65 - Return to Ponyville
Twilight and Silver walked side-by-side with the guard marching in front of them. Luna suddenly stepped out in front of the guard. "Halt. The Princess Sparkle is required in Ponyville immediately."
Twilight unfurled her wings in alarm. "Is something wrong?"
Luna nodded. "You are required for the winter preparation. It is nothing dire, but as presiding princess, you should make a good impression."
The guard looked a little confused. "Celestia or--"
"Plans change." Luna waved Twilight off. "Take Silver with you, the practice will be good for her."
Twilight changed course for the exit, and soon she and Silver were gone.
Luna nodded to herself and moved off. She met with Shining Armor and Cadance, and they marched as one through the halls. "Fortuitous timing. Twilight emerged on her own. I sent her back to her castle."
Shining nodded. "I'm glad she's feeling better. Let's focus on the matter at hoof."
Cadance inclined her head slightly. "Namely how to approach Auntie about this tactfully without being brushed off."
Luna arched a brow. "Are we certain we didn't want to bring Twilight and Silver with us? They are princesses as well."
Shining shook his head quickly. "Twily's too close, and Silver's too new. It'd be way better for both if we can handle this on our own."
Twilight and Silver landed in a town deep in the throes of preparing for winter. Leaves were being collected and clouds being brought in, heavy and thick. The sight of Twilight brought happy smiles as ponies gathered around, but they looked at Silver with uncertainty.
Mayor Mare pushed to the fore of the gathering. "Good to see you back, Princess Twilight Sparkle. We're already well underway and on schedule! I trust everything went well?"
Twilight wrapped a wing around Silver. "We're back and ready to pitch in a hoof." Though she had failed to notice the nervousness of the ponies, her showing of solidarity with Silver proved a sound move for relaxing many of them. "This will be Silver Star's first Running of the Leaves." She looked aside at Silver. "Up for running? Just don't show up the other ponies too badly."
Silver smiled nervously. "Sure, I'll give that a chance. Where do I go?" Silver was soon led away towards the race track, and preparations for the coming of winter resumed. As Silver slid into position, a wide berth was afforded on both sides. Silver shook her head a little. "I won't break on contact. There's plenty enough room for everyone."
Soft whispering murmured through the crowd.
"Why does she keep saying everyone like that?"
"That's the one that made Twilight go crazy, right?"
"Why does she look so scary for a princess! It's worse than Luna!"
"Why is a princess running in the race? Is she trying to show off?"
Silver sagged a little, annoyed, and on some small level, amused. The whispering was loud enough to hear easily, even though other ponies seemed to miss it all the time. "For the race I'm just a pony like the rest of you. Let's shake those leaves!" A soft murmuring of indistinct noises was the reply.
The gun went off and it become a riot of colors as the ponies surged forward in one great herd. Silver launched herself forward with them, concentrating on keeping her pacing even. A thought came to her as she thundered with the others. If she was an alicorn, surely she had some earth pony mixed in there? She let her magic free, panting all the harder as heat built. With soft mental nudges, she focused it, trying to send it down into her legs and her lungs. Her panting become deeper and deeper as she pulled in huge gulps of air and relief came swiftly. She felt she could keep on running for some time. Running became fun in a way that it never had before.
It was a few minutes before she realized she had left the pack behind and she went dark in the nose and cheeks. She couldn't blow all the other ponies out of the water! That would make them so angry... She ducked to the side into some bushes and waited, allowing the pack to catch up and pass her by before she emerged and let them set the pace.
A grey mare slowed down and turned her head towards her. Derpy. "Hi!"
"Hi Derpy! You're a pegasus, I thought you'd be helping with the clouds." Silver raised a wing to point up at the clouds being moved into position. "What brings you to the ground-pounders?"
Derpy shrugged. "Everypony says that, but I can run as good as anypony else! Just like you. I heard them saying mean things about you. That wasn't very nice."
Silver shook her head and extended a wing, hugging Derpy briefly. "You are so sweet. Thanks! Yeah, anypony can run if they want to, don't let them tell you otherwise."
Derpy nodded her head, panting much more roughly than Silver was with her earth pony magic. "You're good at running..."
Silver slowed a little. "We can slow down if you want? It's not a race, even if they do give medals in the end."
