“Ugh, fuck, that still hurts…” James clenched his left side, glancing around. “You sure Celestia is somewhere around here?”
“Positive, Sir. Her signature has been detected nearby.”
“Great... Ruins of her old castle, in the middle of the Everfree forest... A lovely place to visit in the middle of the night.”
Then he saw her. Celestia was sitting about fifty meters away, near the old bridge, almost where John had been when he fell off – her eyes fixed onto the ruins. Her broken regalia were strewn all over the ground, the remains glistening in the silvery light of the moon.
“If she broke her stuff, she must be really pissed... APE, have you adapted the armor to counter that spell?”
“Negative, further research is required.”
“So, if she shoots us with full power, we’re gonna vaporize? I love the excitement...” He sighed. “Here comes nothing...”
He approached her slowly, but not quietly. He wanted to let her know something was coming – just in case she was in the mood to shoot first and ask questions later. But nothing of the sort happened. She didn’t budge, didn’t even look at him. Her blank stare remained fixed, glancing into the distance.
“H-hey. Look, um... I said some things I shouldn’t have.”
There was no reaction. Celestia was a statue.
“I was angry, and I said stuff I knew would hurt you and... now I feel like a fucking idiot... I’m sorry.”
He waited, and waited, and waited, but nothing. An awkward silence was the only answer.
“Ah, I see. You’re processing... I’m just gonna leave you alone, then—”
“Was it true?” She finally answered, just as he turned to leave. Her voice was emotionless and empty. “The part about the moon – was it true?”
“Look, um... I really don’t think you should—”
“Yes, or no?”
When she finally turned, James immediately regretted it. Her eyes were puffy and red, with smudged makeup all over her cheeks. The grotesque image of pain threw a noose around his throat, paralyzing it. For a moment he just kept gaping, unable to utter a sound. But the expression on his face was loud enough.
“I see...” Celestia fixed her eyes back to the ground again. “I wanted to ask her... From day one, I wanted to know how it was, but I never had the courage.”
“You could have asked me, instead.”
“H-how do you ask someone about the nightmare you sent him to? Is it even appropriate?”
“More appropriate than sending people to spy on your own sister, don’t you think?”
“I did it to protect her...” Celestia let out a remorseful sigh. “After she returned, nobility was not exactly fond of the idea of having another princess looking over their shoulders, and Luna’s antics were not helping matters, either. My ponies were to inform me of any suspicious activity happening around Luna, anything nobility could do to compromise her! It was all for her protection! I did what I had to!”
“There is always a reason, isn’t there? Just like with that little spell, you also did what you had to... Right?!”
“It was meant to be used only in case of an emergency...” Her words make him shook his head. “Do you think it is easy for me?! I hate doing this, but I do not have a choice!”
“You really believe that, don’t you? Maybe my coming here was a mistake after all.”
“You want to leave? Go, leave me! It is what always happens.”
“Maybe if you wouldn’t stab people in the back it would not? Ever thought of that?!”
“You just do not understand, do you? I do not have the luxury to trust others!” She yelled, shaking her head. “When something bad happens, I am the one expected to find a solution... Not you, not Twilight, Cadance or Luna, but ME. I am alone.”
“This is bullshit—”
“Is it? How do you think I managed to keep Equestria alive and well during the last thousand years? As soon as the news about lack of Elements of Harmony spread, the diplomacy became a nightmare. Creatures I called friends just a few months before, were suddenly threatening to invade our borders if I do not ‘compromise.’ And by that I mean: give them what they want. I quickly learned that when you are a ruler, you do not have the luxury to trust others. I thought you of all people would understand...”
“Oh, but I do! I don’t even have a problem with you shooting me!” She arched her eyebrow. “Well, OK, maybe I do a little, but after talking with Cheerilee, I can see how messy that situation might have looked from your perspective. But your motivation for that fucking spell? ’I had no choice’? ‘I’m alone’? This is bullshit!”
“You just do not understand—”
“No! You’re the one who doesn’t understand! That excuse might have worked in the past, but now? You have Luna, Twilight, and Cadance, not to mention Discord and me! I would hardly call that being alone—”
“Until things really go bad, and then it is ’Princess Celestia, what do we do?!’”
Squinted eyes and wrinkles on her forehead were screaming escalation. She didn’t know when to back down. Too bad neither did he.
“And I thought I was paranoid... Keep lying to yourself if you want, I’m done here,” she let out an unceremonious huff and jerked her head. He turned to leave but needed to throw in the last word. “I realize we’re not exactly friends, but I thought that we at least respect each other. I guess that’s one way only.”
Before he could take a step, chortling filled the air, but not the good kind. He turned to see her chuckling darkly. Almost like a bad guy using the cliché evil laughter.
“Respect?! You, of all people talking about respect?! The one that constantly uses my lewd past to mock me?! The nerve!”
“Your... what?” James cocked his head as his lips curled into a perfect ‘o.’
“Do not play dumb with me! Luna should have kept her mouth shut! But of course, she had to blab about it, and to YOU, of all people!”
“Look. I have no idea—”
“This is all in the past, do you hear me?! And no amount of stupid sex-jokes and innuendos is going to change that!”
James could feel the energy emanating from her body, like a wave of the sun itself. Her eyes were squinted and chilling, and her cheekbones curved, showing off her knife-like teeth. She wasn’t a pony, she was an ancient behemoth or some other mythological beast, ready to tear him apart. But he didn’t care, not anymore.
“OK, first of all, your Highness... Believe it or not, but Luna and I don’t spend time together to talk about You behind your back. I know it’s shocking, but you are not always the center of attention! And second. When you actually do come up, Luna is VERY defensive of your privacy... to my great annoyance, I might add. So, I have no goddamn idea about your ‘lewd’ past or anything!”
“Right... That is why you keep throwing stupid sex jokes, one-liners and innuendos at me! At least have the courage to admit it, you coward!”
“Missy, I was throwing those at people before you were born!” She arched her eyebrow again. “Um… OK, maybe not that far, but I was using them before I even came here!”
“Ah, so it is just a big coincidence? Right.”
James rolled his eyes. “Sometimes you’re an idiotic bitch, you know? Recall when Dash was apologizing to John for turning him into a lightning rod! Recall how John called me!”
“’Cheesy’?” She let out a chuckle and smirked. “For once a nickname that suits you!”
“Right... Now think about it, for a moment... If your theory is correct, then how did I get that lovely nickname?” Her smile disappeared, replaced with a hint of confusion. “Well, miss... Sunbutt?”
Celestia let out an audible gulp, but didn’t react, not even to James using her lovely nickname. Her eyes kept darting from left to right, looking for some way to solve the puzzle. But there was none.
“See? The only thing Luna ever told me was about your funny nicknames from the past – nothing more. The only thing she’s guilty of is being worried about you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m really not at liberty to discuss it. But I will tell you that she deserves a hell of a lot more trust than you give her…” He shook his head. “I told you what I wanted to tell you... and more. I think we’re done here.”
“Wait! Please…” Her voice changed. The bravado that filled it just a moment ago was gone, turning into something insecure instead. “What do you know about what happened between the two of us a thousand years ago?”
“Same as everybody else, I guess? Luna was feeling ignored, she went berserk and got a one-way ticket to the dead rock.”
