Chapter Two Hundred and Seventeen
The flight through Canterlot was quick and painless, thankfully. And as Celestia mentioned, I could already see Skyhold far off in the distance. Right as we got close to landing, I began to wonder if perhaps my appearance in armor would frighten the ponies more than calm them, but I put it out of my mind.
When we touched down, I helped both of the guards unhook themselves. They didn’t need my assistance, but having hands made it much easier. When both of them were clear, I asked, “Is the princess waiting for me in the throne room?”
“Yes, my lady,” one of the guards said. “If you’d like, we can lead you there.”
“I know the way. Thanks for the lift.” They both bowed and I left, letting my elementals guide me to Celestia. In most of my trips to the palace before, everyone merely stared at me as I walked. Now, most of the maids and guards bowed as I passed them. It was more than I was used to, but I did my best to ignore them.
When I got to Celestia’s throne room, the doors were open and there was no line. The guards beckoned me in as I approached, so I wasted no time walking up to the great princess herself, who oh-so-recently made me some very wonderful waffles. At the moment, she had two guards and an assistant with her.
“Good morning, Nav,” Celestia said when I was close enough. “Are you ready for the promotion event?”
“Yes. You said I mostly just need to stand there, right?”
“I can assure you that your part will be simple,” Celestia replied. “No tricks or surprise additions this time, on my honor. By chance, could you see Skyhold approaching on the way?”
“Yes, but it’s still pretty far out. It’ll probably be at least another hour before it docks.”
“Perfect, right on schedule!” she said with a perfect smile.
“Your highness, I have a question,” her assistant said, her eyes looking me up and down. “Should Lady Navarone be in a dress for this, instead of such imposing armor?”
“No, don’t worry about it,” Celestia replied. The assistant nodded and didn’t say anything else. “Come along, Nav. Let’s head to our carriage. We’ll be slowly rolling through Canterlot, so we should get going now.”
“Alright, lead the way.” The instant I said that, though, I blinked. “Wait, slowly rolling…? Sounds like a parade.”
“Not quite, but close,” Celestia said. “I know you aren’t interested, but it’s necessary. We’ll be taking the open carriage, so the ponies can see us together. Guards will secure a route for us, but there’s no real event planned so it shouldn’t be too crowded until we get to the docks. Are you up for it?”
“I mean, we have to pass the time until then somehow. There’s technically an assassin after me right now, but it would take someone with a brain the size of a gnat and balls the size of a dragon to attack me next to you.”
“Nav… Are you even making the attempt to talk more lady-like?” Celestia asked.
“Didn’t you say we were in a hurry?” I asked.
“You have a wonderful talent for knowing exactly when to retreat. Follow me.” Apparently we were walking instead of teleporting. Her assistant and guards remained behind as the two of us walked back out the way I came in. “I’m surprised you came without any guards at all. Or did you leave before anyone noticed?”
“I’m not sure I want to hear that question from you, princess,” I said. “You just walked out without all of yours, didn’t you?” And as a matter of fact, I did have a guard at the moment. Luna was hiding in my shadow. The fact that Celestia didn’t notice was good, as far as I was concerned.
“Unlike you, there is nobody who serves me that is capable of beating me in a fight,” she smugly replied. “You’d lose against most of the unicorns, Kat, the naga, and Zecora. Thus, you clearly need the guards more than I do.”
“I could win against Kat or the naga if I used Darya. Anyway, I snuck out the back door while most everyone else was eating or getting ready for the day. If it makes you feel any better, I checked to make sure the guards weren’t assassins first.”
“It does, yes,” she replied. “And tell me, how did you check?”
“Used a lie detecting spell and asked. I wasn’t completely unaccompanied at the time, but I didn’t think I needed to worry about anything on the ride over. So, do we need to do anything special on this carriage of yours?”
“Probably not. We may have to wave a little. I’ll have a veil of silence up, so we can talk. I want to hear more about your plans for the village. You’ve said a lot of grand things, but I’d like to hear some more concrete plans. After all, it’ll take a while to get your population up to speed with everything.”
“For the most part, all the individual tasks I’m asking of people should be simple enough that they won’t need much training. But yeah, I’ll definitely need some skilled people before things take off completely. I’m sure someone like you will probably poke holes through the entire thing, though.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Celestia replied, gently bumping into me. “It took more than raising the sun to keep me in power, you know.”
“Yeah, people like Watcher also helped.”
“And people like you, soon-to-be Countess Navarone! If we have time, I’d also like to discuss Skyhold. You’ll have to take great care that the land you harvest resources from is not owned.”
“That would probably be more prudent, as it’s almost here. So, is that the reason we’re walking and not teleporting?”
“Exercise, actually,” Celestia replied. “Much of my time is spent doing paperwork or sitting on a throne. I’d like more time to spar, but I have no one to do it with.”
“You could ask Athena. She probably wouldn’t do anything too terrible to you.”
“That was supposed to be the part where you offered to spar with me, instead.”
“If you want something, take the initiative and ask for it directly. Don’t expect people to fall for your hints. If I was the kind of person to fulfill expectations, that monster wouldn’t have created me.”
“Will you spar with me, Lady Navi?” Celestia sweetly asked.
“No, it would be pointless for you. It wouldn’t even be worth calling exercise. You’d be better off asking someone who can actually hold their own against you, like Luna, Moonie, or Athena. To be honest, I’m not sure learning how to fight in my new body is worth it anymore. As long as Darya is in my head, she can borrow my body and do better with it than I can. And as long as I have vassals like Luna, Watcher, and Kat, the amount of fighting I’ll personally need to do is pretty low anyway.”
“You’ve been on edge for most of the time I’ve known you, Nav,” Celestia said. “It looked like you were ready to dole out a beating at any moment. After Cadance first met you, she called you a whirlwind of violence. While I can’t say the cause of your new sense of relaxation is ideal, I will say that it’s good you’re no longer going to shoot people with no warning.”
“It’s called preemptive self-defense,” I replied. “And if you’re referring to what I think you’re referring to, that was a duel. He’s the one who asked for it, not me.”
“You’re still trying to use that excuse, hm?”
