Teacher Zero Submitted · 7:39am Feb 1st, 2016
I've just submitted Teacher Zero, a nearly 7500-word one-shot (still a short story rather than a novelette, as it obeys the rule of unity of time and place). This story is a canon-filler between S2E03 "Lesson Zero" and S2E04 "Luna Eclipsed," and it is basically about how Twilight Sparkle's mental breakdown in the former episode is logically-linked to Luna's visit in the next one. It should be approved pretty fast, as it's a standard fanfiction about some of the major show characters; I hope you like it. Only important characters are Celestia and Luna, and it's straight-out Slice of Life.
I've made it the Prequel to A Meeting by Moonlight for fairly obvious reasons. Truth is, "Luna Eclipsed" was one of the main reasons for A Meeting by Moonlight; I noticed the strong bonding between Luna and Twilight in that episode, and combined it with Alex Warlorn's concept of partial reincarnation and the point Ardashir had made about Luna holding back in the Season One Opener to come up with A Meeting by Moonlight, Feeling Adrift and Nightmares Are Tragic, all of which incorporate the Reincarnation Romance between Luna and Twilight that features so importantly in their character arcs in the Shadow Wars Story Verse.
This is interesting, as my concepts have developed considerably in the two years since I wrote those earlier stories. I've seen Seasons Four and Five since then, for one thing, which have further developed the characters of Luna and Twilight in vanilla-canon, and in the Shadow Wars Story Verse as well. Nothing has changed my essential concept of Luna as a good, honorable and noble Pony -- who maybe loves to fight a little too much than is good for her, and also is far too apt to blame herself for everything that goes wrong around her. Or Twilight as a similarly good and honorable Pony, who is fascinated by all knowledge and who is a bit too much of a perfectionist regarding her own studies and general conduct (which is the flaw that lays her low in "Teacher Zero"). And both of them as Ponies destined to be friends, even if probably not lovers in any context other than Twilight having been Dusk Skyshine in the Age of Wonders.
The IDW Comics canon has if anything been remarkably pushing the Twilight / Luna friendship arc. In Reflections, Luna tells Twilight that she reminds her of a younger Celestia -- as Celestia is the Pony Luna loves most in the world, this is high praise coming from the Moon Princess. In Siege of the Crystal Empire, Luna declares that she would "follow Twilight anywhere!" which is a tremendous expression of confidence and loyalty (and she was Loyalty, once) toward the youngest Alicorn. This is really close to my concept of Luna eventually declaring Twilight to be her "bloodsister" (a concept she got from the Nhorse as Monasdrommir), something she does even before formally declaring her love (though of course Twilight's not that Oblivious to Love that she hasn't noticed this ever since A Meeting by Moonlight).
Anyway, this story will probably get approved at sometime Monday morning, so you'll probably be able to read it around the time you read this blog, since I know most of you are asleep by now. As shall I be, soon.
Good night everyone! 
Makes me wonder then if Pipsqueak really is the first ORGANIC friend that Luna has gained since returning since her friendship with him was not part of anyone's scheme.
How long do you think Luna waited until creating the Tantabus to make sure she never forgot her sins as Nightmare Moon?
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My guess just after she returned to her original size. By then she probably thought she needed a reminder of her past sins. Before that she may have thought her diminished stature was enough.
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Well, in vanilla canon maybe, though remember she's been doing things before "Luna Eclipsed." In SWSV fanon, I would suppose that Pumpernickel (taken from Georg's storyverse) was, though he of course had his own political objectives and their friendship was not entirely healthy. Celestia didn't actually scheme to make Luna befriend Twilight -- though she viewed Twilight's previous incarnation as Dusk Skyshine as a plus in her plan to bring Luna out of Nightmare.
That is an interesting question. I also suspect in SWSV terms that Luna molded it in imitation of a Night Shadow, so that she would especially never forget.
I've always thought Lesson Zero could use more fanfics elaborating and following up on it... Looking forward to reading yours!
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It's just Luna is so ignorant and out of place with modern tastes that her relationship with Pipqueak is something fan fiction writers surprisingly rarely touch upon.
The sad thing is that Twilight might never quite realize that not having to send in a weekly report if she has nothing to say would have been seen as a good thing. Someone should discuss that at some point.
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I assume that her other modern friendships have either been job-related or with her occupying such a superior position because the other Ponies were her formal subordinates (as with Pumpernickel and Summer Lightning) that they just conformed to her sense of fit behavior without complaint.
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Well, Celestia might have liked to hear from Twilight anyway, but solving a Friendship Problem was hardly necessary. Celestia just likes to hear from Twilight because she loves Twilight.
It will be interesting to read this story! I am rather curious as to what Celly and Luna thought of Twilight's little, ahem, "boo-boo" as Rarity would put it.
As well as what was happening with Luna in Canterlot; I imagine she had trouble with ponies who wanted to be her fried to suck up to Celestia, ponies who were angry at/scared of her because of what happened with Nightmare Moon (or worse, 'villain fanboys' who wanted her to transform back into Nightmare Moon "Because that would be SO COOL!"), and a lot of ponies who just plain didn't know HOW to relate to her.
Maybe she got to know some historians and scholars who wanted to talk to somepony other than Celly who wanted to know events from a 1000 years gone? Of course they might have been annoyed when she innocently trashed some of their pet theories. "No, my sister and I did not maintain a harem of 'stud stallions', neither did we transform unruly mares into said stallions.... Where dost thou GET such ideas?"