//------------------------------// // Interlude II: A New Life // Story: Love you again? // by Cynthrey //------------------------------// ~ “... I almost lost my temper today. Between Celestia in her uncertainty, rumors of a rebellion and that minister in his misogyny. Why should not a princess be able to wield weapons? A general not only traces the strategy, carries it out and leads his subordinates to victory. I was aware that in Equestria every member of royalty practically has a small army of their own completely at their service and no one else's but that is no excuse for not knowing how to protect oneself...” ~ “...Celestia is starting to regain her confidence when it comes to wielding weapons but remains doubtful. I hate to admit it but I think that if it is managing to overcome this trauma it is thanks to that draconequus. On more than one occasion I have gone through Celestia's rooms after the internship and after a few minutes or as soon as I arrive I hear the voice of that boy calming her down. If the rest of his species had maintained this position now the boy would live with his parents peacefully...” ~ “...continue emerging. Every day there are more and more rumors of a rebellion against us by people who do not consider us worthy of the crown. The ministers advise us to take action on the matter and eradicate these rumors before the words take physical shape, but we will not do such a thing. Why should we? The people are in their right to demand someone with equestrian blood for the throne of the same earth. We are only strangers, we were in the Old Earth and we are now in Equestria, we do not belong to any land. Star Swirl had already warned us about this, that there were those who did not love us more in their affairs. An admirable position in my opinion, but there have been few who have chosen to redo Equestria by the equestres. That majority who begged to see us and adore us, who saw us as messiahs sent to guide them to peace and harmony made us leave the only place we could call home a home. They have the right to ask us to leave. I wonder: What would be their reaction to knowing that someone in this castle fervently shares his opinion and is also a member of the royalty they hate so much?...” ~ “...we had been summoned to travel to Griffonstone today. We have only gone Celestia, Discord and I, Nebula has stayed with Luna in Equestria. I have understood the stratagem of my wife and eldest daughter but I fear that it has not worked. The skepticism of the king before our presence and origins has been quite entertaining. Not because he saw us with childlike curiosity but because of that disbelief of an old man who has seen so little that he does not believe anything. Of course, it has exasperated me a bit by talking about the skills we are proud of, respectively, saying that they were just exaggerations of a frightened people. Celestia on the contrary has not remained silent but has not spoken with imprudence. He proposed to the griffin king to give a sample of his abilities in a public fight. Of course, the king set his standards to this proposal by forbidding Celestia to use her magic and putting her to fight against three of her best warriors. Even with my doubts about this matter Celestia made me agree. I will not say that my daughter has fought without sweating, no, a girl of almost 14 years old no matter how skilled she is still at a disadvantage against three men who have dedicated their lives to combat. Even at a disadvantage, Celestia has achieved the victory and the wrath of the king who was about to kill the warriors for such dishonor towards him losing the fight in front of a girl. Again Celestia has been as quick with the mind as with the sword and has reminded the king of the old custom of his people that the day the undefeated warrior is defeated becomes a slave to the one who has broken his long winning streak for to live in dishonor, so that now they would be slaves of Celestia...” ~ “... I hope I have made myself clear today. The same minister who months ago warned me that it was unbecoming of a princess to know the arts of combat came to me today telling me the greatest folly I could ever hear in my life. ‘The princess is without a doubt a portentous young woman,’ he told me, ‘full of virtues, majesty. But this kingdom... many subjects ask for an heir... who is male.’ I managed to not unleash my anger on that rat as much as I wished. What need is there to have another son just to give him a responsibility that one of my daughters has already proven more than capable of carrying more than a dozen men on his own? And if we tried to conceive another child and another girl was born, what? Leave it aside and try again until I'm no longer the only male alicorn on the world? That miserable rat tried to excuse himself by suggesting it for me, that people started talking about my lack of manhood having conceived only two heirs, both being women and that in the year that we have been in power my wife and I have not given news of expect some other child. I have heard more sensible things come out of the mouth of that draconequus Discord. What does it matter to me what people think of my virility or another of those excuses that mortals seek to point out defects to each other? Men or women, I love my daughters as every father should. What they have between their legs has not been one of my concerns or when they were still in their mother's womb not long before. They are my daughters, my flesh and my blood, the fruit of the love that I have for my wife...” ~ “... Celestia is sick, but not the way I was months ago when I was poisoned. The poor girl spends the day and the night letting out sighs. She rarely sleeps but she does not seem to be sleepy either, she spends the day writing letters that nothing else to send becomes nervous of not having an answer yet. He laughs and smiles always with his cheeks dyed red, he does not walk, he flies, and little does he do to the desserts that weeks ago he would have devoured nothing else. I know that evil, I still suffer. A beautiful evil that has infected a certain Prince griffin my daughter. The same griffin prince with whom he has been exchanging letters since we left Griffonstone. That young man had shown great interest in Celestia from the moment we arrived on his land. I do not know if my daughter noticed it too, but Prince Gavlian, that's his name, did not take his eyes off her while we met him and his father. I also noticed in him a desire to beg his father for moderation when he spoke of us and great concern and amazement when Celestia fought against his warriors...” ~ “...the rumors are no more. Many have left and many have joined the cause against us after my husband announced the changes he had made in the standards for our daughters and the women of the kingdom in general. By changing the rules that prevented the kingdom from having a female heiress among others that prevented women from performing tasks that could be carried out like men, my husband has brought an avalanche of opinions. Some of those who previously conspired against us have separated from the group to see these progressive actions by the hand of my husband. They have come begging us, some forgiveness, others death, for the acts they have committed. They did not believe us when we confirmed that there was no resentment towards their actions and they have confessed everything they knew. Their location, their leaders, every secret they know, information that we have not decided if we will even use. On the other hand many more have seen these reforms as an abuse of power by Galaxus and have turned to the rebels who have promised to stop this before it goes too far...” ~ “... and the war ended before started. The rebels have attacked us while my daughters and son, Galaxus and I were enjoying a walk outside the castle. Farmers and workers mostly, armed a few with real weapons have ambushed us and demanded that we abandon the crown and Equestria immediately. Their leader, I still laugh when I remember his expression when we gave our crowns quietly, those who had them with us, of course, Celestia rarely carries his, Luna still does not receive his and Discord wanted to deliver his beloved lute. The poor, come ready to face those who already fought without help to two races and find that these are delivered without the need of an attack. He did not take it well and saw it as an insult or mockery, until Celestia took a few steps forward. ‘Why,’ she said, ‘should it be a mockery to return their land to those who have lived in them more than their own rulers? They deserve this right more than we do...’” ~ “... Today a new kingdom arises: The Crystal Empire ...” ~