack sighed in Frustration. "Well, I can take a guess, but I ain't sure y'all are going to like the answer."
"We're missing a band member and even though we're all really upset with her we're also confused and kind off miss her?" Pinkie piped up from behind her drums.
"Got it in one, Pinkie," Applejack agreed, a sour smile on her lips. "For better or worse, Sunset never lost that leadership spark of hers. No offence to you, Rainbow, but while you might pull off some rivetin' solos, it was Sunset's lead we were always following after she joined."
Rainbow gave a roll of her eyes at the claim, but made no attempt to deny it.
"She does have that certain pull about her, doesn't she?" Rarity said as she laid her keytar on the nearby table. "I still remember how meek and submissive she was those first few months after the Fall Formal. Such a difference from the strong and frankly frightening girl that reigned over our school for years. Even the smallest glare was enough to make her shrink in on herself."
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash grunted. "And then came the Battle of the Bands. She pulled us together not once, but twice against the Sirens. Suddenly she got her confidence back, and she became a kickass girl who rocked on a guitar."
"So how did she go from that to the girl who betrayed our trust again?" Fluttershy wondered.
Applejack sighed and sat down on the stairs leading to the classroom's stage. "I wish I knew, sugarcube. I thought we were gettin' along like apples in a bushel. I gave her the benefit of the doubt when that danged nickname spread like wildfire. Not like the family ever kept that a big secret 'n all, but those photo's don't leave much room for doubt. We were the only ones who even knew Sunset had made those photos to begin with."
"Maybe someone swiped her phone without knowing and got lucky?" Rainbow Dash offered.
"Mighty convenient, that," Applejack countered.
"I know! It's just... Argh! Sunset's gone back to Equestria, why on earth would she do that if this was all part of some plan to break us all up again?"
"Maybe it's just one last shot at revenge." Fluttershy muttered, a frown on her face.
"Fluttershy?" Rarity walked over and leaned a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Are you alright? You almost seem more upset with this than Applejack."
Fluttershy's frown faded, only for several more emotions to flash across her face. Anger, sadness and pain crossed her face before settling on fear as Fluttershy sat down on the stage stairs next to Applejack. Rarity sat down on the other side, her hands never leaving the shy girl's shoulders, and worry written across her face.
"... The past few weeks have been horrible. Not just because of the teasing, but because they made me remember."
"Remember what, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.
"The years before the Fall Formal," Fluttershy answered, as she reached down to hug her knees. She remained silent for a moment as Applejack and Rarity shared a concerned look over her back. When the moment passed, Fluttershy continued.
"I know Sunset was mean to everyone, and-and I really don't want to say nobody else can complain, but whenever Sunset needed to make a point, whenever she wanted to make everyone afraid, she went after the weakest in our school. " Fluttershy looked up, fear having made way for the pain of recalling bad memories. "She went after me."
"I'm sorry we weren't there for you, darling," Rarity apologized.
"I'm not blaming you for that, Rarity" Fluttershy countered. "Sunset... she was never violent. Never physical. But she didn't need to, not with me. I would back up if she so much as looked at me, I would shrink if she so much as advanced on me. And for years she terrorized me to make sure everyone else backed away from her."
"And we all did," Applejack continued.
"And all she needed to get us there were a few well placed words and a handful of secrets," Rarity finished. "Exactly what's happening here."
"Yeah, except Sunset isn't here to lord it over us anymore," Rainbow Dash countered.
"You don't think she was just tryin' to give us one final kick while our backs were turned?" Applejack asked.
Pinkie leaned back on her stool behind the drums and looked up. "Flash didn't seem to think so."
At the mention of Flash all the other girls sighed and either sunk their heads to the ground or turned to stare at the ceiling. They had already begun wavering in their convictions that Sunset had been doing this at lunch, and hearing Flash Sentry, the one person who had reason to hate Sunset the most in school, defend her had driven a wedge in those cracks.
The news that Sunset had gone back -no, fled back- to Equestria had hammered that wedge in even deeper.
