The gray clouds of winter hung motionless in the sky, despite the chilling wind whipping through the city. Frost had gathered on the edges of the windows, creating their beautiful sculptures as water dripped from the roof into puddles along the cobblestones. The sound of hundreds of ponies shuffling along echoed among the stone and brick walls of the stores lining the street, proving there was still life amid the cold. Dead leaves scattered about the road were lifted with the wind, flying to the sky as they drifted about. With every small gust, ponies pulled their scarfs, hats and coats closer.
In the distance, the magnificent gold and white castle of Canterlot rose from the mountainside, it's windows shuttered and smoke rising from the many chimneys. The magnificent Royal Gardens had blankets and bedsheets wrapped around the many bushes, trees and shrubs residing there. Guards in thick winter armor and coats stood near the doors with only a brave few willing to follow the patrol routes. The stone beneath them was icy cold, numbing their hooves as they stood. Not a single pony complained, but even with their training, some couldn't help but clatter their teeth when the wind arrives, along with a trail of leaves.
One such leaf followed the current up the side of the castle spire, flitting and spinning carelessly past the stonework. The wind eventually moved on, abandoning the lead to a slow spiral back to the ground once it neared the purple roof of the tower. As it passed, a warm waft of air blew below it before the cold rushed in, pulling the poor leaf into an open window. It landed with a soft skid on a wonderfully crafted wool carpet, flittering as the long leg of a pure white pony walked by, her rainbow tail trailing along the floor. With a soft clack, the wind stopped and the leaf lay still as she passed by again, ignoring the intruder and laying back down on the carpet.
"Brrr," she said, shivering slightly. "Winter has finally arrived, hasn't it?"
She looked around the room with her gorgeous magenta eyes, scanning the purple walls and inviting four poster bed before frowning and turning back to an open book with a quill laid across the blank pages. Her horn lit as the quill lifted itself and floated over to a small inkwell, dipped the tip into it and began to scribble onto the empty pages. The frown she wore was quickly replaced with a smile as she watched the words be penned. Glancing up, she watched the roaring fire in her fireplace, her gaze enraptured with the dancing orange. She tilted her head, blinking once before returning to the book and reading the lines written into the page.
Her smile seemed to fade for a second as she paused, staring at the page the same way she stared at the fire. She blinked and placed a golden shoed hoof on her chin, tapping it slightly as she thought. The quill hovered mere centimeters away from the page, poking the air ever so slightly as she read it again.
"No, no," she said with a defeated sigh. "That's not right either."
Frowning again, she laid the quill back down pursed her lips and looked off into a corner of the room, staring into space. With the quill's scratching gone, only the small crackles and pops of the fire could be heard, accented by the faint whistling of the wind outside. Turning back to the fire, she sighed as her horn lit and a tea set for one popped into the air next to her. Smiling again, she watched the teapot tilt over and fill the cup. Two cubes of sugar danced about the air before plopping down into the steaming amber tea, dissolving almost instantly. A spoon dipped itself daintily into the tea and stirred it slowly, ensuring the granules had all mixed in properly when she took a sip, feeling the soothing warmth wash over her tongue.
"Mmmm. East Saddle Arabian black tea," she said, sipping it once more.
Placing the cup down, the quill lifted itself again and Princess Celestia smiled as it scratched along the paper once more.
The sound of hooves drowned out the scratching of a man sitting at a table, writing into a pocketbook in his hand. Glancing up, he frowned as the soft wind tousled his curly brown hair, watching a cart travel by with casks of wine big enough to hold him within. A sniff escaped him as the people milled about, some shouting about the revolution and waving their flag in the air while others tried to hand out pamphlets to those passing by. Golden sunlight gleamed off the roofs of the chateaus, casting dancing gleams of light onto the mud and cobblestones.