“As someone who was actually there, I feel like I know more about what happened than you. Anyway, if you want exercise, I can use the laptop to look up a variety of horse training. Once I have a few ideas—”
“I can’t wait to watch those videos together!” she said. That wasn’t what I had in mind, but I already knew trying to fight it would be pointless. Oddly enough, my entire shadow quivered for a moment, but I chose not to think about it. “Speaking of which, I’d like to learn more about that machine of yours. I’ve seen it a few times, but I feel like I underestimated its usefulness.”
“I would prefer not to discuss it.”
“Well, that’s a given, isn’t it?” she asked. “You’d prefer not to talk to me at all, right?”
“Don’t take it personally. I’d prefer not to talk to anyone at all.”
“Exactly. Thus, it doesn’t matter to me whether you’d prefer not to discuss it.” I didn’t much care for that self-serving logic, but again, I knew trying to debate it would be a waste of time. “I should point out that I have absolutely no intention of allowing you to escape me, Nav. I will not repeat the mistakes Oldlestia made. Even if you choose not to share my bed, I still won’t allow you to just do as you please without consulting me first.”
“That sounds like Oldlestia to me, actually,” I said.
“No, she allowed you to do what you wanted, hoping it would give her an excuse to take you down. I will listen to your desires and guide you down the path that causes the least harm. I’m sure you likely think that’s arrogant of me and that it’s also something Oldlestia would say. But keep in mind that it’s my responsibility as the last remaining princess of Equestria.”
“Old people are allowed to sound arrogant sometimes, I guess.” She froze in her tracks. Since I didn’t know where we were going, I also had to stop. “Did you forget something?”
“Old?”
“Six thousand, two hundred and counting,” I replied. “I mean, to a human, that’s a lot of years. Or am I wrong?”
“You know, perhaps a dress truly would better suit the occasion?”
“I disagree,” I hastily replied. “Shall we continue? We have a carriage to catch, after all.”
“Hm…”
“I agreed to be here under certain conditions. If those conditions aren’t met, I’ll have questions about how closely I can work with you going forward.”
“Ah, Nav, you truly are such a coward,” she replied with a warm, gentle smile. “It’s refreshing how utterly yellow-bellied and wimpy you are. Oldlestia couldn’t help but laugh when Pyrite told her how you cracked before he even touched you.”
“Thanks.” I thought it was pretty surprising she was talking to Pyrite, but it made sense. After I healed his mind, I’m sure Oldlestia panicked and got in touch with the giant dragon as soon as I made it back to Equestria.
After she enjoyed a bout of giggles, she finally continued walking. I followed alongside her once again. When we finally got to the courtyard with the carriage, I sighed. “Oh? What’s the matter, Navi?”
The carriage was a decently sized platform with a single fancy loveseat on it. With just a single seat, Celestia was clearly expecting us to share it. And since the carriage was completely open, everybody in the city would see us sitting right on top of each other. Appearances are important and all that, so I’d have to be smiling, which would make people think I was actually happy to be sitting next to that hag.
After a few seconds of thought, I just said, “The sigh was my only comment.”
“Well, if you’re sure! Now, let’s have a seat, shall we?” The guards waiting in the courtyard were already hooking themselves up to the carriage. Delaying the inevitable would be pointless, so I sighed again, stretched my wings, and flew up onto the carriage. Celestia hopped up next and took her seat first, then patted the cushion next to her. There was very little space left, which meant I would absolutely be pressed into her side.
With my armor, that was more her problem than mine, so I sighed a final time before carefully sitting next to her. As soon as I was settled, one of her large wings wrapped around me. There was no escaping.
“We’re ready,” Celestia called down. “We can leave whenever you’re all hooked up.”
The guards were professionals, so they were already prepared. As soon as Celestia gave the word, they took off, easily pulling our carriage into motion. The carriage could probably travel through the air, but it seemed we would be taking the roads like plebeians.
“You know, Nav, now that you’re closer, I feel something… special between us.” The smile on Celestia’s face wasn’t very comforting. “Oh, and I should point out that I put up a barrier around us. Nobody can hear a thing.”
“Please be more specific about the feeling you’re experiencing,” I said.
“Well, I’ve been curious for some time now, but getting pressed together like this confirmed it for me…” Her voice was deep and breathy and made me want to push myself away.
Sadly, there was no room to escape. “That statement included none of the information I was hoping for about the feeling you’re experiencing. Please explain in a way that I can understand.”
“You aren’t without a guard at all. Isn’t that right, Luna?”
“Oh, that’s correct,” I said. “She’s hiding in my shadow.”
“Ah, I see,” Celestia said, relaxing in her seat. “So you’re still on guard against me.”
“I’m on guard thanks to the threat I got recently. Or have you already forgotten? Luna was there when the chariot landed and we both considered the possibility that flying publicly would make me a target. I decided it would be better to have her stealthily watching over me in an attempt to draw the assassins out while my strongest guard is there. Besides, I wouldn’t just use Luna against you. I’d ambush you with Luna, Cadance, and Moonbeam, plus a few golems and elementals for good measure.”
“Hm, I see… It appears I have many relationships I need to mend. I don’t want so many powerful enemies. It would be better if they liked me even more. I’d quite like my sister, my niece, and my teacher back in my life. Or are you only able to feel relaxed around me when the balance of power is on your side?”
“You could kill me instantly at any time,” I replied. “You’ve always been more powerful than I am. I just so happen to have learned the magic of friendship. That granted me the ability to take down the evil empress, Oldlestia herself. But as I told her time and time again, I never wanted it to come to a fight. So, as a matter of fact, I would be relieved if you built your relationships back up. Hopefully relearning the magic of friendship for yourself will ensure you don’t fall back down her path. All it means is that instead of helping me in a fight, they’ll help mediate any fights between us instead.”
“I’m happy to hear that. Now, shall we discuss this ship of yours? It seems the most topical.”
“Skyhold. City of craftsmen and tinkerers. It’s where I plan to put a good chunk of my industry and research. Products will be teleported from the ship to one of our warehouses, then delivered to where they’ll be sold. In turn, resources will be teleported onto the ship from other warehouses, where they’ll be turned into goods. As the ship travels, the people on board will try to learn from local crafters, preserving techniques that can be taught to others later. They can also work with local cities to do things like upgrading facilities, improving infrastructure, and overhauling industrial practices, all for a price. That was my basic idea for the city.”
“Have you pitched this idea to those working on board the ship now?” Celestia asked.