Rarity was the first to break the silence. "Girls, we may have to admit that we were wrong." She looked at the others, but when nobody made any move to speak she continued. "What are we doing here, really, except trying to find reasons to keep believing Sunset is Anon-a-Miss?"
"We still don't have any way of explainin' how those secrets got out there," Applejack pointed out.
"No, we don't," Rarity agreed. "But can you honestly tell me that you still believe it was Sunset who spread them?"
Applejack frowned at the jab at her honesty, but tugged at her hat with a sigh. "No, I don't reckon I can."
"Rainbow Dash?" she asked, turning towards the rainbow haired guitarist.
"I did," the girl grumbled. "I mean, who else could have gotten all of our secrets? But now that she's run off to Equestria... yeah, no, the old Sunset wouldn't have done that. And if it's not the old Sunset..."
"Then that means we made a friend cry," Pinkie finished, still staring up at the ceiling.
Rarity turned to the pink bundle of hair hiding the last of the group next to her. "Fluttershy?"
The pink bundle was quiet for a moment before she raised her head from her knees. "I really want to believe it isn't Sunset," the girl whispered. "But if it isn't her, why is everything pointing to it being Sunset?"
"I think, deep down, we all know the answer to that question," Rarity answered.
Rainbow scrunched her face in distaste. "Don't tell me all of this was just for revenge?"
Rarity shrugged sadly, "Why wouldn't it be? Sunset terrorized the entire school for years. And let's face it, she got off with barely a slap on the wrist. She had to help the work crews in cleaning up the mess she made at the Fall Formal, but after that? I honestly can't recall any other punishment she was given. Certainly not enough to make up for three years worth of grudges."
"But who would have done this?" Fluttershy asked.
"Who wouldn't?" Rarity countered, raising her head. Sadness once again shone through her eyes. "Sunset had no shortage of enemies after the Fall Formal. Even we hadn't truly forgiven her, as it turns out, given how quickly we bought into the idea that Sunset went back to her old tricks. Revenge is, I'm afraid, a good motive for the majority of this school. Including us."
"Whoa whoa whoa, back up here, are you suggesting one of us is Anon-a-Miss?" Rainbow Dash protested.
"I'm saying it could be. It would be poetic justice to break up Sunset's friendships with us the same way she broke apart ours." Rarity waved her hand behind her, as if throwing away an invisible paper. "But I think we've done enough suspecting our friends of something they never did. I say it's time we take action."
"So what do we do next?" Rainbow Dash asked. The sportive girl was tired of moping around, and eager to start doing something. Rarity smiled and was about to reply, but was interrupted by Applejack.
"Wait," the cowgirl called with a raised hand. The other girls stopped and turned towards her. "Are y'all sure about this? Goin' on a wild goose chase for whoever done this?"
"Well yeah!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Or what, we're just supposed to leave this alone?"
"I'm not talkin' about that, I mean are we just goin' to pretend the past few days and us turnin' our backs to Sunset never happened?"
"...No," Pinkie spoke up from behind the drum. "We can't. We can't pretend we never thought the things we did, or said the things we did. We were wrong, and we hurt Sunset. We're going to have to give Sunsets the biggest, hugest apology when we see her again. But before that, we need to make sure Anon-a-Miss isn't here to trick us and hurt her again!"
"If it's gonna be that easy," Applejack muttered.
"Well we do have a couple hundred potential suspects, but I never said it would be easy," Rarity said.
"Not what I meant Rares," Applejack sighed, before shaking her head and getting up. "So how're we goin' to do this?"
Rarity got up as well and started pacing. "I was thinking we should keep our 'ears to the ground,' as it were. See and listen just not to what people are saying, but whom they're saying it to and how they're responding."
"So we want to keep Sunset bein' gone a secret for now?" Applejack asked.
"Yyyyeah, about that," Pinkie pinched her thumb and forefinger together until they were almost touching and peered through the tiny space between them. "We might be an eensie teensie bit late for that."
Rainbow Dash blinked, "whadaya mean, too late? Did some guys find out already?"
