Chapter 12: Being Worthy Of Trust
Luna blinked her eyes several times as she put the darkened lenses back over her eyes.
“That... is exceedingly clever!” she remarked, taking them off once more and glaring balefully at the sunlight’s return. “And they call these ‘sunglasses’ you say?”
“Yes, Princess,” Midnight replied. “I apologize for not mentioning them sooner, but I honestly assumed you were aware of their existence. I suppose they were a relatively recent invention, as things go.”
“For all that they are named after it, they don’t seem like something made for those who like sunlight, more like for those who wish to not experience it,” Luna said, turning the ‘sunglasses’ over and over in her magic.
“Sunlight is an important and necessary thing, Princess,” Midnight said patiently. “However, even those who willingly live and work during the height of the day will admit too much sun is somewhat harsh. These were made for ponies who must work during the heat of the day and can’t just relax in the shade when they need to. And also for ponies at play when they plan to spend much of the day at places with little shade.”
“Exactly!” Luna said excitedly. “Even the sun lovers don’t want too much of it! I really need to ask my sister if the blasted thing can be dimmed somehow...”
“That is what the glasses are for, Princess.”
Luna turned her attention back to the darkened lenses, putting them back atop her nose and relishing in the lessening of the assault to her eyes. “Yes, I see now. These should be issued to all of the Night Guard, and the Day Guard as well, and anypony else who has to work these awful hours. Make it so, Middy.”
Midnight blinked at her owlishly. “You want me to issue a pair of sunglasses to the entirety of the castle guard?”
“And the servants, Middy. They are good ponies, despite how peppy they are so very early in the mornings. And don’t forget the raise for everypony. I’d like cost estimates for various percentages,” she paused for a moment, trying to remember anything else she’d needed him to do. “Oh, we still need the name of a Ponyville agent of Celestia’s spy network... Please.”
His eyebrows raised a little, and while he had looked ready to protest, he bit off whatever he’d been about to say upon hearing the Word of Power. “Fine. Just don’t make it part of their uniform,” Midnight said after a long moment.
“Of course not!” Luna replied with a grin. Uniforms were meant to be worn at all times, as she was well aware. While these ‘sunglasses’ were clearly useful during the day, she could not see much use for them at night.
Unless they could be enchanted... Luna mused thoughtfully. I wonder if they could be made with basic Magesight to allow the non-horned amongst the guard to see through illusions and changeling magicks... Or perhaps even piercing the darkness to see life force itself?
It was an avenue worth pursuing.
The glasses offered the added benefit of making it difficult to tell which direction her eyes were pointed in, or (she imagined) if they were open at all. Repeated attempts to catch a glimpse of herself with her eyes closed to confirm this proved fruitless, but reflections in her glass with the shaded lenses on pleased her. Even she could not tell what her eyes were doing.
I could perhaps sleep right in the middle of court with none the wiser!
She clapped her hooves together in glee at the very thought.
“Princess?” Midnight asked from somewhere in which Luna was not dreaming of having a nap in broad daylight.
Luna turned her head from gazing at her own reflection in the empty glass, her face feeling flushed, which she hoped was largely covered by the dark lenses. “Yes, Middy?”
“I was wondering about the other things you mentioned. Is there any reason in particular you wanted to pass out a raise for the staff?” Midnight replied, draining a glass of apple juice to finish his own repast.
Luna hesitated to answer. The true reason was a rather selfish one, as giving everypony a raise meant indirectly benefiting Midnight. She felt as if Midnight would object to such a thing, even if it did mean the entire rest of the staff would benefit. But there were several other reasons that applied that she could mention. “Well, We just feel that many of the employees could be valued a bit higher than they currently are. Their jobs are important and We wish for them to feel that sense of value the crown holds for them in a tangible way. Money buys nice things that ponies like, so it’s one way to reward their efforts. And when they buy those things, more money goes into the economy, which ultimately comes back to Us in the form of taxes.”
