Chapter 10: A New Dawn, part III
A New Dawn, part III
Onto the Pony Planet
Admiral Biscuit
Twilight sipped her coffee while staring absently at her checklist, a process which caused a slight twitch in her left eye—or maybe it was all the coffee she’d been drinking lately. Unlike her normal checklists, this one was a mess, with whole lines crossed out and new items penned in. Try as she might, she was unable to find any books that provided much more than the barest guideline for welcoming completely alien visitors to Equestria and getting everypony to like them in the shortest period of time possible.
Add in opening a new embassy, arranging for the remodeling and supply of said embassy, coordinating language lessons, and studying alien biology on the fly—it was really more than one mare could handle, even if she did have the most wonderful pair of assistants in the world. For now, large amounts of caffeine were serving as a sleep substitute, but it was difficult to predict how much longer that would work. A quick estimate, based on past experience at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, placed the time of the inevitable crash sometime between eight and twenty-four hours from now, which just meant she had to work extra hard in the time she had remaining.
Twilight grimaced, memories of a delirious Applejack suddenly coming to the forefront. What if the same thing happened to her? Or if she just cracked under the pressure? What if she didn’t know it was happening—would she know? Did Applejack know how much of a menace she’d been when she was sleep-deprived? I’ll just have to pen a nap into the schedule, she thought. Maybe after the follow-up with the embassy construction crew and the meeting with the mayor. If I delegate a representative to oversee transfer of materials off the platform at the train station, I could get an additional twenty minutes or more, but I’d have to spend the time to do the delegation, and who would I ask anyway? The answer came to her in a flash. Rarity. Good eye for detail, things would get to the embassy intact.
Now all I need to do is arrange for the welcoming party. Can’t have Carrot Top and Berry Punch making the banner. Maybe I could ask— Twilight jumped off her seat as a pink pony popped out from under the table. “Pinkie Pie!”
“Yuppers, I was just cleaning crumbs from under the tables before the mousies find them and infest Sugarcube Corner which would make Mrs. Cake shriek like you just did, except she would say ‘mouse!’ instead of ‘me,’ unless I was a mouse but you looked like you were on the horns of a conundrum or hooves of a dilemma and I thought that you needed some cheering up because you look so tired and pensive and so I brought you a carrot cheesecake.” Pinkie placed a plate on the table with a flourish.
“Pinkie Pie,” Twilight began, then stopped, her train of thought well and truly derailed.
Pinkie tilted her head to one side, looking at Twilight curiously. The unicorn just stared at her blankly. After three drowsy blinks, Pinkie took matters into her own hooves, and poked Twilight in the muzzle. “Boop!”
“Huh? Oh, sorry Pinkie, I think I zoned out there.”
“Duh. You look all sleepy. Sometimes when I stay up too late I. . . .” Pinkie frowned. “Can I help?”
“Yes!” Twilight seized onto Pinkie like a drowning mare might grab at a life preserver. “I need a Welcome-to-Equestria soiree ready by tomorrow morning. For Dale and Ka-th-rin. At the town hall. Something quiet and subdued, like the Grand Galloping Gala . . . before we wrecked it. Something so that ponies aren’t scared of them.”
Pinkie dropped her chin on a hoof and squinted at Twilight. “I could do a reprise of my unity song. Let’s see: You’ve gotta share, you’ve gotta care—”
“Not that song.” Twilight frowned. “It . . . it’s a perfectly reasonable song, but, uh, they don’t speak Equus. So they wouldn’t understand.”
“Got it.” Pinkie went back to contemplating, while Twilight took another sip of her coffee. “I’m not good at serious stuff. What if I just warm up the crowd?”
Twilight nodded. “That’s brilliant! Get everypony at the town hall, have them all hyped up, and then, then you could introduce the aliens, and everypony would love them.” Twilight grabbed her friend in a tight hug. “Pinkie, you’re a lifesaver.” Her ears flattened as she heard the town clock chime. “Oh, sorry, I’ve got to go. Put it on my tab.” She lit her horn and teleported out of Sugarcube Corner to the embassy. A loud silence greeted her, and Twilight suddenly realized that she was still holding Pinkie in a tight embrace.
“Thanks for the ride, Twilight. It was memorable.” Pinkie kissed Twilight on the cheek and pronked off in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, humming happily.
Twilight looked over at the cluster of construction ponies, who were all staring at her, and sighed deeply.
• • •
The inside of the embassy was a mess. A worried-looking Rivet was shifting around on his hooves as Twilight finished her examination of unpainted walls, unfinished floors, and the un-plumbed bathroom. She hadn’t said anything yet, but the disappointed look on her face was more than he could stand.
“Dale’s supposed to come here tomorrow,” Twilight said. “After the soiree and introductions, the mayor’s going to formally open the embassy. With Fancy Pants and Fleur.”
“I know.” He hung his head. “There was too much that had to be done, and we’ve already exhausted all the supplies in Ponyville. There are more coming on this morning’s train.” He pointed to the bathroom. “No pipe. Can’t put in fixtures until we’ve got pipe. Silver’s champing at the bit, but there’s nothing she can do.” He brightened a little bit. “We got the outhouse finished, though. Maybe they could use the spa until the bathroom is finished?”
Twilight consulted her messy checklist. “The walls aren’t painted.”
“Plaster won’t be dry for days. If we paint now, it’ll crack.”
Twilight frowned. “Can you do anything? If the walls are covered, they’ll look more finished. Maybe get some tapestries?”
“We could paper the walls,” he said. “Or skim-coat them with dyed plaster. Plaster’d be easier.”
“Do that. How’s the upstairs?”
“Bedrooms are done, except for the beds. They’ll be on the train, too. All the furniture's coming on the train.” He gave her a worried look. “Listen, I know this is important, but there’s a lot of townsponies upset that everything’s coming from Canterlot. I’ve had craftsponies stopping by all day, wondering why they aren’t getting work out of this deal.”
“It’s only temporary,” Twilight said. “Nopony would have had time to build furniture.” She looked around the room again. “A lot of what we’re getting are the extras and leftovers from the old minotaur embassy, I think.” She thought of Rarity spending all night fixing clothes, just to present them in the morning. She’d have to remember to ask her how well they’d been received. “Tell them that. Tell them that we need better furnishings made, matching the dimensions of the ones you’ll be getting. I don’t like the idea of equipping the embassy with cast-offs, and in the long-term, I want it done right. But we can’t have them living at the hospital for the next month, either—this is the best solution we have.”
Luna stepped off a low balcony on the north wing of the castle and took to the air. As she banked over the courtyard, she could hear the muffled gasps of a few unicorns on the ground below her. For a fleeting moment, she had a mad impulse to swoop down on them and knock them over with her hooves—did they really think she didn’t hear them?—but the thought passed as soon as she was over the labyrinth.
Only she and her sister fully appreciated it. A pegasus saw it from above, and perhaps the pattern caught her eye, but she’d never think of walking through it on her hooves. Unicorns and earth ponies only saw the maze from the ground, so to them it was a confusing series of narrow passages and perplexing turns. Luna had both flown over it and walked through it, sometimes seeking solitude in the center of the maze.
