This story is a sequel to Changeling Space Program
Twilight Sparkle's memorable coronation is over. But before she gets tied to the throne, she decides to share one last adventure with her mentor and her closest friends.
Not a huge adventure. Just a little day-trip, really.
Back to the moon.
A brief sequel to Changeling Space Program and The Maretian, written for the A Thousand Words contest. (Fluff category.)
Part of the Remember Fort Libris print anthology, thanks to our Kickstarter supporters!
Chapters (1)
After five years, Twilight and Celestia are finally both offworld together, and Chrysalis' time has come.
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"To do what, exactly? It's not like they're stuck there! Sure, I could probably smack that smirk off Moonbutt's face then stuff her and the walking snack bar in a cocoon, but did you forget that Princess Perfect and all six Elements are up there together and currently have a ship that could drop them anywhere on the planet within hours? How am I supposed to counter that?! I might as well just get some drones to rearrange our new overlord's library for all the good it'll do!
Hmmm... Actually... You two! Go round up a few dozen more drones! We're going to the Canterlot archives!"
**A few days later**
"And not only did she turn every third book upside down, the entire section on the space race was replaced by copies of Cherry Berry: Astromare!"
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And another few days later the roar of an angry librery princess woke the city but was quickly replased whit joyus noices over an exuse to reorganice the libery.
Nice little story. Now I'll fight urges to reread CSP and Maretian for a week or so : )
Pinkie missed a good track to put on her music player?
Loves Great Adventure?
Oh no, they forgot Cadence.
I wonder if its possible for Spike to accidentally end up with Sparkledrive bones?
Yeah, I know that feeling. There’s t-shirts for the club and I’ve got one. Right now I’m trying to see if refocusing on something non-pony helps and am working on updating an old d20 Future campaign of mine to 5e. That’s going well, at least.
But anyway, this was short, sweet, and to the point. Kind of sad that Luna isn’t here as well, but as much as she may love the idea of the Moon it wouldn’t surprise me if a whole team of yaks couldn’t actually drag her there.
11251440 Luna was invited, but one flight was enough for her. Besides, someone needed to be around, even if it was just a day trip. Accidents can happen, after all. Besides, this was Celestia's first (and likely only) trip up.
A lovely coda and celebration of the girls' achievements in a setting where they were, as you said, largely sidelined. And yes, I'm including Celestia as one of the girls.
(Though I do find myself wondering whether any kind of grand villain team-up even happened in this timeline, what with one of the principle players having found a better option and Discord not getting too involved in general. Given the space race and the quest to bring Amicitas home, Twilight definitely didn't need any further confidence boosting.)
In any case, thank you for this.
They disturbed the dirt!
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Oh no! The historic dirt!
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I can’t help but put my two cents in on that thought you had there —
Say Season 8 plays out basically identically up to and including “School Raze” but not “The Mean 6” (CSP Chrysalis having neither the need nor the time). Season 9 opens basically the same way but with “Grogar” only nabbing Cozy and Tirek (and resurrecting Sombra), not being able to grab Chrysalis nor having a need to in this timeline.
“The Beginning of the End” and most of Season 9 up to “Frenemies” plays out the same, but in “Frenemies”, without Chrysalis around Cozy and Tirek are just not capable of scaling Mt. Everhoof, nor in breaking through the barrier at the top even if they succeed. So they return to “Grogar” legitimately empty-handed. Without the Bewitching Bell there’s no need to go to Canterlot so “The Summer Sun Setback” doesn’t happen, I.e., no Trio to make things worse and the Mane-6 are able keep things in hoof. Likewise there is no undermining of Equestria’s tribal unity.
As a result, by “The Ending of the End” Cozy and Tirek have little choice but to go along with “Grogar’s” plan to attack during the coronation. However with so many powerful beings in attendance - possibly even Chrysalis! - it’s a humiliating curbstomp for “Grogar”, Cozy, and Tirek, far easier than Discord planned. When this happens he starts to drops the disguise to grouse about it and how his big plan to boost Twilight’s confidence didn’t work (taking away the power boost to Tirek in the process, if it hasn’t already been removed by some other means), but mid-complaint he’s browbeat in both a figurative and possibly literal sense by, well, almost everyone in attendance (including Tirek and Cozy. Ultimately what gets through to him is how disappointed Fluttershy is.
