All I have to say is
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It’s finally over! I won’t experience the stress of checking for new chapters anymore!

Was hoping for payoff to Flurry’s advances toward Shining, but there’s so much else with that whole situation, plus some past comments regarding him getting the long end while his dad gets the short, and vice versa, and he still gets to be with both his sisters. Fair compromise.

Anything happen with Nova we didn’t see/get told of? Him and Twilight? Him and Cadance? Even if it was just one or a handful of times. Who else was around to satify their needs?

Is Ember still dragon lord?

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Don’t do this to me! I beg you! I can’t deal with it anymore! I must at least know if you ever will answer those questions. That way I can know whether to hold my breath or not! 😭

Very good. Not much else I can think to say.

Perhaps that I think the last line should be normal size.

Well their going to a lot more alicorns in future. Hopefully eventually they can stop getting into bed with close siblings.

This was an absolute gem of en ending. Thank you from the bottom of my hear for making it. It has been a joyride like of which only the FiM & EQG shows could match.

I am curious to see a graph of what the family tree looks like at this point. My head hurts from thinking about it.

So.
This is it?

The end?
Or did you pull a Vinland Saga: End of the Prologue on us?

Whatever it is.
Good work.
Great work.
Love it.

So in the end they didn't stop Celestia's plan nor its tactic, in the end everyone who wronged her demanded her redemption, in the end nopony payed for betraying Celestia, for drawing her to despair and crazy. With all what was trown at her many would commit suicide in her place. Yes, Celestia is antihero but she deserved to be happy much more than anyone else in this "rescue". If she's evil, then everyone else is evil in square. Except foals of course, they're innocent.
Yes, Celestia redeemed herself. But not anyone else. And they got their chance to spite her again, to threaten her again and having their undeserved happy ending. When Celestia didn't anything actually wrong except seeking aid from Sombra (after being betrayed by Cadence, threatened with army and deliberately mocked, in essence Cadence declared her sworn enemy). And this broken mare should be the only one seeking redemption. What a hypocrisy.

Let's list characters of conflict.
Velvet and Night: we know of Celestia's plan, we agreed to execute it. We know of Celestia's heart desire, we know of options. Celestia commands to somehow hook Twilight in the plan and somehow convince her to bear a foal ASAP. Foal that would be outside of previous conspiracy, that wouldn't be separated from her, that would recieve all imaginable support and care from Celestia and would become Celestia's consort in the future if it would be colt. We don't even try to dissuss details or options, we don't even try to suggest including Shining into conspiracy (Celestia didn't come to him and Cadence with proposition because of this), when we already suspect of their with Twilight relationship. When we confirm this and see that Celestia's plan in motion even without our input, that Shining already in this conspiracy, we betray Celestia. We deliberately conseal her progress, we deliberately cut other options for her plan, we deliberately mock her with it, spitting in her face and outright declaring that we work against her heart's desire in spite. When she violently reacts on betrayal and insult, not harming anypony but inanimate objects and not even sanction us for this, we feel vindicated in our deeds and mock her again. Then we spread word of her reaction without mentioning what come to this, just outcome in fear mongering shades.
What did I miss?

If it weren't for the squick factor of the copious ammounts of highly descriptive incest in this, i would heartily recommend this story to just about everybody . .

Next one: Cadence.
I am lead to believe that I'am orphan, I'm being adopted by Celestia herself as her daughter, I'm raised in all care and luxury imaginable, I'm not allowed fuck anything in my sight when estrus struck, I'm introdused to family two members of who I fuck. I'm lovestruck with one of them and we mary. I'm having my own kingdom given me by Celestia, being already prepared by her to take this mantle. I'm having a beutiful foal, not on any moment losing care and support from Celestia. I'm injured by birth and become barren, no one in blame for this, we mourn with Celestia. I caught my husband fucking another mare and accept it, I become aware of conspiracy, aware that my actual parents already in my proximity and we already besties, aware how and why I was keept in the dark. I don't in the slightest regret that I was been lead by Celestia's plan. I betray Celestia, deliberately conseal her progress, work against her, resieving fear mongering message from Velvet and Night, i feel vindicated in my course of action. I prepare to confront Celestia not with words but spears and mocking bait, my daughter. When we see each other, I don't even try to talk with her, to negogitate, to compromise, I taunt her, threat her, mock her and declare her my sworn enemy, the one who adopted me like her daughter and supported all the way.
What else I miss?