In ancient times, the legends said, a wise pony sat in the center of a labyrinth, giving sage advice to anypony who sought her out. Such a notion was silly; nopony would want to wait in the center of a labyrinth on the offhoof chance that somepony wandered by seeking guidance.
And yet, from a metaphorical point of view, it made sense. When a pony navigated the twists and turns of her mind, honestly seeking, she found her answer more often than not, so perhaps the wise pony in the center of the maze was the seeker herself.
Luna circled over it, letting the sun beat down upon her wings. There were a few ponies down in the maze, she saw, slowly wending their way towards the center. She could spiral down and land in the small central garden, perhaps offering her wisdom to the seekers, if that was what they sought.
She snorted. If she did that, the ponies would flee when they spotted her. Three short years had not been enough to build relationships with very many ponies. Only her servants, and a few loyal mares and foals scattered throughout the land. Why, it seemed even Cadance had more loyal followers than she.
She shot up to a cloud, dropping lightly on its fluffy top. Off in the distance, she could make out the tiny rooftops and fields of Ponyville. Maybe she could glide down there and help Twilight Sparkle with her research into the alien creatures.
But she couldn’t. She should stay away from them—she’d promised to—until after Lyra Heartstrings’ trial. Then, and only then, would she be free to act. She would do better to spend her time brushing up on the Royal Guard’s laws. Like everything else, in the thousand years of her absence, it was likely that the laws had been largely gelded.
On top of that, she had to deal with Beatrix. It was tempting to leave her until after the trial, but that would turn into another delay, and then another, and soon enough months would have passed, with the showmare still sleeping in her bed, the spell keeping her in a near-comatose state as the months and years and decades flew by. Had that been her goal, she might as well have turned the unicorn to stone and placed her on a plinth in the statue garden, maybe right next to Discord. No doubt the pair would get along well.
With a sigh, she turned back towards the castle and alighted on her balcony. As soon as she opened the doors, Dusk Glimmer was beside her, bowing deeply.
“Have Black Marble fetch us copies of the current laws for Celestia’s auxiliary Day Guard from our library,” Luna ordered. “Once he has been set to that task, we shall wake Beatrix. You shall bathe and groom her, and then escort her to us.”
Dusk Glimmer bowed.
• • •
Luna uncorked a bottle of pastis and filled her drinking glass to the etched line, then topped it off with water, watching in delight as the drink changed from a transparent amber to a milky yellow. It was so nice to find that ponies still made the stuff; it had long been her favorite beverage. Now the cellars were well-stocked with the liquor.
She took a sip, swishing it around in her mouth, letting the licorice flavor come to the forefront. Once she was satisfied she’d mixed it properly, she opened the thick book of law which Black Marble had brought and began to skim through the pages.
One of the first things she and Celestia had done when the tribes were united was to unify their laws—in truth, she’d done most of the work. Like so many of her pursuits, it had been a thankless task. Nopony had liked having their freedoms restricted, even when it was for the good of all.
At least in all the chaos of normal Equestrian Law, the Guard still have a simple code, she thought. Their lawbook was only a few hundred pages thick.
Finally, about midway through, she found the section she was looking for—the laws that most applied to what she believed the Guards’ case against Lyra was going to be.
If a Mare or a Stallion of the Guard is found to have caused injury to a foreign dignitary through negligence, she shall at a minimum be stripped of one rank. If said injury was caused with malice aforethought, she shall be removed from the Guard immediately.
If a Mare or a Stallion of the Guard is found to have caused the death of a foreign dignitary, she shall be removed from the Guard immediately and surrendered to a suitable representative of the aggrieved party.
Delightfully simple, yet it allowed her great latitude in her decision. That, in her mind, was what laws ought to be. One or more wise ponies should hear the testimony, and then make an informed judgement.
She drained her glass of pastis in celebration, and then poured herself another. Flipping back to the beginning of the book, she began to read the whole thing.
Detective Moller was back at his usual desk, which was a relief. I do my best thinking here, he thought. Well, and in the shower. He leaned back in his chair and cracked his knuckles.
He pulled out a copy of the map of the crime scene and began pencilling in the evidence by each photograph marker. There were the sword, spear, and claw, on the beach. Up a rise, and there had been the campsite, far enough back in the woods that it couldn’t be seen from the air or water. The Coast Guard had been right at the treeline—except for Kate—when the guy and his pet had come out of the woods.
His pet. Why does that keep nagging at me? There was something missing. What did he know about pets? Lots of people had them, they were good company. But there was some thought nagging at the front of his consciousness, something about a cat meowing. . . .
“Agent Richter to see you.”
Moller groaned. He’d known the FBI was going to jump into this case with both feet—how could they not? There was a federal agent missing, after all. While a part of him was grateful that they’d be handling the evidence and much of the legwork, it was always a blow to his professional pride when they showed up, especially if the agent had an attitude.
“Show him in,” Moller muttered, dragging the case file into prominence on his desk. He took a quick look at his uniform, making sure that there weren’t any grease stains that would further the impression that he was a clueless hick cop.
The FBI agent was wearing a neat black suit, with a red tie offering the only bit of color to his sober uniform. He was young, but fairly well-built, with a stance that made Moller think he’d been around the block a time or two. That was good; the last thing he needed was a beltway ass-kisser to babysit.
After a firm handshake, Richter sat easily across the desk from Moller. “I don’t want to step on your toes,” he began, and Moller’s estimation of the man went up. “It’s your territory, and everyone I asked says you’re a good cop. I want the girl found as soon as possible. I don’t give a damn how. That’s my number one concern.
“Second, I want this guy caught. I want to nail him to a wall. But if it’s a choice between the girl and the suspect, we get the girl and worry about him later.”
Moller nodded. He suddenly liked Richter a lot.
“So, what have you got so far?”
Moller shook his head. “Nothing.” He drummed his fingers on the file. “I’ve got evidence coming out the wazoo. We picked that island apart, and we got everything that matters off it. Coast Guard sent me copies of the first interviews with the crews, and I interviewed them all myself, too. Some of their testimony doesn’t make a bit of sense, but it’s consistent. Whatever happened, they all saw the same thing. It matches up with the evidence on the beach, too.
“I’ve got cops up and down the west coast stopping at every marina, looking for this guy’s car, and the Coast Guard’s put up fliers. I don’t have high hopes—for all we know, he launched it from his backyard—but there’s a chance. Got the serial number off the canoe, too. Michicraft’s going through their records, but they aren’t going to find anything. We don’t require registration on unpowered canoes, and I’ve got ten bucks that says that canoe is a used livery boat, probably sold in the late seventies. This guy could be the second owner of that canoe, or the hundredth. He might even have stolen it.”
“Fingerprints?”
