This story is a sequel to The Abundance
Everyone has heard the legend of Hearth's Warming Eve. It is the tale of how the three pony tribes discovered a glorious uncharted land and managed to overcome their own mistrust to create a new country: Equestria. It is a story told for centuries, for thousands of years. Every pony, from the oldest pegasus to the youngest unicorn can recite it.
It... is a lie.
For before the ponies... there were others.
Now the sins of Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead will be revealed. The time for harmony is over and the one who calls himself The Should-Have-Been King has come to reclaim Equestria for him and his kind. Only Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the abstract Faith, Captain Trixie, the princesses, and the resurrected sea king Lord Tydal can stop the genocide of the pony race. To do so they must uncover the lost history of Equestria... but doing so will unearth secrets that should never be told. Knowledge that should never be spoken. For there are some truths that should never be unearthed.
But those who fail to learn from history...
From defender2222, the author of 'The Many Secret Origins of Scootaloo', 'Faith and Doubt', and 'The Abundance' comes the long awaited third volume of the Abstract Saga.
And so it begins.
At long last, The Should-Have-Been King.
People have asked what the tone of this story will be. Faith and Doubt was a small piece that dealt with the ideas of emotion, friendship, and repression. The Abundance was grander, dealing with the ideas of what is harmony, how too much of even something good is terrible, and how those with the best intentions can become villains.
The Should-Have-Been King is my Wrath of Khan. It is a story of revenge, of the sins of the past being paid upon the future, and the idea that the tales we tell ourselves sometimes are simply not true.
This story will come out roughly once a week. Most chapters will be longer than this opening chapter. We will also flash back and forth, from the current story to the past... to discover the truth of Equestria.
NEXT TIME: Twilight and Spike continue to repair what happened during the Queens' Reign and reflect on all that has changed, for good and for bad. But though they don't realize it, a phantom danger has slowly begun to take shape.
Oh the Hype!!! It's here! Thanks for sharing
YES IT'S HERE I CAN'T WAIT!!!
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Yeah, I posted it a day early because I forgot that now the site lets established writers post without moderation... and I was afraid with moderation it would take 24 hours to get this up. But hey, story is finally up and running!
Hmmm interesting. Hopefully another chapter soon.
*insert soonhorse.jpg here*
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Once a week. Either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Whatever first impression Tydal left in modern Equestria ponies, I'm sure it's one I can relate to.
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One of the things I find so very odd about Equestria is how... sheltered... a lot of them seem to be. I mean, yes, one could argue we mostly see it through the eyes of Ponyville, aka Equestria's version of 'Paddle faster, I hear banjos' in terms of isolationism, but still... they think zebras are demonic creatures. So I kept that in mind writing this: What would happen if you took a capricorn, who is as tall as Celestia and built like Big Mac, and dropped him right in the middle of their biggest city which is still recovering from a war?
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Well, in the episode with Iron Will, he was constantly called a monster, and was even included in that poster with all the monsters and villains. I can see it.
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Exactly. Equestria isn't exactly known for being all inclusive.
...and that is actually a plot point that this Volume will address. After all, if the three tribes hated each other... and were all ponies...
The time has arrived. A new story has been unfolded. Reading the description, will windigoes play a part?
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They will be discussed. That is all I can say.
Very little I can say beyond, well, this story might have taken quite a while to get started, but was VERY well worth the wait.
The characterizations and exchanges, thus far, are quite well done and this looks like it could shape up to be one heck of a story.
I'll definitely be looking forward to more of this, but will also be quite willing to be patient.
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I get too many Feed announcements, and missed this story's launch. I'm only here in a timely manor due to this being one of the sequels I check for several times a year.
...and I just spent an hour looking for either an image macro or a youtube video with that "Five Words" quote from Armageddon, but it just ain't there.
Looking forward to a good read. *Settles back with popcorn*
Late to the party! But here I am...