Grunting, the man stood and reached into his overcoat, fishing out a couple five franc coins. He tossed them onto the table, bound his pocketbook and strode off into the crowd, pulling his coat tighter around him. The rabble of the masses rose as he passed each street, watching as they danced, rioted and made speeches on carts and tables, each with large crowds gathered around them. Sniffing again, he stifled a sneeze while he passed a butcher shop, listening to the flies buzz as the meat monger yelled into the crowd, trying to sell his wares. Pressing himself between the women, he managed to free himself when he heard a familiar voice.
"Jacques!" came a voice to his right.
Glancing over, Jacques looked down the street at the masses gathering around the wine cart he saw earlier, frantically reaching up to help get the barrels off. Atop the cart stood three men, each unfastening the casks and spinning them to the back where several soldiers parted the crowd while a few workmen placed planks for the casks to slide down. Confused, Jacques looked to either side before a hand clapped down on his shoulder, making him flinch as a weight pressed down on him.
"Jacques!" the voice said again, full of glee. A toothy grin filled his vision as a man leaned in, supporting himself on Jacques' shoulder while a woman giggled madly in his other arm. Jacques smiled weakly as the scent of wine assaulted his nose and stung his eyes.
"Pierre," he said, reaching up and clapping his other hand on the man's.
"Jacques, what is blazes are you *hic* doing all by your lonesome?" Pierre said, his words on the verge of slurring. "It's a new day! Vive la Revolution!"
Several shouts of approval came from around them as Pierre leaned back, his blonde hair flipping while he released his arm from around the woman and chugged from a bottle.
"Yeah, vive la revolution," Jacques said, his smile turning awkward.
"Oh, come now," Pierre replied, wrapping his arm around the woman again. "We're free! No more kings or nobles! Every man can make his own fortunes! It's all we've ever wanted!"
"Yeah, it's, uh, great," Jacques replied, trying to pry Pierre's hand off his shoulder. "Can't believe it happened."
"But it did," Pierre said, pulling the wine bottle from his lips again. "And I was there! At the Bastille! Best day of my life. No *hic* guards were stopping us and we showed the king we are not afraid of him."
The woman giggled as she ran her hand up Pierre's chest, eyeing him with the most sultry gaze she could muster. Pierre looked over to her and smiled wider. "Yes, we ran through the corridors, freeing all the citizens inside. It was like God himself was directing us."
Jacques smile finally dropped off his face as Pierre rambled on to the woman, finally removing his hand and using it to play with her curly hair. Wiping off his shoulder, Jacques heard a cry ring out through the crowd in front of them and looked up in time to see one of the casks topple from the cart, nearly crushing one of the workers as he dove out of the way. It fell in slow motion, tumbling the short distance to the mud before bursting like a ripe tomato. Red wine sprayed outward and the people cheered, rushing forward to scoop up some of the wine. The guards tried to fend off the masses, but were eventually shoved aside and disappeared as the people fought for a drink.
"Free wine!" Pierre shouted as he and the woman ran towards the crowd, shoving a few aside before he thrust the bottle into the air. "Viva la Revolution!"
Jacques straightened his jacket while the people roared in approval, scrunching up his nose before turning and walking down the road again, determined to avoid eye contact with anyone. The next few minutes were silent as he passed the many buildings huddled around the avenue, most with the new flag of France flying from their balconies. The rabble eventually grew quieter as he moved away from the center of the city and passed into the much nicer Le Marais borough. Tall, proud estates lined the streets with beautiful wrought iron fences guarding them faithfully. Amber and orange leaves blew down the road as the trees swayed in the wind, blocking some of the sunlight.
His pace slowed as he looked up at the trees, smiling while memories of climbing the ones near his childhood home came back. Shaking his head, he pushed past a couple and made his way over to a small café. A woman outside furiously wiped off the table before glancing up and smiled.
"Ah, Jacques. Welcome back," she said as he passed by.
He nodded to her, returning her smile as he entered the café, noting the emptiness of the shop. Behind the counter, a balding man stood there, wiping off cups with a rag as Jacques walked up to it. The tender glanced up as Jacques leaned onto the richly colored wood and smiled.