Derpy slowed down with a grateful look on her face, and they trotted instead of galloping. "Thanks. I need to practice more. You're Silver Stars, right? A princess?"
Silver reached up to poke her horn and flared out her wings. "Guilty. And you are Derpy Hooves, a very nice pegasus."
Derpy giggled at the description of herself. "So what's it like, being a princess? Do you have a crown?"
Silver shook her head. "Not yet. It's... Well I got bigger, and these wings. I guess the biggest part is the magic of all the tribes, and dreamwalking."
"You can go into dreams?!" Derpy's crossed eyes went wide. "That's amazing! Can you visit mine? ... Did you already visit mine? You have to tell me if you did!"
Silver couldn't help herself from giggling, warming to Derpy's optimistic enthusiasm. "I haven't, but do you want me to?" Derpy bobbled her head eagerly. "Then I will, tonight, promise. We'll do whatever you always wanted to do, together." Derpy took off on her wings to free up her hooves and clopped them together ecstatically before landing. "Derpy, you've made this entire run worth doing." Derpy flushed warmly at the compliment and didn't reply. They just trotted onwards through the race course.
As they came within sight of the end, Derpy moved closer. "Silver Stars? I don't think you're as scary as the others said. They're just being mean faces, like when they say I'm stupid for looking weird."
Silver tilted her head. "You look adorable, not weird, and you're not stupid. I'll see you around town, OK?"
Derpy smiled brightly, then surged ahead, completing the race ahead of Silver. They weren't the last ponies across the line, but they were far from the first.
"Winter is coming!" came Twilight's shout, amplified into the Royal Canterlot Voice.
The ponies all looked confused at the warning. Silver did a circling around until she could see Cloudsdale sparking and smoking. A great wad of something white propelled out of it and came flying towards Ponyville at an unhealthy speed. Wanting to protect her new friend, Silver threw herself at Derpy and quickly summoned up a shield of silvery light. Snow thundered across the town, the race track, and everything else. The snow hissed loudly on contact with the reactive bubble, and Silver felt her energy being drained quickly, but it was over as quickly as it began, leaving the two of them standing on a patch of dry leaves in the middle of a winter wonderland.
Derpy clopped her hooves in delight. "Thanks, Princess Silver Stars! I'd better go help out." She took off into the sky, joining the other pegasi. Silver took it as her cue to find somewhere she could lend a hoof for the process.
Celestia smiled, seated in the gardens. "My dear Cadance, Shining. A pleasure to see you both!" Around the small table was Cadance, Shining Armor, and Luna. The other three nodded at Celestia. "You all look quite severe. What troubles you?"
Shining gave a nervous smile. "It's... We're very thankful for all the work you put into Equestria."
Cadance nodded in agreement. "You've worked very hard to give us such a peaceful kingdom and time."
Luna joined in. "And done a very admirable job, dear sister."
Celestia waved a hoof in a slow roll, "But?"
Cadance did her own calming technique, moving her hoof with her breath. "We think you've become so trapped in a lifetime of looking at things long-term, that the matters of the immediate have fallen entirely off your perception."
Luna nodded gently. "You can see clearly what your ponies need for the future, so what pains may be brought about in the present are marginalized and rationalized away."
Celestia shook her head a little. "Young Cadance, Shining Armor; Neither of you have lived beyond a single lifetime. Luna, sister, you know what it is like to watch the years go by. If I did not plan for the future, what would I do? The needs of the many, and the future, must always outweigh the few, and the present."
Cadance spread her wings. "There are ways, Auntie. I know you are used to... certain allowances, but all we ask is that you try first. Before you move to bypass or step over a pony, ask them. You have made a grand new age, where ponies think for themselves, and expect some amount of respect."
Shining Armor joined in quickly. "Your ponies will respect you all the more if you make it clear why you are doing what you do. They love you, and Equestria. Most of them will willingly do what it takes to protect them."
Celestia raised a hoof. "I know what this is about. I know I've been a little r--"
"Little?" Luna frowned. "You have run roughshod over her at every chance. There is no reason for it, Tia. She wants to be a good subject."