"Rainbow Dash, darling, Flash Sentry told us about Sunset's departure in the middle of a crowded cafeteria," Rarity said, resting her hands on her hips with a sigh. "I will be shocked if the entire school doesn't know by now."
"The entire school?" Celestia repeated.
Luna nodded. "Give or take a few students who will hear of it by the end of the day. Or read about it. I've already seen a few 'ding dong, the witch is gone!' posts on the Anon-a-Miss profile."
"How?" Celestia asked.
"It would seem that Flash Sentry decided to confront Sunset's friends with the news of her departure, and he chose a crowded cafeteria to do so.
Celestia let her head sink into her hands. "And Anon-a-Miss?"
"Gone silent, as would be expected."
"So we're back to square one. Without Anon-a-Miss posting, we can't track him or her down."
"Not necessarily," Luna answered. "It's true that more posts by Anon-a-Miss would be very helpful in tracking down the poster, but the comments are still being flooded so we can still narrow down our errand little cyber bully by taking the care at looking who is commenting and how. Cranky said that the explosion of posts following the news that Sunset went back to Equestria has already made him put a lot of students higher or lower on the lists."
"And what about the students? How have they been reacting?" It was a question Celestia dreaded to ask, given how much the hatred for Sunset had been rising these past few days even with the girl still present. Cranky had predicted shutting down the account would cause the students to leap to conclude it was Sunset, but if the account simply stopped posting...
"Well, that's where it gets interesting."
... That was not the reaction she was expecting. "Interesting?" Celestia parroted? "Interesting how?"
"Take a look," Luna said as she handed Celestia her tablet. The Anon-a-Miss page was on the front, with every post's comments set to Read All. Celestia began swiping through the comments.
[Diamonds4Ever]: Hahaha! Just heard Anon-a-Miss is gone!
[ChipsnStuff]: Really? Wow! Didn't think she'd actually turn tail and run!
[Ivotower]: Did we run r out?
[MelodyStrings]: Wait, why would Shimmer run? Is this an hoax?
[DJPoN3]: No Hoax, Flash Saw And Told. Was There.
[BonBons]: Where'd she go?
[DJPoN3]: Back To Magic Land.
[BonBons]: Seriously? Why? She was owning this place again!
[StringsOfLyre]: Who cares? She's gone!
[Firebrand]: Yeah, she should've gone back ages ago!
[MelodyStrings]: Perhaps we should reconsider who Anon-a-Miss actually is...
[Ivotower]: u crazy? Its obvious and shes gone!
[BonBons]: Mel, I'll PM you.
Celestia looked up from the tablet. "How are the students taking it in the hallways?"
"It varies. Most are happy Sunset Shimmer is gone, most because they still believe she is Anon-a-Miss, though a small portion seems to have started questioning things."
Celestia smiled. A more genuine smile than she'd had in days. She drummed her fingers on her desk for a moment before leaning back in her chair. It was a start, yes. A small one, but a start. If even a few students more would start to openly question who Anon-a-Miss truly was, then Sunset would have a chance.
"What about her friends?" she asked.
"From what I've heard from the teachers, they've been very distracted throughout classes today. I'd say Flash Sentry's words struck a nerve, and they've been doing a lot of thinking."
"Good," Celestia sighed. The loss of her friends was probably the greatest blow Sunset had suffered. If they could be convinced they were wrong, that would be a big step in healing Sunset's wounds.
"You're making your mentoring face again," Luna noted with an impish smile.
Celestia scowled playfully at her sister. "I am not! I'm just thinking about how we are going to make a friendlier environment for Sunset to return to. This won't blow over overnight, and Sunset is going to need the support of friends when she returns."
"If she returns," Luna countered.
Celestia blinked. There was a tone in Luna's voice that worried her. "...Luna? What are you thinking?"
Luna blinked, then sighed. "I have been thinking that I -no, we- may have been going about counselling Sunset the wrong way."