A bit of a slower chapter but one needed to catch us up. We see non-princess Twilight Sparkle, still an alicorn after Faith and Doubt but now the Alicorn of the Stars who is a master of both light and dark magic. We remeet Spike, now in full control of his Growth Spurt powers, able to shape shift basically into any dragon form that suits him. We are reminded of how far Equestria fell and how it has fought to return to a sense of normalcy. We are reminded of Faith's warning to Twilight and Shining Armor: They will not be seen as heroes to all and now, hearing that Twilight has received death threats for saving her friends, see that this has come to pass.
And we have our first hint of the danger coming. Tydal warning that the foe held sway over the fires of hell... and now several ponies have been burnt alive with only a teenage Dinky managing to escape (but, before anyone panics who missed the line, Derpy was NOT with her at the time and is okay)
Next Time: We shift to The Abundance where the former prisoners turned war heroes continue their new task of being Equestria's guardians. But all is not well as Trixie, true to her new Abstract Nature, feels doubt over several things...
Again, splendid job on the info in this chapter. I loved the exchange between Twilight and Spike. Revealed just enough info to give us a good glimpse of what's been happening WITHOUT revealing TOO MUCH. I'll definitely be looking forward to more of this, but will also be quite willing to be patient.
Just great. Something is reenacting Fahrenheit 451, with some light Holocaust to anypony who gets in the way. ...I need a hug.
There are a lot of factor that make something collectionable. I'm sure if Feral Imp was as rare as Blue-Eyes White Dragon, it would not be as wanted. Books would be the same, I suppose. I would not fight for the last physical copy of My Immortal.
I would not pay more than a couple dollars for a 1986 Cliffjumper, but would pay tens of dollars for a 1996 Dinobot.
I will stop before rambling goes too off topic, it's just that I feel very annoyed by those who want to keep knowledge to themselves.
Holy crap! Good start, I guess!
I'd like to see more bludgeoning at this point.
And so it begins...
I am looking forward to more, good establishing chapter to see where our characters have ended up.
Tydal is back baby
Though sad Tydal is so very, very sad
If dead [ponies] are coming back to life... then will Loyalty and Laughter return? Or are they in a different plane of existence/death, since they're abstracts? And if they do, will they be the fallen versions, or Loyalty and Laughter as they should've been? Oh, and Generosity. Will she be coming back too?
Really looking forward to the next chapter!
Poor Dinky. She shouldn't have had to witness that. I'm glad Derpy isn't dead.
Once again, superb work on this latest chapter. The exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up are all quite well done. I particularly liked how, despite Trixie's claims to the contrary, SHE was actually more upset than the baby. All in all, this was a very good "comic relief" chapter. And, yeah, I am REALLY looking forward to the crew arriving in Our Town (mainly because I am going to get a kick out of seeing how Starlight responds to the fact that her "equalizing spell" won't have any effect on literally half the crew).
So, yeah, I will very definitely be eagerly awaiting more of the story, but will also respect the fact that real world concerns have to come first.
I didn't even think about how Honesty, Kindness, and Faith would have pony names.
Oh man. Did not see that coming. Wonder if this is important to the story, or if it's just a small thing that the author added to show their jobs and stuff
Also, really loved the part with Iron Will and showing the ship's crew.
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There is also the fact that Faith, at the very least, only has a cutie mark because of Celestia, Luna, and Twilight. Will be a touch hard for her to take that!
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Originally Iron Will wasn't going to be a big part of this story but this chapter convinced me to make him a supporting character. he gives a good balance to Faith and Trixie.
Addition?
I like how slow burn this is. Reintroducing all the characters before whatever will go wrong goes wrong. I don't want it to end too quickly.
Dun dun duuuuuuun! Ominous name for Trixie to drop at the end there.
Also, I keep seeing references to the 'odd' relationship Trixie, Faith and Twilight have. I am looking forward to seeing more of that.
One of the common tropes in the tales of heroes is the idea of the Unlikely Savoir. Someone, from a modest background, who could have been anyone in a kingdom or a land, being chosen by destiny to be its instrument. I wanted to show with this chapter Tydal's non-comedy origins and that he was such a hero. We only get hints of it here but Tydal was not born master of the seas. he was just another warrior, a footsoldier, who battled a warlord and tyrant and while others easily died to his hooves Tydal had a touch of destiny... and slayed him. And for his reward he was made the master of the seas, given the power the tyrant always longed for.