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Ignore the people downvoting your opinion. I would have been sorely disappointed if there wasn't at least one person rooting for Celestia over the course of this story. Because it would have meant that I failed to write her as a sympathetic character. She, just as much as every other character, had her own motivations for her actions. And all these players in this play have their own faults, make their own mistakes, and have their own desires. Not all of them are noble in their goals or actions. There is not a clear, bright line between the heroes and villains. It's a murky, morally-grey fog. And when it comes down to who is right or wrong, it is in large part a matter of perspective. More often then not, everyone is wrong, any people always get hurt. It's not just, or fair. It's tragic.
But that's life.

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Thank you. I believe you deliberately wrote her as enemy consealing actual weight of her work, burden and actions behind emotions and vindication of other characters. If you would, please summarise my mistakes when I complete list of characters and conclusion. But right now I want to know what would be if main characters would instead come to contact her and actually talk, talk honestly. Also what would be Celestia's short term and long term actions if she was fertile and got good news before Luna. Would she end conflict amicably?

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if the fans desire and demand a sequel from this, will you give it to them?

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I so hope that it means, fine if they want it, i'll give it to them.

Good ending. I didn't like how they kept piling on the punishment, but at least it's consistent for this story.

It does feel like the punishment didn't fit the crime. Celestia being undone by her own machinations was a well executed trope. But she had that dark side, that hubris, and in a way, she needed to be taken down a peg; and I think nothing could have done that more than Time itself.

Looking forward to any side stories or sequels!

Edit. I would very much like a "What if Celestia did get pregnant" scenario, her experience with everything leading up to the birth, and what would happen after that. Would she execute the others for treason? Make peace and finally talk things out?

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But right now I want to know what would be if main characters would instead come to contact her and actually talk, talk honestly. Also what would be Celestia's short term and long term actions if she was fertile and got good news before Luna. Would she end conflict amicably?

media3.giphy.com/media/yidUzkciDTniZ7OHte/giphy.gif
Let's disembowel this story of any conflict, step by step.
Firstly, if Celestia and Luna were never saved by their mother, none of this would have ever happened. Nor if their statues were discovered. Or if when she first broached the plan with Starswirl, and he was like, "Ew, no!" Or if Sombra didn't make the Crystal Empire disappear, and Celestia could have done things there where there would have been no taboo.
But all those things did happen.
Within the scope of this story, if, back when Velvet first discovered evidence of Twilight and Shining, she went to Celestia like, "Hey, these two are bumping uglies. So take a big ol step back and wait for that colt to pop out."
Even if all that secrecy and conflict was removed, and the colt grew up to be Celestia's prince, she had been infertile for decades already, if not a couple centuries. So the same could be said if Cadance had a colt.
BUT if Celestia had an unlimited number of eggs, and Cadance (or Twilight) had a colt for Celestia to court, then whoopie, Celestia has a foal and nothing bad happens. Luna can have one too. Why not? Then the story is over before it even starts.
But if after 330k of buildup, Celestia gets that blue cup at the beginning of Oft Go Ary, and then she's just like:
"It's all cool guys! Nova, fix your Dad and get him down there so Cadance can chill and cancel the war! Then go home with your Dad to whichever mom you feel like. Idgaf, I got what I wanted. Luna! Double baby showers!"

Feels rather anti-climax. No?

Maybe that's the story you wanted to read, but a story without conflict is just series of steps, like reading a cooking recipe. A billion stories like that play out every day where nothing goes wrong, there's no conflict, and nothing interesting happens. The protagonist clocks into work, makes some spreadsheets for eight hours, and clocks out.

A story like that doesn't interest me in the slightest. Not to read, and definitely not to write.

11261078
alrighty then

11260870
I'll take that as a no then, heh heh

11261398
i saw her being infertile a few chapters ago, i had suspected her to go daybreaker at some point and . . the end felt kinda rushed, especially seeing how discord could have helped her.