“Ran them through IAFIS, nothing. Lab techs are working on DNA samples from the camp, but if he’s not in IAFIS, he’s probably not going to be in CODIS, either.” He drummed his fingers idly on the desk. “I sent samples from the bags that he threw at Anthony to hair and fiber—there was some blue-green hair stuck in the buckle, which is about the color that the phantom creature is said to be.”
“Phantom creature?” Richter leaned across the desk. “That wasn’t in the briefing.”
“I don’t imagine it would have been.” He opened the file and pulled out a sheet. “This is from Anthony’s second interview: ‘when I got back to my feet, the old guy was charging down the beach towards Gunner’s Mate Dybek. Right next to him, the old guy, was a little creature, like a horse or a pony, you know what I mean? Except it was all green, with white streaks in its tail. It was running—galloping—kinda alongside him. I shouted to Dybek, and she shot it with her taser and put it down, but then the guy hit her. There was a flash, and they were gone, and when I looked back at the beach, it was gone, too.’ And he’s not the only one who saw it—Cortez called it a ‘caballo marino chilote’ and indicated that the old man was commanding it. I looked that up, and apparently it’s some kind of monstrous mythological sea-horse.”
“Are they covering something up?”
“I thought they were. Can’t imagine why they’d come up with such a wild tale, but when I read through the Coast Guard’s interviews, that was the first thing that sprang to mind. You know, a kraken took her, or the Loch Ness Monster, or something like that. Even a shared hallucination . . . but when I interviewed them myself, I wasn’t so sure. Cortez would have thrown Anthony under the bus if there’d been any collusion in their story. And there’s another thing.” He rummaged through the folder. “See, if they’d been making it up, it wouldn’t have left evidence behind.”
He slid the picture across the desk, waiting for Richter to pick it up before continuing. “Whatever they saw left tracks in the sand, and I’m willing to put money that it left the hair on the buckle, too. It’s some kind of exotic pet, and once we figure out what kind, it’ll lead us right to the perp.”
“That’s a pretty good lead,” Richter said. “Probably gonna be more useful than the canoe. I assume you sent it to hair and fiber?”
“And Michigan State University,” Moller said. “Let their vet school have a crack at it, too. They’ve got pretty good DNA sequencing machines, and a better chance of identifying an exotic pet than we do.” He paused, before continuing. “I’ve got more hair; could give your boys some to play with, too. Maybe one of your labs could come up with something.”
Richter pulled out a slim leather-bound notebook and a silver Cross pen and took a note. “What else have you got?”
“Books, notebooks, you name it. It’s weird, there are research books and kids books all combined. And notebooks full of some kind of made-up language.” He gave Richter a photograph of a sample page. “See, some of this makes sense—this page is a translation of some words into English, best I can figure. Might be enough to get your cryptologists and linguists started. We found a couple of books written in that language. One of them looked like a kids book, you know small words, filled with pictures of cartoony characters. The other one looks like some kind of bizarre religious text. Like, some kind of weird new-age occult thing, wiccan or druidism or maybe even satanism.”
“Bet you haven’t made any progress with those.”
“Nope.” Moller shook his head. “Nobody recognized the language at first glance, but one of the evidence techs is a bibliophile, and he noticed that the style of the book—from the binding, pages, and ink—looked to him like an eighteenth-century book or older, and he said it was odd that it wasn’t leather-bound. That’s why he thought druidism. There was a woodcut of a horse with a crown on the first page, and each page after that had a picture of some kind of animal at the top, so I’m wondering if it’s some kind of old grimoire.”
Richter rolled his eyes. “Get me photographs of the pages, and I’ll send them to the Grey School of Wizardry, see if they can come up with anything.”
Moller looked at him suspiciously. “You’re pulling my leg.”
“Wish I was. It’s in California—where else? They’re like a Catholic school for pagans, and if anyone knows about your book, it’ll be them.”
Trixie made a foal of herself as soon as she got out of bed—tried to, rather. How could she have known that the bed was a cloud? As soon as she was off the comforter, she and her dignity had crashed face-first into the floor. So much for a dramatic entrance, but then Trixie had never been at her best first thing in the morning, and while she didn’t actually know what time it was, she had been in bed and now she wasn’t; therefore, it must have been morning.
It took her a moment for her surroundings to register, but Trixie had always been very adaptable. The pony standing by the door could only be a servant.
The maid led her to the tub and told her to make herself presentable, a task which Trixie was only to happy to undertake. It was only when she was in the bathtub that she began to worry about the future. She was no mook, and she suspected that the future was going to begin with pleading her case to an alicorn.
Worry began gnawing at her as she scrubbed her coat. What would she say? Perhaps the lunar diarch would take pity on her, because they were—in a way—in a similar predicament. Surely, she would remember that she herself had been shown mercy by her sister.
On the other hoof, foal’s stories were full of tales of Nightmare Moon gobbling up the unwary, and while that probably wasn’t true, it was undeniable that the younger diarch had twice tried to curse all of Equestria to eternal darkness.
She brushed her tail to a glossy sheen, pausing frequently to admire it. She’d been accused of vanity before, but really, she had the most magnificent tail in Equestria. It was one of her best traits, along with her mane and her showmareship and her eloquent voice.
She moved on to her mane. It felt nice to run a brush through it . . . she hadn’t been able to properly groom herself when she was in her cell. The brush obeyed her every command, gently working out the tangles in her platinum hair.
She lifted her hooves one at a time, checking to make sure that there wasn’t anything stuck in her shoes. It would have been nice to polish them—the bronze was tarnished, and the streaks of verdigris hardly matched her coat. Trixie sighed. She could hardly go through all the cabinets in the bathroom for a polishing compound, and she hadn’t seen any out in the open. She would just have to suffer with stained shoes.
Trixie looked in the mirror one more time, to make sure she was as presentable as she could be. If she’d had access to her own makeup, she could have hidden the gouges in her horn and the deep cut in her poll.
When she had spent as much time grooming as she felt she could get away with, Trixie finally emerged from the bathroom. The maid gave her an annoyed look, but Trixie just ignored her.
She followed the maid directly into Luna’s office. She stumbled slightly as she crossed the threshold; she’d expected to be admitted through a set of doors, like into the throne room. Instead, one moment she was in a hallway, and then she was facing Princess Luna.
When the maid bowed halfway into the room, Trixie followed suit, nearly touching her muzzle to the ground. The princess gave a curt nod, before Trixie felt comfortable raising her head.
The maid showed Trixie to a couch before leaving her alone. Trixie shifted around in the seat, trying to get into a position which was both comfortable and flattering. Her chest still hurt from being tackled and pummeled by the Royal Guards, and she didn’t want to show her stained shoes if she could avoid it, so she finally settled on folding her forelegs under her barrel and tucking her hind legs against her side, with her hooves down. If she had to, she could get back up pretty quickly. That was an advantage from years of live shows, sometimes in front of hostile audiences—like Ponyville. A mare’s got to know when to run, because an audience could turn quickly.
Luna said nothing, simply watching her for a minute. Trixie began to shift on her seat—should I stare back, or would that be rude? She lowered her eyes and studied the navy velvet upholstery on the bench.