Tirek and Cozy try to sneak away but are caught, Tirek says “no hard feelings? Remember I did help you save Equestria.” Cozy confirms this (though somepony points out that he helped save it from her, and also he helped her put it in danger in the first place). They’re both going back to Tartarus…but since they’re obviously well out of their league here and since the coronation has been delayed already for now they’re just stuck in a cage in the corner for the moment. And Pinkie gets them some cake and punch during the after-party.
The end.
What we all need to know: did they find NMM's bestest friend, Skippy the Moonrock?
SO MANY FRIENDS ON THE MOON FOR ME!!
And that's when the Death Star showed up and blew up Equus, cuz somebody gave them the wrong directions to Alderan.
Fluffy.
11251477 Discord still wanted to try to clear away the outstanding, er, liabilities to give Twilight a clean slate for her rule. And in this world Sombra didn't split the party, so it was him dueling with the Glimglam instead of Chryssy.
11251685 To be fair, the dirt is disturbing Rarity quite a bit, too.
(Also Applejack, but she won't ever let on.)
11251829 That's a lot more inventive than I had. I just had it that "Grogar" didn't let Sombra split the party this time around.
And yes, there was a sudden yet inevitable betrayal anyway.
"starlight launch system"?
oh, using magic to fling it upwards.
11252092 The humans are still arguing about whether or not the names of the two systems need to be swapped.
That was nice and sweet. Always love visiting this world again.
This was really cute.
Again, the music that triggered this snip:
That thumbnail of the Earth rise got me thinking of this tune:
Sounds about right for rushing headlong across the lunar surface.
Everyone forgets that at some point in your life you were with your best friends all in the same place at one time. And that was the last time that happened. In a way I think that's what Twilight was saying.
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The super sparkly magic pumpkin chucker.
What a sweet capper to a great series ❤️
dude this is so warm and fluffy Imma have a heart attack!
The main cast is once again the focus.
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Chrysalis you monster!
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"What was she even thinking!? Comic books are NOT appropriate historical records!
... I'm not even in them until Volume 3..."
hehe, "Twilight Base", love it
that's even better than twenty percent better!
hehehe
aww, loved this bit! that is so true of Pinkie
aww, i was wondering who that seventh pony was!
and oof, yeah, there would be a lot more significance to Celestia for this, having had the moon heavy in her thoughts for centuries and centuries
aww, so true!
such beautiful series finale vibes! as neat as the elements of the canon flashforward were, a part of me does wish that the canon show had ended more like this: one last planned mini-adventure together right after Twilight's coronation, acknowledging that the Mane Six are getting older and going in different directions in life, but also that this change is not the end for them as a group, and that there are plenty more adventures that await them in the future, because though they may be entering new phases in their lives, their love for each other and the values that made them the saviors of Equestria in the first place are as strong as ever.
though this was a missing scene for a longfic i've never read, its impact was just as strong for me as a lovely ending and tribute to the journey of the canon Mane Six. thank you for it!
That was a good story.
Thank you for not making this a "the end" type situation. There's nothing I hate more than definitive endings, and finishing this on that note was very sweet <3
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Considering that's literally what you're doing in that level of the game... (her dress is based on the specific American flag planted by Neil Armstrong because its existence annoys the moon people she's there to kill this is the sort of logic Touhou actually operates on.)
It is looking a bit like the last flight to the moon by Blackjack and Littlepip :-)))
I have to say having read Changeling Space Program, Maretian, and now this...I may have found one of my favorite series...you did a amazing job of writing writing such lovable stories that kept me coming back to find out what happens next
You can has review!
Well I needed to read this to finish off the story and the same day I finished the Maretian. Does make the story complete in its way. Though I would think Luna wouldn't like the Moon, her Moon being a daytrip destination. Just think of the litter!