Opus 64, Act 1, No. 5, "The Quarrel"
“You see, Cece—can I call you Cece?” he asked.
I tried to keep myself from smiling. I’d barely met this stallion, and already I liked him. “You may,” I said. “What should I call you?”
“Silver. But my friends call be Sill,” Sill said, flashing me a smile. “Like I was saying, Cece, I find myself in a bit of a bind. And… well, I was thinking...” He paused, then closed his mouth and shook his head.
“Go on, please,” I urged him.
He hesitated, then looked away. “No, no,” he murmured shyly, “I couldn’t possibly—it’s just a family matter, it isn’t worth Royal attention....”
I leaned forward a little on my throne. “Please, Sill,” I said, “Let me help.”
And I could help. It was my Royal Duty to help. This was Open Court, after all—the one real duty I had. I would sit on my throne, ponies could come to me for help with their problems, and I would do what I could to help. Nearly everything else in the Palace had some minister or other in charge of it—but helping ponies was my responsibility.
And, of course, ponies as nice as Sill here made that duty all the easier.
Sill sighed deeply. “Well, as I said… I’ve made a slight mistake. You see, months ago, my family and I booked a trip to Playa Caballo, on the Gulf of Mexicolt—you ever been?” he asked eagerly.
I shook my head. “No, I haven’t,” I said.
He sighed. “Oh, you really should. It’s beautiful down there, especially this time of year…” He shook his head suddenly. “Anyways. Though my little ones have been looking forward to this trip for months, my grandmother has suddenly fallen quite ill, and I’m not sure we can get away… she practically raised me, after all, and the doctors say she could go at any time, really…”
He sighed, and my heart broke a little. Here he was, such a good stallion, with his grandmother about to pass...
“And then there’s this vacation package,” he said, almost with disdain. “Nonrefundable, with all the money already down… the money isn’t important to me, of course, it never is, it’s just… I hate to see it go to waste like that…” He looked sidelong at me, a sort of pleading in his eyes. “It would be such a load off my mind if I knew somepony was making good use of all our planning…”
I watched him for a moment, sad, downtrodden, and sighing—and a small thought occurred to me. I sat up a little straighter.
“If it really would help,” I said, “I could take those tickets.”
He looked up at me, awe and gratitude in his eyes. “You… you would?” he said. “Oh, Princess—if you could, that—that would mean the world—”
And then, a shadow fell across the sun.
I looked up. Luna stood, towering over me. She glared down at me, then to Sill, and back to me again. Her eyes were full of disgust, disappointment, and frustration—but even so, she examined my face carefully. I glared back at her, my hackles rising—
Wordlessly, she turned back to Sill. And then, without warning, she smiled.
I stared. Smile wasn’t the word. It wasn’t a smile, it was a grimace that had murdered a smile and was wearing its skin. I watched as she pulled back the corners of her mouth and showed her teeth, like she was following instructions in a manual; it looked less like a genuine grin and more like she was trying to stretch a piece of leather over a coat hanger. As I watched, I only just remembered to keep my mouth closed.
“I am so... very sorry, Mr. Tongue,” she said, in a saccharine-sweet tone that would have wilted flowers, “but I believe Princess Celestia has an... obligation that has slipped her mind.” She stretched the smile another fraction of an inch. “She shall have to decline your offer.”
“Wha—?”I spluttered.
Luna whipped her head around and shot me a freezing glare, looking, for just a moment, like the old battleaxe I’d come to despise—but she turned back to Sill again, and, in an instant, she was giving him the dead-eyed shark smile again. Sill himself glanced at me, his eyes frightened, but Luna took a deliberate step between the two of us, partially blocking my view of him. I was no longer part of the discussion, it seemed.
“Perhaps you could find another use for your arrangements,” she said. “After all, Her Highness can arrange a diplomatic visit to Mexicolt any time she pleases. Not to mention that there are any number of charitable organizations that would be glad of any sort of donation you could make.” Loonie laughed, with a sound like rattling silverware. “That seems like it would be an easier solution, doesn’t it? No need to go through all the trouble of seeking a Royal audience—” Her eyes flashed. “—and no risk whatever of being brought up on corruption charges.”
I sat up straight, eyes wide and staring. Luna was still smiling, but her eyes were hard and sharp. Gone was any sort of pretense: that had been an open threat. And Sill knew it, too; he was trembling, and looked up at Luna with frightened eyes.
“W-what a splendid idea, Highness,” he managed. “I-I’ll go do that right—”
Then, he turned and walked away, with the careful, deliberate gait of someone trying desperately to not break into a dead run.
