Manehatten
Ever since the day that Cherry Berry stepped her hooves in Chrysalis' hive to start the reach for the heavens, the very fundamentals of pony life had been forever altered.
All throughout Equestria and the surrounding nations, many aeroplane and jet engine shelters had sprung up. This boosted the local communities that housed them, and causing the tourism industry to go into a fast period of expansion due to curious ponies traveling to regions they had only heard about, but never had the means to visit. From Appleloosa and Neighagra Falls, to Dodge Junction and the Buffalo Lands, the new source of income made the communities have a surplus that led to renovations to the towns themselves.
Gone were the simple wood, stone, and tin huts that had to be replaced after every major storm or occasional monster attack, and in their place stood rugged buildings of steel that withstood whatever assault the chaos of Eques had in store. Of course, with increased air travel, new rules and regulations had to be passed to keep both the flying pegasi and the pilots safe; and after one -sadly- fatal incident involving a stallion wearing a cape was sucked into a jet engine, Princess Celestia and Queen Chrysalis cosigned a law stating such cloth was banned at altitudes above 50 feet.
This caused Chrysalis a lot of headaches with her drones, since over three-quarters of them had got addicted to the Supermare television show (surprisingly originating from Flim and Flam, who sold the idea to one Sire Sleaf for 1000 bits and a two percent stake in all future sales. Needless to say, it was a hit.) and often wore copies of her trademarked, changeling-made, yellow cape.
However, all it took was George Bull, with Chrysalis' permission, making each drone watch a montage of multiple ways to die via cape and have a VERY Bad Day like that poor stallion to end that threat to Chrysalis' sanity. Not only did the number of capes worn in flight around the space center plummet, but productivity also went up on designing some expansions that would speed up the travel between Horseton and the space center to replace those 'I am Superbug!' time slots.
Yet, even with technology advancing on the ground, and aeroplanes and jet engines starting to dominate the skies, a single sky chariot being pulled by a team of Solar Zealots casually made its way towards Manehattan without a care in the world.
"And that's how, from the Challenger and Columbia disasters, the entire Space Shuttle program was redesigned and upgraded to put safety at the forefront to ensure another man was never lost in space." Mark said, having finished the little history lesson that he had to start after Twilight had asked soon after the chariot had taken off about the history of Earth space flight. As for the lavender alicorn, both her and Chrysalis had a stack of papers as tall as the queen's cannon (the biological part, not the source of Pinkie's party popper confetti) to send to their respective engineers. "Sadly, those fourteen brave souls departed to the other side, but without them, the current space program probably wouldn't be in the shape it is in. NASA hasn't lost a single astronaut since."
"They almost did…" Dragonfly's haunted tone was thick enough to make even the pegasi pulling the chariot flinch, Mark having to rub one of the changeling's ears to try and have her calm down. "So did CSP, so did ESA. All three would have lost crew members on that barren, lifeless rock."
"Eh, don't be so hard on yourself," Rainbow Dash, having been personally invited by Spitfire to join the journey to Manehattan, said as she glided alongside the chariot. "You all survived, didn't you? That's all that matters in the end, right?"
"Rainbow, you're wrong," Dragonfly said, turning her head to stare directly into the speedster's eyes. "You have the fastest reflexes of any pegasus, what do you think would have happened if any other pegasus was on ESA Flight Five? You pulled your chutes with three seconds to spare, otherwise, you would have been the ESA Challenger."
Even with Rainbow not saying a word, both the drone and her queen felt the ESA members' emotions turn into a sludgy, murky mixture that made both changelings feel very sick.
"However," Dragonfly continued, hoping to salvage her friends' mood. "You did pull those chutes, so you are still here with us. Equestria still has a hero, Ponyville still has someone to clear the skies in ten seconds flat, and your friends still have you. In that regard your questions are true, but with your reflexes being an extreme outlier, it would be false to anyone. We survived thanks to the power of friendship, something even my queen would have to admit."