“I mentioned it to Jak, who seemed excited by the idea. I haven’t spoken to the others yet, but Jak did assure me that several minotaurs would be very interested in the idea. Apparently they have a custom where ascending to certain ranks requires going on a journey around the world, learning from others as they travel, all in the goal of bringing knowledge back to their city. Working on board my ship would be a much safer and faster shortcut. Once I have the ship outfitted well, stocked, and have a decent baseline amount of crew, I’ll start advertising in papers for more talent. And in the long term, I intend to recruit people who graduate from my college. Plus, to be honest, I imagine we’ll get people interested if you mention my plan for the ship while it’s being unveiled today.”
“True. So you have plans for recruitment. Will you also recruit local talent, if you find anyone worthy on the ship’s travels?”
“I’ll probably leave that up to the people doing the recruiting. If there’s room on the ship, the person is willing, and they’re talented enough, I have no issue from where a person is recruited. Plus, the elementals can give knowledge to people, which should make getting them up to speed much easier. We might use that method sparingly, though, until we have a more thorough understanding of the side effects.”
“Side effects?”
“Every craftsman does something different. Maybe it’s how they hold their tools. Perhaps the order they do things is off. Or they might use a different method that leads to the same result. Over a long enough period of time, all those differences add up to various branching techniques. But what if everyone is educated using memories downloaded directly from another person? Differences would be impossible, as the people learning would never have a chance to develop a technique of their own. They’d just be using copied skills. Even if they do go on to develop the skills to fit their own bodies, new students would still be learning the copied skills instead of developing their own types of mastery.”
“So, technological stagnation.”
“I don’t think it would be immediate, and it could be mitigated by copying the memories of several craftsmen and transferring them all during the process. But adding that many memories might risk messing with the person’s mind, their very sense of self. Better to just use that method sparingly, I think.
“Wise. Airships are not free. Have you thought about how you’ll calculate taxes from the craftsponies?”
“No. I’ll try to be as reasonable as possible with it, because giving the crafters a chance at some nice money is one way to help ensure their loyalty. My primary goal with this endeavor isn’t to make money, but to encourage technological progression. Of course, I still predict that it’ll make money hand over fist, but that’s not the goal. As for actual operating costs, there shouldn’t be much. All the food is grown at the Zone and teleported directly to the ship. The bugs that Jonathan controls perform most of the maintenance. The price of the resources should be offset by the products they sell.”
“It seems you’ve really put some thought into this.”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think at night. I also have a lot of stories to pull ideas from. Magic is as stupidly overpowered here as it is in some of the books I read and the movies I watched in my fake memories.”
“How useful. Speaking of, I heard the books from another world recently exploded. Along with art from another world and even music from another world.”
“The elementals had fun while I was in the coma. In exchange, I’m giving them a decent chunk of the profits.”
“Is that wise?”
“What am I supposed to do, not pay them? Sorry, these veins don’t pump any red commie blood. My blood is a nice and pretty gold.” Literally, as it happened. Turning part tree changed the color of my blood so that it was a rich amber.
“Is that nonsensical joke supposed to be your excuse for giving those machines even more power?” Celestia asked.
“I couldn’t think of any argument for saying no to their request that didn’t come across as blatantly mistrustful, and that’s no way to treat an ally. To be honest, I tried to give them a larger percentage, but they turned me down. I’m confident that we’re working toward the same goals, even if we don’t necessarily have the same methods. Besides, if the water elementals want money, they can pretty easily get it. I think they made a decent chunk of change by healing Bloodbeak.”
“Pardon the interruption,” Darya said from my mouth. “That money is being used for our personal interests. Nothing threatening.”
“Machines have hobbies?” Celestia asked.
“They might also be referred to as specializations,” Darya said. “Whether or not the fulfillment we get for partaking in these specializations can be described as enjoyment is a debate for others. As an example, the skill imprints that remain in me from Aqua gave me a combat specialization. Thus, I have been asking my sisters to collect weapons of interest as they find them in their travels. As another example, Flo has a specialization in music. She has requested that we look for books on music and unique instruments.”
“I wanna hear her play them,” I said, taking my mouth back over. “Celestia, if you’re that worried about them, we can get them all together at some point and come up with a list of rules we think they should abide by. Although I’ll preemptively point out that any such laws we make will mostly just be for peace-of-mind, as we really don’t have any way to enforce them.”
“That is not true,” Darya said, taking my mouth over again. “We already know that it is possible to imprison elementals. That is what started your quest, is it not?”
“Oh yeah, that. It’s been so long since we saved the last fire that it slipped my mind. Hey, while we’re prepping for the Tartarus invasion, should we look for the earth elemental?”
“It is in China,” Darya said, still using my body to talk. “We were going to mention it when you began making plans to deal with the bounty hunters. The deal we made with Aerie would prevent us from going too far out of our way to save the earth until we deal with the last fire, but I’m sure she would understand if we explained it to her.”
“That’ll be a fun conversation. I guess we have several reasons to go over there now. Celestia, do you have an easy way of getting to China?”
“I’m afraid not,” she replied.
“Well, I’ll figure something out. Oh, do you mind if I break China?”
“Do as you wish,” Celestia said with a shrug. “Though I am morally obligated to ask what you mean by break.”
“I mean, someone there was dumb enough and rich enough to put a bounty out on me. Taking him out is going to cause some issues. And after this latest threat, I’m not really interested in being subtle.”
“Nav, have you ever been subtle in anything you’ve done?”
“So by the time I leave, things over there might be a little different. Hopefully a little more pro-human, if I have my way.”
“Well, whatever. As long as you don’t cause problems for Equestria, I really don’t care. You say you have several reasons, though. The bounty is one, the earth elemental is the second. What are the others?”
“There’s supposedly another book with gods in them in China,” I said. “I want to find it. I also want to see what goods they sell. Teleport circles would make looping them in pretty easy, I think. Even if they have nothing to sell, I’m sure they’ll be interested in buying stuff.”
“Nav, you already have one book full of insane gods. Do you really want another one?”
“The gods in this new book supposedly have a relationship with the gods in the one I have. I figure, if I’m already nearby, I might as well do them a favor by helping them catch up with old friends. And, if I’m lucky, they’ll all kill each other and we won’t have to deal with them anymore. The combination of big mommy milker Hera and playful little girl Athena is scary, I must say.”