11261411
Could he?

the ending line, a good chuckle

Next one: Twilight Sparkle
I'm raised in good family with support of the crown, I'm fanniest fan of Celestia from early ages, I'm inspired to learn magic in her skool, I'm extremely happy to be accepted for tutelage from my idol, princess Celestia herself. We have close relationship, she being almost mother figure for me. In the years I became lovestruck with Shining Armor but our relations aren't meant to be because of social restrictions. He married, I am so jelous of Cadence, my former foalsitter, I endure. I become a princess, it clicks that all this time Celestia was preparing me for this, teached lessons and gave all autonomy and support I would want or need to achieve my status. Princesses hold me in so high esteem that they even entrust me with all their magic and power combined. All this time I dream of being with Shining and having his foals. Shining and Cadence declare of having a foal, I'm extremely jelous of not being in her place. Their foal is born, I accept and embrace it. I accedentrally sneak into Celestia's secret room and steal piece of her conspiracy plans. I learn of conspiracy and most of all I learn that those restrictions that held me from being with my beau actually were arbitrary and we were planned exception from them. I confront Shining and have my dream come true at last. Next thing I learn that there IS a plan for me to have a foal, just not with Shining because he wasn't included in conspiracy yet. Either way, it would be irrelevant who of them two would be sire for plan to be executed. I see that Celestia's plan in motion, that my foal would be not only accepted but desired and cherished, that I wouldn't need to lie to anyone since my foal wouldn't be included in conspiracy anyway, that my future son would become Celestia's consort, the mare that loved, supported, trusted me all the way, just restricted some knowlege that almost no one should have been allowed to know either way. And she desperately needed my support and me to bear a foal. I betray her. I deliberately work against her plans (executing them anyway, just consealing her progress), I betray and cause pain for my friends, country and Celestia herself by faking my (and my brother's) death. I start to murdering ponies by bobby-trapping doors, I indoctrinate my son into fear and hate towards Celestia and when he escape me and bolt to stay with Celestia, I return, persuade my former friends to betray Celestia and attempt to use elements of harmony against her. Elements don't even stir, either because Celestia didn't do any wrong or more likely (but in my indignation I wouldn't even suggest to myself this) they rejected me because I rejected harmony (even if they would activate, rainbow ray would just harmlessly wash Celestia in it). After my failed attempt to detrone Celestia and drag my son away I came to Cadence to aid in her preporation to war march against Celestia.
What did I miss?

11261417
pretty sure somebody who thinks things like universal laws of physics and magic and chemistry and biology are just quaint suggestions could have given her some eggs . . or, you know . . if he had not pulled her tail over it, maybe luna and her could have reconciled, have luna donate some of her own eggs for celly and then have her get preggers with twiggles son . . would have still been a good few chaters for a resolution, if at all, between all of the featherbrains, especially with shining boner being a stoner now.

11261398
Of course I don't intend to suggest that it would be good idea to write this variant of story, my interest is in my reading characters, their motivations and actions depending on input, conclusions of them and conflict outcomes. Also I'm dissapointed on lack of reflection on motives and actions from any of characters at least post-factum. Maybe Luna partially but others? Not a spark shown. They make self-fulfilling prophecy of mad Celestia, they caused it and they place all blame on her solely.

//Offtopic - sadly, on Fimfiction there's no story even remotely resemblig this delicious picture:derpicdn.net/img/2014/12/26/793325/large.jpg

11261433
Discord can't do that, (my version anyway). He's more of a party clown. A prankster. And his magic works the same way. (See the Season 9 final episodes for reference) He can't use his magic to kill. And likewise, he can't use it to create life. He can't give Luna a penis with working sperm (not that it would have mattered) and invitro-fertilization isn't a thing.

He's just sort of there as a character for Celestia to monologue to. In Oft Go Awry, Celestia could just as easily have been talking to her mirror. Discord doesn't actually 'do' anything once Fluttershy reforms him. But that doesn't stop him from being a spectator to all the chaos ponies cause without him.

And really, it has to be that way. Because again, if Discord just fixes everything with a snap, then there's no problems, no conflict, and no story.

I have him in my stories because he's a fun, antagonistic imp. But I won't use him as a Deus Ex.

have you seen our family tree..?"

"... it looks like a Cat's Cradle!"

Thank You
Shakespearicles

this is a amazing story line.

11261446

Nearly 5 years for that punchline.

Nice.

11261398
Still, I think it would be much more wholesome if in the end Celestia would sit in the circle of her family that asked her for forgiveness, instead of demanding an apology from her with sword at her neck, and mourn together her loss.

P.s. also you already had deus ex in the story - Shining's sword. In other words, admin's cripple/kill command. And Flurry herself of course.

glad it worked out in the end for them, an I'm glad celestia got what she had coming, over all i say this was a good ending.