"I would say that it was more luck and teamwork than anything," Chrysalis said, only for all eyes to narrow their gazes on her. She mentally flinched, especially after having her heart soaring from reading Celestia's letter. "But, since it took time for our astromares to learn Mark's language, then build life out the lifeless, then pilot a way home? I will say that friendship had to play a significant part, because in any other scenario it would have been a Bad Day."
"And what is our objective? Not to have a Bad Day." Even after being labeled as the top rescue pilot on Eques, and doing the tango with the Pale Horse, Dragonfly had never forgotten Cherry's first lesson to her in that classroom in the hive. "So at the end of the day, it was a successful failure."
"Not in the slightest," Chrysalis' answer shocked everyone, especially Twilight, and made Cherry Berry fidget in place. "Me and Twilight both went through more than we will ever admit to get you mares, Fireball, and Mark back safely. Celestia, Luna, Cadance… practically every single resource at our disposal we tried to utilize to some degree. It was only by an absolute miracle that one of Sparkle's probes locked onto Mark's home universe. The mission was a complete failure Dragonfly, the only objective we completed was bringing you home."
"What Chrysalis is trying to say is both ESA and CSP are literally broke," Twilight's calm complexion while delivering that news actually brought a small smirk to Chrysalis's face as a rebel part of her mind imagined the bookworm as a changeling queen, and an even more rebellious part of her wondering how Queen Sparkle would make her the princess in the cage. "We aren't in debt yet, but we burned through our surpluses from R&D, launches, and overtime hours. If things don't change in the next few months, well, the Eques Space Exploration is over."
"That explains the sky chariot instead of using an aeroplane," Spitfire dryly remarked, her snort causing Twilight to look away in shame. "You both are hoping to use this as a publicity stunt to pay us aren't you? Otherwise, I see no reason in Chrysalis joining us for the trip."
"No offense, but same goes for you inviting Rainbow!" Chrysalis' comeback silenced the commander, but as much as her dwindling evil side wanted to boast in victory, she simply sighed. "I actually had an appointment with one of my drones in Manehatten, so I am trapping two ponies in one pod by tagging along… so to speak."
"That sounds both unsanitary, and unintentionally dirty," Starlight said, smirking as a blush crept up Mark's face as he caught what Starlight meant by her euphemism. "Although, I think Mark wouldn't mind him and Dra-"
"Moving along!" Mark quickly butted in, the flustered human receiving smirks from everyone not named Dragonfly, the drone having a deep blush that matched his. "You mean to tell me, that even the high and mighty changeling queen has to grovel for funds? This place is more like home than I thought."
"Watch your mouth human," Chrysalis said, glaring at Mark like he had used her crown for a hide-and-go-seek prop. "Care to elaborate before I inject you with a paralysis agent and stuff you in a feeding pod?"
Mark grinned. A very, very sinister grin that made even the fearless Chrysalis' chitin crawl, as he dived into the world of Earth politics…
"Timeout! I can't take this anymore!" Cherry shouted, making a 'T' with her forehooves as every brain cell in her temple throbbed. "No offense, but your system is so full of holes it makes a Mars-starved Dragonfly look solid like a pony! That is just the surface by the way, not to mention your stupid 'electoral college' system."
"None taken…" Dragonfly quietly muttered, answering for Mark and agreeing with her bossmare. "Can we talk about anything else? We just spent thirty minutes earning bucking headaches!"
"I got something," Spitfire said, slowly turning her head to the only two royalty present. "How the buck did you two let both space agencies go broke?! Twilight, you can do calculus in your head, how could you miss such an oversight?"
"It is my fault both agencies are broke, that's why," Twilight said, a sharp wave of buried guilt hitting Dragonfly and Chrysalis like rotten slime that had been sitting in the summer Appleloosa sun. "The mission may have been a joint effort between ESA and CSP, but in the end it was ESA's ship and therefore my responsibility. Like I touched on earlier, I poured out every last bit I could, then when my staff got overwhelmed…"
"You went to Horseton to recruit CSP, thus continuing the destructive cycle." Fireball said, looking highly unamused as he snorted a puff of smoke. "If my hunch is correct, since both agencies only have enough for the fundamentals, we all nearly died for literally nothing. It was free labor."