“You really mustn’t,” Celestia replied with a sigh. “Cadance told me your behavior around them was quite different than she was expecting. Almost like you weren’t actually afraid. Or maybe more like you were purposefully courting danger?”
“It’s weird she would say that. Anyway, should we get back on topic? Is there anything else you wanted to ask about Skyhold?”
As a matter of fact, there was. She asked me several questions, many of which I didn’t have ideal answers for. Once again, I felt the difference in years between us. After Skyhold, we discussed my ideas for a trading company. Before we could really get too deep into that discussion, we finally arrived.
With the size of Skyhold, there were only so many places where a dock could be built for it. That meant, in effect, Celestia turned a very expensive piece of land into a skydock just for me. The entire place was surrounded by a privacy fence, with a small side entrance that we casually snuck into. This unimportant event began feeling somewhat more uncomfortable when I took in the size of the new facility.
Several cargo-elevators had been dug into the mountain, presumably for underground storage. It had easy access to the dock itself, where cargo could be quickly moved from any ships. At the moment, wagons hooked up to wooden golems were moving large blocks of stone from the elevators to the large warehouse attached to the dock itself. It stretched out along a large platform built off the side of the cliff. It could accommodate Skyhold, as long as the pilot was careful. It could also accommodate half a dozen normal airships.
I’m sure the neighbors would be complaining about the ruined view.
“This is it,” she said as she fluttered down from our carriage. “We bypassed the largest crowd, but we’ll see them when we get to the stage. Quite a lot of ponies are here to see your achievements glorified, Nav.”
“Thank you for not making me give any speeches. Say… are other people going to be using this skydock?”
“You intend to create many airships in the future,” Celestia said. “At the moment, they’re mostly used by rich nobles and well-funded companies. But you already hired mercenaries for the purpose of obtaining more ships, in fact. Luna always enjoyed pirate hunting. Give her a proper fleet and the right crew and she’ll rule the seas once again. I just hope she doesn’t sink all their ships in her excitement.”
“Luna, I want as many of the pirates kept alive as possible, so do be gentle,” I said. My shadow quivered again. “Do we have time to look around or should we head straight to the stage?”
Celestia turned and looked out to the horizon, where Skyhold was slowing down and beginning docking maneuvers. “No, best we hurry to meet with the event planner. It’ll still be at least half an hour before we begin, but you’ll spend more than that just chatting with the dockworkers.”
Rude, but not inaccurate. She began leading the way. “I’ll tour it later, then,” I said. “This dock is closer to my home than the one I usually use, so I’m sure I’ll be back. Luna advised that I send a vassal to negotiate with the merchant guilds of other cities to buy land.”
“She advised you well, but I would recommend using a different vassal. Send someone good with words, like Watcher. Go light on the bribes, so they know you’re smart but don’t think you’re a pushover. If any of them try extorting more, let me know and I’ll squash them.”
“And how much of a cut are you getting, again?”
“Taxation is fairly determined for everyone, noble and commoner alike,” Celestia sweetly replied. “It just so happens that the more money is moved, the more trickles back into my hooves.”
“You mean the hooves of the people, as that money is spent to improve the country,” I said.
“Hm? Yes, right, of course. Well, you’re going to be moving a lot of bits, Nav. That means the trickle coming to me will soon become a flow. With time, perhaps it will be a flood.”
“If you tax me too heavily, I’m throwing tea in the harbor and holing up in the woods.”
“It doesn’t matter how poor you make the ponies, Nav. They’ll never drink bitter harbor tea. The thought of it makes my fur stand up straight! Anyway, it’s time to behave. You should see the crowd soon. Or more accurately, soon they’ll see us.”
I put on a neutral smile and did my best to appear noble. Celestia didn’t yell at me and Flo didn’t complain, so I assume it worked.
The stage we walked out onto was already covered in trophies. One glass cabinet held numerous glowing jewels. The big centerpiece was carved into the shape of a realistic human heart. Another cabinet held all manner of fancy chemistry equipment, along with several colorful potions arranged in fanciful crystal jars. Several of the larger monsters we killed had been stuffed and displayed in one corner.
Even as we walked closer, a mare I once worked with quite closely was directing laborers around. At the moment, they were bringing in a few carts of exotic and unique plants, things not of a normal world. “Remember to take care,” Miss Crabapple said. Her voice still sounded somewhat harsh, but it didn’t have quite the same intensity. “There’s no telling what any of these plants do, really. Dropping one could poison us all.” The workers suddenly seemed much more concerned.
“That’s probably not true,” I replied. “You should take care, but nothing here is dangerous.”
“I remember you being fairly dangerous, Lady Navarone,” Crabby said. “Though you were not a lady, not back then. I see you’re still more comfortable in armor than a dress.”
“The caress of hard steel is sweeter than the whisper of soft silk,” I said. “It’s good to see you again. I heard you’ll be working in a new job soon, though.”
“Yes indeed, my lady,” she said, actually smiling. “I’m to be a magistrate in a burgeoning village. Not a mining town, but still a promising one. But before that, this event must succeed. Are you prepared, Princess Celestia?”
“I am. The ship should be docked within minutes. The golems will begin marching as soon as they’re anchored in place. I’d like to begin right after they all line up on stage.”
“There’s one more batch of trophies, but we’ll be done soon,” Crabapple said. “Artifacts of the old ones, the workers called them. Did you raid another ancient underground stronghold?”
“I did,” I replied. “This time, it was on purpose, so I actually came back with trophies and tales of glory. Though personally, I prefer the trophies.”
“Did you make a ship that large to drag them all back?” Crabby asked, turning her head toward the massive boat still easing toward us.
“No, that ship is one of the trophies,” Celestia replied. “This entire dock was built to showcase it.”
“It seems I’m in the wrong business,” Crabapple said. For once, she actually sounded impressed. “Being an adventurer pays better than I expected.”
“Not if you were one of the corpses I had to walk by on the way to my prize,” I replied with a shrug. “The Zone of Alienation is notorious among the right crowd as a place where people go but don’t return. My team conquered it.”
“Perhaps I chose correctly after all,” Crabby replied. “Princess, would you like to check any of the preparations before we begin?”
“We’re here early, so we might as well,” Celestia said. “Nav, look over the exhibits. I’m going to check the audio.”