“That is all?”
“Well, isn’t that the story?” A long, awkward silence was the answer. “Celestia?”
Just like that, the beast turned back into an alicorn, gaping onto the ground with depressed eyes and expression of guilt on her face.
“I don’t get it? Is there more to that story?”
“Let us just say that the... official version is ‘a story,’ but not ‘the story,’” She glanced up, her eyes were glassy again. “Would you like to hear the full version?”
A moment ago he was ready to leave, but that changed everything. He would be lying if he said it didn’t get him intrigued. What the hell could she be hiding? He nodded in silence, and they both sat down on a nearby fallen tree. Then Celestia became a narrator…
***
“After we defeated Discord, for the first time, Equestria was recognized as power by other nations. Even though Discord’s rule left us in shambles, the nobility had sensed the opportunity the Elements of Harmony had brought us, to consolidate our position. From the start, Luna had told me it was a bad idea, that we should concentrate our efforts on rebuilding what Discord destroyed instead. But the nobility persuaded me otherwise.
“At that point, I have become the icon everyone knows. I was the alicorn that moves the sun, the ‘benevolent’ ruler, and someone who can even defeat the Lord of Chaos himself. And with the Elements of Harmony on my side, suddenly, doing ‘diplomacy’ became very easy. All that power and popularity just... went to my head. It was the beginning of my downfall.”
“Downfall?”
“Yes... You see, Luna was working day and night to rebuild Equestria, to make sure ponies had enough food and water, while I was going from one party to another, doing ‘diplomacy.’ And by that I mean... eating, drinking, and...”
“And what?” She bit on her lip and glanced away. “Oh, that must be the ‘lewd’ part, huh? What did you do? Some good old ‘diplomacy through the bed,’ with someone?”
“If by ‘diplomacy through bed’ you mean… regular orgies, including delegates, my guards and their guards? Then yes.”
Once again, James’ lips curled into an ‘o,’ this time followed by one of eyebrow arching. He shot her a glance and kept on gaping in silence. She was definitely pulling his leg... This had to be a joke.
“No, I am not joking, nor am I making this up,” she shook her head and glanced away. “The truth is, Luna was the one really running the country, while I was a drunk wench, traveling from one party to another, sleeping with everyone and everything I could lay my eyes on. The worst part was that I was still getting all the... praise... Are you listening?”
He was trying to, but his mind was on an acid trip, producing a hundred different images of the ‘old’ Celestia per second.
“Um… I’m sorry. Just trying to process the information...” James said with a sheepish smile and scratched his head. “Why were you getting all the praise?”
“Nobility... They thought that the ‘Lightbringer would give ponies hope!’ That was the excuse anyway. In reality? They just hated Luna because unlike me, she was not their puppet.”
“So, in the past nobility was hating Luna too... Why am I not surprised. Old habits die hard, I see.”
“She was not their favorite, no. But... the truth is it was my fault too. I... I loved it, all of it. The admiration, the parades in my honor, the endless parties. I was like an addict, running on praise, cake, and sex.”
“This is... If you’re not making that up then... fuck me! It’s as if Molestia was real.”
“How do you think that nickname came into being?” His empty stare was the answer. “I did so many things I regret. In the end, it cost me almost everything.”
“So what really happened? Between Luna and you, I mean?”
“Nobility called off the ‘Week of The Moon’ – a festival in Luna’s honor, the only holiday when for once, ponies would praise her. They said it was because the treasury was empty, but it was an excuse.”
“And you didn’t stop them?”
“Actually, I...” She bit her lip and glanced away in shame. “I signed the decree myself.”
“You... what?!”
“I was drunk! They just gave me a stack of papers and I signed them without reading...”
James’ expression was a volatile mixture of disbelief and rage. She had expected a jab to the muzzle, but it never came. He just kept staring. His giant eyes were like a dagger, cutting her deeper with each passing second. She would have preferred a punch.
“When Luna found out, something broke inside of her. She locked herself in her room for a few days and... The rest of the story goes, according to the history books.”
“So, to summarize... Luna was working her ass off day and night, getting nothing but crap for it, while her big sister was having fun and screwing around... And when the time to get out of this shit for a while came up, she learned that you had canceled it?” James’ dark chuckle only intensified Celestia’s pain. “Fuck me... I see you have a lot of experience stabbing people in the back. How many more have suffered for your mistakes?!”
“Too many...” She lowered her head and sighed. The confession was not over. “Do you remember how I told Twilight that after banishing Luna, I could not sleep and ended up in the mental hospital? Doctors did their best, but I was slipping, further and further away. But there was a single young pegasus – doctor Marbles, that did not give up. When everything failed, he came with an unorthodox idea... He told me it was all my fault.”
“Unorthodox? Seems like a simple truth to me.”
“I know that now, but back then, after the initial shock wore off, I went from blaming myself to a complete denial. I began blaming Luna for everything.”
“This is getting better and better... So what happened when he told you, you were the one who fucked up?”
“From what I gathered, he had believed that it would be the shock to my system, and by accepting it, it would allow me to start on the road to the recovery. He was not wrong, not entirely. It was a shock, but... it did not do what he thought it would. Instead...”
She closed her eyes shut. The thousand years old memory felt so fresh and real. She could see her sitting in the Marbles’ office, see his diplomas hanging on the wall and pictures of his wife and two fillies on his desk. The damp aroma of the Everfree turned into a pleasant smell of cinnamon and coffee. A place of comfort. But what he had told her, was anything but comfortable.
“What did you say?!” Celestia’s wide eyes shot him a glance that could melt stone.
“You heard me correctly, Celestia – you are guilty. I know it’s hard to face it—”
“No! It was not my fault! Luna could have... tried talking with me!”
“When exactly? When you were recovering from a hangover, or having another wild party?” Marbles’ said, readjusting his glasses. His voice was stoic and professional. “We both know that’s an excuse. Your sister is the victim here, not you.”
“She turned against me! She betrayed me!”
“How so? You told me yourself – you were the one neglecting your duties, you were the one having parties, you were the one living a good life while she was working hard in the back.”
“I was... manipulated! That is why I said those words!” She yelled, gritting her teeth. Her burning gaze trying to tear him apart.
Marbles nodded in silence, letting her cherish the thought of victory for a moment. For his technique to work, he needed her to drop her guard, and getting her angry was the simplest way to do it. He glanced one more time at the magic suppressor at the base of her horn, making sure it’s in place, and began.
“Pathetic...” Marbles said, shaking his head. His stoic expression turned into disgust, and his voice was full of contempt. The combination hit the spot just as he thought it would.
“W-what?!”
“Your excuses are pathetic, that’s what.”
“I’m warning you! Watch your mouth—”
“Or what… you coward?!”
His interjection was like a punch to the face, designed to knock her out of her game. It worked, turning some of Celestia’s anger to confusion, and stopping her tirade.
“B-be quiet!” Was the only response she could muster, her bravado swallowed by the sea of confusion and the pain coming from the heating up magic blocker. “I order you to be quiet!”
“No. Someone has to tell you the truth, and here it is... You were the one who betrayed your sister—”
“Shut up!”
“You betrayed her, you forced her hoof, and now you don’t want to face it—”
“Shut up!” She yelled again, frantically shaking her head. “Just... Shut up!”
