Jan
10th
2014
New Poll: Choose Your Side in The Lunar Rebellion · 8:06am Jan 10th, 2014
So, as anyone who's been following "The Lunar Rebellion" probably knows, there has been a lot of discussion over which of the two sides is sitting on the moral high ground. So, I've decided to put a poll, and get an idea of where the readers stand on things.
Look at me! I'm a link to the poll!
As always, the results of the poll will have no impact on any future story developments (the ending's already set in stone anyway): it's simply to satisfy my own curiosity.
It isn't done?I don't know why I thought this. Your epilogue tricked me.
1701748
The Gathering Shadows arch is done. That's just the prelude to tthe actual war. Surely you didn't think Chengar would write all this buildup and then just leave us with "and then they rebellioned but Shadow kicked their butts the end" ?
Nice, very nice. Went with Celestia myself, and no, not just because it's quite obvious who the ultimate victor is; looked at the conflict in many ways as I do whenever I measure the merits of both sides in the American Civil War. While the Pegasopolans, like Southerners in the aforementioned conflict, have plenty of admirable and honorable qualities about them and their cause that make it attractive and enticing to support them, ultimately there's simply too little justifying their starting a war in the first place, as well as too many things innately unjust about their cause as well (at least from where I'm standing, and again, similar to Southerners in the American Civil War).
Celestia, on the other hand, ultimately wishes to simply fulfill and maintain the ultimate Equestrian political goal, that being the harmony first established between the three pony tribes in the Hearth's Warming Eve event. So from the get go she has the better motivations of the two sides. If anything, the biggest thing going against her is that at the moment she's surrounded by idiots at the Canterlot court who, after the earth pony election debacle, have made her actually come out looking like a tyrant (something that cannot be said of the American Civil War counterpart Abraham Lincoln in that Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election fair and square, which pretty much automatically torpedoes any Southern Revisionist argument that the Southern states were constitutionally in the right to secede, seeing as there was no legal over-step by the federal government that justified them doing so, just an outcome in a presidential election that they didn't want). Anyways, I imagine after this conflict that Celestia introduced some major reforms into the Canterlot royal court, seeing as the nobles there are a big reason so much animosity now exists between the three tribes. Can't wait to see what comes next!
1702097
Not to give too much away, but culling the influence of the nobles and court politics is going to be one of the issues for "Rising Shadows."
I'm anti-alicorn, so I'ld play off both sides. Let mortals rule mortals, and the gods tend to themselves.
edit: Oh hey, I just derped and realized this poll I was linked to was to a story and not to a lunar rebelion in general. Sooo, you can probably just disregard my vote.
Celestia's biggest crimes were hope and asking Spartans for cake. She is not the one in the wrong.
1702100
Ah, makes sense. I won't press you for details, but I can see that; wouldn't surprise me if (former) Archmagus Sparkle, or some other noble/group of nobles, causes Celestia some trouble in the midst of the conflict that requires her attention. Thanks for the little hint of things to come.
Although the pegasi have many genuine, and quite reasonable, grievances against Celestia, their actions bereft them of most sympathy. They have acted out of personal anger and frustration more times than they have acted for the genuine good of their people and most of their actions seem to be targeted more at revenge against their "unicorn oppressors" than actually addressing the problems. There is also to be considered that while the pegasi glorify honor by word of mouth, most of the ones we've seen abandon it rather quickly in order to pursue their own vendettas. The Ephorate in particular has refused to acknowledge any evidence against their views and even goes so far as to silence and threaten dissenters in order to keep up their facade of self-righteousness. Celestia, despite having her faults and those faults leading to dire consequences, has always appeared to work for the good of ponykind as a whole and has, at least in confidence, admitted to the faults most others refuse to see in her.
1702139
Kind of hard to call them faults. She's in mourning over the loss of her only sister. One might say, "Oh but mortals lose family members all the time she should get over it." but don't realize that she's immortal - it's a much bigger deal to her to lose that companionship when it's FOREVER. Some people break down into hysterics or kill themselves over finding out they won't see someone they're close to for half a year, or a year. Rather than a fault, I consider it a calculated expectation. So I wouldn't even say their 'concerns' were valid, especially since they were more or less looking for a reason to break out and predominate to begin with, given their earlier personalities and words.
Knowing that she's essentially the only one of her kind left on the planet, by her own power, that she is the true definition of "alone" and there will never come someone who can understand her or help her carry the burden of those lonely years, would of course put Celestia out of whack for quite some time. I imagine that the passage of time slips by a little faster when you're immortal, so having the races able to self-govern themselves while she detaches herself a bit and just tries to recoup and get back on her hooves is a fantastic idea.