"What do you want?" he asked with a voice far more gruff than he looked.
"I'm here to rent a room from you," Jacques said, pulling a small note from his pocket.
Princess Celestia sighed, reclining on her pillows while she savored the warmth from the tea and fire. Her horn lit and her cyan magic covered her tiara, lifting it from her crown while the necklace around her neck clicked free. She glanced over to the window, noting the stars were twinkling brightly as Luna's moon rose into the sky. A small sigh escaped her as she kicked off her slippers, sending them clattering on the floor closer to the fire where they could keep warm. Today had been a quiet day. No major disasters, no reports of monsters ransacking towns or cities and certainly no incursions from Discord or anypony.
She wiggled as she snuggled against the plush pillows, wondering if she should summon another batch of tea when heard a couple of hooves outside her door. Craning her neck, she watched it for a few seconds before the sound of hooves rang out again, making her smile. Her guards must have been tired from standing watch all day and she hoped they'd get some well deserved rest.
The thoughts of them sleeping stuck in her mind and her eyelids grew heavy. Saddle Arabian tea was very strong, keeping her alert until the caffeine wore off. When it did, she always needed a small nap. She brought a hoof to her mouth and yawned at it, shivering once she finished. Perhaps a small nap by the fire before bed wouldn't be so bad. An idea struck her, though, as she looked over to her bed and her horn lit again. The four corners of the blanket lifted in unison, floating over to her and draping it across her body. She shivered at the cold touch of the fabric and snuggled against her pillows more, confident it would warm nicely next to the fire.
Laying her head down, Princess Celestia watched the dancing flames as her eyes began to close. The figured the fire made in the air was a wonderful sight to watch, and soon she found herself reclining on a beach with a clear blue sky overhead. A gentle breeze began to blow through the palm trees as she sighed, enjoying the sounds of the ocean.
Jacques lay on his back, staring at the wooden rafters as he thought about nothing in particular. A small fire crackled in the tiny fireplace as his socks and boots sat near it, drying from the day. His coat hung on the back of a chair at the writing desk under the window to the right of the fireplace, along with his nice shirt and pants. He rolled to his left and stared out the window into the starry sky as the skyline of Paris stretched out before him.
The city was beautiful under the stars, each home having a light twinkling within to match the endless expanse above. He could see the lights of the revelers still celebrating their independence in the distance, along with the mass of candles burning outside of Notre Dame. His gaze lifted from the city and into the sky, observing all the stars as they formed the many constellations in the pitch black sky. He had heard the theories the scientists were coming up with about them, saying they were other suns farther away from the planet than the planet was big. While he wasn't really against what the scientist said, Jacques gave their theories very little thought.
Still, he continued to stare into the sky and trace the constellations his father had shown him long ago. From here, he could see Orion, the hunter and Ursa Major, along with many smaller ones. There was an almost endless number of them and his eyes grew tired from tracing their lines. Rolling over, Jacques stared at the fire until he drifted off to sleep, his thoughts swirling.
He stood on a glorious yellow beach with an endless blue ocean in front of him, much like those he had heard of from the sailors and soldiers. The air was warm, much warmer than he had ever experienced in France, and the sound of the ocean filled his ears. Taking a deep breath, he smelled the salty water and smiled before turning and walking down the coastline. The sand was much more fine than the chunky and wet clumps on the shores of Normandy he remembered, feeling like sugar beneath his bare feet. His coat drifted with the breeze as he spread his arms, inhaling the fresh air again when he felt something new under his foot.
"Hey! Luna!" Celestia said, snapping out of her enjoyment as a hoof pressed into her mane. It immediately backed off as she rose, rubbing the crown of her head where her mane still stung. She snorted, turning to see who had interrupted her daze when the pony spoke.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" he spoke with a strange accent.
She had some choice words in mind when she froze, staring at the pony towering above her. It certainly wasn't Luna due to the deep brown coat covering his body. His shiny hooves poked out from underneath his coat, leading her up his well defined body to a set of green eyes that sparkled like emeralds. A set of large wings were spread in alarm, similar to her own as his forehoof hung in the air.
