Celestia was just another a unicorn filly. Here is the story of her youth, her love, her ascension to power, and the grief that tears at her heart still. It's no Heartswarming Eve Pageant, that's for sure!
Based on the short story Sunrise.
Teen rated for some intense combat scenes, but not what I would consider to be gore. Also contains some sexual content but nothing explicit, so I don't think it warrants a sex tag.
When you downvote, I would really appreciate it if you would let me know why so I can improve my writing.
Chapters (19)
You had me hooked on the first chapter. On the second, I was impressed! More please!
4579207 I'm going to insert another chapter between these two and add some stuff in front of the throneroom scene. The pacing needs to be extended but I REALLY had to write that scene. I didn't realize all the cool characters I was going to get to write when you made the suggestion to turn Sunrise into a full story.
4579368 Aww shucks. You flatter me.
Harry Trotter? I understand getting around copyrights, but this...
4581951 I had no idea they were going to go to the Royal Academy. I know how the story starts and how it ends but in the middle the characters are calling the shots.
4582267 There are times when I know exactly what you mean.
Nice character build-up, but I wonder what you plan to do with the 'March of Winter' chapter that was posted earlier.
4584066 I have one more chapter to add between. It's going to be fleshed out a lot as well.
Great chapter though 'hear (near the end)' should be 'heart.'
So, if that was Discord, (and I'm not saying it wasn't. Who else would come up with such a ridiculous turn of events?) what changed him? He seemed... helpful (for lack of a better word). I realize, as the spirit of chaos, he is thoroughly unreliable (seriously, he and Jack Sparrow should get together and bowl or something), but he didn't seem evil nor jerkish really. What made him jump from the slippery slope (undoubtedly doing the backstroke all the way down)? Can't wait to read to find out!
4593704 Don't forget that in every episode, even the ones where he was, well, evil is too strong a word, but he was certainly naughty; but he played games with ponies with the intent of teaching them something important about themselves. There was a plan, mad though it seemed. Sometimes he's the one who learned a lesson, but he never actually hurt anypony. He certainly had the power to do so, but he really isn't malicious, just attention-seeking like a precocious and rude child.
He wasn't raised properly because he wasn't raised. He just sort of popped out of Celestia's head when she was delirious. And yes, I have written myself into a situation where I have to really think hard about the timeline of his stonage, luna's banishment and Celestia's ascension. Celestia has to be crowned first, then Discord gets imprisoned and then Luna gets banished, and somewhere in there I have to do something with Starswirl. But it will be fun getting it all sorted, I am sure.
Not having a tub big enough to bathe in. I've had that problem since I was twelve. (I was big for my age. Either that or the tub I used was oppressively small) And what is with girls and 'small talk.'
I've never understood that facet about their personality, I still dont.
4612819 Sorry, I'm just trying to give the characters some personality development by having some dialog that perhaps isn't terribly consequential. I hate cardboard secondary characters.
4613493 Oh no, you did good on that facet. I was merely stating my confusion on one particular aspect of female behavior. (Translation: Keep up the good work and pay no attention to any complaint I may make.)
You should really update this because its amazing
4649234 Thank you!
I'm finishing an update for Harold and Kumar Go to Equestria but I'll definitely go back to this one right after. I started the next chapter but then Roanan the Cimmareian emerged from my hindbrain and I had to write her up. I really need to get back on my medication 
Oh, I'm liking this story the more I read it.
Especially any part concerning Starswirl (who I believe the term 'young reprobate' fits more than adequately 
).
4656434 He's more prominent in the next chapter. I've found that I am getting more into writing historical semi-OCs. Characters like Starswirl and Platinum have "canonality" but they aren't well defined so you have context In which to place them but freedom to define their personalities. I am a bit concerned about Celestia being a Mary Sue... I need to take her down a peg. But I love her so much... What do?
4656572 Well, you already took away her hatred and jealousy of her family members. Maybe you could make her more work engrossed (much to Starswirl's chagrin *waggles eyebrows*)
4656606 Hr is a cheeky beggar isn't he? I haven't mentioned his cutie mark yet... Hers is late, he's had his for 3 years... Then they both get absorbed in their work, he's gone into theory while she's more on the political side... She still has to visit her estate... So much room in this story.
I see you patterned the Pegasus society after a Greco/Roman type government, unless I miss my guess (very likely). I'm liking the pegasusi for the most part (makes me wonder where Fluttershy gets her personality from). Why do I get the sudden sense of dread that something bad will happen to Gray Wind? BTW sorry about taking so long with this, had to go north for a family reunion. (Not so bad in and of itself, except for the fact I had to sleep nights to attend properly [Note: I work the night shift] I just got back into a 'normal' pattern again.
) Still loving the work! 
4719300 It's directly based on Athenian democracy. The Boule, the Areopagus and all that are all actual governmental bodies in the late Athenian system. When I saw Areopagus (the ancient court) I was "I HAVE TO USE THAT" just because of the name. I've been working on Roanan The Cimmareian but as soon as I finish this story (it's a short) I'll do another chapter of TBTW. Thanks for the support!
I also wonder how the earth ponies will be portrayed?
4765229 Well... there's certainly been a lot of change in pegasi culture in the past 1000 years, so no doubt there is also a big difference between modern earth ponies and those of a millenium ago who are either freeholders or renting their farms from the noblity. Now, I don't believe there has been any canon establishing that the nobility of Canterlot own any land, however it is difficult to see what the point of being a noble would be if you didn't own vast tracts of land because of it. Not that the show goes deep into the economic system of Equestria. It just seems likely to me that land would tend to accumulate with the ones who have the most combat power, and unicorns, having an effective ranged attack in addition to the ability to manipulate objects at a distance, have a considerable advantage over earth ponies in combat. I mean, only unicorns are shown to be nobles, period. You could say that earth ponies are too practical to be interested in such snobbery, but even in the modern age, most earth ponies have more menial-type and retail jobs.
