A Matter of Succession
1
The castle was in a state of complete disarray. Celestia’s attack on Luna had had consequences that led to the leadership of Equestria being put into question. The Council of Nobles, the next in line to rule Equestria should Celestia and Luna both be unfit, was too afraid of Celestia’s wrath should she return to Canterlot and had no desire to incur such wrath upon themselves. As it was, however, the Council of Nobles was in charge of Equestria at the moment; whether they wanted to be or not. Also, the Solar and Lunar cycles were now controlled by an apparatus designed to house enough power to move the two bodies for only a couple weeks. Soon, a new team of unicorns would need to be found in order to move them should neither Celestia or Luna be able to return to their duties. The council chambers in Canterlot castle were abuzz with debate on the current state of Equestria.
The council chamber was large and ornate with red carpets trimmed with gold and portraits of the Council hanging from the walls and a large plaque with the names of council members from the past adorning it. A great golden chandelier hung from the ceiling and was lit with candles. The windows of the chamber were large with the curtains drawn allowing the sun to enter the space. Three ponies sat in large wooden chairs around a circular polished wood table.
“What are we doing?” yelled Prince Blueblood. “I know I am pleased to finally be in charge of Equestria, we should be ruling not cowering in fear. We can undo many of the questionable things that my aunt has done. We actually have a chance to make Equestria into our image.”
“Sit down Prince… You have no right to say such things,” Rock Crusher, a large muscular pony wearing a tux and rarely found Earthpony noble, said. “The ponies need a functional government. However, we should not abandon the good that both Luna and Celestia have done for Equestria.”
“Agreed,” Fancy Pants stated. “Luna is still alive, though in horrendous condition, and she may yet recover from her wounds. We need to keep peace remembering that. We are here to aid the princesses in their duties; not usurp them.”
“I disagree! Even if my aunt Luna survives her wounds, she will be in no condition to do her duty. As such, we are now the sole ruling body of Equestria and we need to make laws to keep the ponies in order.”
“We also need to think about the possibility of Celestia returning to Canterlot to consolidate her power,” Fancy Pants said to the others.
“Should she return to Canterlot there is not telling what she would do,” Rock said. Fancy Pants thought for a moment and looked to the others with a glint of determination in his eyes.
“It is very clear that we all wish to help Equestria; though our methods are very different form each other. However, the situation is unprecedented in that Celestia did attempt regicide. I have thought on this matter since we were out into power several days ago. We have always known that Celestia has immense power, as done Luna, and there is no way we can stand up to them. The ponies of Equestria need firm leadership. One who is not afraid of Celestia and can do what they think is right regardless of the consequences.” Both Blueblood and Rock looked at him. “Here is what I propose; we bequeath our power to someone else.”
“Can we do such a thing?” Rock asked.
“We will do no such thing!” Blueblood yelled.
“We have to should Celestia return to Canterlot!” Fancy Pants yelled back,
“Prince Blueblood you are outnumbered on this issue. I believe that it must be done for the safety of Equestria as a whole and for our own sakes.”
Blueblood stood up and left the room quickly slamming the large door behind him. Rock turned to Fancy Pants.
“This is a coward’s way out Fancy,” Rock said.
“I am aware, Rock. As loath as I was to suggest we give up our powers to another, the Ponies of Equestria need an interim ruler that is firm in conviction and has the ability to do what needs to be done. As it stands this council cannot be that.”
Rock looked to the floor, “Yes, I agree that this is the best course we can take but who would we give that much power to? We can’t give it to Blueblood, he would ruin Equestria.”
“Yes, he would ruin Equestria and everything it has built trying to forge Equestria into this own personal servant. I can think of one right now who would be the ruler that Equestria must have.”
“Who would that be?”
“I will reveal such when we reconvene tomorrow. I am tired and I’m sure that you are as well my friend. Be prepared though, it will be long debate.”
2
Volos looked into the room where the Cutie Mark Crusaders were staying. It was empty, the beds were made, and the curtains were shut. They had gone back to Ponyville with the others. The castle seemed smaller without the crusaders’ constant exploring and roaming. He had thought that he had lost them forever after they were separated the first time. Now, he had lost them again, this time to Celestia’s attack and the fear it inspired. He turned and continued his walk to Luna’s room.
When he got there it was how Luna had left it. The room was clean except for the bed. The sheets had been upturned and twisted from Luna’s quick actions at finding out about what Celestia had done. The blood stains had been removed from the carpet where the Captain of the Solar Guard had died. He left it alone and went to the double doors and opened them. He stepped onto the large balcony and looked out to the horizon. He clenched his fists and let his blades out from his arm. He scraped the edges together letting the metal scrape and spark. He listed to the sound of the metal scraping and continued to scrape them together again and again. He threw his arms up and roared as loud as he could. The windows cracked from the force and the frames rattled in place. He held his roar for several minutes before he finally went silent. He stood there staring at the open sky.
“Letting it all out big guy?” Volos turned around. Dark Heart stood there looking up at him. Volos turned back around, not wishing to speak with her. Dark Heart stood next to him looking out. “There wasn’t anything you could have done you know.”
“Yes, there was,” he responded.
“So he speaks.” Dark Heart chuckled while looking up at him.
“I could have intervened,” he continued.
“You didn’t though… And you shouldn’t have.”
Volos stared down at the pony.
“It was their fight, not yours.”
“I’m supposed to protect her.”
“You can’t protect everyone,” she said sadly. “I’m surprised you of all don’t understand that.”
“I’ve failed to protect those I care about before. But this, this feels like failure.”
“You can view what happened as failure if you want to. It’s what you do with the failure that matters more.”