11261481
She got what coming. Ten times overmuch so compared to her misdeeds. But not anyone else. Even partly. Who she killed or crippled for life in the story? Or even threated to do so? Whose several lifetimes of work, dreams and hope she crushed and mocked them im spite? Who she betrayed? Who she tormented so much that they gave up to Nightmare in anguish? In all this it was She who was victim. Victim of those who didn't pay anything for their misdeeds towards her.
For example, how many limbs Celestia irreparably tear off from Flurry? Did she threatened Flurry with coldblood murder? What exactly Flurry lost because of Celestia? Did it even cross her mind that she should apologize to Celestia instead of threatening her with murder? She knew that Celestia didn't do anything to Shining, it was Shining himself and Nova. And Celestia afterwards not even attempted to take revenge on him, instead preserving his statue without a scratch for years no end.
What do you say?

Well, I just finished reading the last few chapters to this story. I know I left a comment earlier on how I felt the story was going, but since about two chapters ago since I knew the story was going to be wrapped up, I decided to wait til the end to see what I thought of the climax and the story as a whole. My final opinion... it's OK. Honestly, there were parts of this story I liked, and parts I didn't like.

Looking back through some of the other chapters, I think my biggest problem with the story would be Twilight's characterization. From the time she learned what sex was, nearly every single chapter she was in dealt with her feelings for Shining. I mean, outside of the re-write of Princess Twilight Sparkle and The Times They Are A'Changling, every chapter had Twilight talking about or trying to engage her sex life with Shining (with varying degrees of success), and even then the latter lead to her using Thorax as a substitute in the next chapter. I understand that the thought was that Twilight would be her usual self in the other episodes we didn't see, but the sheer dichotomy of it made the story's Twilight feel like an entirely different character. Also, the whole abandoning her friends, ESPECIALLY SPIKE, to run away with her brother never really sat right with me; to be honest, that, more than anything else, was probably when my feelings about this story started to take a turn for the worse. Spike being left in the Crystal Palace always left a bad taste in my mouth; even if Twilight couldn't reach out to him, it rubbed me the wrong way that neither Cadance, Velvet or Night Light tried to get him to the empire and explain things there or even give him a note for that effect. However, since Twilight was my favorite character in the show, and I loved her relationship with Spike, I am very much biased in this sense so take it with a grain of salt.

The other thing that was bothering me, especially for these last few chapters, was Nova. I did not care for Nova. I mentioned earlier how I got some Joffrey vibes from him, and while he was much better character wise than him, that did not really improve since then. I mean, he cheated on Celesita with Luna, got her pregnant, and then had the gall to say "Then she should be happy for us!" Even if Celestia wasn't purely interested in reviving the alicorn race, it was still a thoughtless line. When he was able to use the Elements of Harmony in the next chapter, part of me was honestly shocked that he could, because I didn't feel he had shown any of the necessary qualities. Maybe that one time of saving Flurry was enough for them, but it felt odd to me. Finally, him getting together with Flurry came out of left field to me as when last we saw him, he was trying to stay with Luna because of her pregnancy. For that last one, maybe a line saying that both he and Luna felt guilty for how the affair pushed Celestia over the edge which caused them to split and share custody would have helped that.

I saw some earlier comments about how you wanted to write Celestia as morally grey, and I do want to give you props on that front. In fact, like some others, I actually thought she was too sympathetic and her fate was karmic overkill, and had to re-read some of her veiled threats and using Sombra on a baby around the Act II/Act III split to remind myself of how she did treat ponies as playthings and had some crossing the line. Still, I do hope she recovers moving forward. After all, Twilight once thought that Chrysalis could be redeemed; it would be hypocritical for her not to feel the same about Celestia who was much kinder overall and clearly does show remorse.

Finally, though this is more of a nit-pick, not happy about Discord getting off scott-free. Not saying that he should have just snapped his fingers to get a happy ending, but some of his more dickish plots were never revealed, especially his curse on Shining from Act II. Especially since, in story, his betrayal and humbling event in Twilight's Kingdom was just him putting on an act. Feel like there should have been some comeuppance, but seeing how he's a minor character in story, that's less important overall.

I'm sorry for rambling. As I said, I really did like this story at first, but a lot of the issues I discussed above and before have made me like it less as it went on. Objectively, the story is well-written, and has very effective use of Chekhov's guns that are utilized well in the final part. In particular, I loved Flurry's sword coming back last chapter. The comedy was really on point too; my favorite part of this chapter was Velvet breaking her hooves trying to hit Celestia while still declaring it worth it. In addition, the clop was always well-written whenever it was present. However, the problems I have mean I don't think I will be returning to this story anytime soon. I'm sorry. I know you've put a ton of effort into this and I appreciate it. Not going to down-vote, but probably wouldn't upvote if had the chance to redo. Thank you for hearing me out, and sorry for the long comment.