Heh. I started doing some research and stumbled upon this gem. http://www.overthinkingit.com/2012/11/08/my-little-pony-plato/
Amazing what's out there. The Noble Lie is EXACTLY what I am looking for. OMG the comments... how Transformers is also an example of Plato's Republic but a failed one and funny how both franchises are own by Hasbro... lol!
Also, belching after a meal is considered polite in Turkey at least... I don't know about Greece but it seemed like fun!
4765791 I'll have to remember that next time I'm in Turkey.
Interesting point on that count of earth ponies. However, I have to think that, seeing as how earth ponies are the only ones who can (or will) grow food, you'd think that they have some rights. Even branching into their own brand of government that allows them to have a say in policy, even though the unicorns here are the aristocracy. (Besides, from what I've read, only small percentage of the unicorn population would view earth ponies as 'beneath them.')
4765870 This is a thousand years ago. I've made reference to freeholders, who may be the earth pony equivalent of nobles with the exception being that they work their own land and don't owe fealty to or live within the boundaries of Unicornia.
I'm working from the premise that the Hearth's Warmings Eve story is The Noble Lie that Plato said was necessary for a Utopian society to function harmoniously (read that article, it turns out Lauren Faust said the whole Plato's Equestria thing was completely coincidental but I think it just makes it all the more fascinating that way.) In pre-industrial societies, 90% of the population worked as farmers. Perhaps the earth ponies have a huge advantage in numbers that they are unable to exploit because they have no social organization higher than the family unit (as opposed to the pegasi who are "civilized" meaning they live in a city, within a true democracy, and the the unicorns who have a hierarchy of nobility.)
I caught an interesting comment on one of the threads; the term "Discord" was apparently coined by Plato to describe a situation in which Hellens (Greeks) are fighting each other. But it's still all a coincidence.
*Impersonating Howard Cosell* "Pinkie Pie...You have got yourself some competition."
And, lest I forget:
5455074 Yeah, well, I suppose I should have put it on hiatus, sorry. I started working from home and to be honest, now that I don't spend every other week in a hotel room, I wind up having little opportunity for solitude at night, so less writing gets done. Like, zero.
I just had a week off watching my kid during his school break, so I was able to get some quiet time. I just need to learn how to write with distractions.
5455121 Eh, no worries bout that. My own story is put on hiatus while I caught up with other projects (and to be honest with everyone, it needed work anyway).
5455138 I wish I could get more views though. I really appreciate your feedback but it doesn't contain much in the way of criticism. I mean, enthusiastic support is great, but it's not like this thing has 100 upvotes. I'm worried it's just appealing to a niche.
5455548 You could ask one of those extremely critical groups to do a review. (I hear 'Rage Reviews' is a good one, however most of the people on it tend to vent their frustrations on the story, but they do offer good reviews with that in mind.)
5456490 I want to finish it before I ask for a review, and eventually submit it to EqD... maybe I need an editor. I go back and re-read it and I see things I don't like... maybe I should finish it before I do any more updates but I don't know if I can maintain that effort without some support.
When I wrote Twilight's Dawn, I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, and a lot of readers were enthusiastic in their praise... then someone with a great deal of insight and kindness wrote critically about it in the nicest way they could and what they said was so true and so devastating that I can't even look at it any more without seeing so much wrong with it.
I really don't want to get to a point where I think I'm finished with this one and someone points out a fatal flaw.
This whole affair just gets curiouser and curiouser. (As well as the fact that I seem to be the only bloke reading this bothering to comment on it. Kinda lonely really.)
5556524 and I deeply appreciate that, my friend
Story Approved in Species of Equestria: Alicorns
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5641042 Thanks!
awww, got to the end.
I found this story from a Favorites list of an author I liked, and WOW this is a gem! I usually skip over Incomplete stories, but I really, really like this premise. Thank you so much for writing this much, because I really enjoyed it! I haven't laughed out loud reading a fic for a while, and this has just been so much fun!
Excellent mix of adventure, comedic moments, amazing premise, fun characters, and fully realized cultures of the pony races. Masterfully done, and incredibly entertaining.
Since you have such good taste, I'll be reading some of your other stuff and cribbing your favorites list as well
8540933
I stopped writing this after some episode or the other threw it out of any possibility of canon. But. Going back and reading it again, and seeing your kind words, has made me want to damn the torpedoes and full alternate universe ahead. My apologies to anyone who was disappointed that I stopped this particular opus. I do have a tendency to stop in the middle, which I realize is awful. I'll try to do better in the future.
Welcome back! God, those Weavers are nuts!
I am curious how wrangling the Earth Ponies will go, but I'll admit I'm a bit more keen on the years between then and the Great Freeze. More studies? Luna? Who knows?
Looking forward to seeing what you have in mind :)
Well, I’ve got three irons in the fire now; this, The Maid, and Harold and Kumar Go to Equestria. The Maid probably costs the fewest Sanity Points to work on. H&K I’m going to finish totally before publishing right before they come to take me away. This one is in the middle. And I think I can up with a way to get it back into canon territory without writing Starswirl out. One can always say Celestia was lying about stuff for propaganda purposes until the FREAKING CHARACTER SHOWS UP IN THE SHOW. But I think I can manage it. Ish.