Luna sighed heavily, then turned away. She took a step towards the exit—but as she passed me, I leaned forward.
“Did you have to do that?” I hissed. “Really?”
Loonie turned back to me, her gaze ice and steel again.
“Apparently,” she hissed back. “However, it is neither the time nor place to discuss such things. Shall we reconvene over tea?”
“No,” I snapped. “I want to know why you’re so damn determined to keep me from having any fun. And I want to know right now.”
Luna shot me a hard look, then stood a little taller and turned to Shining Armor, who stood attentively at the foot of the dais.
“Grandson, if you please,” she said, loud and clear, “The Princess and I should like a recess.”
Shiny nodded smartly, then turned to the line of ponies waiting to see me. “Right, everyone out,” he called, to a chorus of groans. “Open court shall reconvene in—” he shot Loonie a look.
“A half-hour,” she responded.
“A full hour,” I said, louder.
Shiny looked uncertainly at me, then turned back to the crowd. “Sixty minutes,” he called, to a fresh wave of groans. “Please keep your tickets, you’ll need them—”
I stood up and stormed out the back entrance. Luna followed.
We walked in silence until I ducked inside one of the private salons, then plopped myself down on a seat at one end of the table. Luna followed, closing the door behind her. As soon as the latch clicked shut, I snarled.
“What in Tartarus do you think—?”
“Princess Celestia,” Luna roared, and my eyes went wide. I fell silent.
Luna sighed. “Your style of discussion wears on my nerves,” she said, lowering herself into the seat across from me. “So, for both our sakes, please let me speak.”
I closed my mouth, fuming. Luna sighed, then spoke.
“It astonishes me I have to say this aloud,” she said, “but you were about to accept a bribe—”
“I was not!” I cried.
“—wrapped, though it was,” she continued, “in a plea for help. Your conscience is admirable, Your Highness, but, if it’s going to get you into trouble, then—”
“It wasn’t a bribe,” I snapped. “There was no cash involved!”
“Of course not,” she said. “If there were, you would have turned him down. But he was not appealing to your greed, but to your pity. He just needed a little help, that’s all, with his grandmother about to die—” she snorted “—probably for the third or fourth time—”
“You don’t know that,” I snapped.
“You’re right,” she said, “I don’t. But I do know what would have come next: you would have had a wonderful time in Mexicolt, perhaps even with all of your friends tagging along. But, as soon as you came back—perhaps even while you were still away—you would have received a letter from Mr. Silver Tongue asking, if you could, please, sign here on the dotted line. What he would have wanted, I have no idea,” she scoffed. “Perhaps allowing underage spotted owls to purchase cigarillos, or something dreadful of that sort…” she shook her head disdainfully. “Either way, you would have done so without even reading the text, because he’s been oh so kind to you, and such a kind stallion could have nothing but the purest intentions.” She looked down at me. “Am I wrong in any particular point?” she said. “Because, if I am, I would appreciate the correction.”
I glared at her for a moment longer, then sank down in my seat, fuming. “It’s happened before,” I grumbled. “And nothing bad’s happened—”
Loonie’s eyes widened. “You’ve done this before?” she repeated in disbelief. “You mean—this isn’t the first time someone’s offered a gift? A-and you accepted?”
I nodded. “And nothing happened,” I repeated.
Luna growled. “Your continued self-centeredness never ceases to astonish,” she said. “I shall have to arrange a tutor for you in the matter of Governmental Ethics. Perhaps even a remedial tutor.”
I scowled.
“In either case,” she continued, “I was being honest. You have an obligation that would prevent you from taking his offer.”
“What is it?” I snapped.
“I will be taking a short leave of absence next week,” she said. “While I am gone, I need you to—”
“Where will you be going?” I interrupted.
She stuttered to a halt, then sighed. “Ponyville,” she admitted. “The local archaeologists wanted my help in their excavation of the Castle of the Two Sisters. I plan on being gone approximately a week, so, when I leave…”
“You’d like me to come with you,” I interjected.
After all the hell she’d put me through, it was pure joy to see her face in that moment. Her usual cold confidence gave way to puzzled incomprehension, followed swiftly by an expression made of equal parts “how dare you?” and “I knew you would do this.”
“I do not mind your company, of course,” she lied through her teeth, “but this visit is of a personal nature, and I—”
“I understand, of course,” I interrupted again. “And I would hate to disturb you at such a sensitive time.” I smiled. “But I, too, have personal business in Ponyville, and this seems as good a time as any to take care of it. After all,” I added, smirking, “wouldn’t it be less disruptive to Ponyville if we made only one Royal visit, instead of two?”