Both rulers looked out the sides of the chariot at that.
"I would promise you all will get paid, even if it is increments with payout percentages on future missions," Twilight stuttered, fluffing her wings slightly. "However, since both programs are not our problem anymore there is no guarantee that it can be budgeted for at least a few years until finances stabilize."
"Not fucking good enough," The fact Fireball used an Earth swear, and Mark's crystal flawlessly translated it, caught the entire group off guard. Mark had come to know that a dragon measured themselves by their horde, like the now-infamous sapphire incident, so he knew Fireball would be the angriest and therefore he did what any human would do and hide behind the big magical bug that could protect him. "We nearly died, we need to get paid. Where did bits go?!"
"The Concordia is expensive!" Twilight protested, earning a sagely nod from Chrysalis at the statement. "Most of CSP's funds that were not being spent on overtime went into building that. I know, because Chrysalis had me helping to keep track of it. We both have had contracts to try and cushion the blow, but the losses offset the gains when you toss in the costs of the Angel program."
"Ouch," Cherry flinched, everyone including Fireball now looking a bit sheepish. "I can see where that would be an issue, and there is no telling what Mark's people had to spend to attempt their side of the rescue."
"No bucking kidding…"
"Anyway," Cherry continued, ignoring Mark's little interruption as he grumbled under his breath across from her. "Going back to a comment you said earlier, how come this financial situation is not your problem? You are the head of ESA, and Chrysalis is the head of CSP, so wouldn't that fa-"
"Cherry, stop," Twilight said, her eyes suddenly looking sullen. "When you launched we were, but after you poofed out of existence things went bad in a hurry. Chrysalis teleported to my office and threatened to kill me, and I was going to let her."
"In a quite painful way at that," Chrysalis remarked, surprisingly finding no joy in imagining Twilight dead. "She wanted me to rack her with her legs pulled taught and pluck her wings one feather at a time. Once that was done, I was to shave her fur off and dunk her in boiling oil. Then, last but not least, I was to launch her on a one-way trip in a capsule with no space suit and let her open the hatch when in orbit. Considering I thought I had lost three of my astromares, I was livid and nearly fulfilled that request."
"Moondancer and Occupant got between us before she could," Twilight said, her eyes closed as she hung her head. "It was then a compromise was made. Me and Chrysalis would turn Cape Friendship and Horseton Space Center over to Moondancer and Occupant respectively, Chrysalis would go to her hive and stay there, and I would stay in Ponyville doing my princess duties after my mandatory seventy-two hour suicide risk watch period."
"That sounds less like a compromise and more of a save of face," Mark's statement went over both Chrysalis' and Twilight's heads, and when he noticed he let out a soft sigh before continuing. "Before I explain what that phrase means, tell me, did you both willingly step down or was it more of a strong suggestion from a group of ponies?"
"It was the latter actually," Chrysalis said, humming in thought as she recounted that meeting. "The former heads of the other space programs got together and presented the proposal to us. Considering two members of the committee are related to Twilight, and I have… history with, I wasn't surprised for them to suggest that I step down as well. Twilight immediately accepted in order to get her mind back right, and after a few hours of weighing my options I accepted as well to turn my focus to keeping my hive in order."
"So I was right then," Mark said, rubbing his forehead as he let out a soft exhale. "Basically, that committee got what they wanted to protect their business interests, while having you both get as far out the way as possible by presenting their agenda in a way that favors you both. On Earth, that practice is often frowned upon, but considering all circumstances it turned out for the best."
"That would explain the pampering I still get from my brother," Twilight muttered, a clear scowl on her face that soon vanished, replaced by a look of sheer joy that threatened to make Chrysalis', Dragonfly's, and Mark's hearts explode from cute overload. "Look! It's Manehattan, we're almost there!"
"Manhattan?" Mark said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Starlight. "I guess that is the new translation of 'Hair Hat City'? The funny thing is both are very, very close to cities we have on Earth."
"You mentioned Horseton was one as well, and Baltimare too," Starlight tapped her chin as she spoke, briefly slipping into deep thought. "Seems like our worlds share more than just coordinates on the universal transdimensional plane."