"How so? We've been pretty lenient on her, in hindsight more than we should have, at Twilight's request, but other than that we've treated her as any other student."
"That's just it Tia, we've treated her like any other student. Any other human student. We've gotten so used to Sunset being around that we completely ignored that she is a unicorn from a magical land, with its own customs and practices."
Celestia's eyes widened as the implications. "Oh... Oh goodness, do you think that might have been why she left?"
Luna shook her head. "I don't know, and it's exactly because I don't know that I'm going to ask Princess Twilight for help."
"Of course, you have the journal?"
"Yes, I've already sent Princess Twilight a message."
"Do you think it will be easy to have a back and forth with a journal to discuss something so complicated?"
"Oh I'm not planning to use the journal for this talk."
"... you're not?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm planning to go there and have a talk with Princess Twilight face to face."
Celestia's jaw dropped open as she stared at her sister. It took a moment and a shake of her head to recover.
"Please tell me you're joking."
Luna crossed her arms. "Not at all. As you say, we can't have a discussion on something that complicated over a journal. Plus, some of this talk will mean having to talk about Sunset, and it might tread on subjects Sunset Shimmer would rather not talk about. That would be best done in a conversation with person."
"Luna, you're talking about crossing that mirror into an alien realm!" Celestia protested.
"And Twilight did the same for us on two occasions," Luna countered. "Don't forget, our world must be as alien to Twilight and Sunset as theirs is to us. And after Twilight left Sunset in our care, which we failed at, I owe it at the very least to not inconvenience a Princess by asking her to come over to our alien world to fix our problems."
"You really think she is an actual Princess?"
Luna raised an eyebrow. "You don't? I noticed you've been calling her 'Twilight' for a while now."
Celestia tilted her head. "Did I...? I guess I did. It's just all a bit hard to believe that such a young, normal looking girl would be a Princess. I still see her walking awkwardly around school and I just can't think of her as anything but another student."
"Sunset Shimmer wholeheartedly believes she is a Princess," Luna countered.
Celestia sighed in defeat. "Allright, I'll leave that up to you then. Just... be careful, okay? Between the old Sunset, a crown that turns students into mind controlling demons and mind controlling sirens, most of the things we've seen from Equestria haven't exactly been pleasant."
"All the more reason for me to go and see the brighter side," Luna replied with a grin.
Celestia merely rolled her eyes in response. "Have you heard anything from Twilight and Sunset?"
"Not yet. They seem to be busy."
"I hope they're busy with something fun."
"That. Was. So much fun!" Sunset cheered as she flopped on to the couch in the castle's living room, landing on her back and rubbing herself into the pillows.
"It was!" Twilight laughed as she jumped up on her favourite reading chair. "I haven't done any dual casting in years, not since I got sent here to Ponyville."
"And we only went through three glasses," Sunset smiled.
"It would have been two if you had taken the time to read up on the spells like I told you to," Twilight admonished.
"I got it quicker with actual practice," Sunset retorted. "You don't get over magical lethargy by reading."
"At least you put the 'charm' in 'third time's the charm'," Twilight sniped back, sticking out her tongue.
"Of course, the Wendigo is in the details," Sunset quipped.
"Does it work?" Twilight finished.
Sunset jumped off the couch and cantered to her saddle bags. "Let's go get my journal so we can see... huh."
"What? What's wrong?" Twilight turned over in her chair to look at Sunset, who held a vibrating journal in her magic.
"Looks like one of the Principals wants to talk to us," Sunset said, then floated the journal over with a grin. "With perfect timing, too. Let's test those glasses, Twilight!"
Twilight rolled her eyes as she accepted the journal in her own magic and floated the now enchanted glasses on her muzzle. With a flick of her magic the book opened and riffled through the pages. Finding the last page, Twilight began to read out loud.
"To her Royal Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Sunset Shimmer,
"There she goes again," Sunset muttered, sticking out her tongue as Twilight shot her a light glare.