Celestia clopped the top of the table lightly. "He has arrived as a strange creature in this land and everywhere he has gone, chaos and disharmony have followed in his blundering steps. He spouts harmony and is beyond any reasonable measure of timidity, but he is a beacon for chaos. There was not supposed to be another princess yet! Despite his words, he has ascended to the highest power available, and I shudder in terror at what the next step may be."
Cadance snorted softly. "You made Silver a mare, Auntie. It's rude to call her a him now. While it is true odd things have occurred around her, she has risen against the chaos at every opportunity. She protected the ponies of Canterlot, twice. She defended the Crystal Empire at no small risk to herself and her family." She sighed gently. "The bottom line is that if you asked her to take the fall for Twilight? She'd probably have said yes. Even if you asked her to surrender being a stallion, there's a good chance you could have convinced her without much trouble. She was a model citizen during her stay in the Empire. She looked up to me, and she almost cried with the joy that her ruler didn't abuse her." She looked at Celestia eye-to-eye. "I think better of you, Auntie. Please, this has to stop."
Shining nodded softly. "When it was discovered she may cause harm, she left despite our offer to shelter her. Whatever chaos follows her, it is against her will. We should be helping her, not blaming her."
Luna raised a hoof. "Tia, I think I know the source of this chaos."
Celestia turned to Luna with a brow raised. "You have my attention..."
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a good chapter but I am a little concerned about how Celestia is going to react to this little talk over all. and what is Luna going to tell Celestia?
this story just keeps steeping up the tension. and this is really starting to look good.
Harts Fire
PS this chapter has ben out over 3 hours and i am first post ? this is not right.
5905916 ...Why would I stop reading this story? Just because I disagreed with certain parts didn't mean I hated the story in its integrity. Nothing is perfection as perfection itself is imperfect.
Also, there's the message I sent you...
5905937 I'm so confused, but that's a pretty normal state for me! I hope you're enjoying your trip along, even when it gets weird.
5905941 Of course you're confused! I'm the creator of the World of Illogic! Ugh. Ugh. ECH!
And if you want to understand that sentence, here's an example:
What was once Perfection in 1944 is inferior to Perfection in 2035. There is no place for perfection as it stagnates.
The confrontation with Celestia at the end has made me happy. Kinda doubt that she'll change quickly, but at least Silver now has some ponies willing to stand up to Celestia for her benefit.
5905967 too bad he doesn't know that.
Silver & Twilight: We should go talk to Celestia.
Luna: Nope, you should go help change the season instead.
S&T: Ok, makes sense.
Luna, et al: Quick, let's all stand up for Silver behind her back!
I get the feeling they had more than just standing up for Silver on their mind, both the source of chaos Luna mentioned, (The Psychopath's long awaited collab self insert?) and getting Celestia to change her outlook/behavior more broadly, at the least.
Anyways, enjoyed the chapter. Would have commented hours ago if I were less busy.
5906003 Do you think Silver's presence would have helped?
5906013
Hard to say, but at least it would have helped Silver's outlook toward Luna. That could also be accomplished by Luna letting her know: "hey, Cadence and I are going to go talk to Celestia about how she was treating you. "
Silver's outlook toward Cadance wouldn't have anywhere to go, but would be more cemented (which could help if Cadance ever comes short in the future. Luna didn’t start with disappointing Silver, and Cadance may yet make a mistake in the future).
On the flip side, Silver has in the past objected to a fuss being raised on her behalf, and when it was it rebounded badly onto Silver, so she might have tried to put a stop to it. Though her character growth suggests otherwise.
Shouldn't that be the winter preparation?
The first half of this sentence is very awkwardly phrased. I'd change it to "Running became fun in a way that it never had before."
"Ground pounders" should probably be hyphenated.
Ironically enough, you wouldn't hyphenate "crossed eyes" here.
The phrase "lifetime of centuries" doesn't seem to quite convey what she's trying to say; I'd change that to "a lifetime of looking at the big picture" or "a lifetime of looking at things long-term."
5906588 All fixed! Thank you.
5906604 Silver and Twilight decide to go and confront Celestia just as Luna comes to shoo them back to Ponyville. Isn't it ironic, don't you think?
...It's like raaaiiin on your wedding day...!