“Face it, Celestia! You’re a coward!”
She let out a growl, and her shivering hooves covered her entire head. The air around her changed into a cloud of something pungent, turning each gasp into a painful chore. His words were meant to be like a shock from a defibrillator, to restart her senses, and for a moment, it seemed to be working.
“I know it’s harsh, I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but you can change all that. The sooner you understand it and face it, the sooner you will regain control and respect of... "
Marbles’ suddenly stopped, feeling a wave of heat radiating from Celestia. She remained hidden behind a guard, but her sticking out horn lightened up like a piece of hot steel.
“Celestia, stop! Before you hurt yourself!”
She didn’t stop, but instead dropped her guard, revealing a figure trembling from the agony, with a wicked smile on her face. This wasn’t the broken pony Marbles’ had expected, but a twisted person, ready to tear him apart. Then, the magic suppressor turned to liquid gold and hit the floor.
Celestia’s mad eyes locked onto him, and her smile turned into a grin, sending a shiver up his spine. He realized he made a mistake and jumped towards the door, but it was too late. Before he knew it, he was splattered on the wall.
“Oh, trying to run?” She walked up to him and let out a dark chuckle. “Who is a pathetic coward now, doctor?”
“Celestia, p-please calm down...”
“Oh, I intend to, but first, I need to teach you a little lesson...” Her grin turned savage. “It may hurt a bit, but as they say, ‘no pain, no gain...’”
“W-what are you... Argh!”
“You killed him?” James said.
“That is an understatement... I barricaded the door and... tortured him for hours...” Celestia shook her head. “This is one memory I would really want to forget, but it is still so vivid after all these years. I can remember everything, every single detail. His scream as I broke every bone in his body... His pleas to stop as I tore off his wings... In the end, he begged me to just finish it. Not that it stopped there...”
“There’s more?”
“Even after he let out a ghost, nopony was stupid enough to try to force me out. So I stayed locked in the office for days... along with his rotting carcass. I only gave up his body after his widow came and begged me for hours... And, once she saw him, or rather, what was left of him, she…”
“I think I get the picture. So, what happened next?”
“I completely lost it after that. It is a jumble of images, but I basically did not leave his office, and nopony dared to try to force me out. I stayed locked in there for days. We are talking about 4x4 meters wide room, smudged with blood and viscera and without a toilet. So, you can imagine... Or maybe it is better if you do not.”
“Too late...” James’ face crumpled up in disgust.
“Sorry... Anyway, after a few days, I was lying on what was left of the bed, when the door suddenly burst open. I was expecting an army of hulking orderlies with an anti-magic straitjacket, but instead... a janitor’s cart rolled inside...”
“Would you kindly move your fat flank off the bed so I can clean this pigsty?” Before Celestia could say anything, a mop hit the floor, going from left to right.
“Who are you?”
“Name’s Keen Sweeper, I came here to clean the mess you did. So kindly move your big ass out of the way.”
Celestia couldn’t believe her ears. Some low-life just barged inside and order her to move her flank. The fire inside of her rekindled in a blink of an eye, filling her face with a wicked smile.
“How dare you! Do you know who I am?”
“Judging by the smell and the looks, a pig rolling in her own shite!”
“W-what?!” Her horn lightened up. “I am warning you, watch your mouth or I—”
“Holy hell...” Keen Sweeper’s head jerked to the side, and his hoof covered his nose. “Where was the last time you brushed your teeth?”
His question turned her anger into embarrassment that filled her cheeks. She covered her face behind her wing and exhaled involuntarily. It must have been a lie. He just wanted to get her angry, to lower her guard! That’s what she told herself, but that fairy tale ended abruptly when the rotten-egg like smell went from her mouth to her nostrils, almost making her puke.
“I don’t know what smells worse, the room, or you.”
“I... I am warning you! Leave, or I—”
“What? You’re gonna shoot me with your darn magic? Hrmph! You wanna impress me? Use some of that mumbo-jumbo to clean your filthy flank! You look like a pig and stink even worse! Or at least move out of the way, so I can clean the room!”
She said nothing. His unceremonious interruption caught her off guard. Some bum was talking back to her as if she were an ordinary pony. That wasn’t something she was used to dealing with. But the stench in the room was really unbearable.
“Fine, clean it,” Celestia finally said with a hint of irritation. “Just do it fast!”
He nodded and began mopping immediately. That she expected, what she didn’t, was the happy tune he was whistling as he did it. He was cleaning off blood and more nasty stuff, and he acted calmly... coolly, as it was every day’s job.
“That weather is really getting to you, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“The rain, I mean. I can always feel the middle of the crop season in my old bones.”
“It does not bother me.”
“Lucky girl.”
“Girl?” Celestia’s eyebrow curled from confusion. “I am two hundred years old, Mister.”
“Really?” He scanned her from top to bottom. “Hrmph... I would say you look no older than a hundred and fifty to me.”
She arched her eyebrow, ready to explode, but realized he let out a gentle chuckle. Maybe it was the giggle, or perhaps the wink that followed it, but she smiled and chuckled herself. For the first time since the banishment of Luna, it was a genuine feeling of satisfaction, she subconsciously longed for. But her paranoia quickly struck back, turning it into a sense of suspicion.
“Is that your plan? To make me soft, so I lower my guard?!”
“Missy—”
“Do not call me that! You shall address me as Princess Celestia!”
“Um… No.”
“What did you say?” Her eyes locked onto him with a frown. “I am a Princess!”
“No, Missy. In here, you’re a patient like everypony else, not royalty. Unless we count you being a royal pain in everybody’s ass, that is...” He rolled his eyes. “Look, I came here because this room stinks to high heavens. Can I get back to cleaning it, please?”
Celestia huffed and turned her head.
“Thank you...” He began mopping again. “You really need to drop this paranoia, you know. It’s not healthy.”
“Oh, you are a doctor now too?”
“Nope, I’m not... then again, I’m not the one who locked himself inside a room with a rotting corpse, am I?” There was no answer. “A pony with half a brain could see you’re not well.”
“I am fine, thank you!” A lie. His arching eyebrow told her he didn’t buy it, but it did shut him up. As he mopped, she walked to the window just in time to see the sun going higher. “Who... who is moving the sun?”
“That thing? Um… I think they’re asking for unicorn volunteers…”
She waited for it. She expected him to say how Equestria needs her, how it’s her sacred duty to move the sun, how she should just do everyone a favor and start acting her age. She waited for it, but the words never came. He just kept mopping and whistling again. Maybe it was the smell of cleaning solvents, or perhaps the conversation, but her senses began coming back to her, and for the first time in days, she took a good look at herself.
Her coat was tangled and sticky, and the odor was unbearable. She looked like a diamond dog after a month underground and smelled even worse. It was bad, but what really started turning her stomach, were the bloody smudges on the floor. Each one like a stain on her conscience that no amount of solvents would ever wipe away.
“I... did not want this to happen…” Celestia’s voice was almost like a whisper.
“You mean your sister or the poor Marbles?”
“Both... I do not understand how it happened.”
“You messed up, that’s how.”
“I would watch it if I were you... Doctor Marbles said the same thing, and...” She let out a sigh. “You know how it turned out...”
“Well, unlike him, I have a big mop, and I’m not afraid to use it,” his chuckle made her eyebrow arch.