Expecting her to have sacrificed her only companion through the ages for these wretched little ponies, and then immediately go back to work picking up Luna's half of running the entire species - if not the world, especially when the species is so racially and politically divided, with a smile and 0 problems? That'd be absolutely ludicrous, no pony could expect that of her. And they don't even try, they just go "Oh the ruler's not swooping down to set everything straight perfectly even though I can handle it myself by doing what I'm supposed to do. She's useless and we need to be rid of her."
Even looking at everyone's arguments against her in-story, they're all based on want of quick personal gain, not any sort of overarching harmonious intentions that she's standing against somehow. That's why I voted Celestia, on my end.
Because Celestia is the only one in this war who just wants everyone to stop being stupid and get along. She has perfect, far-reaching plans for this, just everyone needs to set aside their differences and /get shit done/, and if they stick to the plan they'll be crazy successful. It's plain to see that even from an in-world perspective. Follow brash, greedy, manipulative mortals - or the immortal deific superhero who's saved the world likely countless times and has been keeping the races together in peace all this time. The choice should be obvious.
Mortals are stupid and short-sighted. This is a rule. There are only exceptions to the rule, not examples that defeat it. If you're going to trust one being to rule everything, give that power to the wisest, most pure, most considerate, and most intelligent being that you can - the one who wants the best for everyone.
Vote Celestia, folks! A vote for anyone else is a vote for stupidity! And we've had enough of that already, thank you very much!
(This message paid for by The Solar Empire "In Reverence To Her Divine Radiance, Dawnmother Celestia")
I really can't sympathize with the Pegasi, they're acting like spoiled children and asking for too much autonomy. I do however support the rebels for the sake of the Earth ponies who are the ones who are really screwed by the influence of the unicorns over Celestia. I really think the Earth ponies have fair grievences thatbdeserve to be heard and I think Celestia is kinda ignoring them for the sake of the unicorns and wealthy Earth ponies.
It's hard to say for sure because we're only looking at this story from Shadow's point of view. Her inner monologue gives us her side of the conflict constantly so it's difficult to know what the other Ephors are thinking for sure.
After thinking about it for a moment though, I would have to say I sympathise more with the other Ephors at the moment. I know that in the end Shadow and Celestia will prevail and the unity between the three tribes will be reinstated with Celestia at the helm once more, but I want the others to come out of it as unscathed as possible, especially Striker and Doo. I love those guys, but in the end, they are being naive. They don't know any better. I think the altercation between Shadow and Celestia in the carriage in Manehatten more than established Shadow's belief in Celestia, where the other Ephors did not have that experience.
I support, from a new perspective, the reasoning behind the autonomy that the other Ephors have instated. Paranoia is natural and not necessarily a bad thing. In this case, they're just doing what they believe to be for the best, with the interest of the Earth Ponies in mind as well.
I just want everyone to be okay, if at all possible.
I opted out, because both sides have different levels of corruption and bad decisions going on that, at this point at least, it's hard to tell who's 'right.' Granted, I think Celestia's TRYING to the the right things, but she's part of those bad decisions mentioned, and while Shadow's doing the right things, she also has a bit of 'my leader right or wrong' and a touch of short sightedness that makes me doubt her too.
I've gotta stay neutral on this one. Both sides have reasonable arguments, but their judgement is horribly compromised.
1702196
I have to admit, seeing the Rebellion from the perspective of one of the other Ephors would be VERY interesting.
I voted for Celestia, with the following reasoning (copy-pasted from the poll):
In short: Celestia's offenses were trying to be conciliatory and fix what (little) mistakes she'd made, whilst the Rebels are spoiled brats throwing a tantrum by declaring war. Whichever side concludes that (potentially) massive bloodshed and loss of life is a reasonable approach to airing their grievances against a mostly-fair ruler isn't one that any reasonable – or sane – person can support.
1702144
1707469
Really? Both sides were foolish>.< Fools and stubborn asses the lot of em.
"Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence. Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemies will without fighting."
Short sightedness is perhaps excuseable or Shadow, but not Celestia. DId the alicorn learn nothing from her sisters fall?
Siding with the rebellion for the moment.
Celestia's allowed widespread corruption to take control of the earth ponies lands, and her fix is something that those suffering now will never see.
She broke the treaties (each tribe will police their own) holding the three tribes together by giving the unicorns control of the investigation into the clipping issue. Not only that, but putting a self-confessed child killer in charge of it. One that Celestia supported.
And that's after Celestia had spoken down upon their efforts to rescue a town taken by griffons. After Celestia has been neutering their ability to keep the coastline safe.
I have no idea wtf The Lunar Rebellion is....
I feel so disconnected from the Brony-dom... ;_;