Jacques stared in amazement at the woman below him, watching as her rainbow hair drifted in the wind. She wore a simple dress of pure white with golden bangles on her slender arms and sandals of the same gold weaving up her legs. He stared into her eyes, watching as the deep magenta drew him in to her perfectly shaped face. She was beautiful, more than any woman he had ever met as he took a step back.
"A-Are you a goddess?" he asked.
A look of confusion crossed her face as she stared back. "No, but are you a prince?" she asked, her eyes filling with wonder.
"Uh, no," the pony replied, his wings pressing back against his body. "Being royalty isn't a good thing right now."
"Why?" Celestia asked, still staring at his eyes.
"You know, the revolution," he said, taking another step back. "Are you sure you're not a goddess?"
Celestia giggled at the compliment, blushing slightly as she broke her stare. "No, I'm sure."
The pony seemed to relax at that, placing all his hooves on the sand and leaning over to keep staring at her. "Could've fooled me."
Celestia smiled wide as he reached out a hoof and patted the sand next to her, nodding to him. Thankfully, he picked up on the offer and sat next to her, still staring as she flicked her mane back. "No, but I suppose being a princess does give that impression sometimes."
Jacques' eyes widened as the woman spoke. A princess? No wonder she was so beautiful. She probably had every handmaiden in her castle tending to her every need and the finest of makeup. Even though he had never heard of rainbow hair, he could understand it now. Part of him was tempted to touch it and his hand reached out, pausing before he grabbed a lock.
"Do you mind if I touch? I've never seen such exquisite hair before, even on royalty," he said.
The woman giggled her musical voice again and nodded, looking back at him as his fingers closed around her soft hair. He rubbed it between his digits, seeing if the dye would come off, but to his amazement, his fingers remained dry and colorless. Following the lock up, he saw the color reached all the way to her head without any sign of another hair color.
"Wow," he said, returning his gaze to her.
She blushed slightly as she pushed a few loose strands back, looking down at the sand. "Thanks."
"Where are you a princess of?" Jacques asked, excitement building in his chest. "India, China, Africa?"
A strange look crossed her face as she turned back to him. "No, I am princess of Equestria. Princess Celestia."
"Celestia," he said, the name rolling off his tongue. "What a wonderful name. Where is this 'Equestria'?"
She blushed again as she looked back into his eyes. "It's on the western continent."
"Oh! America?" he replied, a smile splitting his face.
"No," Celestia said, the confusion returning. "Just north of the Gryphon Kingdom."
Jacques blinked, confusion filling his mind. "Gryphon Kingdom? Is that Germany or Austria?"
"What are these places you're naming?" Celestia said, tilting her head. "And you've yet to tell me your name."
Embarrassment burned on his cheeks as he realized he had forgotten the most basic form of etiquette around a woman. Shaking his head, he looked back up and reached out for her hand. She flinched as he touched her, but he brought it up to his mouth and kissed it gingerly.
"Pardon my rudeness," the pony said, kissing her hoof gently. "Your beauty caused me to forget my manners."
Celestia felt her cheeks begin to burn again as he kept eye contact the whole time, acting like this was an everyday thing to do. She found it odd he reached out with his own hoof rather than lifting hers with magic, but his hooves were much softer than they looked. Underneath his unkempt mane of brown curls, his emerald eyes twinkled again.
"I am Jacques Desmarais," he said with an extreme emphasis on his vowels. "I am a citizen of the Republic of France."
Celestia's eyes widened. "Oh! Prance?"
"No, France," Jacques repeated. "France, not Prance."
Celestia tilted her head again, but smiled regardless. Perhaps his strange dialect was just a quirk of the country. "I am very honored to meet you, Jacques. Would you care to join me?"
Jacques' eyes shimmered. "It would be my pleasure."