“How can you be so calm about this?”
“I’ve been working in this place for thirty-two years. Let’s just say that those things happen from time to time. Although I must admit, they’re usually not so... gruesome.”
She lowered her head and fixed her eyes onto the floor. A silent scream of guilt.
“Feeling bad, huh? You should. That means, there’s still hope for you... Which is more than I can say for this mop. Darn blood...”
Hope? She was a murderous alicorn that had driven her own sister to madness and sent her to the dead rock. Hope wasn’t in her vocabulary at the moment.
“Could you help me out here?” Keen Sweper’s voice came out of nowhere, waking her up from her daydream.
“With what?” Celestia cocked her head only to see him, pointing at the largest blood spot on the floor, and the second mop. “You are joking!”
“Not really, blood is not easy to wipe away, you know. But if we work together—”
“No, I cannot!” Her head began frantically jumping from left to right. “Even looking at those stains brings back the memories of that day. You do not understand what I did to him!”
“I kind of do. Marbles’ screams were loud enough to wake the dead.”
Celestia took a step back, shaking her head in silence. During the past few days, her crazed state was a barrier, guarding her against her conscience and ironically keeping her from completely losing it. Their little chat cracked the barricade, and bad memories were quickly rushing inside.
“G-get out! Leave me!”
“This again? Look, I—”
“I am warning you! L-leave at once!”
Her lightened up horn was sparkling with power and screaming for him to leave, but her trembling lip and shaking body were telling a different story.
“You don’t really want me to go. You want someone to help you.”
“No, I do not!”
“Really? Then answer me this, and I’ll leave: with that fancy magic of yours, you could have just teleported out of here days ago. Yet, you stayed... Why?”
Her eyes began darting from left to right, trying to solve the riddle. Why did she stay? A simple question she had no answer to.
“I think you stayed because you wanted to punish yourself for what you did to your sister and poor Marbles.” She kept quiet, but her glassy eyes were a dead giveaway. “Missy... Celestia. Marbles’ is dead, and you can’t change that. But if you don’t start cleaning this mess right now, you’ll end up rotting in here forever. I’ve seen it happen, many times.”
“Maybe I deserve this...” Some tears of anguish escaped her eyes. “Have you ever thought of that?”
“Everybody makes mistakes—”
“This was not some mistake. It is not as if I spilled someone’s coffee. What I did...”
“Was awful and gruesome, I know. But if you’re in this wing of the hospital, then it wasn’t you, not entirely anyway. I know it’s little comfort, but it’s true.”
Her magic died down, and her hollow eyes fixed themselves onto the bloody stains on the floor. He was right, deep inside she wanted help, hoping someone would pull her out of this hell. But at the same time, the macabre abstract expressionism work of art, formed by the blood and viscera was screaming she didn’t deserve help.
She let out a sigh. “Even if I would want to fix it, I would not know where to begin...”
“I’m not saying you can do it overnight, frankly, after thirty-two years, I can tell you it’ll take time. I could try to help you if you’d like.”
“Why? You do not even know me.”
“Seriously? Wanting to just help someone is not good enough reason?” Keen Sweeper let out a chuckle and smiled. “You politicians are weird. Look, I’m not a doctor, but if you need someone to talk to...”
“Y-you would really do that, for me? Like a… friend?”
“On two conditions... One, you take a bath – seriously, you really stink.”
A comment that would make her mad, just a few minutes before, this time make her smile. The sense of smell was one thing she would prefer not to have at the moment. Her stench could force dead out of the grave.
“Yes... a bath would be nice. And the second condition?”
Keen Sweeper cocked his head, motioning at the second mop once again. Her smile faded.
“I know you don’t want to do this... I mean, that big royal flank of yours is probably above all that peasant labor...” She countered his smirk with an angry, pouty face. “But I could really use some help. And I think it will help you too.”
She paused again, but his smile was like a beacon of hope. It quickly erased all her doubts, pouring some much-needed faith in her heart. A faith for change.
“Let us do this...” Celestia grabbed the other mop with her magic. “But first, tell me. Who are you, really?”
“I already told you – a janitor.”
“Nothing more?”
“Nope, just a simple pony who says what he thinks,” his words put a gentle smile on her face. “Not something you use to deal with, huh?”
“As a matter of fact, I am not, not really. Ponies I deal with would not say the things you said. Maybe that was the problem, maybe all I needed was a breath of fresh air, so to speak?”
“Glad to help, but... speaking of fresh – are we gonna clean this mess or not?”
“Lead the way...”
“So, he was the friend you talked about, earlier?” James said, tapping his chin.
“Yes, he was. That night, we cleaned up the office, and he got me back to my room. He even helped me convince the doctors to restart my therapy. If it were not for him, I would be rotting in that asylum forever.”
“OK, it’s an interesting story, but... I’m not sure why you told it to me? If you expect some sympathy, then don’t count on it.”
“I do not expect sympathy. I told it to you because... I need an unbiased, straightforward opinion.”
“From me?” James said, and grinned. “You, of all people, would ask little me for an opinion? Why? You run out of advisors?”
“No, I did not. Frankly, you are often a rude, inconsiderate person that thinks that acting like an idiot and throwing sex jokes is the latest trend.”
James arched his eyebrow. “I really hope there’s a ‘but’ coming...”
“But, you are also one of a few creatures I know that really say what they think. Just like Keen Sweeper, was. And I need a blunt opinion right now. Can I count on you, or not?”
The depressed stare that followed the question turned it into a plea. The misery coming from her eyes was making James feel bad... again. A secret weapon that almost always worked. He hated her for it but nodded in agreement.
“Ever since Keen Sweeper pulled me out of that rabbit hole, I swore I would make things right. I swore I would never make the same mistakes again. For a long time, I thought I was doing what was necessary and that it was all justified. But now... I feel like I am doing it all over again...”
“Doing what, all over again?”
“Things that others may have to pay for...” Her glassy eyes locked onto the ground, and her head began going from left to right. “Luna already paid for my actions once, so did doctor Marbles. Has my pride blinded me again? I need to know...”
Looking at the shaky figure, James knew where this was going. If this had happened just a few minutes ago, he would probably enjoy pricking her with the metaphoric needle, but now, he was looking for a way to soften the blow. He couldn’t find any...
“OK, you asked for it…” He inhaled feverishly and began dropping bombs. “Yeah, I think your pride blinded you. And yes, Luna, me and probably others are paying the price, or will have to pay it in the future.”
The silence was the only response. Celestia just kept gaping to the ground like a statue, but the eerie tranquility was louder than a wail. He told her what she wanted to hear, it was the truth. But that didn’t stop him from feeling a little guilty.
“I cannot let this happen,” she finally said, her voice silent as a whisper. “Not again...”
“Then don’t...” James let out a sigh, shaking his head. “Look, I can understand what you did to me, even if it feels like a stab in the back. But Luna? Sending ponies after her? That one is beyond me!”
“I did it to protect her, I swear!”
“Even if this is true, she didn’t take it that way. She felt as if you don’t trust her. And what about the real story behind Nightmare Moon, huh? The way you described it, she was the one running entire Equestria, and it was a combination of stress and disrespect that drove her into madness. Pretty far off from the official version, don’t you think?! I don’t even want to think about how she feels about that... So yeah! You keep doing things like that, and you’re gonna lose her, and others!”