Her ears swivelled as she heard the unmistakable sound of a book sliding across a desk, followed by the slow cadence of shoes on stone. Trixie looked back up to see the younger sister walking towards a bookshelf. While she was occupied, Trixie sneaked a covert look around the room.
It was more cluttered than she’d expected. This was clearly a room meant for work, not for show. A large brass orrery stood on a pedestal on one side of the room, the light sheen of grease on its drive chain a clear indication that it was not for show. Several stellar charts were hanging from the wall next to it.
Risking a quick glance behind her, the first thing that drew Trixie’s eye was a sword in a scabbard. She gulped—the locket was platinum with a rhomb-cut bloodstone, which the stylized alicorn head of the sword’s handle and quillons nested neatly into. She knew that symbol well. Had the amulet been attached to a sword? And if so, why did Luna have it? Were there more artifacts that were related to the amulet?
“It was King Sombra’s sword,” Luna said quietly.
Trixie jerked her head around. She hadn’t heard her approach. Why do you have it? She clamped her mouth shut before she said something she’d regret.
Luna reverently set a book in front of Trixie. It was open to a page showing the alicorn amulet. She didn’t need to read the page to know what it said; she’d seen a copy of this very same book many years ago, in a library in Manehattan. She’d been looking for some long-forgotten magical artifacts to add to her show, something with the right amount of flash. She’d finally settled on a silver diadem, and worn it for years, until she changed her costume to a cape and hat, but the memory of all those fantastic artifacts had never left her mind. How is it that the alicorn amulet—lost for a thousand years—just happened to show up in a curiosity shop? She hadn’t wondered about her good fortune then, but had had plenty of time since to think about it.
Luna returned to her desk, leaving Trixie alone with the book. She lovingly traced a hoof across the drawing, remembering how good it had felt to wear around her neck. How much more powerful she’d been. She’d felt the strength from her hooves to her horn, like a jolt of lightning. It was power she’d never have again.
“Why didst thou do it?” Luna’s voice was dangerously quiet.
“Trixie was. . . .” She fell silent. How could she justify what she’d done? Luna’s icy eyes were focused tightly on her. She could almost see a trail of frost moving from the desk to her chair. I did it because I wanted to. I wanted the amulet, and I found it. I wanted to show up Twilight Sparkle, and I did that too. In front of all her friends, just like she humiliated me in front of everypony in Ponyville. If only she hadn’t tricked me with her fake magic and fake amulet, Trixie would still be greater and powerful-er.
“We are waiting.”
“Trixie wanted to show up Twilight Sparkle,” she whispered. “The Great and Powerful Trixie could not stand being upstaged by anypony else.”
I did, too. In front of everypony—all her friends. I sent her away, and I even shut up that annoying pink pony.
“Yes, we see.” Luna sighed. “We have studied thy case, Beatrix Lulamoon. We know that thou didst flee Ponyville after the Ursa Minor those foalish colts awoke came into town. Rather than turn to explain thine actions and face justice like a mature pony, thou chosest to flee. We know that thou didst spend time stewing upon thy sorry lot in life, and rather than earn by merit that which thou didst believe thou deserved, thou sought to seize it by guile.
“In so doing, thou didst recklessly endanger the lives of everypony in Ponyville, and potentially all of Equestria. Twilight Sparkle is the bearer of the Element of Magic. As such, she and her friends are expected to be able to come to the defense of Equestria whenever they are needed. They cannot do that when they are separated by a magical barrier.”
Trixie lowered her head. It’s true. You’re a bad pony.
“Many years ago, had a pony behaved as thee, she would have been cast out of the herd and left to fend on her own. In thy case, thou wouldst have had thine horn broken and thy legs hobbled, most like. Thou wouldst not have survived, and nopony would have mourned thy loss.”
I should have taken my chances in the dungeon, or fled into the Everfree. The Princess probably would have quit looking after a while. Her eyes flicked towards the balcony window. She could leap towards it, cast a couple of smoke spells to disorient Luna, and hide behind a curtain before the smoke cleared. A misdirection—the Princess probably would assume she’d jumped out the window and look there. She could make it into the main chambers before Luna looked back. After that, it was just a matter of beating her down the stairs and into the keep . . . where she’d be mobbed by Royal Guards.
And if she got past them? Exile in the Everfree, at best. Maybe she’d be able to flee Equestria entirely and go somewhere where they hadn’t heard of her. Wander the world, maybe for the rest of her life.
But she was so tired of running.
With a low growl, she turned her head and grabbed the sword off the wall. “Just do it and get it over with.” She thrust the sword towards Luna. “You should have done it while Trixie slept; it would have been kinder.”
Luna took a step back from her desk and wrapped the sword in her own aura. She gently pulled it away from the unicorn, as if she was taking a toy from a foal.
She held it in front of her, looking at the razor-sharp steel thoughtfully. Finally, she set it on her desk. “Times have changed. Our laws are not as Draconian as they once were.” Luna stood back up and turned her back to the unicorn. “Wast thou aware of the provenance of the amulet thou briefly possessed?”
“It was said to have been crafted by a great unicorn king,” Trixie whispered. “From the crystals of the Crystal Empire.”
“Twas crafted from the blood of innocents,” Luna said bitterly. “The crystals were simply the focus. It gave him great power, but no wisdom, we know that now. He ruled an illusory empire built on a foundation of hate and emptiness. It beguiled the unwary, for it looked grander than Canterlot. Yet, there is more love to be found in a destitute mule’s shack than there ever was in his entire Crystal Empire.
“Such a kingdom cannot prosper, Beatrix. It must come crashing down, and it wounds the innocent as it falls.”
She lifted the sword once again and slowly walked over to the wall. “There was a time for the sword and a time for war, but that time has passed, and this sword shall shed no more innocent blood.” Luna gently slid it back into its sheath.
“We fear that thou didst seek to build such a kingdom for thyself. We knowest thou called for the rocks under thine hooves. Our sister knows not what we found when we visited thine empty chambers, for we destroyed all the crystals lest she see. Tell us true, what didst thou mean by trying to poison the very roots of our House? For so many months, thou wert a well-behaved prisoner, and then thou brought evil here. Was Ponyville not a grand enough prize for thee? Didst thou seek to cast us down?”
“Trixie did not!” she yelled. “The crystals came on their own—Trixie did not want them. She did not like them. They scared her, whispering to her in the dark. They spoke with the same voice as the amulet, which she wishes she had never found.
“Trixie had to leave. If she’d stayed, the crystals would have consumed her and made her their plaything.” She stepped off the couch. “They were no more welcome than the Ursa that crushed her wagon. Trixie did not summon them, somepony else did.
“Trixie thought you’d know what it was like to hear the dark voices whispering in your head. Trixie hoped that you could make the voices go away. But if not—”
“We hold the interests of Equestria in our heart!” Luna slammed her hoof down on the desk hard enough to leave a divot. “Speak not of things which thou knowest not.”