You had me at Celestia-Romance tags. Looking forward to see where the story goes; too early to say what I'll think of Jacques but overall seems like a solid start.
This Has A very Interesting Concept. I Am Sold.
Hmm... alright. The description intrigues me. i'll entitle my thoughts on the chapter once I finish reading.
Also, here's a random like for managing to intrigue me.
Man, this seems like an interesting story to read.
Whoever downvoted this... I will find you.
And yet again you have piqued my interest.
Carry on.
This pleases me.
This is sweet! More please
6838300
S-Senpai...
6838248
To the guillotine!
Holy pooparoni.
HHUEHUEHUE #Iwashereb4featuredlel
6838248
...
...Woops.
Okay... last message. I kind of stopped reading after a couple sentences. I had interest, then I lost it. Mostly cause I got confuzzled on the whole "revolution" thing. But there's also a couple other reasons.
Anyways, congrats on the feature m8!
(sorry for all the damn messages lel)
6838639
This is obviously set during the actual French Revolution of the late 18th Century. History not your strong suit?
Onya for giving it a chance though.
Which French Revolution is the human world in? I'm pretty sure France had at least 3.
6838657
Oh no I understood that part, what I didn't understand is why it's placed at this setting. I dunno, I guess I kind of like it being more modern.
Again, nothing against this story, but i guess its just not my type.
6838710
There was only one storming of the Bastille.
Aww... excellent start my friend
With the premise alone you managed to gain my curiosity.
After reading this chapter you have gained my attention.
Hmmm...
It's Vive.
Tidying up aside, you've definately piqued my interest. I'm quite excited to see where you'll take this little tale of Jacques and Princess Celestia.
Liked and followed.
Mmm, such a unique premise you have going here. So tasty! I must have more.
I can only guess the shenanigans should Luna actually butt into this shared dreamscape. As it stands right now, it's all very romantic and bizarre, but it kind of makes sense, each POV filtering, familiarizing, yet allowing them to communicate. I can surmise that as they talk, each will strongly consider it's all just "in their head" and the other being is pure fantasy, nocturnal gibberish from wistful thoughts. Yet the fantasy they converse with is so convinced it is real that... just maybe, they aren't a fantasy but something rather magical instead.
Well, this is a different spin on things. *settles down with a cola and cozy chair* Carry on!
This is a very interesting idea you have here. Also very interesting choice of time and location for Jacques. Will be interesting to see Celestia's reaction if/when their interactions continue into the Reign of Terror should Jacques relate those events to her. I think as soon as I saw "viva la revolution," I did my best Takei 'oh my' impersonation.
Also the idea of a human meeting such a unique example of Royalty even if they believe them a figment of their imagination if a wonderful idea given this particular historical context.
I eagerly await more.
Its windows.
A bit too heavy on the goo goo eyes from Celestia as she's thousands of years old, royalty, and has probably seen (and been with) more than a few handsome stallions. She felt more like she was leaning towards a school girl than a wise ruler who has lead a kingdom for millennia. Get what I mean?
Other than that, it's a good start.
6839622 Some people are easily enamored. Why do you think tsundere, or yandere's exist? ... Though Yandere's are insane.
Also hi KoB.
6839688
Yeah, I get that some people are easily enamored, (a trait most grow out of over time) I just don't feel Celestia would be one of those of those people, er ponies. It's not a very good trait for a ruler to have that they fall in love with strangers so easily; love is a major distraction, after all, and you never know who you can trust. Plus, if Celestia were so easy to woo, don't you think she'd already have a lover? Like, I'm sure plenty of handsome stallions have approached her in the last year alone who fed her the goddess line.
I'm not saying it's wrong that she's fallen in love, just that it's a bit unbelievable that she'd be one of those love-at-first-sight types who are super susceptible to a chiseled physique and pretty smile. It's what's on the inside that counts and all that jazz.
And hello.
As much as in don't like romance, I gotta read this.
