Things have been going pretty well for Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, lately. She's been resolving friendship problems left and right, and even Rainbow Dash has gotten in on the action, helping Twilight perpetuate her mad schemes (or just outright overriding them). As bold as Twilight has been, though, there are some lines she won't cross, even in the name of helping a friend.
Or she wouldn't, until now. Seeing Rainbow Dash's boldness in handling problems has inspired Twilight to bring her schemes to the next level, weaving a scheme of political intrigue, betrayal, forgiveness, pie, heartbreak, and oxford commas.
This insanity can be read on its own, or you can see the stories that led up to this tragic conclusion:
Librarian Twilight Sparkle: Tutor of the CMC
Librarian Twilight's Plan Gets Bodychecked By Rainbow Dash
(Cover image came off of My Little Face When. Source unknown.)
So much win.
So, so much win.
I do find it interesting how trusting Celestia is. She doesn't fret about the others taking over her duties for a day. Considering how much Celestia cares about doing the best for her little ponies that... well, that says a whole hell of a lot. Kind of takes me aback, honestly. Also sort of curious to see where this story will go since there's no obvious conflict or character development to be had on the table. Still, given the other two fics in the series, I'm looking forward to seeing wherever this leads.
*thundercrash* *deep ominous music* *#whathassciencedone?*
Not a bad decision anyways. Pinkie probably has tracking devices everywhere.
And if not her, there's always Discord.
I think it's clear she's been spending too much time with Pinkie.
Yeah, probably a better choice than investing in lock picking skill points.
So Twilight is ceiling pony?
You should know better Twilight, Celestia is such a composed pony that aspects of her have been used by great masters to conduct orchestras.
Also some stuff involving vampires, but we don't like to talk about that.
Celestia is also a great and powerful wizard and is probably mind reading. It was a very good speech and she was convinced.
I imagine another series of MLP movies. Equestria Oligarchs.
And this is precisely why the Equestrian Federal Reserve needs to be defunded.
I sense a disturbance in the derp.
Goddammit Tiffany.
Is it weird that I found that whole exchange mind numbingly adorable?
I would be very interested to see where this is going. There's also a mounting sense of mirth at the fact that you mention a view, and do not describe it. There are a lot of inferences to be drawn about the carriage, and not all of them have to make conventional sense.
~nb4skeeter
Well, that was short.
And it was also rather mundanely heartwarming.
Don't worry, that's a good thing.
Damn, I could use some apple pie right now...
Das is porblem. It seems your sentence got into an argument with itself.
*typo resolved, but I like the comment because lolz*
Also I must say, I admire Celestia's... composure.
6821761 Typo about "air" fixed
6821988 Typo about "air" fixed
6822069 Typo fixed
Unfortunately for Celestia it turns out that her trust in others was misplaced, and they had caused catastrophic solar flares and they were now living in a nuclear winter. On the positive side though people did have some epic snowball fights.
But it couldn't be her ex lover Apple Cinnamon. She died over four hundred years ago in a tragic roofing accident. And yet they never did find the body...
No. I chose not to make the obvious joke at the opening and I stand by that decision!
While this was certainly a major diplomatic incident and it did harm relations with Hive Chrysalis, it was mostly worked over. Still a lot of trust was lost that day.
A single tear fell, as she recalled Apple Cinnamon...
Puts a bit of another take on Celestia telling Twilight to go make friends. Almost like she's got some regrets.
Certainly her catapult skills had slipped, with the invention of the Trebuchet it seemed uneccesary to keep her Catapulting training up, and it had been a long time since the war. But what really kept her from the catapult was that horrible roofing accident. Still, it was time she moved on with her life.
6822116
This thought unfortunately didn't occur to me. Stupid miniature horses, with their thematic naming schema...
:o
:/
Also didn't occur to me. ...
:'(
6822116 Seeing you write memetic fanfiction in your comments to my memetic fanfiction FILLS ME WITH derp
6822132 It occurred to me...
That moment when you miss a perfect opportunity to work a subtle Undertale reference into your story...
6822522
Oh
god...
DAMNIT
6821761
6822897 Don't worry...I don't think I like the idea of a butterscotch pie...Pumpkin on the otherhand...
6823179 Well...Pony tactile telekinesis could be used for wall crawling if said pony knew what it was doing...
Little slow to start, brilliant Payoff.
Both hilarious and character development in unexpected ways. Nice.
it's simple. We make time together, and remember to enjoy the little things that make us happy, and never forget why. You see...
is TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Watch the show...
6825748 I find it amusing that you say it's slow to start, since the usual criticism I get is that my writing is too concise and fast-paced. WE ARE SPIRIT-KIN OF THE DON'T-WASTE-OUR-TIME CLAN
6823721 I know what you mean. Butterscotch pie can be used to restore your HP to full, but its true purpose is sinister...
6825762 The part of my random comedy fic that involves abduction, extortion, and treason was slow-paced for you, but the part where the ponies sit in a hotel room and chat is fine.
My conclusion is that adding pie solves all pacing problems.
6826921 Uhh...haven't actually played Undertale...just know my memes...(do even dare ask what the true purpose of butterscotch pie is?)
6827011 To be honest, nothing that sinister. It's mostly just nostalgic.
Aww...
Still, a more general solution would be nice. Twilight can't be there for every group of estranged friends.
... I just had a Purplesmart moment, didn't I?
In any case, I quite enjoyed Celestia the artillerymare.
6827358 Shh! Stop spoiling future plotpoints!
I assume she's laughing like this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nko6o_EZ2o
In hindsight, it was probably a better choice to continue using the Equestria Federal Reserve to do her theft, not bank robbery. However, she needed her Payday too.