Ahem. I was set to complain about how the story feels artificially yanked off-course to accommodate this week's episode of MLP, but I terminated that line of thought simply because I realized that that was entirely consistent with how this fic was been written up until now; feedback and suggestions have been incorporated virtually from day one, so why shouldn't the show itself get to play the same role in terms of having a hoof in shaping events? In that light, I can't really criticize this development more than any other to date (particularly since I've been pouring so many words into what I think of this fic for quite a while now).
One difference, in that regard, is how segregated Silver is from Twilight's friends. I think that normally, whenever a member of a close-knit group gets married (or otherwise is engaged in a serious relationship) there's an effort to integrate their significant other into their group of friends, to prevent any sort of "being pulled away" from their social circle. Unfortunately, we don't seem to be getting that here, and it's unfortunate that we're not going to be able to. Silver can't be there to help Rainbow Dash cope with her sense of loss, for example, or assist in decorating the castle. Consistency with the source material demands that Twilight's likely-soon-to-be wife cannot share in the very adventures that make Twilight and her friends so close. That's quite a shame.
As it is, it was nice to see Silver participate in the race to shake the leaves off of the trees, mostly because we finally got to see some of her interactions with the ponies of Ponyville. Silver has been quite segregated since her ascension, and in the vacuum of information that she's left, Celestia's propaganda and the population's own misgivings have filled the void, to Silver's ultimate detriment. This should be a hint that she should have her official coronation, ideally with the other princesses, as soon as possible; she needs to start creating her own social narrative, before things have a chance to deteriorate further.
As it was, it was heartening to see her interact with Derpy, who's always struck me as being, even among the ponies of Equestria, a truly kind and gentle soul (Warning: this link will make you cry!). Derpy almost certainly knows what it's like to be looked down upon for things that can't be helped, and I suspect that she's not only the sort of pony that can commiserate, but acts as an example of how not to be bitter without even realizing that she's doing it.
Beyond that, the major encounter here was Celestia being confronted by Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armor. The result was somewhat anticlimactic, as the discussion didn't really get underway before the chapter came to a close. This should have been an in-depth discussion of dueling philosophies on things like the role of government and the rights of private citizens, of utilitarianism versus personalism, of principle versus practicality, and more. But the curtain drew down just as it was getting good, which I found rather frustrating.
Worse, however, was the note that it closed on. Luna mentioned that she thinks she's found the source of the chaos that follows in Silver's stead. I worry about that, as it seems like it's going to undercut the debate surrounding what should be done regarding Silver (and Celestia's reactions to Silver) if the "problem" can be so neatly solved. This should be a case where there is no single clear-cut right answer, but instead simply different opinions on what the correct course of action is, with Celestia having strong arguments to defend and justify her reasons, even as the others have legitimate objections to raise against her points. In other words, this should showcase that everyone involved can be thoroughly benevolent but still have fundamental disagreements...which then sets the stage for the next part of the conflict, which is a question of what do you do when no easy resolution is possible?
Here's hoping that everything doesn't necessarily wrap up in a neat little bow. Yes, the story has to come to a conclusion at some point, but hopefully that's a long way off.
5906834 Derpy was a treat to write, and one I wanted to handle correctly. I wanted her to be kind without being goofy or silly. It was an earnest moment between two souls and they were both improved for the moment together.
I ended it on that moment because I am a jerk and I enjoy your torture. I admit it. The debate is far from over, promise! I also don't see the story being over yet, mostly because my capacity to inflict trouble on Silver is far from expended(thunder crack)
5907530 There is a reason for everything. Everything. It was foreshadowed which way Silver would trek long ago by the Text, and by Celestia a few times, that prophetic mare. Nothing in this fic happens 'just cause', though it can seem like that at the time. Have fun wherever your reading takes you!
I kek'd
5908550 I think I missed Celestia mentioning about Silver's future princesshood.
5912269 Have you seen the episode?
5912284 I'm way behind. Last episode I saw was blue flu one I think. So I'm ignoring s5 until it's complete. Watching ongoings is masochistic anyway. But I saw RDsnowball on booru already.
Oh god, I somehow forgot that there are another 2 chapters to read!
Curse you and your cliffhangers.
esp. since I recall David being relatively good about not slipping on that in the past.
Slightly confused here, why is Celestia mentioned here by the guard?
6931381 The guard was just as confused.