6839739 Probably why she sees this one guy as he is in her dream. It's pulling what he is and putting it in her mind. That, or, it could be the classic "No-one has ever dared" bit before. I mean, if your literal representation of God(dess) actually existed, who in their right mind, who isn't a complete jackass or ladder climber, would actually *TRY* for it?
What kind of story is this? portal opens to equestria or equestria comes to Earth?
So far so good. But we shall see.
Also, get an editor, I lost track of the errors.
The prose was a mite purple at the beginning, but damn if it isn't an interesting concept. I'm on board.
6839090
Yeah, all fourteen of them. Interestingly the decision had been made to shut down Bastille completely not long before the revolution started as it was deemed too expensive for its purpose. And I must say I don't envy Jacques at all, he's living in one of the most unpleasant periods of French history and right in the centre of it all to boot.
This story is off to an incredibly strong start though. I'm eagerly looking forwards to what happens next!
6840453
Overblown description of events to impress woman is overblown.
6840383
Added it to PC
6839739 I get your point, but if the filter works as I think it works, Celestia sees an alicorn stallion, as hinted several times... That kinda justifies her enamorment a bit... Since alicorns are kinda epitomes of beauty for ponies, right? And surely Celestia won't fall in love right away... There would not be a story, right? But in my opinion, due to other stallions being mortal Tia learned to keep her distance... That is why I think when Jaques shows up, she gets a little flustered... What was writen in this chapter doesn't hint on her falling in love, just being suprised that's all...
The actual comment:
Great plot idea, well writen, deserves a place in tracking bookshelf... Let's see where this goes...
I like this already,
A human/pony story where the human is from revolutionary France? Interdasting. I just might suggest a pass or two from an editor, as there's a few grammar mistakes (incorrect apostrophies, tense changes) that sort of spoil the mood.
6839077 oh yeah. Then this the revolution during the 1790s, I think.
This is a brand-new concept that I've not seen before. I applaud you and will now track this story.
6840661
Pretty sure she sees him as a pegasus only. At no point is it mentioned that he has horn. Go back and read Celestia's first moment seeing him.
An interesting set up, a promising plot, characters that, at least so far, are interesting, and decent grammar, despite the occasional flub.
I am interested in where this is going. Tracking and thumb up.
6841277 It's strongly implied that Celestia sees him as an alicorn due to this line:
Anyway, this is a really interesting idea! You've already surpassed my expectations by setting this during the French Revolution, so I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.
6841277 I'dont think so... A) She asks him if he is a prince... (when they meet) B) She wonders why he is using his hooves rather than his magic... (Last part)... Maybe deliberate or error... Guess we'll have to wait for more chapters...
I'm intrigued. Adding to my read later list (because DEADLINES.)
well.... let's hope this story has a happy ending. Maybe with Celestia ripping her way to Earth to save the princely stallion of her dreams. Cause, while my history is very rusty, I'm sure this revolution will end with a lot of bloodshed from all sides, even those on the sidelines.
This story seems very interesting, I will follow and like.
Why is it we always get I good cross over story written about France, whether it be the revolution or the philosophers?
I request/demand a story about a young Ben Franklin, Bean Flankin/ Frankin a young stallion snatched up as Celestia's student under much protest, desperately trying to return, later, with a story he never told anyone, explaining his fascination with lighting, (maybe we can keep it in jars in my world!) and his obsession with women, because every pony there was a horse!
Continue, you magnificent bastard.
I've always adored these types of fics, even though they are rare. My favorite parts are the character interaction and the impacts that this has on the world and history as we know it.
Vive la révolution
frenchtwistdc.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/marianne02.jpg
6841799
That would be cool. A pity The Best of All Possible Worlds hasn't spawned more imitators.
Jacques's first few scenes show several parallels with the beginning of Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, especially the part with the broken wine cask in the street and the peasants running to drink it up.
While I'm on the subject of Dickens, I think it's fair to suggest the symbolism/foreshadowing of both characters falling asleep by a fire as an implication of the fire being the connection between the two worlds.
i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/673/257/8c6.gif