One of these days I'm going to need to make a game design for Jim Lorfen's Pastry Trebuchet.
This will be useful for when she commits the bank robbery.
History still remembers the tragedy of that tea party and the senseless and unnecessary casualties.
Between this and English Lit she felt like the institute was just trying to waste her time.
What Celestia and Twilight did not expect was to find the castle missing, and in it's place the largest crop circle either of them had ever seen.
Celestia trusts Twilight to handle stuff... Surprising absolutely Twilight. And exclusively Twilight.
6821663
Oh, nevermind. (:-P)
Celestia, Luna, Cadence, take note. This is why Twilight Sparkle is everyone's favourite Princess.
I mean, my God, it's like if Tyrion Lanister existed in a setting that wasn't terrible where everything was doomed to suck.
Ah, so it is... a game of thrones.
Sorry, Dash, but when you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you derp.
Oh hey, just found the spoiler tag. Now I don't have to show the whole fic anymore. Also this got rather long...
Can see what you meant earlier about how you had thought about this aspect, that Celestia wanted Twilight to make friends out of her own regrets.
And yeah, those sorts of stories on the show, dealing with lonliness and such? Can be hard to watch because of the serious take.
Notlestia? Huh. Who is it? At the time of writing? Thinking Luna. Discord was also considered but I wonder if this is how he'd be thinking? And, if this sort of arc even makes sense for him.
Ah. Right. I did accidentally see that name when my eyes were trying to focus on the start. Whoops! And here I was thinking about a Discord arc...
And this would be the point I'd probably stop being a smart ass. Identify a bit too much here.
And think I might need to take a bit of a break. Little thirsty, but also rather a bit of an emotional scene. One of those triumphantly sad things... touching that this is getting out in the open.
It's almost like Celestia isn't someone that just reacts to these feelings, and is someone that choose who, and what she is.
How does one get through to someone who refuses to be gotten through to? And how does one get over putting a person through that? Rhetorical question, but I'm starting to suspect the answer is to bring other people in that are able to force perspective. Hence how there's a magical princess of friendship.
Insightful. When we think of histories "ambitious" (I don't see ambition as a flaw, but I digress) figures, those dictators and tyrants, and those who would build empires. And these business moguls, investment bankers, and warlods? How many of them could be said to feeling alone? That the desire for power was a way of trying to feel connected to something]?
When you're trying to get strength helps if you know what kind of strength to get.
Pretty understandable that. Would take someone rather exceptional to not feel jealous. You could argue that she should be a better person but... why? What even is that? How are those concepts suppose to reach? Examples help. So does confrontation.
No reason to think that would have worked. She had tried before after all. Was the situation that different that it would create different responses? Would defeating Sunset have caused her to reevaluate her views? COULD Celestia beat Sunset Shimmer even if it had come to that?
No one is perfect. I suppose this is why there
twothreefour princesses. I'd say Equestria has a problem when it come to royalty inflation but eh, the number of princesses compared to the number of issues is probably still not reaching market equilibrium. The Free Market needs to decide on how many princesses there are! It's the only way that makes sense!Could make reference to some things I'm not well informed enough to talk about like "pathogical altruism" or master/slave morality. Or how the industrial revolution has taken us apart but... this is Equestria. Celestia seems to be the one setting the systems. Either way she hasn't been thinking about herself enough.
A deeply touching moment. Very well done.
Also, interesting to see a Sunset who left after Celestia took on Twilight. I don't think I've ever seen that before.
In any case, I'm very glad I encouraged you to continue the original idea. Thank you for this.
6829938 Buh? I didn't mean to imply she left after Twilight. She was jealous of Twilight in the Equestria Girls movie. X.X
That aside, you are quite welcome.
6830624
Oh. Derp. Completely misinterpreted that bit.
6830653 >Initiating Author Meltdown Sequence
I'm a failuuuuuuuuuure
Oh my God, Sorry, Solo, but the best part of this fanfic may be in the comments...
Such Twilight, very Sparkle. Wow. What's this? An imperfectly efficient system? A sudden influx of FRIENDSHIP ought to put a stop to that!
Brace yourself, Derper is coming...
I refer of course to everyone's favorite relative of Pinkie Pie, Derper Catapult Pie - renowned catapult munitions harvester who discovered that catapults not only make for effective siege weapons, but - with the application of Derper's Patented "Cobbler Shot" - also make for an exciting party attraction.
The more you know!
(Naturally, Derper had to retire in shame after the scandalous misuse of his Cobbler Shot at the royal party that was otherwise the height of his career.)
My God this comment just keeps digging itself deeper and deeper down the depths of derp...
I must be tired; think I'll just quit while I'm aderp.
Such Visionary, very Visionary, wow.
>_>
I'll be honest, this part in particular has been pretty feelzy
The fact that it starts so slowly makes it so much better when the crazy starts.
Much squee, very dawww. Thank you for writing this.
8985924
You're absolutely welcome.
*reads title* *snorts*
Oh, this is gonna be good!
*reads summary**snicker*
No, this is going to be really good!!
*reads first chapter* *explodes into laughter*
Oh lord, Twilight. Never change. Just...never change.
Also, I sense I will soon be screaming with laughter....
I'm down for this.
Ah, a fine Celestia. Exposition of a long life and routine building up like limescale in the pipes, begging for the novel!
Friendshhhhiiiipppp
Two of my favourite horse-ladies! Fluffy discourse! Reconciliation! Ah, lovely.