Midnight listened with his elbows laid on the table as if he were at a desk and she were some supplicant, hooves steepled together in contemplation of her words. He nodded after a time. “Very well. I just wanted to make sure we wouldn’t be throwing money away on a misguided idea of getting the staff to like you more than your sister or some such. Celestia gives annual raises, you see, and I can personally assure you that there are few complaints with the salaries paid. But if you feel their performance warrants a raise beyond what is normally given, I’m certain nopony will mind,” he smiled, and Luna had to suppress a little squeal of excitement in response.
She covered her smile with a napkin, making a show of patting at it. “Well, I certainly do. I don’t mean to imply that I feel my sister undervalues you all, but having been forced to take up more of her duties has lead me personally to believe you could all be valued more,” she hesitated a moment, then added: “Also, I believe your good faith and good natures during these trying times without my sister in attendance should be amply rewarded. That last is directed in no small part to yourself, Midnight.”
“Princess, there is no need—”
“Not a need, perhaps,” Luna said quickly. “But certainly a desire on my part to reward all of you. It would hardly be fair to exclude the highest in service, would it?”
He harrumphed, frowning.
“Use it to buy Eriskay something shiny, Middy,” Luna urged. “Ponies in her line of work like nice things, too. Helps to impress the beings she negotiates with.”
He seemingly had no response, or else chose not to make one. After a few moments, he said. “Well, if you’re finished with lunch, we can go visit Mr. Press Pass. I imagine the guards left to watch over him will be glad to be assigned quite literally elsewhere. He’s not the most quiet of guests.”
Luna nodded eagerly, patting her mouth primly with a napkin. “Yes! Let us go meet the talented Mr. Pass, and see what he has to say for himself!”
And also find out if he has more pictures! Luna thought, her heart racing at the very idea.
Press Pass wasn’t much to look at, as it turned out.
As nemeses went, he left much to be desired, Luna decided. No black cape, no twirling moustache, and no evil sneer. He was a fairly nondescript earth pony with a grey mane and mottled brown coat. Even his cutie mark, a spyglass, did little to help her impression of him. He’d have looked at home nearly anywhere but in his current surroundings, where he looked as out of place as he likely felt.
When he saw Middy walk in before her, Press Pass gave him a look of resignation, and annoyance. Seeing Luna, however, his expression changed to one of fear. “You said if I gave up the p-photos—” he began before Luna held up a hoof.
“Midnight Oil, We desire a private audience with this pony. Please, wait outside for a few moments.”
“Majesty, do you really think that necessary—”
Luna gave him a pointed look which silenced his protests. He held her gaze for a time before nodding, leaving the room and closing the door with a quiet click.
Luna turned back to Press Pass, who looked like he was trying to blend into the chair he’d been sitting in. She said nothing, instead pulling out the envelope and opening it, pulling forth one of the pictures. It floated next to her, an image of her nuzzling Fleur while Fleur laughed. She pointed at it with a hoof silently, with a single eyebrow raised.
He flinched in response, seemingly not daring to meet her gaze.
“I expected you to be a pegasus,” she said finally, breaking the silence.
He didn’t say anything at first, but watching the expression on his face was fascinating as it warred between consternation and fear. Eventually confusion won out, and he asked: “What possible sense does that make?”
“A pegasus would have had a much easier time traveling from one vantage to the other to take these shots. A unicorn might have teleported, if they had that talent. You had to run on hoof.” Luna explained.
“And?” Press Pass demanded. “What of it?”
“I’ve traveled those neighborhoods on many a night. The distance you had to run was many miles.”
Press Pass stared at her for a long moment. “Look, are you going to have me executed or not? Because trying to confuse me to death seems cruel and unusual.”
Luna quirked up the same eyebrow. "An interesting suggestion. Did you wish to be executed?"
Press Pass frowned, “Well, obviously I’d rather live. I was just expecting—”
“Expecting I would cut you down for daring to attempt vengeance?” Luna barked out a hearty laugh. “Little pony, far better than you have tried and failed. Do you know why you’re not sitting in a dungeon right now?”