"No kidding, I wonder how many more similarities there are," Mark snorted, only to top when he saw the Manehattan skyline. "Woah..."
Laid out before them was the city of Manehattan, also known as the "Cornerstone of Harmony". Having been originally founded as a place for fleeing citizens of foreign war victims, it soon became the central hub for all immigration once the conflicts died down. Over time, the city grew and became the biggest income producer on Equestria's eastern shore, apart from the massive tourism industry and part from being the place of a cultural renaissance. Even as the chariot circled over the city, Mark could make out multiple landmarks that he recognized from New York City.
The Chrysler Building, Broadway, and even the Statue of Liberty seemed to have counterparts that were modified to the pony lifestyle. However, before he could descend a mental rabbit hole of being away from his world, Dragonfly's gentle touch made him look at her.
"It will be ok Mark," Dragonfly said, a light confidence in her tone as she smiled at him. "Your homesickness will be cured soon, and then you can properly heal. I don't mean physically, I mean mentally."
"I know that," Mark said, still looking out the chariot as they landed and looked at the welcoming committee consisting of a single pegasus and unicorn. "That's all they sent us? The way Twilight has been hyping this up, I was expecting a full crowd of ponies welcoming their heroes home and wanting to see a human in the flesh."
"Would you rather have scales or fur? I know spells for both." Twilight's smug grin made Mark deadpan as they got out to stretch their legs as the two welcoming ponies approached. "Wait, I recognize Ad Astra, but who is the unicorn?"
"A business associate that I only have had the opportunity to communicate with by telepresence." Chrysalis said, knowing her cover lie would keep the truth buried until the time was right. "Twilight, others, I would like you to meet Sunshine Melody, the head of the Canterlot Royal Astronomical Society and private secretary of Princess Celestia."
"The pleasure is all mine Chrysalis," Sunshine said, giving a polite bow to the queen before looking at the group."I have heard a lot about you in the papers and on television, and let me go on record and say the princess is relieved that you are safely back, and she wants to meet you in the capital at her castle Mr. Watney."
"Well, I can't exactly turn down an offer from a princess now can I?" Mark chuckled, relaxing his posture a bit as he started to feel comfortable. "I accept the offer, and if memory serves, Twilight planned on us visiting anyway."
"It is on my itinerary," Twilight said, beaming a smile at how proud she felt about being able to have every request on it. "Although, I am curious where everyone else is at?"
"At home in bed," Sunshine said, raising a hoof before there would be any rebuttals. "Bronclyn Music Center will not be ready in time, so we moved the ticker tape to tomorrow morning and are setting you up in the Manefair Hotel for the night, at Princess Celestia's expense."
"That's generous of her to do that," Starlight said, and Chrysalis and Dragonfly both could tell that statement was sincere. "But that still doesn't explain why you two are here. Couldn't Princess Celestia just send a messenger?"
"Under most circumstances, she would," Sunshine's tone took an audible pitch difference, now sounding more professional and business-like as she summoned a golden letter chest. "However, there are checks to be given out, and the princess herself gave me the go-ahead to come with Ad Astra to present them."
"That's correct boss," Astra said, taking the chest from Sunshine and started sorting out the checks. "The first two are for Chrysalis and Twilight to give to the space centers. It is for 5 years operating costs, First Contact, first dimensional jump, first intergalactic rescue, and a bonus for a top-secret project you will be debriefed on when you arrive in Canterlot."
Both royals stared in shock at the number of commas they saw.
"Now then," Astra continued, moving to each member of the joint agency flight crew. "That is your pay for the last two years, calculated to fifteen hours a day and including over and triple time workweek rates…
"Which just leaves the human."
Mark, and everyone else, looked at Astra in the same state of confusion as she still had three envelopes left.
"Mr. Watney," Sunshine said, clearing her throat with a small cough before looking the human in the eyes. "Princess Celestia feels that, if you are going to be here for a short spell, you need funds for souvenirs. Therefore, she has enclosed two checks for you. The first is a small token of diplomacy, the second is for being the first human to be in contact with extraterrestrials that are outside your world."