“Do you not remember Nightmare Moon? Because Trixie does, Princess. Trixie remembers the morning the sun did not rise. Trixie was in Canterlot, performing at the Summer Sun Celebration. She remembers the screams of foals as they ran to their mothers when the sun did not come. She remembers the Guards trying to keep order, and hearing the cries that Nightmare Moon had returned, that the prophecies were all true, that we were all doomed. Are those the interests of Equestria?”
“WE WERE NOT OURSELVES! Our mind had been corrupted by that very same dark magic which thou freely takest!”
“All Trixie wanted was to embarrass Twilight in front of her friends. Shallow, perhaps. But Trixie only sought an artifact which would increase her power, she did not wish to usurp the throne or hurt anypony!” She stomped up to Luna, glaring across the desk at her. “If you could be redeemed with the Elements of Harmony, why can’t I?”
“We have been struck twice,” Luna said softly. “We do not feel thou wouldst survive the experience.” She looked down at her desk. “We could not predict what they would do to thee, else we would have already asked our sister.
“We have removed the visible corruption we found on thee. If you give us leave, when thou sleepest tonight, we shall visit thy dreams, and see if there is a hidden menace there. But if thou speakest true, we shan’t find aught.
“On the morrow, we must go to Ponyville. Our sister has requested our presence there to settle a legal matter. We would have you stay in our chambers, and keep thy counsel.”
“Trixie supposes you will have your bat-guards staying close to her.”
“Nay, they shall have no such orders. If thou dost wish to leave our House, we shall not detain thee nor pursue thee.”
The first thing Twilight did when she walked out of the front door of the soon-to-be embassy was look at the clock. She’d actually—wonder of wonders—spent less time in there than she’d anticipated, so she was ahead of schedule. Not having any furnishings to inspect had shortened the inspection considerably. She could meet with the mayor early, and then stop by Rarity’s.
She pushed open the door of the mayor’s office and was promptly greeted by Apple Polish, who gave her a friendly wave. “Morning, Twilight!”
“Hello, professor. Is the mayor in?”
“Just went to the store-room to get a copy of the charter.” Apple Polish set her quill down. “I’ve been going through the typical laws regarding embassies, although it’s pretty much a work-in-progress, and will be for quite a while, especially since we know so little about the creatures. Ah, ambassadors,” she hastily corrected. “Maybe you could shed a little light?”
“Well . . . I don’t know as much as I’d like to,” she admitted. “Not about their customs, anyway. They seem interested in the night sky, and some of their mages have visited their moon and taken photographs of the surface. That probably isn’t very useful to know. They have very well-crafted books.”
“I’m more looking for what kind of things might cause conflicts between them and ponies.”
“I can’t really think of anything,” Twilight said. “Maybe their dietary habits? Dale eats fish and carrion, and he may also eat insects and small animals. That could cause a problem. I don’t think he hunts for it himself. He’s also wary of magic.”
Apple Polish scribbled down a few notes. “For now, we’re going to leave some of this very vague. I understand that there are still some communication difficulties?”
Twilight thought of the few pidgin conversations she’d heard between Dale and Lyra. It was a wonder that they’d managed to communicate anything. She nodded. “We’re working on that as quickly as we can.”
“One last question, and this one is very important. If either one of them should become unwelcome in Ponyville, where should they be sent?”
“What?”
“Sometimes, an ambassador does something bad. Since ambassadors have a certain amount of immunity, they generally aren’t prosecuted by the Crown, but they can’t stay, either. Normally, they’d be returned to their homelands, but I’m not certain that would be feasible in this particular case.”
“You’d have to ask Princess Celestia.” Twilight yawned, covering her mouth with a hoof at the last second. “I don’t think they could be returned at this point. Maybe later, when we figure out what went wrong with the spell in the first place, but it’s probably too risky.” She sighed. “It will have to work out; right now there aren’t any other options.”
• • •
“Just a moment, darling!”
Twilight nodded to herself and closed her eyes. The sun felt good on her coat, like a warm blanket. She blinked awake as she heard the door open. “Morning, Rarity.”
“Oh, Twilight. You look exhausted!” Rarity grabbed hold of her friend and dragged her into the shop. “Have you been up all night?”
“Not all of it,” Twilight said defensively. “Rarity, could you do me a huge favor? Please?”
Rarity’s eyes flicked over to the half-finished garments draped from makeshift dress forms, before returning to Twilight's sleepy face. She plastered the biggest, most sincere grin she could muster across her face. “Why, of course. Just name it!”
“There’s a shipment of . . . stuff for the embassy coming on the morning train. Do you think you could meet the train and make sure everything gets to the embassy intact?”
“Oh, of course darling. It wouldn’t be any trouble at all. Do you have an inventory?”
Twilight nodded, absently rummaging around in her saddlebags until she produced a scroll with Celestia’s seal. “Here it is.”
Rarity took it in her own aura, debated looking over it, and then floated it to a side-table. I’ll check it later, she thought. “Twilight, dear, you simply must get some more sleep. If you would like to use my sister’s room, you are more than welcome. I assure you, it’s quite neat and will be very quiet.”
“I’m going home to take a nap.” Twilight’s voice was almost triumphant. “But thank you so much.”
“Really, it’s no trouble.” Rarity showed her out the door before turning her attention back to the scroll. Now I wonder what’s coming on the train. She cracked the seal and unrolled the scroll, her eyes widening as the tail of the scroll cascaded to the floor. Oh, Celestia, what have I gotten myself into?
• • •
Twilight stepped back outside, her eyes fixating on the crown of the library. She decided to swing by Apple Honey’s shop on the way—it only would take her a block off-course, and she could get a copy of the newspaper. One of these days she’d have to get a subscription for the library, but the poor journalism irked her. How hard would it have been for Apple Honey to learn how to spell words properly? And tense agreement . . . but she shouldn’t complain, at least there was a Ponyville paper.
She grabbed a copy of the paper off the newsstand, her nose wrinkling at the sharp smell of the fresh purple ink, hallmark of a spirit duplicator. The smell is another good reason not to keep copies in the library, she thought as she scanned the headlines. Unsurprisingly, it was the leading story. “New Embasee in Ponyville!” the title proclaimed. Twilight groaned.
Aside from the numerous technical errors, though, the article was fairly informative. Apple Honey had interviewed Bon Bon, Fleur, and Fancy Pants, and promised an interview with Lyra for a special edition, to be published tomorrow. That was good—ponies could read copies of the paper while they waited for the soiree to begin tomorrow. Everypony would be enthused, and things would go smoothly.
Twilight opened the door to the library and set the paper in the basket under her mail slot. She could decide if she should file it for posterity later. Right now, a nap was calling her name.
Rather than head up the stairs to her bed, she laid a maroon cushion on the floor. She yawned and stretched out her forelegs before lying on the cushion.
She nested her chin on the soft plush and closed her eyes. Just a quick nap, and then she’d be—
An insistent pounding at the door snapped her out of her half-asleep state. She blinked and swallowed a little bit of drool. “Coming!” she said with much more cheer than she actually felt.