“Because your chancellor didn’t want a public trial,” Press Pass answered promptly.
“Is that what he told you?” Luna said with a smirk. “I could cast you in irons for the rest of your days without a trial, Mr. Pass. Would you like to guess again?”
“But that would be against the law—”
“Little pony, I am the law,” Luna said, cutting off further protest. “And before you start blubbering, no, I don’t plan to toss you in a cell.” she pointed at the picture of Fleur. “You’re not in a dungeon because Midnight didn’t want to throw you in one without consulting me, and you continue to not be in one because of these. Because I have questions for you about these pictures.”
“A-are you implying that I might have more or something? Because I promise you, I don’t!” Press Pass said just a little too quickly.
Gotcha! Luna thought, and she smiled, saying: “I sincerely hope that’s not true.”
“It is!” Press Pass insisted, groaning as he said it. “Your spy caught me with my camera, I hadn’t even had a chance to develop the shots.”
Luna nodded. “Yes, I gathered as much. But do you seriously expect me to believe you went to all the trouble of scouting the vantage points, setting up the equipment, plotting your path between the points, and in all of that study... you never took any test shots to see if you were judging the angles correctly?”
“W-well, I did have to check where they normally took their guests, and where I could get the best angle on the bedroom...” he said, looking away from Luna.
“And plotting the fastest route to run between shots?” Luna prompted. “I know how quickly you must have run, because you didn’t miss much as we moved locations.”
“Not as quickly as you might have thought,” Press Pass said with a smirk. “Most of the rooftops in Canterlot are close together, so I cut the time down quite a bit. Probably scared a few bats out of their roosts, though,” he thought for a moment, his smirk changing to a frown. “Probably what gave me away to your spy, now that I think of it.”
“You spent a lot of time on this scheme, didn’t you?” Luna pressed gently.
“I had a lot of time to spend on it,” Press Pass said with a bit of venom in his voice. “They didn’t even want me in the mailroom after you drove us all out. I was ruined.”
“And this story would have won you a place in your profession once again?”
“What do you want to hear?” He demanded eventually. “It’s tabloid level gossipy trash, not exactly something that would have won me any journalism prizes,” Press Pass admitted with a frown. “I wanted to get back at you. I can’t get my job back, now. You gave that to somepony else. But I could have gotten a little satisfaction.”
“You took some very intimate photos in your pursuit of recompense, Mr. Pass.” Luna said pointedly. “Photos that included some very dear friends of mine. Had you succeeded I would have been very cross with you personally...”
“They’re a lot more than friends, apparently,” Press Pass said with a chuckle. “And I was planning to crop those, or not even develop them. I wanted to embarrass you, but I’m not a monster. Little foals might see the paper, after all.” Press Pass took a deep breath. “If you’re not planning to execute me, or throw me in a dungeon, may I at least know what my fate will be?”
Luna smiled broadly. “That all depends on you, Mr. Pass. Rest assured, I have no immediate plans to end your life, nor do I plan to have you waste it in a dank cell. Beyond that...” she trailed off without finishing the thought, letting him draw his own conclusions.
She sat down in a chair opposite him, pouring out a glass of water and doing the same for him. “So, you lack employment currently?”
“I’ve been... living off of savings...” Press Pass said, seemingly more than a little bewildered by the sudden shift in topic.
“These are quite good.” Luna said, taking out the other photos and fanning them out. “Tell me, why was it you were a reporter, exactly? You’re clearly a fantastic photographer.”
“Photography and tenacity got me into better posts. The Press Corps is a very well paid position,” Press Pass said defensively. “It took a long time to earn it.”
“And then when you’d earned it, you got lazy,” Luna said, clucking her tongue. “Like a caged lion growing used to being fed. You had to hunt again when I chased you from the enclosure. Claws still sharp, it seems.”