His last yell forced her eyes shut, but it didn’t stop the tears from pushing themselves through. And once it started, it quickly went from bad to worse, drowning her cheeks. The water coming from her eyes quickly put out the flames of his anger, turning them into remorse. He wasn’t sure if he went too far or not until she spoke again.
“H-help me...” She looked up with her puffy eyes and trembling lips. “Help me make this right.”
“Me?” James’ said, arching an eyebrow in confusion. “Celestia, I don’t think—”
A hoof around his neck stopped him dead, frozen, and gaping. “For the love of Equestria, I beg you! Help me fix this before it’s too late!”
When he came there to apologize, he expected yelling, name-calling even another magic blast. Getting a tearful hug wasn’t high on the list... if at all. He wasn’t prepared for this, and the dumbfounded expression was the proof.
One part of him wanted to push her away and to tell her to go to hell, but another wanted to return the embrace and tell her everything will be OK. Yes, she had fucked up, but when it came to that, James was a goddamn master. He made up his mind.
“Goddamn it. You’re such a manipulating bitch sometimes, you know?” With a deep sigh, he gently returned the embrace, getting a bit mushy himself. He couldn’t say no, even if he wanted to. “I don’t know how much I can do, but I guess I can try.”
“T-thank you...” She said and glanced at his wound. “I am so sorry. I really hoped to never use that spell.”
“Seeing a drunk guy armed to the teeth, holding a pony hostage didn’t exactly help matters, did it? I guess we both fucked up. But tell me one thing, did Twilight knew about this spell?”
“No, and I would appreciate—”
“You’re gonna tell her,” Celestia glanced up, her stare like a plea. But James just shook his head. “You want my help, you must tell her about the spell, and about your fears of ruling alone, and of course, admit to Luna about those damn spies. Those are my conditions.”
“All right. And, what about my... past?”
“I doubt your ponies would believe you were a murderous... um...” He paused, looking for words, but she was faster.
“Slut?”
“I was going to say ‘sex machine,’ more politically correct, you know.” He smiled, and to his surprise, she smiled as well, even let out a quiet chuckle. “Seriously, though – you’re not pulling my leg here? Those orgies were real?”
“Yes, they were,” she said, but James’ face was telling her he wasn’t convinced. “What? You want the details?”
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t mind hearing about the techniques used back then,” his face brightened up. “You know… double stuffing, sandwiches, spit roasts – stuff like that.”
“Oh, you mean that positions for beginners?” Her smirk erased his smile.
“If that’s for beginners, then what the hell did you do?”
“Hmm, let us just say that if you were to pick up a most hardcore pulp erotica fiction from the library, I probably did everything from that book... and then some.”
“Fuck me... So, that little dream with your horn up my... backdoor, wasn’t exactly a fluke, huh?”
She let out a sigh. “What do you want me to say? Unlike what my ponies think, I am just a mare, with my own goals, dreams and—”
“Fetishes?” For the first time, there was no denial. “Interesting...”
“But I know where the line is drawn. And my past is called past for a reason.”
“See, that’s one thing you could learn from Luna – you don’t have to jump from being a… sex machine to the virgin Mary, you know. Balance is the key. You have to stop isolating yourself from others.”
“I am not.”
“Yes, you are, and Luna’s worried for you. Don’t get it the wrong way, but... after seeing us talking a few times, she kind of asked me if I could try to become your friend. I guess it didn’t really work out.”
She broke the embrace and sat up. When James thought it was all going well, her eyes locked onto him with a piercing gaze. But it transformed into a silly smirk.
“You are such an idiot...” Celestia shook her head and chuckled. “What makes you think we are not friends?”
“W-we are?”
Her smile faded. He wasn’t pulling her leg, he really was asking the question for real.
“You really are not joking?” He bit her lip and shrugged. “Good heavens... Mister, if we were not friends, then your nasty comments would get you a nice cell in Canterlot’s dungeon a long time ago.”
“Hey, I’m not really good at this friendship stuff, OK? And after you shot me, I thought... you tolerate me, at most.”
“You have some nasty habits, true, but all in all, since you say what you think – being around you is refreshing. You have no idea how hard it is for me to find someone who would treat me as an ordinary pony.”
“Huh... So, you’re not angry that Luna asked me to befriend you?”
“No. Especially, since she asked me exactly the same thing.”
“Huh, interesting… Maybe you should inform Cadance that someone else is trying to do her job.”
Celestia smiled. “First thing in the morning.”
“Well, I would like to see her reaction to—”
A buzzing sound went out of James’ arm then, filling the air around them. His smile faded to nothing. He glanced to the ground with a look of defeat on his face.
“What is it?” Celestia said but got no answer. “James?”
“John is dead.”
Dark very dark. Celestia bucked up badly, i wouldn't be surprised the Marbles' family are seeking revenge even after all this time. heck could see one of the kids use forbidden magic and such to extend their life spans to plan for revenge.
Didn’t expect diplomacy to have lotta orgies. I’m surprised as to HOW Celly’s not pregnant. RIP John. I hope he haunts Applejack hard.
Not sure how best to phrase it other than 'yikes.' The continued dark slide is...well, somewhat expected. It just keeps going, but makes some sense. However, it seems to go a tad too far this time, and they're still hunky-dory by the end...yeah, not a fan of that; and then we have the big hammer.
Not sure if the comedy tag is accurate, tbh, seeing as how things have gone.
Personally, there's just a lot that doesn't fit; but maybe both of these characters are a lot more broken than I've understood. If that's the case, then it'd work, and it's just something I didn't pick up on, (and maybe was hinted at in the prequel.) If that's the case, then it would fit rather well.
Well shit.
That Was Amassing.
Not going to lie I am so utterly sick of the guilt tripping, then it getting painted over like that's not exactly what it was. Celestia's backstory was interesting though but considering how this story has been going I will assume that John will see no justice.
this story is getting better every time and I can't wait for the next chapter to come out
Something else to look at here. After Luna was banished by Celestia using the Elrments against her. Maybe they sensed something truly dark within Celestia. More than that she used them against her own sister and co-ruler. But that within Celestia there lurked the soul of a murderess. And that maybe using the Elements weren't a shot at stopping Luna, but was a attempt at murder.
Celestia has more than betrayal on her hooves. She has blood. And blood never washes off.
if you are trying to get us to sympathize with Celestia it isnt working, shes a monster
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I'd say she has blood on her hooves regardless. As you said; she's a monster, and this guilt-tripping 'please help me' at the end just makes her look even more manipulative. In the end, she just appears desperate, manipulative, and at moments, downright evil, while James is just...spineless? Desperate? Maybe I'm missing something from the previous story, but thus far, that's pretty much it.
I hope John isn't actually dead, the most beat up charcter in this story deserves that happy ending
That was a dark time for Celestia.
after that flashback of Celestia, i still feel no sympathy for her...
Rip John....
and can't wait for the fallout of this shitstorm.
What.
No, seriously. What the fk. Does nobody in this story have a setting between 0 and 100? I mean, stfk. This version of the NMM origin story is by far the single most fked up version I've seen yet. Literally, considering this Celestia's past (). And the balls on that janitor, man.