"Uh, thanks?" Mark said, handing the two to Dragonfly so she could read them. "I do not think that is necessary, but I appreciate the gesture."
"This all good and all," With Twilight recovered from her initial shock, she took careful, logical consideration to the event that just took place. "But how did Celestia come into so many bits? I thought that her reserves were fully depleted!"
"Not entirely," Sunshine said, a frown crossing her muzzle as she avoided looking at the shrewd look Chrysalis was displaying. "I kept careful records of every bit given to the ESA, and only gave when there was a surplus in the treasury. So, her saying she was tapped was not a total lie per se, but rather the bits we had needed to go to infrastructure and the emergency fund for the rampages that randomly occur. The bits in these checks come from her personal treasury, which has been built up over her entire rule so she has more than enough to cover the amount presented here."
"Wait," Rainbow said, moving in front of Sunshine with a slight scowl. "If that is the case, then why didn't the princess hoof over more bits when we asked? We could have rescued them sooner instead of having to deal with funding delays!"
"That is a good point, but perhaps Twilight can enlighten you on the answer." Sunshine, moving past Rainbow, put a comforting hoof on the Princess of Friendship's shoulder. "Tell me Princess, if word leaked out that Celestia had a personal fund, wouldn't that hurt the economy due to making bits worthless from the massive influx of silver ingots from the old days hitting the market? She did it for everyone's livelihood. So, what good is a lot of bits if what you have wouldn't be enough?"
"They wouldn't be, and leaving you in worse shape due to higher prices and cheaper value per bit." Twilight's ears were folded against her head as she shuffled a hoof against the mahogany pier, her expression becoming reserved. "So, what's the last check for?"
"This isn't a check, but instead an invitation." Sunshine said, levitating the parchment towards Dragonfly. "Princess Celestia read Starlight's notes that were sent about the bablefish spell, so she knows that he cannot read our writing. That being said, would you care to do the honors Dragonfly?"
"I would be honored," Dragonfly said, taking the invitation in her own aura before opening it. With Occupant being the former mail sorter, she never came close to a royal addressment, and it was an honor she was not going to take lightly as she began to read.
Dear Mr. Watney,
Let me start off by saying thank you for keeping the crew alive. I know that all six of you brave souls were thrust into a situation that you were not prepared for, one that no amount of training and simulations could possibly have imagined. Yet, through hard work, learning, and survival, you built a bond that was forged in the universal flames and no time scale or distance can corrode.
In my eyes, you are just as much of a hero as they are.
A hero to Equestria, for if it wasn't for your genius ingenuity, the Wonderbolts would have had to fly in missing mare formation at their next show and Twilight would have lost her student.
A hero to the changelings, for they would have lost their chief engineer, a mare that has multiple honors to her name and multiple rescues under her hoof. A mare that kept your spacesuits patched to ensure that they lasted until rescue, a mare that will receive a special honor from me when you arrive. They would have also lost the best astromare on Eques. The mare who went to Chrysalis to kickstart the Changeling Space Program, the mare who was first in space, and has the most flights out of everyone. The brave little pony who has earned the title of Astromare Commander, and I would trust my own life in her capable hooves for she is a steely-eyed missile mare.
Dragon Lord Ember would have lost Fireball, the dragon who went where no dragon has gone before, and a large reward is waiting for him when he returns.
NASA, and the entirety of Earth, would have lost you. The man who will be welcomed with numerous parades, and has accomplished feats that even many here in our space programs can only dream of. I have been informed from Twilight you are severely homesick, and if you need anything to try and ease that pain you will be given it with no questions asked.
Now for the main reason I'm writing…
I, along with my sister Luna, welcome you and your fellow Maretains to Canterlot for a vast celebration. There will be food, music, and a performance by the Wonderbolts themselves. Afterwards, we will have you presented on the castle balcony for the medal ceremony…
And for you personally, something extra.
Before you return to Earth, and after your mini-tour around Equestria and the surrounding lands are completed, you will come back here to learn how to cast magic on your own under the tutorage of me and Princess Twilight. I am well aware that the only magic in your universe comes from life, so this will also be an experiment to see if it will be possible for humans to use magic, and will further factor into how we will work on establishing a permanent link between our universes.