“It... did feel nice, going after the story instead of just being given news,” Press Pass admitted. “But I still don’t understand, what—”
Luna leaned closer to him, and extended a single hoof, touching him on the nose. “You will hunt for me, now,” she proclaimed.
He stared at her for a long moment. “You... you can’t be serious. I literally got taken in for spying on you, which I have been told at great length is considered a grave offense... Are you playing some sort of game with me?”
Luna actually managed to smile wider. “Not at all. You show great promise, if you are willing to redirect your efforts. I’ll unfortunately have to insist you stop your attempts to gain vengeance on me, but I am planning to compensate you for your work if you do my will, and they do say living well is the best vengeance of all...” Luna’s face dropped into a momentary frown. “Or, at least they used to. I’m not sure if they still say that.”
“They do still say that...” Press Pass said quietly. “But I... even if I agreed, which I am not doing, yet... how could you possibly trust somepony like me?”
“Oh, that’s simple enough,” Luna replied, letting out a little chuckle. “My sister wouldn’t have allowed you into the castle if you weren’t able to be trusted. Which, if I know her, means you can be expected to do certain things with certain pieces of information consistently.”
“If you felt that way, why did you chase all of us out of the press room?” Press Pass demanded.
“Because none of you could be bothered to do that very job she expected of you,” Luna replied succinctly. “My sister needed rest, so I took up for her where once she took up for both of us, and you lot were so wrapped up in routine you failed to notice your princess was in another castle. A reporter that cannot be bothered to gather the news is a very sorry sort of pony.”
Press Pass visibly grit his teeth together. “Fine. So why do you think you could trust me to do this new job for you?”
“Again, consistency. You were part of a group that had grown lazy, a herd of fattened ponies content to graze. If, as you say, I inadvertently cost you your livelihood, I further would expect you to do exactly as you have done, which was to seek to hurt me for hurting you. Your herd cast you out as unfit. Seeking revenge is a natural impulse, after all.”
“But that’s exactly why you shouldn’t trust me!” Press Pass exclaimed. “How could you possibly expect me to trust you when I don’t believe you can trust me?”
Luna looked at him curiously, “Are you calling my own trustworthiness into question, little pony?”
“In my profession, your word is all you have,” Press Pass replied as if explaining that water is wet. “Everypony in that press room expected what amounted to more or less a lifetime appointment. Being in Celestia’s Press Corps... you’re set. No more drumming up news about tax scandals or the latest affairs of the rich and stupid. Then you came along and ruined that.”
Luna nodded, saying: “Yes, I understood that much.”
“So, you broke your sister’s word,” Press Pass said. “Or... at least her implicit word...”
Luna’s expression cleared. “Ah, I see. You feel having broken trust with your group, that your betrayal in kind was justified. You’re right, in a sense. I would argue who broke trust with whom first, but it became apparent quickly that while my sister had your faith, I did not. And so you all became useless to me.”
“Still not hearing how I can possibly expect you would want me to work for you.” Press Pass replied with a frown.
Luna nodded, getting up and pacing back and forth in front of him as she thought. “Faith was broken with your group, as you say. Now, you are an individual, looking out for your own interests.”
“Well, I mean... yeah,” Press Pass said.
“You can be trusted to seek that which benefits you,” Luna replied, matter-of-factorily. “I am offering you a chance to use your skills to acquire a new line of employment. One where you can keep your skills sharp, and be rewarded for that.”
He considered for a long moment before answering. “I get how this benefits me, Princess. I mean, staying out of a cell is a big plus, then you’re offering to give me a job on top of it. But c’mon, level with me... What's in it for you?”
Luna smiled widely at the question. “Mr. Pass... you’ve taken some very good pictures.”
“Well, I mean... I don’t like to brag but...” he stopped, confused. “Wait, are you just really into having your picture taken?”
Luna said nothing, continuing to smile.
He shrugged. “Okay... not the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard, I guess.”