I hope this message finds you both in good health. Only a day has gone by and already I have had several teachers note how much they miss you, Sunset Shimmer. We have started our search for Anon-a-Miss, but I am afraid the task in front of us will not be solved easily. If at all possible, I would advice you to stay in Equestria and relax.
That being said, as teachers we cannot in good conscience wish for you to fall behind on your studies, and if your performance in class was any indication, neither do you. As such, I would like to formally request Princess Twilight for permission to visit Equestria, so that we may discuss this in person.
With great respect,
Vice-Principal Luna.
Twilight looked up from the journal to Sunset, whose jaw was making a pretty good attempt at trying to reach the floor.
"Vice-Principal Luna... is coming here?" she squeaked.
"Looks like it."
"Are you... sure that's a good idea?" Sunset asked hesitantly. But the wide, toothy and shining smile told her everything before the words even left Twilight's mouth.
"Good? I think it's a brilliant idea! I'd been wondering how to make sure you could continue your education while you were here, and now Vice-Principal Luna is coming here to walk us through it!" Twilight reared up and clopped her hooves together in giddy excitement. "Oooh! This is so exciting! I never got to look into the curriculum of Canterlot High. I wonder what courses they teach without magic classes?"
"Shouldn't you write her back before you have your little geek-out?" Sunset interrupted with a small smirk.
"Oh, right." Twilight picked up a quill to put to paper, but paused as her eyes fell on the stuffy text of Luna's message. "...Sunset?"
"Yes, Twilight?"
"How often do people talk to Vice-Principal Luna casually?"
Sunset hummed. "Depends on whether she is wearing her 'professional face.' She's really approachable once she drops that stern attitude."
"So what she's writing here is pretty unusual?"
"Well, I wouldn't say unusual, but it's something she usually reserves for things like official speeches, superiors or board meetings. Why are y-" Sunset's eyes narrowed. "What are you thinking, Twilight?"
Twilight smiled in reply. "Oh, just that I should remind a Vice-Principal that I'm the Princess of Friendship."
Luna marched towards the statue at the school's entrance. Her mind was on the portal she was about to travel through, and the discussion she was about to have with royalty from another world. She kept her mind firmly focused on those things.
It helped block out the memory of Celestia's roaring laughter.
Luna sighed. Nope, it wasn't working. Her memory was already slipping back to her sister doubling over, clutching her stomach and pleading for mercy as Luna had finished reading Princess Twilight's reply out loud.
"Dear Vice-Principal Luna,
Of course you are welcome in Equestria! I would never refuse a friend. I will have the portal open in a few minutes so I can set us some tea, do you have any preferences? I always like to keep the best around for my friends.
Your friend,
Twilight Sparkle."
She'd been had. By a pony Princess. No denying there. Best to just move on.
Luna stopped in front of the statue. A few minutes had passed, so the portal had to be open. She carefully placed her hand on the side of the statue's plinth, jerking it back as the marble surface rippled like it was water. The portal was open.
Luna pondered on how to cross it. She remembered a scene from one of her books, one about a boy attending a wizard school who had to go through a portal in the wall to get to the train station. The advice given there sounded like as good an idea as any.
"Best do it with a bit of a run," Luna murmured, as she took a few steps back and dashed through the portal.
Fun fact about the magic portal: You need a bit of practice to control your inertia. The first time you go through it practically spits you out the other end even if you just walk through it. Twilight, Spike and Sunset had all found this out the hard way.
So it came with some surprise to Twilight and Sunset that Vice-Principal Luna wasn't so much spat as shot out of the portal, careening through the library and into the merciless cushion of thousands of stacks of bound paper that made up a huge pile of books. Which promptly fell over and buried Luna.
"Oh no, Vice-Principal Luna! Are you alright?" Twilight called as she galloped over to the pile and began lifting off the books.
"Did she run through the portal? Why would anyone run through a portal!" Sunset asked as she joined Twilight in lifting books off the poor Vice-Principal.
Six more books flew through the air back to shelves until the duo reached the schoolteacher.
And then they stopped.