“Check for cracks in the glass and anything that looks misaligned,” Crabapple said as Celestia walked to the main podium. At the moment, the giant crowd could already see us and they went silent as Celestia moved. “I just finished checking, but it won’t hurt to look again.”
As I took in all the trophies displayed on the stage, I began wondering if maybe this event was more important than I thought. Sure, it was just a pony rank, but it was clear that a lot of effort went into making sure everything was shined and laid out in a way that looked elegant and tasteful. The building itself would have taken time, effort, energy, and resources to put together. All of it was happening because of me. Or more accurately, because of the things I and my team accomplished.
The thought of it felt weird, so I decided to keep considering it unimportant instead.
“Hiding from reality won’t change anything,” Flo whispered in my ear.
Everyone knows that lies become facts more often than truth becomes lies.
“That may be true, but it’s no reason to turn your head from the truth,” Darya said. “You mean everything to these ponies, Navarone. Pretending otherwise is cruel to them, is it not?”
I don’t know about cruel, but it does seem that I’m more cared about than I expected. Well, do either of you see any problems with the displays?
“No, they’re fine,” Flo said. “They’re probably better than the display you’ll put on, in fact.”
That’s not very nice. But it was also probably true, so I put it out of my mind and walked back over to Crabapple. “Everything looks good,” I said.
“Perfect,” she replied with a nod. “Hm, that crowd is growing bigger by the minute, isn’t it?” I turned to look back at it. Since the last time I had really looked, a few hundred pegasi showed up with clouds to lounge on. It had the nice benefit of blocking the sun for the scores of earth ponies and unicorns milling about below.
“Well… Those who didn’t hear the official announcement surely would have noticed the big airship,” I said. “It has quite the presence, after all. I’m sure it’ll be the talk of the town for a while.”
“I had the opportunity to see it beforehoof, so I was prepared for its size,” Crabapple said. “But seeing it here, next to Canterlot, really drives it home. Who would build something this big, and why?”
“It was an ancient race of creatures that came after humans. They had some very powerful technology scavenged from human ruins that they mixed really well with the magic that was beginning to reemerge. This ship in particular was full of mining equipment to scavenge the same ruin I found all this stuff at. They failed and abandoned the ship, so I took it.”
“I see. Thus, relics of the ancient ones. Were ponies around back then?”
“No. Ponies weren’t created until much later. That means it’s considerably more than six thousand years old. Anyway, is there anything else we need to check?”
“No, I believe we’re prepared,” Crabapple replied, looking around the stage. Celestia was checking the magical audio, so we got to hear her pleasant voice ringing around the place. Sadly, just hearing it made the ponies in the crowd cheer. “It was much easier to put this event together than the beauty pageant. I applaud Fleur’s skills.”
“Yeah, she’s a trooper. Do you know where I’ll be standing on the stage?”
“Next to the princess, of course,” she replied. “Oh, and it seems a few familiar faces are in the crowd.” I looked where she was pointing and saw several people from my house, along with Cadance and her family. I couldn’t help but smile when Skyla waved.
“I said they didn’t need to come, but I guess they disagreed. Well, if there’s nothing left to check, shall we join the princess?”
“Oh, no,” she replied, shaking her head. “I’m not going to be on stage. You should join her, though.”
“Before I go, do you know if the princess is planning on surprising me with anything unplanned?” She already promised she wouldn’t, but…
“No?” she replied, tilting her head. “That seems like a strange thing to ask, my lady.”
“It’s a thing she likes to do. I still get flashbacks to being named the Defender of Harmony. Anyway, I’ll just tickle her if she tries.”
“Please don’t do that. This event being ruined would make it much harder for me to act as your magistrate.”
“Then I’ll tickle her after. You have to act as a witness, though. Now, I’ll see you later.” I departed, walking across the stage over to Celestia. At the moment, she was saying tongue-twisters into the magic mic.
When she finished the last one, her head turned my way. “Nav, would you care to join me at the mic?”
“No thanks, I’m good.”
“Oh, don’t be a foal,” she replied, using magic to gently tug me over. “It’s always good to take time to address the ponies, don’t you think?”
“I’m more of the strong, silent type, aren’t I?” I faintly thought I heard a pink princess shouting and calling me a liar from the crowd, but I was probably imagining it.
“Well, it won’t hurt to answer a few questions! We need to make sure the audio works, right?”
“Sure.”
“Alright, we’ll start with this! What’s your favorite color, Navi?”
“It used to be orange, but after becoming part tree, I now prefer green.” I’m not sure why she was asking me that in front of a massive crowd, but I didn’t let it surprise me. I couldn’t stop myself from being surprised by the cheers from all the ponies, though. It seemed that the ponies with green fur or hair cheered even louder.
“Correct! How do you enjoy the weather in Equestria?”
“Getting used to people literally controlling the weather took a while, but I do prefer it. Weather on its own can be dangerous.” This time, there was mostly cheering from the pegasi in the sky, but the groundies also made plenty of noise.
“Fascinating! Next, can you describe your favorite princess in a few kind words?”
“She’s pink, married, and has one of the cutest fillies.” Only a very small section of the crowd cheered at that answer. It was comprised of the pink princess, her husband, and their filly.
“I’m sorry, that’s the wrong answer,” Celestia replied. Cadance booed, but Celestia kept talking like nothing happened. “Now, my last question: Will you please step back? It’s time to begin.”
I did as she asked, taking a few steps back. This time, the whole crowd went nuts. Apparently they were upset that I was sharing the spotlight. I didn’t let myself get depressed, though, as the sight of rock and metal golems marching across the stage filled me with joy. When I looked back behind the stage, I saw Jak and several of his flunkies with control crystals for the golems.
“I’m sure you’ve all noticed a few interesting and new sights today, my little ponies,” Celestia said. “These were all brought to you by Lady Navarone. Well, as of today, she’ll be Countess Navarone.”
The crowd was silent for a few seconds before bursting out into clapping and cheering again. The sight of it made me wonder yet again if maybe this event was more important than I thought, but I put it out of my mind again. After all, important or not, my only job was to stand in place.
“These metal and rock constructs are called golems and are controlled by magic. Countess Navarone learned how to create them from an ancient mage she found on her journeys. She’s promised me all kinds of fun inventions that use golems, like automatic carriages, increased manufacturing abilities, and so much more. I’ve seen some of the things her inventors have created and I was impressed.”