Luna sat down once more, leaning forward and speaking in a more conversational tone. “So, Mr Pass... I hope you understand more of why I wish to employ you, and why I feel I can trust that you will not leave here only to seek to continue your ill-advised vendetta. Now, you have a choice. Do you wish to live?”
“Do... do you mean ‘Do I wish to live well?’” Press Pass asked with wide eyes.
“Well? Do you?” Luna asked, her eyes sparking in merriment, not even deigning to clarify her real intent.
“I... I could write about all of this, you know. The thinly veiled threats, the false imprisonment...”
“You could,” Luna allowed. “But tell me... would it be the worst thing you've read about me in the newspapers?”
Press Pass uttered what was likely a truly blistering curse just under his breath.
“Shall I take that as a ‘yes’ to my offer, Mr. Pass?”
“What would you like me to do for you, Princess?” he replied meekly.
Luna clapped her hooves together in delight. “Excellent! I think you’ll find being in my favor far preferable to the alternative, Mr. Pass. Now, first of all, I need any and all developed photographs or undeveloped negatives that you might have at your residence pertaining to your surveillance of the Pants Estate. You will be given freedom to go and retrieve them, but you are also granted the use of these chambers if you so choose. Think of it as a reward for your inconvenience these past few days.”
Some small bit of rebellion seemed to remain in Press Pass, making him ask sullenly: “And what if I decide to burn those pictures?”
Luna smirked, saying: “Then you would not get paid for them, Mr. Pass. I will see that you are paid for the ones in my possession, of course, but if you choose to destroy any others, that is your choice. But I will pay very well for any other images of Fleur and Fancy. Especially if you caught Fleur laughing.”
“But those don’t have you in them at all. Are you still worried I plan to use those photos for blackmail or something?” he pressed.
“Not at all!” Luna replied with a laugh. “In fact, if you were to try, I suspect Fancy would ruin you for life in every sense of the word, and that’s not even beginning to address what I would do to you,” she continued in a whisper: “Even death is no bar to one such as I.”
He accepted this explanation with an appropriate wilting of his ears.
“No. I want them because again, you take very good pictures, Mr. Pass,” she added blithely, as if she hadn’t just threatened his very eternal existence. “As a matter of fact, I intend for you to take more of them. Many, many more. But first, I would have those which I don’t possess currently. Go and get them, and then we can talk of where and when you will take more.”
She left the chamber, all smiles, redonning the ‘sunglasses’ as she crossed the threshold. “Mr. Pass and I have reached an accord, Middy.”
“That’s... good to hear, Princess.” Middy replied, nonplussed at her sudden appearance and announcement.
To the guard, Luna said: “Mr. Pass will continue to use these chambers as he wishes for a time, though I may arrange for other dwellings within the castle at a later date. He is free to come and go as he wishes for the moment. We will not require a guard for his chambers, but I would like you and yours to report on his movements within the castle.”
“Of course, Princess.”
Luna nodded to the guard, then motioned for Middy to follow her. “He will be fetching more pictures and negatives from his home. I will want those as well. I shall be invoicing the treasury for him to be paid for his work.”
“I thought he wasn’t to be paid?” Midnight asked as he hurried along after her.
“He’s going to be doing some work to prove himself, and that work will be unpaid. These pictures, however, represent work for which I wish to pay him for,” Luna replied.
“Work?” Midnight asked incredulously. “He was stalking you!”
“Yes, and he did a fantastic job of it, Middy. Such work should be rewarded.”
Midnight was silent as he followed, eventually saying: “As you wish, Princess. Though I suspect his other victims might not share your opinion.”
“I’ll be sure to show them as well, but I suspect Fleur will be ecstatic. Fancy perhaps a bit less so, but he’ll be satisfied knowing the pictures won’t go public.”
“All right, if you are sure, Princess.”
“I am. Now, about those other matters?”
“Right,” Midnight replied, clearly still worried but willing to let the matter go for the moment. “Now, forgive me, there was the bit about the spymaster—”
“Yes, I need to know the name and passphrase of an agent in or near Ponyville,” Luna answered.