A groan told them that Vice-Principal Luna was alive and well, but Twilight's jaw fell open in a recognition any pony in Ponyville would have, while Sunset could only tilt her head in confusion at the pony they dug up from underneath the books.
"That's... shorter than the Luna I remember," Sunset said.
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She's also got no horn!
Well, didn't see that coming.
Now I'm hoping Princess Celestia and Princess Luna shows up, cause I can picture how Celestia would react to seeing a tiny cute version of her sister.
"Awwwww, who's a cute widdle Woona!~"
"Celestia, for the love of all that is holy, STOP."
Luna is soooo cute!!
love the reference to Harry Potter also, vice-principle Luna looks cute
XD picture that Luna saying...
"No student parking in the faculty lot"
9096493
I mean, supposedly, Celestia, Luna AND Cadence were all just normal ponies before they ascended.... I think it's hinted that Celestia was an Earth Pony, and we KNOW that Cadence was a Pegasus... But I don't think we ever heard anything about what Luna was before she ascended... I'd assume that she was an Earth Pony, since she's the sister of Celestia, so THAT would explain the lack of a horn, if that's what the Author is going for...
9096493
9096511
Makes perfect sense to me, princess Luna was originally a Pegasus, if memory serves. Vice-Principal Luna has obviously not achieved apotheosis, so a Pegasus she remains.
Pocket Luna!
9096543
Ok, where in the crap did you read that? Because that was NOT in the chapter.
9096552
I am picturing Luna saying that.
I wonder if the girls will try to go through to Equestria?
Her appearance might have to do with the lack of direct exposure to magic. Other than a few mind control spells her exposure is practically 0%
When princess Luna got back from the moon and was changed back from Nightmare Moon she was also fairly small, supposedly due to lack of magical exposure.
(Just a theory)🤔
=o Hope to see more soon. Really interested in Vice-Principal Luna's reaction to Equestria... and like many people here, Princess Celestia's reaction...
It's almost like looking at a non-alicorn Princess Luna. I would think people would also like to ask... is she hiding wings under those books, or is she earth pony?
Poor VP Luna. Someone should have warned her that that was a bad idea. I mean, the first time Sunset stepped through the portal for the first time since EQ, she got flung out like a high speed bullet. Thankfully, her second trip was smoother.
Now then VP Luna is in Equestria. This should make for an entertaining next chapter. And, I agree with some of the others. I would love a scene where the Princesses get to meet her. The amusement factor alone for this scene would be worth it.
9096547
Actually, it was Cadence who was originally a pegasus (according to the book Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell). According to The Journal of the Two Sisters, Celestia and Luna were born Alicorns, though the season six premier casts some doubt on whether or not that's canon anymore.
9096598
I’ve heard that one of the writers tweeted that the two were still born alicorns, just not in Equestria after the season six premiere. Haven’t gone searching for it yet though.
9096598
9096628
And from a certain Standpoint, "Equestria" didn't even exist until after the first Hearths Warming, and going by the Journal Celestia and Luna were scouted by Star Swirl to be their leaders after the fact, so technically speaking, even if they were born in Canterlot, since Equestria hadn't been founded yet, and therefore Canterlot was not within the borders of a nation called Equestria at the time, Celestia saying that "No Alicorn had ever been Born as such in Equestria" is technically true.
9096637
Yeah, that's how I choose to interpret it.
9096598
As far as I remember WoG stated that Celestia and Luna born before Equestria. So yeah, in entire history of Equestria alicorns never ever born there.
No horn? I don't see wings, but the books could be in the way. And her hair isn't right either.
My, my this is interesting. We honestly don't know if Luna and Celestia were born as one of the three main tribs or alicorns, so this works even if it seems odd.
Do wonder what the Princesses will think mini-luna though. It would bring back memories, or stike them as quite odd. Sci-twi is, seemingly, just a unicorn through the mirror despite having wings in the human world after all.
Nice update!
Don’t think I’ve seen a story where Luna’s base form was earth pony. Wonder how she will take to adapt to talking cartoon ponies.
interesting
9096568
...oh.
ooohh... noice
9096725
Again it's just a guess.