This time, rather than cheering, the ponies were murmuring. Most of them probably didn’t know what Celestia was talking about. It would be hard to explain a motor to someone who had never seen one, after all.
She didn’t let that bother her, and continued, “You’ve probably also all noticed the display cases. Even more noticeable is the enormous airship. All of these are trophies from the Zone of Alienation. Most of you have likely never heard of it before. Those of you who have know of it as an ancient ruin that several expeditions have failed to breach. The guardians were too much for most people, but not Countess Navarone and her vassals. The treasures she found there are beyond priceless. It is not an exaggeration to say that the future of our entire race might change.”
I wanted to say that was wrong, but after thinking it over, I realized she was probably right. If all my plans worked out the way I hoped, life really would change for the ponies. Increased access to food via nanomachine farming would shoot the population up. More access to goods due to teleport circles, airships, and golem manufacturing plants would make life easier and safer. Training more monster hunters at academies would lead to fewer needless deaths.
“In truth, I had plans to promote her to baroness, but that was before she went to the Zone of Alienation,” Celestia said, continuing. “Because of her accomplishments and, if I’m allowed a slight amount of crassness, the vast amount of loot that she found, there can be no debate that she deserves more. As she is now a countess, she is in the process of building a village near the Everfree forest, not too far from Ponyville. She also happened to find a way to purify the evil forest itself. In time, it will no longer be a blight upon this land.”
When Celestia paused, the ponies once again exploded into cheers. Say, how many claps does it take for something to be considered an important event?
“Are you finally starting to accept reality?” Flo asked.
“I believe the answer is entirely subjective,” Darya replied, actually being helpful. Sadly, she ruined it by adding, “With my limited experience, this event seems incredibly important. My sisters also seem to agree. You are the aberration here, my lady.”
That’s not a very nice word.
“Would you prefer the word abnormal? Ah, it seems you’re just using us to distract yourself from the truth.”
“We should leave you to enjoy the festivities,” Flo said with a giggle. My two brain leeches shut up, leaving me alone in the face of the massive crowd of cheering horses.
Well, not alone. Celestia glanced my way with a small smile for a moment before continuing. “Many of you know of Countess Navarone as a warrior rather than a merchant or an inventor, but that is because she has wisely kept her investments secret, while her inventions have mostly been presented through me, Princess Gilda of the griffin kingdom, and Queen Chrysalis of the changelings. She’s also made trade much easier by introducing us to numerous exotic races, finding new locations to put ports, and fostering goodwill throughout the world. If her newest ideas pan out, and I do not doubt that they will, she will soon become an integral part of our economy. Expect more goods of all kinds available in your markets soon. You should also prepare yourself to see even more new races walking the streets of Canterlot.”
Cheers rang out again, though I’m not sure if the people knew what they were cheering for. I considered them fairly xenophobic, so it seemed odd that they’d clap for bringing in more different races. Maybe that was just my impression as a human surrounded by fae, though.
“Many of you are also aware of the pageant Navarone is participating in. That, too, was a brainchild between her and Fleur de Lis as a way to bring us closer to other races. Judging by the results so far, I’d say that it’s working. Most ponies weren’t even aware there was a kingdom of deer in the Whitetail Forest near Ponyville, but now they’re here, participating in this pageant. The changelings, once thought of as nightmares out of a fairy tail, are competing peacefully as well. Griffins, a species seen here so rarely that some didn’t even know they existed, are now a common sight. Even the powerful dragons and mysterious cats sent a representative. None of this would have been possible without our newest countess.”
That wasn’t entirely accurate. The most I did to plan the pageant was mention the idea to Fleur. She was the one who chose to run with it. That didn’t stop the ponies from cheering again, though.
“Her plans for the airship behind me also involve building friendship between races,” Celestia said, continuing her speech. “The ship has been dubbed Skyhold, a floating city of crafters that learn and sell their wares or services as they travel from land to land. Their first destination after Canterlot will be Minos, the city of minotaurs, where they’ll trade knowledge of magic runes. So far, scientists, tinkerers, and inventors from several different races have gathered aboard, but there’s plenty of room for more. The countess has said she’ll be recruiting, so if you’re confident in your skills and would like to be involved in a new project, you should come by this shipyard later. There will be a place you can apply. As it’s an airship, space is limited, but I’m sure you all can tell that there’s plenty of room.”
And judging by the sound of the cheers, there were plenty of suckers lining up to fill those rooms for me. In hindsight, though, I didn’t really consider how low the population of Equestria really was. If I took enough blacksmiths to fill up the entire ship, there might not be enough left on the surface to continue making everyday items like nails and hinges. Sure, that was the point of sending the ship traveling, but it would still take a while to find enough people.
“The plans for her village near the Everfree will also lead to greater harmony,” Celestia said. “Of the first batch of residents, only a very small number will be ponies. Our new neighbors will be monkeys, changelings, naga, and a new race of bipedal lizardfolk called kobolds. Many of you have never heard of naga, most of you didn’t know there were intelligent monkeys, and no pony ever met the kobolds before Countess Navarone discovered them. One of the facilities she’s building is a university, where we can learn new techniques from those races and where they can learn from us. She’ll also be teaching human knowledge, which can be combined with magic to do amazing things. She’s working closely with Princess Gilda and Queen Chrysalis to form similar academies in their territories in the hope that we can all share knowledge together. So far, they’ve improved on several types of magical engines, recreated a method that allows for instant communication, and created the golems you see here on stage. When she has more resources in place, it’s likely these inventions will become available for sale.”
Some of those may have sounded too good to be true, but that didn’t stop the ponies from cheering. Radios were actually pretty simple to build, once you knew how, but I didn’t want to spread knowledge of them just yet. They were such powerful tools that I’d gain more by monopolizing them for a while than I would selling them. I didn’t mind selling the engines or the golems, though. Most people wouldn’t really know what to do with them until after I had enough of a lead that catching up would be difficult.
“There are some ponies who do not know of any other noble rank aside from the standard lords and ladies,” Celestia said. “Barons are nobles that rule over large cities. Counts are nobles that rule over regions with a large population. Dukes are nobles that help me govern portions of the country itself. Countess Navarone’s Everfree Forest is an enormous piece of land near the capital that has been a threat to everypony for a thousand years. The countess has formed a plan to cleanse the land of corruption and is already working towards it. The first town she intends to build there will also likely become a center of both trade and learning. There may be some among you that say she should not have this privilege until the town actually pans out. Well, as Countess Navarone herself apparently once put it, when all her plans begin coming together, she’ll be earning more gold than me, the ruler of the largest nation on the planet. It’s not a prophecy or a prediction, but simply a matter of time. After hearing her plans for myself, I cannot disagree. And with the authority of a countess, that time will be much shorter.”