Luna adjusted her glasses. “Of course,” she admitted. “However, I feel quite strongly that—”
“Oh, I agree,” I said, leaning forward and patting her on the hoof. “Having both Princesses visiting at once would be quite a special experience for Ponyville. That would definitely be quite the boost in morale, especially after all the… unpleasantness of our last visit… such a shame we had to cut it so short... all those Parasprites, you know...”
A muscle under Luna’s eye twitched. I grinned.
“Besides,” I continued, “I’ve been meaning to make this visit for some time. A local seamstress has offered to make my dress for the Grand Galloping Gala, and she needs me there, in person, for my fitting.” I could barely keep myself from giggling. “It always feels so good to patronize local small businesses, doesn’t it? Especially given the economic boom that will come to Ponyville when everyone sees me wearing something she’s made…”
Luna’s gaze hardened. She opened her mouth to speak, but I went for the kill.
“And thank you for being so gracious as to invite me,” I added. “I know you didn’t want to impose, but it really means so much that you would think of me. I only hope that, one day, I’ll be able to return the favor.”
Luna squirmed, and I smirked. Luna’s propriety had its advantages; no way she was going to back down from that sort of praise.
“Very well,” she conceded, anger creeping into the edges of her voice. “I am beginning to see the... advantages in having you along. Just… be sure to speak to your instructors at school and ask them for next week’s work. And I shall inform Raven of our…” she sighed. “...arrangement.”
She stood, then marched stiffly out of the room. As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, I leaned back in my chair, put my back hooves up on the table, and let out a long, satisfied sigh.
Sometimes, it felt pretty darn good to be a winner.
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I have to say, this chapter has me conflicted...
Luna was absolutely right in calling Cece out on that 'offer' (and good lord, Cece, his name is Silver Tongue), and Celestia's reaction was honestly rather bitchy. Luna had every right to want to take her trip to Ponyville alone and have Celestia ruling solo (I assume that was the intent), and having Cece basically bash her into allowing her to come was really petty. Yes, there are the advantages Cece mentioned, but Luna did not agree with her and she damn well knows that.
BUT... Cece is 17. She's a petty teenager. Given what we know of this Alt-U up to now, this is completely in character for her. You did a good job writing her that way, but I think she's being a bitch. And I'm guessing that was the intent, so... again, good job.
Belle... hm. Are you a reader of Realitycheck by chance?
It's nice to see both that Luna can be in the right and that Celestia can get one over on the old mare. A nice bit of added depth to both.
Also, great work in mapping Celestia pushing Twilight out of her shell to this timeline.
*Steps out of shower*
Okay, time to check my emails--
--whoa. I didn't know my notifications could go that high...
[Sorry again for the delay in responding! I'm hoping I'll be a little more on top of things going forward--but no promises! Life has been supes-totes-cray-cray as of late.]
8673496
Thanks for the compliment! As I've said before, I completely write and edit my fics before I start posting--gives me plenty of freedom to edit, and also lets me release super-fast. Downside is, it usually takes me months between fics.
Either way, glad you're enjoying it!
8673589
What's "Heart World?" Never heard of it.
8673696
I don't think I can respond to every one of your comments, Comickook, but I wanted to say: I always look forward to reading them. I really appreciate the kind words, and that you take the time to comment every time you're done with a chapter. It means a lot.
8675040
8675692
Thanks, guys
8675528
Thank you! I always try for the feels--nice to know it's working
8677128
Indeed it is. But I think...
8678667
...has the right idea. Things will get better before we're done, and that will help Cece's mental state tremendously.
8677161
I'm actually really glad you said that. That was one thing I was worried about with this particular Twilight--she's not the Princess of Friendship just yet, she's more the Princess of Social Anxiety. If that reaction feels natural to you, then it seems like I've been doing it right
8677381
You're not the only one. I've caught myself reading it that way as well--but the title fits so well otherwise... (i.e., Celestia has woken up in the morning in a foul mood--and it's a famous "morningtime" piece...)
8677443
Thanks so much!
8678508
Yeah, that would probably have been better... but Cece has a hard time being open with others, and being emotionally honest is especially difficult. (See also.)
8678658
Urp. Is that how the math works out? I musta done it wrong...
The intention in this fic is that alicorns have normal, mortal lifespans--they're all normal ponies that just happen to grow wings and/or horns. I'll need to double-check the math...
And, to answer your implied question: "Mom" was sickly, and died young of one or more terminal illnesses (more information will be forthcoming), while "Dad" [in my headcanon, at least] was her Captain of the Guard and was KIA on a dangerous assignment.
