Chapter IV · 12:39am Sep 13th, 2014
Well, here it is.
Chapter IV, finally out.
Blueblood/Celly in a flashback, Blueblood and Rarity, Blueblood and Fancypants and some Blueblood reflection to round off the end.
Also, Argent and Serene and a look at what's going on in Ponyville.
Asides from the issues I've already expressed in the author's notes at the end of it, the issue of Blueblood's magic irked me quite a bit: is it even possible or necessary, was it too much of a stretch, et cetera. Hopefully it isn't too much of a stretch of the imagination, though.
It's in there as an analogy/aside, really, but the rest of that bit might come into the plot later, as may the sword. Cloppenburg's a real place, actually, rather than a pony pun, for those of you interested. In Germany, as might be expected. Here, it's an analogue for Klingenthal, the town famed for its swords in the Baroque and Napoleonic eras.
For those additionally interested, the politics involved in MM are largely based off the 18th-19th Century model of things, especially the British system of 'Old Corruption'/Pre Great Reform Act-Parliament, though with the Stable of Peers being far less powerful than the Monarch. That's also the reason for there being multiple MESPs for two of the constituencies mentioned - Cloudsdale and Manehattan - as would fit with the period. The Manehattan Machine is therefore a rather obvious allude (at least I hope so) to the Spoils System and the Tammany Hall regime, though that'll probably never be expressed in detail.
As always, comments and suggestions are highly appreciated. Chapter V will take quite a while, though I've got it largely planned out.