I get what you are saying with Sci-Twi. My best guess is the magic she took in at the friendship games give her the wings. For Twilight got her wings when the magic of her friends combine withes her magic.
Will she be a pegasus here?
Another great chapter
I really can't wait for the cmc to get what's coming to them.
It's seriesPremiere!Luna 😃 (minus the horn)
I too would love to see Princess Celestia's reaction to this Luna. I do find it interesting that Principal Luna's hair lost its darker streaks: she never had the starry mane Princess Luna rocks, but she still had two tones.
I wonder if Principal Celestia's hair would go pink if she goes through — since she has all four colors that the Princess has, minus the sparkles and constant flow.
And idk if it's just me and my lack of interest in most things pony atm, but boy was the scene with the Rainbooms boring for me — could also be that I'm not used to Anon-a-Miss stories where we're supposed to like the Rainbooms — anyway, I loved the scene with Sunset and Twily geeking out, and the scene with the Administrative sisters, so, kudos!
And thanks for writing 🙂
Things are getting more interesting by the minute. I can't wit for the next chapter!
And now, enter Princess Luna paying a surprise visit while VP Luna is still there (make up a reason that suits your fancy, I'm more interested in the how than the why)...
not thrilled with her NOT being an alicorn. She was BORN ONE
Well, "FUNdamentals" outright stated that flowing manes of princess Celestia and Luna are byproduct of their magic. So if EQG!Luna don't have enough magic - she don't have flowing mane.
9097008
That is a subject that is still widely open to debate. The phrasing used in that one episode was intentionally picked and kept vague for the express purpose of keeping every fan talking.
9097008
9097214
There's also that you have to take into account that this Luna was born in a world without magic (at the time), and that for all intents and purposes while she's on her "home" side of the portal she's still just a regular Human regardless that six of her students now have tentative access to pony magic.
Parallel Universes and all that jazz. While some aspects of the two worlds are going to be Fun-House reflections of each-other, expecting everything to be an exact copy would be statistically improbable.
If Luna didn't have magic, and crossed the portal into a magic-rich environment, are we sure she won't bring any of the magic with her when she returns?
9096988
MLP!Luna: Huzzah! The fun has been doubled! We shall collaborate and finally get the best of our sister and her pranks!
Mrs. Weasley, Harry Potter and the sorcerers stone.
very nice... also, luna is often referred to as a Valkyrie. so.. Pegasus?
9097214
9097234
No the fact Flurry was born one mean THey are born as well so human Luna should be an alicorn. Her depowered form is fine but should still have the how package.
9097214
IMO it less "intentionally picked and kept vague" and more "new writers don't know or don't care about established lore". But again, it's only my personal opinion.
9097450
Flurry was born in Equestria. The magical land of Friendship, Rainbows and Ponies (/sarcasm). Vice Principle Luna was born in the Human World. A World that until Sunset brought it over, didn't have an appreciable amount of magic to be able to practically use, and no need for Alicorn Demi-Gods. Vice Principle Luna, was born Human, and until she crossed the portal for the first time, had always been so. It's like those Alternate Universe Settings out there where Twilight was born an Earth Pony instead of a Unicorn. EQG-Verse is in an entirely different Universe than Pony-Equestria is in, and things, and people/ponies, are going to be different than their Canon Equestrian Counterparts, potentially in drastically varied ways.
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Woof, that certainly got a strong reaction.
I suppose I could explain why I went for this route a little bit: I got into this fandom rather late. Like, season 6 late. So I never really read the Tale of the Two Sisters before I saw Twilight's ascendancy and the Crystaling. The idea that ascendancy was the common way for alicorns to be born had always been rooted into my head, and I like it that way. Sure, The Crystalling's dialogue can be interpreted in various ways, but while I agree that "the birth of an alicorn is something Equestria is never seen" is vague enough, I've always found that Luna's "it is beyond even our understanding" to nail home that even to Celestia and Luna the idea of a naturally born alicorn is not normal.