Tl,dr: Not a bad story, but some of the characterizations made me less pleased with it overall.

11261507
Wasn't pact was to deliver baby, not harming her?

As was her routine, she got up from her dirt bed and walked over to her dirt calendar. She etched a mark in the dirt with the edge of her hoof. It looked like a tiny furrow tilled into the field of a tiny farm. She made them in sets of nine, with the tenth as a line through them. She made those in rows of ten. After she made ten rows of tens, she drew a big box around them.

If each mark is a day, then Celestia’s been in the room for 6000 days, or about 16 years, which lines up with what the outside world seems to have experienced fairly well. Love that attention to detail right there. Although the way it’s written feels like she’s been in there for a lot longer, that might just be a side effect of the solitary confinement, which is quite literally torture. I think that’s a reasonable punishment for her crimes. From what was written, she never caused major injuries or deaths in her outrage.

I like this ending, I think it fits fairly well, though it does wrap up rather quickly. I would have liked to see Celestia apologize to the various Sparkles. I also find it a little weird that some more detail wasn’t put into Twilight, Cadance, and Shining’s reunion given that they are basically the 3 main characters of the story, it’s absence just makes the story feel like there’s still loose ends to tie up. Either way, I’m definitely not unhappy with the ending.

Great job as always, I look forward to whatever you do next.

11261535
Of course she should apologize. But reconciliation should be mutual, not one-sided as is depicted in story.

11261353
Personally, it wasn’t that she wasn’t sympathetic, it’s that her actions and behavior whittled that sympathy down to practically nothing. As the story went on it felt a lot less like she wanted the alicorns to be saved and more like she wanted to have a baby just in general. Her self importance in her quest grew so much she couldn’t even be happy that her sister was the one to get pregnant. She specifically says the plan was “For ME to have a foal.”

Instead of “This needs to be accomplished for the noble cause of saving my race” it was “This needs to happen because I want it to, because I demand it. Because I’m a god among insects who will have her desires met, and I have been moving these insects across this game board to get it done, and fuck them for being mad about having their lives controlled without their knowledge. I WILL smash each and every one that has an attitude about it.”

Not to say the things the others did in response was totally right, I mean it resulted in deaths on their part, but I can’t exactly blame them.

Like someone ISN’T supposed to be mad that their life and those of their family has been manipulated for generations???? By someone they trusted and saw as a mentor and family! And to see how far it goes, it doesn’t exactly seem like something that’ll be stopped or reached a compromise with through a conversation. Simple measures against a demigod who can move the very sun and moon don’t exactly seem like a viable choice.

Who am I gonna sympathize with more? The demigod who manipulated generations of a family who’s willing to burn the world because her schemes are being challenged? Who wasn’t even troubled or sad that her actions lead to her former student (practically a daughter) and their brother to take such extreme measures? Who didn’t want to find them to talk it out and reconcile but to get her plan back in motion or punish them for their defiance? Who saw their son as a prize and only pampered to further her goal rather than for sympathy over him having to live a life in hiding? Or the family that was manipulated and had the nerve to be upset about it?

I honestly would’ve been completely fine if they had killed her. I legitimately thought it was a 50/50 chance.

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I think this takes monumentally big ego to think that manipulation like this is bad at all, not neutral. Intent, goal and concequencess are much more important. I would be happy if I was been manipulated into happiness. Even knowing that I am manipulated. And do you think it is fair to be the one who tirelessly worked for centuries to achieve dream of having foals, worked to have right that almost anyone else has without lifting a hoof? And to have all your work being for naugh, stomped before your eyes, and for those who should be on your side spit in your face mockery that they without spending on it even minute of effort steal fruits from your monumental work in which you infused your life and very soul, leaving you to not even taste them. Ever. And that you should think that it is good. Is it fair? Celestia demanded satisfaction not because she just wanted it but because she sacrifaced her own life for it.
Demanding to have what you want, like Nova or Luna - one thing, working to achieve your dreams - entirely other thing. Remember what hardships Twilight endured to have her own foal with Shining? What she did and sacrifaced is nothing compared to Celestia's hardships. I don't know why you even mentioning demigodness when it's irrelevant.

11261573
With way she acted? Yes

It doesn’t matter how much work and her own life she put into it. She completely disregarded how the ones she was manipulating felt about it. She came to only care about herself.