Midnight stopped dead in his tracks. “And this is for your sister, you said?”
Luna made an urgent shushing motion, not having realized up till that moment that she’d let that slip. “Yes. And before you ask, no, I am not able to say why. I really shouldn’t have mentioned her at all, but I trust you’ll keep that to yourself.”
He gave her a sidelong look, saying: “Well, that certainly spoils my coup options. I had this whole elaborate plan to betray your confidence at the least opportune moment, but now you’ve asked me nicely not to.”
Luna stared at him for a very long time before bursting into peals of laughter.
His mouth quirked up into a little smile, “I’m glad you found that humorous. Now... would you care to elaborate about this situation with Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis? I wouldn’t normally pry but it feels as though this announcement might be a bit...”
“Controversial?” Luna suggested.
“I was going to say unusual,” Midnight replied. “Was it your intention to marry a couple that are themselves already married? Because I’m uncertain there’s precedent for that in the laws.”
“Midnight... I, and you by extension of serving my sister’s will,are the law. By all means, search the books, but we can draft something entirely new, if need be. It’s not as if Princesses are getting married on a regular basis, so there hasn’t been a need to dictate when and how that may happen. My niece was the first in living memory.” Luna replied patiently.
“I certainly don’t mean you’d be forbidden to do anything, Princess,” Midnight said. “I just mean that what you hold to be true will also be applied to the ponies at large.”
Luna laughed again. “And what of it? If some might wish to bring a partner from outside into the folds of matrimony, all the better!”
Midnight said nothing for a long moment, then nodded. “I suppose sometimes sweeping social changes can happen overnight. Very well... but I would expect many requests for renewed vows to include previously unannounced spouses, and we should probably hire more tax accountants.”
“Yes, Middy. Whatever is best in your opinion.” Luna said dismissively.
“I’ll prepare accordingly,” Midnight replied gruffly. “But do you wish to marry this couple to yourself? If so, it would be an occasion to be celebrated. As you’ve said, there are a limited number of princesses for which such a thing can be done.”
“I...” Luna hesitated, uncertain how she wished to respond.
“Also, are they the only ponies you wish to join to yourself, or is this the start of a royal harem—”
“It is not a harem!” Luna said quickly. “They are merely very special to me and I wish to have all know that if harm comes to them I will bring vicious and quick vengeance on any who would dare!”
“And will there be more special ones who will join them?” Midnight asked pointedly.
Luna stopped in place, tapping her forehooves together in thought. “I... had perhaps... there is another couple whose company I very much value and might perhaps one day name as amongst those I prize most.”
“A very exclusive harem, then,” Midnight replied.
“There will be no harem!” Luna shouted, her eyes tightly closed as she stomped a forehoof so hard that she cracked the stonework beneath her.
“Luna,” Midnight said gently. “I don’t mean to upset you. Royal harems are well known, historically. I’m given to understand Princess Platinum—”
“Princess Platinum was a debased harlot and all who knew her could attest to that fact!” Luna proclaimed. “I... I merely wish to acknowledge ponies that I hold dear to my heart. My feelings are more than merely carnal,” she finished with a petulant pout.
“Very well,” Midnight repeated after a moment. “Though perhaps you might clarify what exactly you wish to call it, because ponies will very likely begin calling it a harem. Perhaps you could redefine what the word means to you, in this day and age.”
Luna sniffed, and grumbled out: “We shall give the matter some thought.” After a moment, she added. “But... this brings me to another matter, Middy...” Luna said slowly. “I... I wish to commission a... memorial tool shed.”
Midnight Oil scratched the back of his head with a hoof. "That's... not quite what I had in mind with regards to 'redefining' the word, Princess. I don't know about the past, but certain practices are still considered private these days. So while I would happily help you build this... ‘tool shed’ of yours, perhaps it should not be a memorial for the public to visit?"