She opened the door to stare directly into the white muzzle of a Royal Guard.
“Twilight Sparkle?”
Her heart leapt into her throat. Something went wrong at the hospital. There should have been more guards, the mare wasn’t stable at all. Or maybe the operation went wrong. She cast a uneasy glance around the guard, wondering if she’d be able to see anything from the library.
The guard gave her a worried look. “Sea Swirl told me to give this to you personally.” He hoofed a small canvas package to her. “It’s the glasses.”
“Is there—” Getting her thoughts back on track, she took a deep breath and tried again. “Glasses, right. I’ll have to send a letter to the Princess telling her that they were found. That’s a relief; we won’t need to get a diving bell after all.” She held the pouch in her aura. Should I open it? What’s the point? I’ve never seen Dale’s glasses, so I won’t know if these are the right ones. The stallion stood in place, as if waiting for further instruction. Twilight bit her lip. “Do you—could you maybe ask your commander if he could station a few more soldiers around the hospital? Just in case?”
“I will tell him that you asked,” the stallion said. “Do you have any more orders?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, I don’t. Thanks for bringing these.”
He gave a slight bow and walked away. Twilight closed the door and slid the pouch into her saddlebags before stretching out on her cushion again.
She was half-asleep when somepony else began knocking on the library door. With a groan, Twilight got back to her hooves and went to see who it was.
Twilight yanked the door open to see Lily standing on her doorstep, her coat glistening with sweat.
“There’s a monster in the hospital,” she exclaimed. “I saw it! It tried to . . . to eat me!”
Twilight looked back at her pillow longingly. It seemed that she wasn’t going to be able to take a nap, after all.
Stats
Page generated in 0.031 seconds
Total duration
1,049 users online
1,994,504 hits today, 1,822,946 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
monster? silly pony thats just dale.
Another great chapter, and we get to see Lily all panicky.
Hmmm. Chapter's a bit disjointed though I understand that a lot is going on all at once. Would it have been possible to give us more pony planet and saved the FBI thing for a longer bit, or more FBI stuff now and saved some of the pony for later? It's just a lot of back and forth.
3991765
Maybe Kate?
Lily, did you almost get grabbed, petted, and tummy-rubbed by a very loopy human?
3991786
The original plan was to have chapters 8, 9, and 10 all intermingled, but I thought that would be even more confusing--so instead, one chapter focused largely on Dale, one on Kate, and one on everybody else.
No, it's Dale--remember, she saw him in the bathroom when she was watering the flowers. He didn't do anything but look at her--but that's enough for Lily.
*clever comment*
3991845
*brilliant reply*
When I first heard of "The Grey School" in this story, I couldn't quite believe it was a real thing. I had to look it up on Google, and sure enough, it has it's own website. After seeing what these people are about, I decided that these people don't really know anything about actual mental effects, such as PK or empathy. They don't even mention all the ancient Chinese customs involving using chi, like Tai Chi, or Kung Fu.
I'm not pretending I know how these effects happen, although I do know some pompous psions who believe they understand the universe at the most fundamental level, just because they managed a PK effect on a piece of paper under a glass bowl. For me, this attitude is like thinking you know the entirety of the human body, just because you flexed a muscle.
3991824
I have to remember that the side story backtracks quite a bit despite having been read by me much later.
I was thinking that window scene had happened quite a while ago with a different pony and Lily had just now gone to investigate the Hospital.
3991935
I included a link to their website in my blog, since I didn't figure most people would believe it. I came across it by accident doing research, and it was way too good to not include. I don't really know very much about them, but it does seem that the FBI would have a reasonable belief that they they might be able to help them with the books.
I've got to tell you, from where I sit Trixie has been treated incredibly harshly and unfairly. I really don't get it. Why was she even locked up to begin with?
Face justice? Who was calling for justice, and for what? She hadn't done anything wrong, and there was nothing to suggest that anyone was calling for her to be detained. She stood up to the Ursa despite knowing she was completely outmatched. The only thing she had to be embarrassed about was that she failed, despite her best efforts, to save a town full of strangers from it. Is that a crime in Equestria? Seriously??
As for the Alicorn Amulet... Well, that's something from Season Bogus, and I personally think everything after Season 2 is some sort of fevered hallucination anyhow. (Crystal Empire? Discord reformed? Twilicorn?!? Madness, I tell you!) But assuming, for the sake of this story, that all that did happen, then holding Trixie accountable for it still seems unfair. It was made pretty clear that the the amulet corrupted her mind and personality.
So... Nightmare Moon is something that originated from Luna's own psyche. It was her, or at least a side of her. Clearly that was not the case with Power-mad Trixie. Evil amulet would have made any pony evil, and Trixie just had the bad luck to be the one it latched onto. Is bad luck a crime in Equestria too?
Seriously?? This seems insane to me. It's like that burn-the-witch scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Now I begin to wonder if Nightmare Moon is still in Luna's head somehow, because then maybe it would be in-character.
3991941
I wanted to put that story out at the right time in the story's timeline, but it wasn't ready, and since not all my readers are indulging in the side stories (they don't know what they're missing), I figured they'd be upset if I delayed a chapter of OPP a week to finsh a side story.
3991946
Probably because that's what the punishments of the time period were like. Capital punishment and many practices we now deem barbaric were the law of the land back then. Thieves could have their hands cut off for stealing a loaf of bread! (Well, hooves in this case.)
*sweats nervously*)
Luna is simply relating what the punishments were, not what she wishes she could do to Trixie now. (Probably.
3991946
For enslaving Ponyville. That, I think, is in character for the ponies--they stoned Discord, and cast down Sombra, and may have exiled Sunset Shimmer. Plus, Celestia would probably be upset that it was her personal student who'd been one of Trixie's victims.
In the first case, if it had stopped there, I think Trixie's punishment would have been--at the most--what Snips and Snails received. To them, I think that her fleeing could have been interpreted as a sign of guilt, that she put Snips and Snails up to risking their lives to bring the Ursa, just so Trixie could show off. We know that's not true, but that's what it might have looked like. And for Trixie, she's already had to deal with a hostile audience, her wagon's smashed, and she has no reason to believe that the Ponyvillians won't blame her for all of it, so of course she fled.
That's very true, but Trixie's the one who sought it out, and for a reason which neither Luna nor Celestia fully trust. Given the providence of the artifact, they have every reason to be very concerned with Trixie's motivations.
Absolutely true--again, Trixie sought it out, but without knowing what it would do to her. She's kind of like Gollum, really, if I may be permitted to make the comparison.
It can be (as it is on earth; if you want, I can give you lots of reports of good, well-intentioned people making terrible mistakes with awful consequences).
What should the punishment be for someone who willingly endangers dozens, or hundreds? Yes, our laws have changed as society has changed, and the pony legal system has as well. Again, if she hadn't taken the amulet, and if she hadn't encapsulated Ponyville, nopony would have a real beef with her--she's annoying, but that's not a crime. What Luna wants to know is what her intent in all that was, and if she can be redeemed.