I also wanted to show that while he is the Master of the Oceans and is a King... Tydal is a good buck. He has a gentle heart. He just wants to do right by his people... and it kills him when he must take on the mantle of cold king and deal justice when all he wants to do is forgive. And his Achilles Heel is foals. He cares deeply for little ones, mostly because he saw too many die already before he ascended.
Finally, Tydal's punishment for the traitor. It is based on the words Leonidas supposedly told the traitor who showed the Persians the Goat path to get around the Hot Gate standoff. For Spartans to die in the cause of their city-state is the greatest honor... so telling one 'may you live forever' is a double slap: I hope you never know peace and may you live with your shame forever.
Again, this is an excellent chapter. Celestia's recall of the past was truly powerful stuff. The exchanges, characterizations, details on Tydal's past and set-up for future chapters is VERY well done.
I will most assuredly be looking forward to more of this, but will also be VERY willing to be patient. After all, I get that real world concerns have to come first.
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*shifts* Well... real world issues and another one of my fics has absolutely exploded in popularity (my Marvel/Game of Thrones Crossover series, A Man of Iron and its sequel, A Crack of Thunder).
Whenever you get that Marvel/GoT crossover wrapped up, I pray this is your next-priority fanfic.
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I want it to be, the problem is the same reason this got delayed so long: I keep hitting massive writer's blocks
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Pinkie was never an aliocorn and is now the Abstract of Generosity
The other main five, save for Twilight, lost their alicorn status when they gave their powers to Faith to return him to his original, pre-lost name state
Scootaloo is the Abstract of Loyalty
Discord is the Abstract of Laughter
Trixie KEPT her alicorn status because she became the Abstract of Doubt
Twilight is the Alicorn of the Stars
Faith is now back to full power and after the war is considered the leader of the Elements of Friendship
Clockworker is an alicorn, an abstract, and a baby. No one knows what his powers are
In this world, unlike the God Squad, Alicorns and elevated beings are not gods but are immortal beings who control a primordial piece of the world. We know of 8 of them: Celestia (Sun), Luna (moon), Twilight (Stars), Cadence (Love), Tydal, Merida, and their biological daughters (The Ocean).
Tydal was a common soldier in a capricorn tribe army but when he defeated Cancar, a warlord, in battle he ascended to be the Capricorn of the Sea and was named Lord and King of the Capricorn Nation and had guided them to a new era of peace.
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Yeah. I thought they were always abstracts
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Back in The Abundance it was revealed that Honesty, Kindness, and Faith started life out as Earth ponies during Discord's reign. The reason Faith has no memory of this is that he ascended when he was only a few months old and thus has only known life as an Abstract. This is also why, of all the abstracts, Faith, Honesty, and Kindness were able to redeem themselves and not be lost forever in the madness of an Abstract taking physical form: for them it was second nature. it is the same reason that Discord, Scootaloo, Pinkie, and Trixie as the abstracts of Laughter, Loyalty, Generosity, and Doubt have remained sane and in control.
that's one of the strongest cliff hangers I have ever seen so good it actually hurts inside
hey are you going to finish this story?
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At some point but honestly it is a matter of focusing on what is popular. Right now I have three fics that are insanely popular and while this does okay I owe it to those fans to work on those series.
This is a wonderful and amazing story. I hope you continue it soon. Also, I hope in the next chapter we can find out what the other elements are up to.
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you alive
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I am but not for this fic for a while.
As I explained in a blog comment The Abstract Stories are DRAINING. I have to be firing on full cylinders to be able to handle them as they are world building and involve a ton of emotions. With me returning to the fandom I want to work on some more... comfortable stories... before I attempt diving back into Abstract World
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Ok
Please continue this.
Please.
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Honestly? No idea. I have four massively popular series I'm currently in the middle of that are taking me from all things pony
lol
You should return to this. Preferably soon.
Your other stories have had plenty of updates. They can wait a bit.
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We'll be here when things settle down.
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Just doing my yearly "It is January, time to see if the authors of my favorite hibernating fics are still alive" marathon. Well, Defender2222 checked in just before the new year, so that is one less thing I need to worry about.