“No... it’s not for the public, Middy,” Luna replied, nonplussed by his reaction. “It will be in my private garden. And... it must be very tall. Tall enough for a stained glass window. And the tools will be gilded and jeweled encrusted.”
“Gilded and jewel encrusted...” He repeated, breathlessly. He shook himself, taking a deep breath. “That’s... odd, but we can certainly make it happen. Must it be in the garden, however? Usually such things are deep in dungeons...”
“The garden was her favorite place,” Luna said firmly. “I also need a giant golden plaque above the doorway. It will read ‘Night Blossom, beloved and shieldmare of Princess Luna, caretaker of her heart’.”
Midnight looked taken aback, but made no further protest. “V-very well. It shall be as you say. I’ll need a list of... the tools you require, and how you would like them decorated. And we’ll arrange for the stonemason to meet with you to discuss dimensions.” he glanced down at the large and pronounced crack in the stone beneath their feet, adding: “And... also to fix this floor, I expect.”
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Weird. I was thinking of this story only a few hours ago, wondering when it had last updated, and if it would update again soon.
So did Midnight get his mind out of the gutter in that last paragraph?
10002037
he's going to be very confused by all the shovels and hoes she'll be requesting. Less so by the seed and fertilizer.
10002008
I've been trying not to let more than two months pass between updates.
10006351
Yeah, I suppose... More poetic that way, but still slightly confusing I guess. :-)
10002263
Everybody seems to be falling off the train. I have this bizarre hope that the weird faux-chibi style G5 designs will drive activity back to the G4 iterations, but....eh. Good on you for still updating, this storyline (from Green on) has been special to me throughout the years, and I quite enjoy each new chapter.
About a year later with no updates, MAN this comment didn't age well! Then again, neither did the author
10006925
My enthusiasm for the story and the fandom at large never changed, but monthly updates were a bit more demanding than I could manage these last couple years.
10006953
Despite being a species capable of having multiple partners, the desire to pair bond remains. A stable triad forms when each pony pair bonds twice over, but it's not something that happens right away.
And yes, Luna and Celestia's situation is very similar in that respect; falling in love with somepony already taken.
Ah, Luna, never change. Apparently one of the few ponies we follow not crippled by self-doubt.
10009620
She has her moments, but you don't get to supervillain level by doubting yourself. Confidence is key when you make declarations like "The night will last forever!"
Yes, she's reformed and redeemed now, but NMM wasn't a complete aberration of her personality, it was just Luna, completely ruthless in her goals.
I can't believe Luna paid the paparazzi for fucking lewds. :pinkielaugh:
Well done man, keep up the good work!
10255038
Thanks. I know it's been a while since I updated, but I have been working on a chapter. It's just been stressful lately. Kinda wish I was a nonessential worker.
10255230
Same, I've been trying to get work done on a couple stories myself, but with all that's going on, us essential workers are kinda busy!
10007008
Hm... That gets me thinking. In a sense, isn't that sort of how it would probably always go for the princesses?
I mean, let's think about it: nopony would have the stones to try asking a princess out, right? Well, almost nopony. So, in a sense, love isn't coming to them - they have to actively seek it out, or... have it happen upon them, in some form. The best they can do is find friends (or have them thrust upon them), and then... hope for the best. Chances are, if there's anything that might develop from that, it's going to be happening with a partner that's had a lot of time to form bonds of their own...
10374618
Well, Celestia had a couple near misses in her history, and Luna was really the only one to have had a monogamous relationship, because her partner happened at her, more or less. So yes, you're correct, though Celestia had a chance in Twilight that utterly failed to launch due to miscommunication and, well, panic.
10374693
Oh, while I'm at it... I'm going through the "best moments" of all three (Smile, Worthwhile, Green) yet again.
Just thought you might like to know that. ;-]
Yes, I seem to have way too much time on my hands.
This is different than what you said in Sing Me Your Love Song chapter.
Which one are you going to use?
--------
No lie, this is a really good fic so far, and we look forward to seeing what you do next.