In my opinion, yes, she is. She's a part of Luna, and Luna will never be rid of her.
3991935
[citation needed]
3992189
Do your own experiments
I blame Starswirl for corrupting that time spell, otherwise Twilight could been busy for 24 hours, then taken a 16 hour back shift toget some sleep.
Then again, that would end up with a Celebii special and all Discord breaking loose.
Will the FBI end up running a geo survey aircraft magnetomoeter around the coastline to pick up cars etc, so that they only have to check a few locations instead of every inch for transport? They might find some long lost caches at the time.
Lilly, lilly needs to have a nice quiet rest in a dark corner, preferably with someone to keep her calm and company. You know, maybe fr an hour or so, bit of a snooze.
As for the crystals, nightmare, Trixie etc. waiting to see just whats done with that, if its a deep story line, or just an annoying left over.
The Grey Wizards. Oh dear, they are so going to have fun being given omething they think is a joke, and steadily turns out to me more coherent and decodable than the Voynitch.
3992057
Damn straight in my opinion. The instant forgiveness from that episode always bothered me; it seemed ridiculous even by the show's standards. I don't buy that she was purely acting that way because of the amulet - the first thing she did after getting it off was casting a fucking torture spell at Rainbow Dash. She didn't change her tune until after she knew the power was gone. The amulet may be have been egging her on, but it had plenty of nastiness to work with.
Didn't Sunset make a run for it through the mirror after nicking the Big Crown Thingy? I haven't seen EQG, but I seem to remember seeing shots from the comic that show that happening.
Hee hee, poor Twilight. To someone with her bibliophilia and CDO (like OCD, but with the letters in the right order), that must be like nails on a chalkboard.
Come to think of it, why would ponies ever develop swords? None of the races have hands. The fact that they have no appendages free unless balancing on their hind legs would make any sort of weapon that needs to be swung clumsy and useless to earth ponies. Pegasi can sort of use their wings to manipulate objects, but they can't maintain any sort of grip, any sort of weapon would need to be strapped to them. And of course unicorns need no grip at all.
3992057
Yes she sought it out, but it wasn't exactly listed that it had an evil, corrupting influence over its bearer. All she really knew was that it made her stronger. I mean it was just sold in a rather off shop.
3992257
That's why I was vague--I have seen EqG, but I can't remember. I think she came back to get the crown, but how she got to 'kind-of earth' in the first place may not be explained.
Probably ceremonial, maybe inspired by the minotaurs, dragons, or griffons. They could be strapped to a fore-hoof, I suppose, or used easily enough by a unicorn. I don't know off the top of my head if swords are canon--there might be some in the comics. I do accept wing blades as existing; that's what was on the beach (along with the spear and claw).
3992275
Most evil artifacts just hide until a suitable bearer comes along, like the ring in LotR. Is it coincidence that the amulet reappeared about the same time Sombra did? I doubt it.
awesome new chapter
3992217
Twi'd probably kill for a time-turner like the one in Harry Potter.
No, because it's pointless. Their hope is that Dale's car, minus canoe, is parked at a boat launch somewhere, and that a local cop will begin wondering whose it is when it's sat there for a few weeks unclaimed. Even a small search radius (say 25 miles from South Fox) covers two cities, as well as probably a hundred miles of coastline.
You'll just have to wait and see.
I suspect that they wouldn't be able to decode it at all; I don't know what they've got for cryptologists, after all. It's certainly not written in a language they'd know.
3992057
Sorry, but what? Why are you downplaying the power of the Elements of Harmony like this? What hint, clue or evidence has there ever been at all in canon that Nightmare Moon has not been entirely purged from Luna? Please don't say her acting as Nightmare Moon in Luna Eclipsed, that was an illusion, nothing more. She even had to use fake teeth for it. To imply that the most powerful magical artifact in all of Equestria failed to completely do its job when wielded at full potential, I would hope you have a strong case of evidence, hints or believable theories to back this up. I know thinking NM will forever be a part of Luna is common in the fandom, but come on, does every single villain in the show have to be put in the fridge to return later on? Can't the EoH do at least one job completely right just for once? At this point the EoH are well on their way to become a total farce.
3992297
Found it. It's in an eight-page short story in issue 9 of the IDW comic. Basically, she escaped to Bizarro Equestria (honestly, it's closer to that than to any sort of Earth) through the mirror just as Celestia was having her thrown out of the palace.
Strapping a blade - any type of blade - to a fore-hoof wouldn't work for a pony: unlike us, they still need that appendage to walk on. Dragons and gryphons would have the same problem, although they at least have hands of sorts.
Honestly, I think this is one of those areas where some artistic license and handwaving is required - a bit like why they have teacups with handles. Spears make no sense either to a quadruped, but those are canon too. In the end, the animators picked images that are recognizable to the intended audience, regardless of whether it makes sense of not.
3992334
The alternative would be that the Elements completely wiped a part of Luna's mind, rather than put the part that had gone out of control back in its proper place. That's far worse, imo.
3992334
I think that the EoH destroyed all the effects of NMM, but left Luna's mind untouched, because I think it would be even more cruel if they destroyed her mind--flawed though it may be--in order to re-make her into something she wasn't.
I think that that part of her which allowed NMM to take over--the part which was overcome with bitterness and jealousy--is still there. I also think it's better that it is, because she can learn from her mistakes and be redeemed, rather than just be mind-wiped and returned to her pre-NMM state.
I don't think that she will ever allow NMM to come back, and I'd flip a table if the show creators decided to take a cheap shot at Luna like that. Out of context, I didn't understand what the hell they were getting at with the storyboard teasers for Season 4 (if you saw them, they had a scene of Twilight watching Luna turn into NMM).
I think the IDW comics back up that view. When Rarity is possessed, who helps the rest of the cast go after her? Luna, because she knows what it is and what it wants. And I think that makes her a more powerful character, overall--she knows what to look for in a way Celestia never can, and she knows that it needs to be dealt with right away, rather than be left to fester.
In my opinion, that makes her a much more interesting character, and it makes the Elements more reasonable than a convenient 'undo' button.
3992387
Actually, they don't. Most quadrupeds can get along on only three legs.
And they would work for unicorns and pegasi, although I agree, not as practical for an earth pony.
There I agree; I generally consider if something is just used because it's a recognizable symbol to the intended audience, before deciding if it's something the ponies have, or if it would be in the same shape (like the camera Featherbrain has). I don't think that any pony military ever used hoof-held swords as their primary weapons, but I can totally see them being symbolic to the ponies, especially if some other sapient race did use them.
3992307
Well considering that the one ring holds part of Saurons soul...
Also it never really hid, it just actually got lost. It can only manipulate those hearts nearby once they've touched it or gotten close to it. It got lost in a river for two millennium because it really was just kinda...lost. It does not need a suitable bearer, all will fall before its corruption..Even in the end Frodo did as well.