The crowd seemed confused again, which was no surprise. To people who don’t know much about the economy, it would seem weird for a single person to be making more than a government. In my time, it was already becoming obvious that the true rulers of the globe were corporations. Ava basically confirmed that they took over. As proof, the only intact human area I discovered so far in the US was one that belonged to Google, not the government. The one in the Antarctic also didn’t seem to be affiliated with the Russian government itself.
Well, in Equestria, I would be the only one teleporting goods and using radios for a while. It would give me an opportunity to take over a huge chunk of the transportation industry. In time, I’d be able to take over most private markets. Convenience stores would be next. Beating blacksmiths might be difficult, but the variety of goods would probably still win out in the end. It truly would be akin to Walmart destroying local businesses.
“Be careful there, Nav,” Flo whispered in my ear. “Your self-awareness is kicking in. Next thing you know, you’ll start thinking of this as an important event!”
“Large businesses overtaking small businesses only to collapse into smaller businesses is how the market works,” Darya said. “But in your case, as someone who will likely live for a long time, I don’t foresee your business collapsing. Do be wary, my lady. The cutie marks tie ponies to purpose. If you destroy that purpose, they will be desperate. And if your corporation ends in rampant consumerism that destroys all purpose in their lives before their lives can even begin, you’ll be left with a population that quite literally can’t grow up, as they don’t go through puberty until they get a cutie mark.”
That sounds a lot like something we should talk to Celestia about later. I can’t say ponies are my favorite creatures, but I don’t want to destroy them. I just want a wonderful life of convenience again. But I have a more pressing question. Why is Celestia telling everyone this in the first place? Sure, she’s not spelling my plans out, but I’m going to be swarmed by people everywhere I go because of this.
“Becoming a countess will draw in all manner of pests,” Flo replied. “Better to have investors than someone who just wants to talk about your new rank.”
I don’t need or want investors, just employees who will do as they’re paid to do. I already have money aplenty and I don’t want to share my profits with people I don’t know. That’s it, I’m done making public appearances for a few weeks after the pageant.
Neither of my elementals replied, allowing Celestia to continue without competition. “In terms of other achievements, Navarone has so many that it is difficult to count them all. She has discovered and rescued a race of water-like beings that can heal any sickness, recover any ailment, and even restore lost limbs. There aren’t many of their kind left, but they are eager to help whoever needs it, and have recently helped heal King Bloodbeak of the griffins from the brink of death itself. They are called water elementals, and you may have seen a few of them around Canterlot. She has also found a related race called fire elementals, who specialize in fighting and have agreed to help defend Equestria as thanks for being rescued.”
Fire elementals could also heal, but were probably much less willing to. Equestrians would also be much less likely to approach someone as scary as the fires. The water elementals appeared uncanny at times, but at least they didn’t normally seem threatening. Regardless, it didn’t really seem like an achievement that should be spread around. That would make the waters a target. It would also increase the amount of people trying to bother me, looking for healing or something.
“Some time ago, Navarone discovered an enchanted book with a very powerful mage living inside,” Celestia said, continuing. “To get to her, one first had to fight their way through a deadly dungeon full of traps and monsters. With the help of my student, Twilight Sparkle, Navarone bested the dungeon and befriended the ancient witch. The magic she gave us powers these golems you see before you. Each is capable of moving for a week after being topped off with magic. They can perform manual labor like digging, moving boxes, and pulling wagons. They can be made of metal, stone, wood, paper, and more. To be honest, the depth of that mage’s skill, power, and age outstrip my own so much that she wouldn’t even consider me to be a foal. Luckily, she’s willing to teach any who are powerful enough to conquer her labyrinth, like myself.”
That was definitely something she shouldn’t have said out loud. Not only would I have merchants swarming me for investments, now I’d have weirdos swarming me for access to the book. Well, that was probably fine. Athena and Hera would enjoy the company. Or more likely, the two of them would enjoy watching ponies getting their souls sucked out.
“There was a traitorous noble hiding in Africa, abusing his magic to terrorize the population. Navarone acted as my hooves in that faraway land, dragging Pertz back to Equestria to face justice. The information I learned from that traitor allowed me to deal with several others, leaving Equestria more secure for us all. Despite my efforts, they still attempted to take the life of Navarone in revenge, but she survived and allowed us to finally deal with the last of them. Thanks to her, Equestria has been allowed to remain at peace, our honor and dignity intact.”
Celestia seemed to be leaking a lot more classified information than I was expecting. As the person in charge of classifying things, that technically was her right, but it was getting hard for me to keep a straight face.
“Far to the south, as far as one can go, in a land of naught but ice and snow and darkness, Navarone and her crew fought and slaughtered hordes of undead while guarding a group of civilians. Wave after wave, night after night, they fought on. Finally, the head of the horde appeared, an ancient undead dragon. It lays in peace once more. My adopted son, Spike, gave the final blow. He went on Navarone’s journey to learn and has done a magnificent job of growing under her tutelage.”
The poor dragon appeared to be cringing out in the crowd. Shiny, who was standing next to him, reared up and rubbed Spike’s head with a hoof. I hadn’t really considered it at the time, but I essentially dragged an adopted prince off on a journey away from home. That gave me yet another weird feeling in my chest, so I decided to stop thinking about it.
“In truth, I feel I could list her exploits until the sun goes down. Defeating a rogue fallen mage who took over an abandoned tower. Exploring and mapping the Everfree. Writing bestiaries full of knowledge. Supporting the arts. Donating to a clown college. Saving the changelings and the crystal ponies. Protecting several princesses from assassins. In truth, there are times she sounds more like a hero from a story than a real person. Well, in my mind, heroes are to be rewarded. All of this and more is why I now dub you Countess Navarone. As your proof of nobility, I grant you this.”
Her horn lit up and my sword slid out of its sheath. She used it to slice off a strand of her mane, which continued moving even after being removed, and secured it to where my cape was tied to my armor as my sword slid back away. Thankfully, the hair was currently billowing away from me. My surprise at the offering was shared by the ponies, as they were all gasping. Even Cadance, Shiny, and Twilight were shocked.