Just... the hl did I just read
EDIT: for those who didn't get the joke, I'm saying that this version of Celestia is basically a TTS!Eldar. Timestamp is 23:47
9777207
I'd say at this point that Celestia is a liability, both as a ruler and as a person. She can be absolutely monstrous, but it's not her defining trait (yet). Her past does seem to suggest that she'd driven as much by a desire to not screw up as much as a desire to take care of "her" ponies. Hence her making decisions that hurt the people she's trying to help.
The part I'm having an issue with is the fact that she and James are still "friends". The trust needed for such a relationship has to be earned, and Celestia isn't doing herself any favors here.
Applejack should be charged with negligent homicide or manslaughter at least.
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"Exactly and considering what actually happened to Luna and the good Doctor, I believe the appropriate action would be to lock her in Tartarus. She is a liability, has no use in politics, cannot control her subjects and uses basic brainwashing and manipulation techniques when she does not get her way, resorting to murder and powerplay when that doesn't work.
Nothing would really change with her even if she were to 'try'. This is shown in how she still rejects our supersoldier's words, despite literally begging him for help not a minute prior.
Yet another manipulation technique for later.
Also, let's just absorb the fact that she essentially brainwashed her entire nation into hating her sister because the poor gal was fed up with the stress and disrespect.
She could've said anything else, say, 'Luna was struck by a banishment spell aimed at myself, I will honor her sacrifice.'
Look at that, just as easily she could've made her sister a martyr to be celebrated on her return. She even bastardized Luna's holiday for christ's sake!
She even made herself a 'godlike' figure to her people! That's madness!
Point is, she is like a dog with second stage rabies. Occasionally sane but with bursts of madness and an underlying desire to raze everything it touches.
And an old saying I love to use, "Fear a mad god, mortal, before such a detached entity your death would be no more than dust in the endless sands of self-delusion.", "
"Run."
Writer, you have created problems that you have proven you cannot solve. I only hope you realise the error in your scales before this fully turns common sense into non-sense.
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no, if she realy wants help and truly regrets her shit she would come clean and make everything she did public knowledge. she doesnt want help, she wants to pretend she wants help and get it anywhere she can. shes a selfish and manipulative bitch who has ZERO regret for what she did because shes still hiding what she did. Even when she was told to tell Twilight what she forced her to do she didnt want to do it. shes a monster and deserves zero of anything
Im pretty sure im not the only one that at this point that thinks leaving celestia out of the story might have fixed alot of the problems thats poppef up for the most part.
Edit: Clestia is put in light as a victim-sue/dark mary sue
Just a footnote edit: you maybe should have the cel bacstory before the she shot james to change the entire outcome.
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again no, if she was regretful she would spill all her demons out to her populace, if they dont want to believe thats on them. but she wants forgiveness and become better she has to tell the ponies how NMM really happened. but she wont cause she doesnt care. and james is an idiot for believing more of her lies, especially after being shot by his "friend"
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I think what 9777485 means is something among the lines she might have some regrets but not the "ive killed someone" but more along the lines "i regret eating, The one flake of chips." sinve shes willing to talk somewhat but not come clean like she should if she truly regret what she did.
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She's beyond a liability; she's a bad pony, and has shown her true colors many times. Forgiveness and redemption are noble; but you have to progress to that; so far, we've gone from zero to FORGIVE ME AND HELP ME REFORM!
While having shown ZERO indication for progress other than words, and shock that 'wait, I have to tell the truth?'
Yikes.
And agreed. I don't fully understand it at all. They're still 'friends?' she CONSIDERS him one? What?! Depending on the next chapter, I might just call it there.
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In a word? Yes.
A thousand years is a long, LONG time to realize your wrongs; or in this case, develop evils. She showed shock in that she may have to tell the truth, the first TINY step in redemption, and then suckers James in with the 'please save me' thing.
Unfortunately, I fear there are way too many character flaws to tie up; at this point there isn't a neat way to do it, not in a reasonable manner.
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"Yep the fact that she almost killed him yet SOMEHOW still considers him a friend really hit me like a giant's sore thumb from dark souls. Either the author's going on her being retarded and unable to comprehend the idea that you are supposed to be friendly to your friends, or he just thought this'd be a good guilt trip. Not sure what the motivation behind this even bigger shitstorm came from.
God, its like one minute I was in a Caribbean hurricane and the next I was smack dab infront 'a the apocalypse. "
9777570
I honestly don't know. As I suspected, everything has culminated into an utter feces-tornado; since it wasn't solved, it's allllll hitting now. All I can think of is MAYBE the story previous to this one explained some of it? But even then...it's a stretch. Not sure. Depending on the next chapter I might just bow out.
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"Fuck mental hospitals, we have seen how she deals with that and I am in no mood to have a corpse on my hands because of my own tomfollery, nor am I going to sacrifice one of my own people before her stupidity.
We either put her in Tartarus or we put her in stone. Because that is the only way she would not be able to neither harm others nor impose her currupting influence on others.
Even more so since her entire nation has been indoctrinated by her to believe she is quite literally, 'Holier than thou'. Anyone finds a hint she's in a mental institute they will storm it.
By the elder gods, I'm a lesser being and even ah haven't f*cked up this badly. Worse I did was simulate gangrape in the mindscape of a genocidal maniac who actually succeeded. Why are mortal gods always worse than eternal gods?!"
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"Indeed. Till the next one we will have to stew in this little debacle. God it's like an apocalypse.
I must say though, the blotted out sun, constant earth-shattering earthquakes and screaming populace really gives it a nice look. The fire raining from the sky truely is a magnificent sigh- oh sh*t one of them's right in my f-! "
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"Are you willing to take that risk?"
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I'm safe in my bunker, thankfully. I find it sad more than anything, because the author has some really good ideas; they just weren't executed in a way that worked together, and instead, they tore the characters and story apart.
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I want to give Celestia credit for having some self-awareness...but ultimately you're right. Celestia's record isn't inspiring me to believe she's anywhere close to being able to change. As for James, I just going to chalk it up to relational inexperience on his part. He's not a bad guy underneath the tough dude exterior, and his naivety with this particular situation is starting to show.
I know the author has said that Luna won't appear in this story, but I really want to hear things from her perspective now.
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She becomes self aware in a period of....about five minutes. While that's good, that by no means is a good indicator of change for anyone with a disturbed mind, let alone with a thousand-year track record.
James...just comes off as desperate for a friend; to a detrimental point. If that's a character flaw, then so be it, It's not so much naiveté...but being willing to disregard EXTREME and dangerous character flaws (torture, murder, manipulation,) all for....something.
9777634
She's had bursts of self-awareness (usually right after she screwed up horribly). I mean, she's gone from not taking her job seriously to trying to take it seriously (and doing a bad job in the process), gone from torturing someone to death to just almost killing someone. It is progress, kind of....
But, considering all the therapy she's supposedly had and her 1000 years of ruling experience, it's almost nothing. If this is what she's been like that whole time, then who knows how many other skeletons she has in her closet? Ponies she's inadvertently (or not so inadvertently) screwed over then covered up? This origin story puts the whole plot and setting of MLP into serious question.
When James gets a second dagger in the back, he will have earned it. Unfortunately, I doubt he'll survive another such event. God help the Equestrians if any organized humans ever come into contact with this version of Equestria.