But still, it does seem that Sombra's artefact did have a malevolence about it, considering it didn't corrupt the shopkeeper.
3992540
I think there's a large part of Sombra in the Alicorn Amulet, but that's just my headcanon.
Exaclty. It needs a suitable host, and the shopkeeper wasn't the one. It might make an interesting backstory to figure out how the shopkeeper got it.
3991786
if it was kate that would make more sense on the tummy rubs, im curious as to how the guard that was on the receiving end of those felt after ward. first pony to be molested by an alien. thats one hell of a news story
3991865
*Sort-of funny continuation that somehow manages to spawn a conversation about a completely different topic and insults half the world's population in the process.Wait I did that last part already um-*
Honestly, my biggest question is why Pinkie Pie kissed Twilight... it's almost like she was trying to embarrass Twilight in front of all those ponies. Obviously, she's either ignorant or apathetic of the consequences any resulting rumors might create, and I'm not talking about a same-sex relationship. The ponies seem like they would mostly not care about that, but politically and socially, Twilight could be in trouble.
On another topic, for some time now, I've been bothered a bit by the impending Court-Martial. I understand the aspect of Celestia gaming the system to try to get Lyra acquitted on a charge of Dereliction, so as raise a bar to any civil prosecution, but (and I may be drawing unwarranted parallels between U.S. jurisprudence and the Equestrian legal system), it may not be an effective bar to prosecution. Consider, for an imperfect example, that Bradley Manning was prosecuted for Violation of a Lawful General Order (Article 92, Uniform Code of Military Justice) and Espionage (Art. 106a, UCMJ). IANAL, but my understanding is that, even if he had been acquitted at his court=martial, Manning would have still been liable for civilian charges under related provisions of the Espionage Act, as well as the various laws in United States Code regarding computer crime. In the case at hand, Sgt. Heartstrings might be (and probably should be, IMHO) acquitted of the charge of Dereliction., but that would not speak to a charge of Reckless Endangerment or Assault through the civilian courts.
Unless an Equestrian Court-Martial combines the aspects of a modern Court-Martial with those of a Court of Inquiry? The human precedent might be along the lines of the scene from O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels where Jack Aubrey is court-martialed for the loss of HMS Sophie as the only means to clear his name. (I only recall a line to the effect of "Acquitted with Honour", meaning that Aubrey was found and declared to have acted in accordance with the finest traditions of the Service, and was held wholly without fault - but it's been decades since I've read the novels, and I no longer have them at hand.) Of course, if a Court-Martial is to act as a bar to prosecution, this would require the line between Military and Civil Jurisprudence in Equestria to be rather blurred... I dunno. I could almost do up a Ruling from a Court of Inquiry (cribbing from several sources) that might work. But, I don't want to overstep.
Of course, that's only the first issue. The other issue is that, once started, events like a Court-Martial take on a life of their own. Given Luna's expressed relief at the "simplicity" of the ERG's regulations (which, at first blush, appears rather shallow on her part), I'm not sure the verdict is going to be anything like what Celestia had hoped to see... Of course, I could be utterly wrong.about all of this...
lol Seems Twilight is going to have to explain to Lily the truth. XD Hoo boy. At least getting one of the gossip trio in on the truth will spread the true word around fast, at any rate. XD And this is obviously before Dale's recent point of view, but still interesting to see this point of view. Very entertaining too. XD Good to see you returning to this after you recent one-shots, too.^_^
3992986
Would you expect anything else from Pinkie?
3993205
Honestly, no I would not.
Also, did Dale/Lyra never think to write down their names for each other in their respective languages? It seems like something they would do in the course of their studies, but I guess it might be overlooked due to their inexperience and/or time limitations.
3993269
I don't think they could. If you were taking language lessons from someone who spoke Arabic, could you write your name in Arabic?
Lyra's could write down what Dale's name sounds like to her, even though it's probably not a word in Equus, and Dale could do the same with hers, but it wouldn't make sense to the other, and I think they both recognize that (plus, Dale's still having trouble with the basic Equus character set).
3993108
Better now than after she's gotten half the town in a panic.
Yes, A New Dawn parts 1, 2, and 3 all take place at pretty much the same time, just in different places (as did Sea Swirl's Dive.
Thanks! I've got an editing backlog, but I'm getting caught up (finally).
3993290
What I meant is that Dale could write down his name in English and Lyra in Equus, although I don't see what help it would be other than being able to call attention to or reference each other in writing.
3993048
Your second example is closest to how I imagine Equestrian Law working in this case--that is, did Lyra uphold the ideals of the Guard, or did she do something reckless and stupid? If it's the former, it's irrelevant whether or not the outcome of those actions was desirable, since Lyra faithfully carried out her duties.
I don't see there being a separate civil case in this matter; I think that to the ponies, once the verdict has been reached, that's it. End of story. Especially with Luna presiding (which is a signal of how seriously Celestia is taking this). The verdict will be one that nopony can argue later.
3993327
Yeah, I don't know how helpful that would be. It'd be easiest for Dale to draw a picture of a lyre, and Lyra to draw a stick figure man. That would probably be unambiguous enough.
3993308 Well, if you need help proofreading, I'd be glad to help if you use Google Docs or somethin'.^_^
3992429
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/English_heavy_cavalry_sword.jpg
Old school heavy cavalry, like Crimean War period, used to carry big, heavy swords which they would try to skewer their enemies with, no slashing. I'm not really sure why they used the swords rather than just using lances.
3993645
Lances are unwieldy, and generally too slow for mounted combat, unless you've got the whole line staying together.
The ponies are probably better at that, which might be why they carry spears (plus, spears are good when you're defending with your backs to a wall--or even better, behind the wall).
3993672
All right, I will keep that in mind.
3993636
You're more than welcome to join the club! I do use gDocs, and I've been trying to get drafts to my pre-readers a week ahead of publication (for OPP, at least). One shots I like to send out a day or two before, tops ('cause I'm usually not thinking far enough ahead on them). Fic-A-Day prompts just get one go-through by me.
3993690 Ah. Well, do you have Skype? Easier to get links to the doc chapters, and more fun to converse on such as well. I'm also proofreading another friend's works.... but I tend to proofread AS he writes it. Like, wait till he finishes a paragraph, then proofread it as he types up the next.... or catch up on proofreading in between the tasks I multitask with, such as Assassin's Creed 4. XD
3993708
No skype; I've got a horribly slow internet connection. Right now, it's 1.41 Mb/s up and .89 Mb/s down (I just checked). On my final edit of this chapter, gDocs crashed three times, and I had to wait two minutes between corrections for it to save (but that's slower than normal). Not skype friendly.
I usually do a primary edit first, to catch all the dumb mistakes, before I foist it off on my pre-readers.
3993829 Ah. Darn. That complicates things. XD
3993837
Yeah, one of the things on my to-do list is get better internet, but for now I've got other priorities. like paying other bills. Such is life.
3991865 *thoughtful insight*