“As the Defender of Harmony, a countess, an ambassador, and an unparalleled hero, I can think of nothing more appropriate. While you act in your capacity as a noble, you act for me. While you speak in your capacity as a noble, you speak for me. While you wear this badge, act in a way that is unimpeachable.”
The strand of hair suddenly felt much heavier, dragged down as it was by the weight of responsibility. Despite that, it continued flowing with ease. I couldn’t tell if I managed to stay calm, but it was much more difficult with Flo giggling at me in the background. The smile on Celestia’s face told me she was definitely enjoying herself. Once again, I couldn’t help but feel that I fell into a trap.
The rest of the ceremony wasn’t all that interesting. I got a medal made of pure diamond to celebrate my victory over the Zone of Alienation. The ponies were allowed to come up in small groups to look at the trophies and the golems. They were also allowed to tour the deck of the massive airship, which was covered in a mix of new inventions, large bugs moving things, and rare raw materials. The guards made sure to watch everyone like hawks so nothing went missing.
Luckily, I didn’t have to talk to any of them. Unluckily, it was because Celestia dragged me off. She wanted a tour of Skyhold’s internals and decided I was the best person for the job. That definitely wasn’t true, so I drafted Jak into joining us. I had taken two tours of Skyhold before. First, when I claimed it as my own. Second, after it began its journey back. Things had definitely changed, so I allowed the head researcher to lead the way.
Once we got under the deck, I finally sighed in relief. “That was tiring,” I muttered.
“Nav, you just stood there,” Celestia replied, gently patting my back with a wing. “Do you have no praise at all for my excellent delivery?”
“Woo hoo, I guess? And what’s up with this hair? Is it always going to do this?”
“During the day, at least,” she replied. Right as she said it, the hair began flowing toward me instead and began caressing my face. “I’ve never given something so personal out before, Nav. I hope you treasure it always!”
“Isn’t giving someone your hair a stalker-type move?” This time, the hair tugged on my ear, but stopped as soon as my shadow quivered again. “Luna, just come out. I’m sure a tour of the ship would be good for you, too.”
“Yes, my lady,” Luna replied as she suddenly appeared from my shadow. “If you would like, I can pacify that stalker’s gift.”
“I am not a stalker,” Celestia replied. “There is absolutely nothing weird about having soldiers keep an eye on you at all!”
“Hm, that does seem normal, actually…” Luna muttered.
“What about using magic to watch from someone’s eyes?” I asked.
“Completely standard!” Celestia replied with a firm nod.
“Right, it doesn’t seem unusual to me, either,” Luna added. “And now that I think of it, is giving your hair away truly that unusual?”
“I certainly don’t think so,” Celestia said. “I’d be happy to give you so much more, but I couldn’t think of anything more intimate. And yet now you call me a stalker! I can’t believe you’d stomp all over my feelings in such a way… Oh, wait, yes I can. This is you we’re talking about, after all.”
“My lady, shall I give you my hair as well?” Luna sweetly asked, looking up at me with hope in her eyes.
“No, thank you. Let’s ask a neutral third party. Jak, what do you think about giving someone your own hair as a present?”
“No comment,” he immediately replied. “I’m ready to begin the tour as soon as you are, your highness.”
“Hm, I suppose,” Celestia said with a small sigh. “We can talk about how Nav’s culture is backwards later. We’ll also have to cover how important my hair is!” Those lessons didn’t sound fun. I squashed a sigh as the princess giggled.
Celestia’s eyes as we moved around inside the ship were sharp, despite her playful comments. She finally had a chance to see things that had previously only been reports. With her experience with runemaking, she even had suggestions and pertinent questions everywhere we went. That actually led to an argument between her and Luna about proper rune-carving practices. The researchers hurriedly scribbled down every word of their shouting match.
After about five minutes of watching, I noticed both alicorns casting me the occasional glance. I knew nothing about runecrafting, so I wasn’t sure what they wanted. But I did have an idea for how to shut them up, so I walked over and began rubbing their ears. “If jumping out of a window isn’t princess-like, I can’t imagine that yelling is,” I said. “And Luna, Celestia is technically my liege lady. As my vassal, that makes her twice your liege lady, or whatever. Theoretically, you should probably be polite.”
“I could go without the technically, whatever, theoretically, and probably,” Celestia muttered. Luckily, she was still smiling, so it probably wasn’t an issue.
“I am happy to obey when ear scritches are on the line!” Luna replied.
Our tour continued with minimal interruptions, though the two sisters kept bumping into me. The hair tied to my armor also toyed with my own hair, caressed my cheek, or teased my ears. It stopped whenever Luna glared at it, but that wasn’t much of a saving grace.
Finally, we ran out of time for the tour. I still had to get to the pageant, so Luna and I teleported back to the manor while Celestia returned to the palace.
I once again woke up back on my bed, Taya in my arms. As soon as I began looking around, I felt someone hug me from behind. “Ah, my lady…” Doppel whispered. “You’re awake again, I see?”
“That’s right,” I replied. “This time, I remembered the promotion ceremony.”
“And what did you think about it?” Doppel asked.
“Secretly, between you and me… It may have been more of an important event than I thought. But don’t go spreading that around, alright? It would hurt my image with the cool kids.”
“Of course, my lady,” my maid replied with a relieved sigh. “Just hearing you say it is a relief. In fact, you said the same thing to me before, later that night. My lady, may I transform into something a little more comfortable?”
“As you wish.” Doppel slid out of bed, removed her uniform, and turned into a larger, fluffier version of Kat. When she slid back into bed and hugged me again, I just melted into the softness.
“What do you think?” she whispered, her voice right next to my ear.
“This feels like an ideal body for cuddling,” I replied. “I approve.”
“I am honored. I will keep your body cozy as you explore more memories, my lady.”
“And I’ll keep your body safe!” Taya added.
“Thank you both,” I said, relaxing once again. “Flo, if you would?”
“Happily!” she replied, joining us in bed. Her wet grasp felt weird with the fur, but it was still very pleasant. “I’m glad you like it!”
“Right, sure. So, would you mind kicking the memories back into gear?”
“With pleasure!” I went right back under, surrounded by three warm hugs.