9777641
Exactly. It's not a 'I had a period of mental illness' WHICH given her backstory/etc is understandable, a break, and then treatment and realization. That's believable and can develop her as a character.
Instead, it's a 'there was 1k years of her being unstable and all-powerful, and NOW she's getting it.' and as you say, it is a jarring event that throws the entire universe into question.
Agreed. He's just too trusting and/or desperate at this point, ignoring things no sane person would. It wouldn't surprise me to have him eventually end up dead due to all of this, tbh.
Unfortunately...from what I understand, all life on earth is kaput.
9777647
I've never liked it when Celestia is portrayed as being desperate and throwing herself at a human in grief or guilt or what have you. As has been said, she's a 1000 year old demi-goddess and ruler. Or, are we to take away that James is supposed to be the adult in the room? Are we going to need another "wise old janitor" for Celestia? Again?
Maybe I'm overthinking things, but this just sounds worse and worse the more I consider everything up to this point. Is there any pony in this story besides Luna and maybe Twilight who isn't screwing up completely?
Aw, I guess that was inevitable.
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"The scales are broken we had 0-100. This fool cranked it up to 5 000 and now everything's blown to hel- oh look another fireba-!"
9777594
"You are wiser than I give you credit for. But while I understand that permanent exile is not the best solution, what choice do we have?
Celestia is a murderous psychopath who is aware fo her faults but has done nothing within her 1000 years(just absorb the magnitude of that number) to correct any of them. If anything she's dyed her ledger with even more rivers of red.
Even when her 'ally' is injured to hell she maintains her manipulative nature, hell! She looked into the eyes of a dead man and denied reality, despite said reality rearing it's head every turn.
What more can be done? How much of it will work and how long till she relapses and some poor sob pays for 'insulting royalty' with his life. What else is there?
I maintain my stance. If a thousand years of stewing in the 'guilt' she supposedly felt did absolutely nothing to remove or at least thin her tinted lenses, what good can we do?
Get rid of the cancer in it's infancy. In my opinion, this one has incubated for far to long."
Nnnnggggh....
Where's the comedy? Absolutely nothing in this story is funny.
So Celestia, in a fit of guilt centuries ago, went Daybreaker on some poor psychologist. And then went on to rule the country after a pep talk from some janitor, doing nothing to try and correct her issues that caused the Nightmare Moon incident.
I'm sorry, but I've reached the point in this story where I no longer care what happens to these ponies.
Applejack's done too much for me to properly forgive her by the end of this story, and now we find out that Celestia's a broken madmare who shouldn't be in charge of a banana stand much less a country, and James has poor judgement.
And John is dead.
At this point, I'm only staying on because I hope something good happens to Cheerilee. Or that Luna intervenes and gets Twilight to side with her. Or both.
I'm sorry, Author. I like your other stories. I do. And you come off as a nice person. But I must regretfully state that, in my opinion, whatever you were trying to do with this story has failed miserably.
9777714
👍
9777709
There are like 3/4 lines spread around in tge story but they getinstantly ruined
9777709
Honestly, I'm about there myself. I'm already there with regards to Applejackass, but the rest of the cast is VERY quickly approaching that point
I think that for the story, it'll be better to explore the consequence of John's death, and the legal clusterfuck that is soon to follow.
A deus ex machina to save John now lessen the impact of the consequences of the actions done cause by xenophobia.
Many of the ponies need a proper 'Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child' moment, and understand that this situation is the Zecora-incident turned up past max-setting. In worst case scenario, it could've been Zecora instead of John.
Making this a basket-case sort of Greek tragedy, hitting us right in the catharsis.
A little karma find it's way home for Applejack, the Jockstrap Trio, Bold Hoof & mob-allies.
Maybe even a little late karma-splashing on Rainbow Dash, due to the scale the infamy this will get?
A 'No man is an island' speech at the end maybe?
I going to play the devil's advocate for a bit here....
- When James got hit by the customized 'Beam o' Death' from Celestia, he was more or less preforming 'Suicide by Cop Princess' from her POV. He finally went into the deep end.
- When Celestia killed Marble, she was insane. She was not mentally stable and could not be properly be held (fully?) responsibly for the death of Dr. Marble.
As it was mentioned, her (mental) situation was so bad that the janitor had to convince the other doctors from just locking her up in a padded room and toss away the key. It was that bad!
- I don't think that Celestia have at any point stated that she is infallible. Except for when she was mentally unstable and decided that Dr. marble needed a new permanent life correction.
How many in RL have ended up in a viscous circle of either sex, drugs, booze or some sort socialite life. Whether they were people high or low standing.
Celestia became an addict and needed an intervention. And the one who could maybe get her out of it was Luna.
But she was a ticking time-bomb of stress and severe sosial abuse, who probably saw that the were no help to get from her only potential ally. The Addict who just looked forward for her next fix.
BUT there are two things that I do not think is
properlyjustified...- Spying on her sister, because you think you fuck up her past so bad that.. Insert all the reasons!
- Develop a murder beam in case your friend goes bad. (sounds like Agent 47 would think of.)
9777050
Celestia took his/her father from them.
He/she returns now to take Luna from Celestia.
The wheels of the endless cycle of revenge starts spinning...
I think where this story brakes down is when to many times it wanted to have it cake and eat it to in a pony supremacist way. The ponies have caused too many problems and us as the readers and the human characters in the story are supposed to forgive them only based on the fact that their ponies.
9777526
disagree, she was a slut voluntarily, she was coked up and didnt give a fuck about her sister and even took away her special event. She could have reversed it but she was a massive cunt. The one guy trying to help her told her the truth and she tortured him for it. What happened to his children or does that not matter to you? she is a monster who destroys lives and monsters that refuse to air out their closet are removed from society permanently
9777989
Its somewhat bad. If your a one timer criminal good. But the ones that are regular gets of realy easy.... And dontget me started on the mental care one system and how its viewed
9777709
All I can say is, yep. I'm in the same boat. I hinted at this in another comment, but the 'comedy' tag should definitely be gone, perhaps replaced by a 'dark' tag.
I love that Eight Words link; because that's basically where I'm at. The only character who I felt was relatable and likable is now (unless there's a deluxe-ex-machina) gone from the story.
9777662
She's just unstable; and the portrayal just doesn't make much sense, when it comes down to it.
OK, this is the point where I wholeheartedly suggest you to remove the comedy tag... and replace it with dark or tragedy. That past scene with Celestia and the doctor, even if it is not explicitly detailed, suggest hours of gruesome, sadistic torture on par with, or even exceeding Cupcakes. Personally I think Tragedy fits better, because of the detailed downfall of Celestia. Her banishing Luna and then torturing to death the doctor was certainly the culmination, but she had started her tragic downfall months, even years ago with eating up all the praise and pleasures she did while Luna worked her flank off. Not to mention the big "history is a lie" trope being present ever since with the story of Nightmare Moon. The Nightmare, who didn't do a fragment of the things Celestia did. Then John died also.
Still very well written and exciting. Just not a comedy anymore.