“Talking from experience?”
“As matter-of –fact, I am. I’ve failed again and again, and each time I got back up and moved forward. It looks like you have done the same so far, don’t stop now.”
Dark Heart turned and left the balcony so she could return to her duties. Volos remained on the balcony looking out on the city and the ponies in it. Celestia and Luna had led them for centuries and now neither was capable of doing so. The Council of Nobles was ineffective and afraid of what may come. The Elements were gone and the Cutie Mark Crusaders with them. Volos left the balcony.
He returned to Luna’s room in the clinic. He stood over her body and looked at her. More silver was seen under her fur. Her leg was only the beginning of the metal in her body. He looked into the hole in her chest. The fur had been cut away and some skin removed to make room for the tubes that kept her heart beating. Metal encased her beating heart as well. The metal was melted away where Celestia had attacked her. This let some of the metal seep onto her heart. Her heart had dissolved under the immense heat of the metal and the damage done by Celestia. Luna’s survival was never assured but somehow she managed to survive the attack. Volos let his arm open. The metal casings revealed his black metal skeleton and some gray muscle tissues infused with wires and clear tubes filled with oil and blood. He looked down to Luna’s own metal leg and touched it with his unenclosed fingers.
His gray skinned and rotted fingers touched the smooth surface and he ran his fingers down it. He felt nothing. He brought his hand back up and let the metal close around his hand once more. He knew that they were the same in some regards. As such he felt like she was part of his family much like how he saw Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo when they first met in the forest. He stood watching Luna as he often had to do when she would be put into the hospital. Volos hated being only able to watch Luna’s suffering and could do nothing to help her. His upgraded body did not allow for the administering of medicines and medical care unless it was directed to only himself. He looked out the window and watched the sun set and the moon rise with a lack of precision and hapless motions. Volos looked at Luna’s face. She had a breathing tube in her mouth and her eyes were closed. The heart monitor beeped in regular intervals and the breathing machine let air escape with a hiss and pushed air into Luna with another hiss making her chest rise and fall with each sound. Volos’ growl rumbled quietly in his chest. He been angry before and this time was not any different. However, his anger would not help him now. Celestia was gone from Canterlot and Luna was again in a hospital suffering from grievous wounds. This time he decided that Luna would need to recover alone this time. He could not hold her hoof. She needed to get stronger without him. As much as he hated it, he knew that it was the right thing to do. He left her for the night to wander the castle grounds without a destination in mind.
3
Fancy was sitting at his table with Fleur eating dinner in his large dining room. Fancy ate slowly and deliberately not looking anywhere except for his plate. Fleur looked at her husband and put her fork back on the table.
“Fancy, please, you must eat more than this. I have not seen you like this in many years. What’s wrong?”
Fancy glanced up at Fleur and noticed the concern in her eyes. He too, placed his fork on the table. He stood up and grasped Fleur’s hoof in his own. He stared into her pink eyes and grasped her hoof tighter.
“Fancy what’s wrong, you’re scaring me,” she said.
“I’m afraid Fleur, very afraid.”
“Why?”
“I suggested to the council that we bequeath our emergency powers to another.”
“Are you certain that you have to do that?”
“Yes I am. I am firm in that belief. However, I am uncertain as to my decision on who to give that power to. The Council may disagree with me, in fact I know that Blueblood will but I know that it must be done.”
“Why are you so sure?” Fleur asked, caressing his cheek with her hoof.
“The Council, myself included, are afraid of what may come should Celestia return to Canterlot. The council cannot stand up to her in any way. She wrote laws that prevent her from being the sole ruler of Equestria upon its founding and after Luna’s return she strengthened those laws. But now, she is ignoring those laws and has made an attempt on Luna’s life. Luna disagreed with Celestia often but she always looked for compromise. Now though, we are uncertain. We are looking for a way to protect ourselves and our families from harm and giving away our power is the best way to do it.”
Fleur rubbed her belly quickly and looked at Fancy.
“I will not let myself be a target and abandon you and our child to the unknown or the wrath of Celestia. That is why I believe that the council needs to give our powers away.
“Who will you give them to?”
“That is why I am subdued tonight Fleur. If we give our powers to the one I have in mind it could mean possible civil war and if not that, than it could lead to war between Celestia and the ponies of Equestria.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.034 seconds
Total duration
1,031 users online
2,194,472 hits today, 2,054,621 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.®
Oh, crap. This should be good. Volos is BADASS!
Give it to Volos, he could kick Celestia's ass if he REALLY wanted to.
Things escalating. I like it.
Moar my friend.
6812207 yes, i like all mythology because I believe it to be real to an extent.
I so not think volos will hold back this time. Its going to be biblical. HAHAHA.
What the fuck happened!?
Things went fubar faster then shit hitting the fan!
WHERE IS MY UPDATE DAMNIT
you should continue with this, making volos the new apparent president. then make him build a wall to keep the zebricans out.
then make it a dream of luna's but with some cliffhanger at the end where she cuts her leg and is baffled by a thing.
8180700 It will be continued and I have the layouts finished at this point, it's just me trying to navigate my Master's degree and professional job hunting, teaching, and classes that has been preventing me from updating for so long.
8181557 ooh! look at you, you're gonna make someone proud! what are you studying?
8181921 I'm studying English literature and Comic Books with the goals of teaching comics as a literary form and writing comics either independently or with a major comics producer.
8185763 nice
Not ded?
8537419
No it's not dead. Just really, really, really, slowed down (Probably an understatement). I should be able focus more time to this in the next week or so as my Master's is practically finished at this point. I don't know when I'll actually be able to put out the next chapter, but it has been way, way, too long since I have updated this.