Until then, enjoy your time here and may Harmony guide your way, sincerely
Princess Celestia
"That's… an offer alright," Mark said, trying to wrap his head around what the princess had offered in the letter. "I mean, learning magic myself? That's something that humans have fabled about for centuries."
"You'll be a wizard Watney," Starlight giggled, earning a facehoof from Spitfire and Dragonfly while Fireball and Cherry Berry groaned. "What? You know I couldn't resist doing it!"
"We will talk about that later, in bed," Cherry said, causing Starlight's cheeks to color as the Earth Pony looked towards Sunshine. "I've stayed at the Manefair, so I know those rooms have double beds. Therefore, I exercise my authority as the commander to assign our bed arrangements."
"You just don't want to bunk with Fireball," Spitfire sneered, getting in Cherry's face. "What gives you the right to pull rank when I am the Captain of the Wonderbolts!"
"Two reasons," Cherry's level gaze could have melted lead, Spitfire feeling like her soul was being judged as she looked into those fearless eyes. "One, I outrank you on the crew. Two, considering both of your names have 'fire' in them, I figured that it would fit. Now I got a full hooficure to get from the spa in the lobby, so later!"
"What just happened?" Spitfire's tone was far lower than normal, flashbacks to when she was just entering the Bolts and getting shouted down by her own Captain suddenly exploding to the front of her mind. "Did she just shout me down without using a single swear?"
Even Chrysalis found that disturbing.
In a busy part of town, a simple unicorn made her way towards her destination. Having been several hours since meeting with her clientele, the mare had decided to stick around for the richer nightlife that Manehatten offered once the sun went down. Bars were all open, spreading different beats of music that seemed to weave and flow into a single Harmonious rhythm that sweetly offered the promises of a good time as neon lights glowed to compete with Luna's stars for their sense of awe.
Yet, the mare carried on past, her goal being of a different venue. A place that offered something far more permanent and more memories than even top-shelf booze could buy. Glancing up, the mare saw her destination, a hoof carved sign of a mare in a poofy dress set against a painted backdrop of a spring meadow.
"Good, someone's still here," The mare said, keeping it under her breath as she entered the shop and let the illusion she had been using fade. The main floor lights were off, leaving the merchandise to be nothing more than shapes in the shadows, but her hoof steps on the floor caused the muffled conversation she had been hearing in the fitting room to cease. "Hello?"
"Just a minute!" A female voice said, and soon a changeling came out with a measuring tape draped around her neck. "It is after hours, is there any special reason why you have come this late? The only reason I am still here is that I had to reschedule a fitting due to an unexpected visit from my queen."
"Oh, I don't want to be a burden then," The mare said, taking a few steps forward so the fitting room light could illuminate her better. Once it revealed her alabaster fur and multihued mane, Lacewing's entire demeanor changed to shock. "I will come back at a later time then."
"No, wait!" With a flick of her magic, Lacewing had the door locked and the shop's main lights back on. "Princess Celestia?! I'm not in trouble am I? I promise that I have been obeying all your laws and paying my taxes."
"Oh I know you have little one," Celestia said, chuckling a bit before her attention turned to a sky blue pegasus mare that was staring at her from the fitting room. "As for you ma'me, I'm terribly sorry to interrupt your fitting."
"I-it is not a problem, Your Highness," The mare said, dipping into a small bow before disappearing back behind the wall. "Take your time Lace! I'm going to look at my gemstone options again while I wait!"
"Ok Dasher, just remember anything over five karats is extra!" Lace smiled, turning back to face the princess of the sun. "She is marrying the mare of her dreams next month, and is one of the most excitedly nervous brides-to-be I have ever met. Their love is true though, so it should be a long and happy marriage."
"Good to hear," Celestia said, slowly making her way around the shop as she looked at all the different types that were on display. "I must say, you have a lot of skills Lacewing, and your name suits you well. The only other seamstress that I have come across with this level of delicate skill is Miss Rarity, but where she has the advantage of using gems to make her dresses stand out, yours are more specialized and literally made with love. All those fashion awards and magazine publications that featured you? You earned every last one of them."