So what if someone took issue with their life being controlled? So what if lives have been negatively impacted by it? Talk it out and try to reconcile with the ones I cared about? Nah, they had an attituded so they need to be hunted down. This young man had a horrible life because of it? Perfect! I’ll put him in the lap of luxury and fuck him! So he can get a taste of the good life he didn’t get to have? Pfft! No! I need him to be my sperm factory. My goal will be accomplished! Wait, my goal will be accomplished through my sister?! No! Fuck that shit! Mine! All mine!

11261591
Don't make your ego blind you.
"So what if someone took issue with their life being controlled? So what if lives have been negatively impacted by it? Talk it out and try to reconcile with the ones I cared about? Nah, they had an attituded so they need to be hunted down." - I think that you miss entirely that "hunting down" was exactly for chance to talk and reconcile. How you can talk to someone who you think is dead? And when you learn that they actually alive, how you will talk to them when they hide from you? You search for them. By any means - discretly, in open, by bait or forsing them out of hide.
And goal always was to her having foal, resurrection of alicorn race is merely icing on cake which was already achieved with Cadence's ascension.

11261560
I thought of an alternative that would’ve made me sympathetic toward her. Get rid of the power mad “I shall not be denied by these mortals” attitude, but have everyone else thinking that’s the case.

Have her trying to actually make things right instead of being on the warpath. But no one believes that and basically continues as they did. Any and all attempt of hers to reach out gets stonewalled.

By the end, instead of becoming Daymare, she’s being hunted down through the castle by those that viewed her as a monster and ends up with the same unintended punishment. Then Luna helps clear things up while she’s stuck in there. Once they get her out there’s a much more likely chance of forgiveness, but probably still some caution just to be safe

11261520
Yes, it was. Was that due to having standards of not wanting to hurt a foal, or not wanting to hurt the only living Alicorn who could possibly continue her plans? It could be debated but I feel there's enough evidence for the latter.

However, in the same sentence, she also agreed that Sombra could have the empire back if he gave Flurry to her. So, based on that, she was willing to let all of the crystal ponies become slaves to their former captor again (not hyperbole: Sombra's line in the episode was "My crystal slaves.") if it meant she had a chance to further her goals.

11261600
"I shall not be denied by these mortals" - with amount of effort, hope and other emotions she spent on one simple project to have a foal, absolutely anyone would in her stead be that indignant, and she even being regular mortal would with the same fury go against actual gods. As Luna said, it is EVERYTHING for her.
P.s. I redact messages post-posting so you may miss something.

11261605
Didn't they declare her enemy before that? Cadence, Empire's military and therefore, all others?
As I see, Celestia's goal was "rescuing" foal before it would be irredemably indoctrinated (brainwashed) into never ever considering her an ally. Which was actually happened. This was her (with aviable information) only chance to prevent this. It was either do nothing and get murderous alicorn at your steps or do something and have chance to work with this alicorn. She choose in her eyes lesser of two evils. After this she very likely would have turned against Sombra and in act of reconquering Empire would negogitate for truce. Or not.

11261598
Can you tell me where exactly that desire was described? I looked through those chapters. Maybe it was quick and I missed it.

All I’m seeing is what I’ve been saying. Her being mad her plans have been messed with. She’s not even mourning Twilight (and Shining) when she thinks they’re dead, meanwhile everyone else is. She’s mourning her plan. Not the ones who were like family to her. Her plan.

And not only that, a character in the story says what I’m saying! No matter what shiny thing is dangled in front of them, people will eventually be upset about having their lives controlled! I can’t believe I’ve had to say this multiple times. It’s actually concerning me.

And when he kills himself in defiance of her? She’s not horrified that someone went so far as to take their own life because of her actions, she’s just more pissed that what she wants is being denied even further.

And when Nova shows up? She doesn’t go “Thank god! You can lead me to your parents so we can clear this whole mess up!” She’s immediately eyeing him as an object, a prize, she even calls him that later.

I’ve actually become even more resolute in not having any sympathy for her.

11261632
Does character should say their goals and plans in the open? Maybe give everyone their resume with explicitly declared goals and priorities?
And yes, there are some egoistic pricks who despise manipulation only because it is manipulation. And not life but only arranged spouse. Also how many ponies do you think Celestia mourned in her life? Should she be broken in face of circumstances when there is something that is not dead is on course to be done? Also I don't remember if Luna mourned anyone, yet she had millenia less experience with loss.
"You can lead me to your parents" - and how do you imagine this to happen? Consider Celestia's knowledge of previous attempts at locating them, her knowledge of potential actions of Twilight and Shining. She choose to lure them to herself instead which she outright said to Nova.