8679278
Thank you very much! I hadn't considered bringing in Daybreaker, but that might be fun for a sequel...
(FWIW, Loonie will talk a little teeny bit about how she became Nightmare Moon later on, and it's more than just "I got really sad.")
8679343
Believe it or not, I think this comment helped me understand Cece's motivations even better. Yeah, she wants to go to Ponyville, and has for some time--but she also wants to hurt Luna, and pull one over on her (be a "winner," as she says). So, yeah, I wouldn't say she has a "bitchy" personality--but, in this case, she proves that she definitely can be a bitch when she wants.
Thanks for the insight!
8679361
No, I'm not. One of my friends (Eruantalon, IIRC) came up with the name for his own AU Rarity, and I liked it and stole the idea.
Why do you ask?
8679428
Huh. Because you and he are the only ones I've seen who use that surname
8679428
Absolutely not, and absolutely, respectively.
She's a 17-year-old princess with a ton of pressure hanging over her head that just wants the opportunity to be a normal teenager (which ain't never gonna happen—sorry, Cease). From what I'm getting so far, Cece is doing the best she can to try and have as normal a life as possible—which includes having her moments of teenage pettiness—while balancing all her responsibilities as Princess. As a pony—especially since you just said yourself that in this AU alicorns are just like any other with the exception of having the main attributes of all three species—she's going to have her flaws. That includes her capability of being a bitch at times, which is only provoked by the fact that everything she would like to have—her usual friends around, her best friend by her side, a sense of normalcy in her life—has been taken from her. That, and her great(x15)-aunt is (from her perspective, from what I gather) is doing everything she can to make her already-pressured life even more of a pain for her. So yeah, she's going to have her moments of bitchiness. I would just recommend keeping those to a minimum to confirm that, as you said, she does not have an inherently bitchy personality.
8679463
No, that's a great analysis, and I think you hit it on the head. And, yeah, aside from some well-intentioned -but-poorly-thought-out interactions with Twilight and a few others (first seen in "The Day We Arrived") I think I do fairly well at making sure she's not too bitchy. But we'll see as we continue :)
8679478
Maybe a little of both, TBH. I've been in a similar place from time to time.
She's learning!
Honestly, I figured Celestia would be a lot harsher on Luna, especially since she could throw in Luna's face that she attempted to wipe out all life on the planet twice, which included her own daughter; along with how if anyone else had tried that stunt, she likely would have been sent to the gallows.
...it was a grimace that had murdered a smile and was wearing its skin....
(quietly marks down the turn of phrase for future use)
8679544
Just keep reading
Once more, superb work on this chapter. Again, very much a case of both sides having good points. Yes, Luna was right about how that guy was probably trying to pull a fast one on Celestia and about how she needs to be more careful about accepting gifts. On the other hand, Celly ALSO some good points worked into her argument with Luna (particularly the practicality involved with them both going to Ponyville to take care of their business at the same time [i.e. less disruptive than both of them going at separate times, a greater moral boost AND the potential economic boom]) .
And, yeah, the passing reference to "Swarm of the Century" was quite well done, as were, of course, the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up.
Again, I'll be eagerly awaiting more of this.
Another interesting chapter, though kind of a jarring change in tone from the previous ones (mostly what with Celestia coming out on top for once). I still kind of want to see this all leading up to Celestia just throwing her peytral at Luna and quitting her job in a fit of anger and/or depression, but it doesn't feel like that's the big clash this is all leading up to. Although I can't tell if that would be because Celestia isn't so petty as to do that, or if she is actually too petty to give her share of the power to Luna.
8679434
Really? I see it around all the time... Pretty much any time someone decides to give ponies somewhat consistent family names, whether out of personal headcanon or just aesthetic purposes. It's her sister's last name after all, and fits Rarity just as much if not more, it makes it hard to think of her having any other name than that.
8679428
If she's the fifteenth great grandmother, that makes Celestia the seventeenth (or eighteenth depending on how you count) generation, so that's 55-59 years on average between generations... The likely mistake in that would be assuming that means an average lifespan of about sixty years, when actually that's the average age the ponies give birth to the next generation.
(Trust me, that mistake is a lot more common than you'd think)
8679385
The show universe. I believe the original idea behind the name was to seperate everything the fandom writes (which will never be show cannon) from what the show says.
Yeesh... Feeling a bit bad for Celly
I'm impressed. I had even been wondering at some point if she did any ruling, but here she's at least political enough to get what she wants.
Wow, she went for the throat.
... Part me can't help but wonder how this will backfire...
Alright celly!!!