9777050
I find The Alchemist by H. P. Lovecraft oddly appropriate. It is about a young man, Charles Le Sorcier whose father, Michel Mauvais was practicing magic in the Middle Ages, but he was in general a good man. Though a nobleman blamed the magician for the accidental death of his son, and beat him to death in a fit of rage without having evidence. It was like a "He is a heretic using magic, it must have been him!" And the son of Michel swore revenge...
.Suddenly the wretch, animated with his last burst of strength, raised his piteous head from the damp and sunken pavement. Then, as I remained, paralyzed with fear, he found his voice and in his dying breath screamed forth those words which have ever afterward haunted my days and nights. `Fool!’ he shrieked, `Can you not guess my secret? Have you no brain whereby you may recognize the will which has through six long centuries fulfilled the dreadful curse upon the house? Have I not told you of the great elixir of eternal life? Know you not how the secret of Alchemy was solved? I tell you, it is I! I! I! that have lived for six hundred years to maintain my revenge, for I am Charles Le Sorcier!"
Ouch, what a way to ruin the moment.....Well done!
But really I hope James and Celestia get together, they are really damn good for each other.
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This chapter is bombing nicely, I see... And looking through the comments... I messed it up.
OK... This comment will probably get down-voted to kingdom come, but... time to become the devil's advocate, and explain what I wanted to show (and failed, apparently). First, a timeline, with four phases:
Phase one:
- First is the defeat of Discord + nobility persuading Celestia to become the puppet ruler + Celestia using the threat of Elements of Harmony, or just organizing a wild orgy to get what she wants.
- At the same time, Luna's doing the real hard work and is getting all the blame when there is not enough food, water, or houses (nothing she can do, rebuilding takes time).
- Finally, nobility tricks Celestia to cancel the only time when Luna could consider a vacation. It is the final straw, Luna gets berserk a few days later, and the rest is history.
Phase two:
- Shortly after Celestia went from 'what have I done!' to 'It's all Luna's fault!' state of mind (having to do all of Luna's duties probably didn't help matters), but she waited a few more MONTHS before she went to the mental hospital
- By that time, she was a wreck and mentally unstable. She got admitted to some high-security wing for the worst cases (implied by Keen Sweeper during their conversation), but they weren't able to help her (how the hell, do threat a living goddess?).
- Marbles decided to try some unorthodox shock therapy that might have worked for an ordinary pony, but not for an alicorn a psychotic state. He paid the price for it, and she hit rock bottom. Then Keen Sweeper pulled her out of it, pretty much by a twist of fate.
Phase three:
- Some weeks/months later, Celestia was able to finally slowly recover and get back to her duties, promising to herself, Luna and others, that she'll make things right and turn her life around.
- Except by then the news about the lack of the Elements of Harmony reached the other nations, and diplomacy turned into a shitstorm, and all the 'friends' she made during 'Phase one' (whether they were Equestria nobility or foreign delegates) were really bastards, ready to stab her (and, more importantly, Equestria) in the back at the first sign of weakness.
- She somehow managed to go through it, but she decided that as a ruler, she cannot afford to trust anyone truly. She decided to make spells and stuff like the one she used against James.
Phase four started when Luna came back. And it is happening right now.
You still with me? Now, the way I see it is this:
Phase one - Celestia fucked up, no excuse for her actions. Of course, nobility tricked her somewhat, but becoming a drunkard wench was all on her.
Phase two - here, it becomes complicated. When Celestia killed Marbles, she was going through some psychotic breakdown or some other shit like that. That's why she was in some high security wing for the worst cases. I don't want to start another 'how it works in real-world' argument, especially since jurisdictions vary, but... according to the best of my knowledge, people who kill someone while going through something like Celestia did, are NOT responsible for their action. They are sent for therapy, not to prison. And that's precisely what happened here, AND she got the help she needed. It's not like she's in danger of going into a murderous spree all of a sudden, because someone commented on her butt, or ate her cake (OK, with cake, I'm not 100% sure... but everything else should be fine). Bottom line is, she is 100% fit to be a part of society - period.
Phase three - again, it gets tricky. On the one hand, one could argue that developing spells (and probably other nasty stuff) against anyone she considered a threat to Equestria was wrong. On the other hand, she really was alone. She was the Princess, expected to fix every problem thrown at her. She pretty much acted according to the old proverb:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si_vis_pacem,_para_bellum
Or its newer version (I hope this loads):
azquotes.com/vangogh-image-quotes/54/98/Quotation-James-Mattis-Be-polite-be-professional-but-have-a-plan-to-kill-54-98-83.jpg
And in the end, where did it get her? After a thousand years, Equestria is a thriving nation and one of the most influential powers on the planet. Call me a cynical bastard (because I am ), but I would say that the end result here really justified the means (as long as Celestia only used those spells when it was absolutely necessary).
Phase four - here is when she fucked up again. As James pointed out - ever since Luna got back, Equestria was pretty much armed to the teeth, and she didn't need to develop those spells anymore. Yet, years of ruling alone left her with a kind of paranoid mindset. That doesn't absolve her, but it does explain why she had thought it was a good idea at the time 'those methods worked for a thousand years, why change them?' She really had thought that she did what was necessary - except, this time she was dead wrong. Not only did she alienated Luna (again...), but she also stabbed in the back one of a few people that threats her like a normal person.
When she broke down at the end, it was because she realized she was wrong and blinded, and due to her actions, Luna was suffering (again). She asked James for help because she needs someone who is not afraid to say 'Sunbutt, you fucked up!' Usually, Luna would be that person, but since it involves her, she's out (and let's be honest, I don't see Twilight telling Celestia something like that in the face, not yet, anyway). Plus, James is Luna's friend (one other reason why he didn't just said 'fuck you, Sunbutt! Clean the mess alone!')
To summarize, the POV I tried to convey (and failed, obviously):
1. Celestia was a drunkard slut, in the past and her actions pretty much made Luna go loco
2. She had mental problems, killed Marbles (she was insane at the time - no criminal charges), but was saved by Keen Sweeper, and with his help, she renewed her therapy and was slowly able to recover.
3. After she got out, she decided to turn her life around (pretty much from drunkard slut to virgin Mary), make things right, and sacrifice herself for the good of Equestria.
4. Facing backstabbers, she decided to always be ready and began developing spells to use in case of an emergency.
5. Whether morally justified or not, her actions allowed Equestria to thrive for a thousand years and became a major power.
6. But she was so stuck up in her routine, that she kept on using it even after Luna got back, hurting her (and later, James) in the process.
7. She needed a kick in the rump to realize that.
So yeah, Celestia messed a lot of things in her life, then again... we're talking about 1200+ years old person and her most gruesome screw-ups, happened over 1000 years ago! Did she make mistakes? Yes, a lot. Did she pay for them? Luna definitely paid more, but I don't think it is justified to say, Celestia got off scot-free here, either. Does she regret what she did? Yeah, but she's immortal and 1000 years is a LONG time - should she wallow in self-pity forever, or what? The only thing more she could do is to admit it to the populous, and I toyed with the idea that this should be one of James' demands, but ultimately, I don't think Luna would want that (Celestia DID change her ways, after all, announcing that she was in fact a bitch a 1000 years ago, could do more harm than good).
All in all, looking at what she was able to achieve with what she got - is it really justified to call Celestia a manipulating backstabbing monster with blood on her hooves? Hmm... I leave the answer to that to you.