Plus, I find it fits the world of Equestria that the series has shaped a lot better if alicorns are beings that ascend in times of need rather than an exisiting tribe. Twilight ascended in a time when the bonds of friendship were being tested and the Magic of Friendship was needed and Cadance ascended when love itself was under attack. The idea that Celestia and Luna ascending in a glorious inspirational moment to aid the unicorns who were collapsing under the weight of their duty and to unify the three tribes fits so much better to me than the three tribes finding two alicorn fillies and deciding "hey, let's hand these kids the sun and moon and the keys to our new kingdom!"
Now I'm not saying my vision on these events is canon (and I've read a lot of stories that make wonderful use of the lost alicorns) but this is just how I see alicorns working.
But yeah, hence Vice-Principal Luna not being an alicorn. She never went through the trials and tribulations Equestria's Luna went through to ascend.
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Ah, I was afraid the Rainboom scene would be a tad dull. To be honest, that scene is one of the reasons this chapter took so long. I had to get these girls together and start turning around, but the actual scene itself just failed to assemble in my head. I went through half a dozen itterations of that scene before I finally settled on one just to keep writing.
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Well technically the only reason Sci-Twi has wings when she ponies up is because she is Twilight's replacement. It gives the studio a Twilight to use without having to ham-fist reasons for Princess Twilight to trot through the mirror every time.
But for a more in-universe reason, I think the human girls channel their Equestrian counterpart's magic when they pony up, rather than it being a reflection of themselves. Sci-Twi being an actual alicorn makes no sense to me.
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still think the human sister should match the depowered forms of the others. Twilight shouldn't have wings sicne she didn't do what is needed for that form while Sunset SHOULD
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Funny fact: WoG for some reasons don't want to give clear answer on a Twilight (and Cadence) life span. When fans asked if Twilight outlive her friends because alicorn longevity show creators give vague answer that no, she will not olive her friends.
Which give birth to yet another theory that Celestia and Luna really are born alicorns and have immortality because of this, while ascended alicorns like Twilight don't have it.
And I don't plan to argue with you, just a some interesting trivia :).
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The crystalling's dialogue make sense either way. Either they were born alicorns. In which case they were born outside of Equestria and were old enough to be students of Star Swirl by the time they came to Equestria.
Their backstories said to be born to a race of Alicorns that are never mentioned in show and don't make sense to have been apart of Equestria given the context of the Fire's of Friendship legend detailing the founding of Equestria.
Or they became Alicorns in the fight against Discord. Either never having children or having children that weren't Alicorns cause let's face it Flurry Heart is a data point of one.
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They were already alicorns by Discord, the Tree was fully grown so it had to be post Starswirl disappearing and there’s nothing pointing to them not being alicorns while Starswirl’s students. Horse Play goes even farther, showing Celestia as an alicorn before first raising the sun (and before having a cutie mark iirc). The show seems to be incorporating that part of the Journal while nuking the Tree part. Still, it was a play, so it can be retconned downed the line, but as it is, I’m pretty sure Celestia and Luna were born alicorns.
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But then the idea of a naturally born alicorn wouldn't be 'beyond their understanding' though. That'd be how they were born, after all.
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As Berrow... I think.. said - they don't know much about their own birth and it's happened more that one thousand years ago. And there is no other natural born alicorns happens after them till Flurry. So yeah, they don't have lots of understanding about naturally born alicorns.
Biggest problems with ascended Celestia and Luna that everything big that they do and that could grant them alicornhood they did while already been alicorns. So there supposed to be some really big achievement that we never ever heard about.
But, of course, your headcanon :). And your story :)/
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There is "well we don't exactly know the specifics of our birth" and "the natural birth of an alicorn is beyond our understanding." The former leans towards "it's been a while", but the later -to me- really leans more towards "we are just as surprised as you are this was even possible."
Plus the whole "and then the three tribes handed these random alicorns the keys to the kingdom." That makes a lot more sense to me if it was part of a grandiose event that led to them ascending. More interesting story, too.