"My goodness, to have you say those things…" Lacewing stammered, shocked to her core that someone in pony society as high up as the day princess herself was a fan of her work. "I am both honored and humbled that you spoke of me in such high regard, and if there is anything I can offer you name it."
"Perish the thought," Celestia smiled, and she could tell that she had made the changeling a very happy drone as she looked at a dress that brought back fond memories of the happiest time in her life. "I care about all my citizens, and, by extension of the detente, all of Chrysalis' drones. Both sides failed during your Bad Old Days, and I accept the responsibility of those times. I do not want anything free or a favor for later, for the praise I gave you was from my heart."
"It is still appreciated princess," Lace said, having the courtesy to dip into a bow. "Although, I can't help but notice how you are looking at that Renavian Era dress. It is immensely popular among the batpony and Mooheavian circles, and also for those who want a wedding with an older theme. My Queen herself is who showed me that design last year in an effort to see if it would expand my business to new clientele, and it was a bigger hit than we both dreamed of."
"You say Chrysalis showed you this concept?" Celestia said, now going over the dress with the eye of a jeweler looking at a diamond, her heart thundering in her chest. "You got every detail perfect, this is a flawless reproduction of what was ceremonial back then. This really takes me back on a trip down memory lane…"
"Going by your emotions, they were fond ones," Lace said, Celestia silently nodding as she closed her eyes and hummed. "I take it you had a mare or stallion in your eyes?"
"A mare," Celestia breathed the words, her emotions turning into an orchestra that told the tale of love, heartbreak, and hopeful redemption. "The kindest, gentlest mare I have ever met. One that loved my subjects as much as I did when I had nopony else to turn to with Lulu banished. A mare that swept me off my hooves and captured my heart in her snare, and I didn't want to let go. Unfortunately, we had a disagreement and my heart never was quite the same after that."
"That sounds horrible," Lace said, a look of disgust on her face. "Who would be dumb enough to break the heart of the princess of the sun?! The way I see it, if a bond that you described was broken over a misunderstanding then it wasn't true to begin with."
"Ouch…" Celestia mentally flinched at the criticism, but outwardly she kept an even expression. "I can see why you said that, but when you are as old as me, Discord, Lulu, or Chrysalis you realize that sometimes two ponies can be in love, split apart for a bit, and then come back together with their love stronger than ever because they realized what they had. Your pony cover was Something Blue, one of the four parts of the old marriage ritual, so you know how important that Is. Now that I think about it, there is one thing I want you to do for me."
"As I said earlier, just name it," A million and one different scenarios ran through her mind, having fallen back on the old changeling habit of having backup plans for every situation possible just in case they needed to escape. "It isn't illegal right?"
"Not at all!" Celestial laughed, a good-natured laugh that came straight from her soul. "I just want you to take my measurements, just in case I ever get to have my own special day."
"What…" Lacewing blinked, slowly registering what Celestia had asked her. "With all due respect princess, wouldn't it be more appropriate for Rarity to make you a wedding dress since, you know, she is actually one of your subjects?"
"I can see why you asked that," Celestia moved one of her wings to place it across Lacewing's back, the drone initially flinching before relaxing to the touch. "I have many fine pieces she has made over the years from the various galas that I have hosted, but I think that by having you make that wedding dress, it will signify that changelings really are a part of our society. Yes, relations have significantly improved, but I can still see traces of distrust and resentment here and there."
"Ponies have all reason not to trust changelings," Lace said, starting to take Celestia's measurements and write them in her little size book. "Even now, there are changelings at the hive who refuse to see the new ways and are firmly rooted in the concepts of the Bad Old Days. For so long we lurked like hidden monsters as we scavenged for whatever love we could get our hooves on, kidnapping ponies and infiltrating relationships, so it is just."
"Indeed so," Celestia sighed, staying perfectly still as Lacewing did her work. "But that is no longer the majority, now is it? Changelings seem to be far happier, and even now I don't see a single hole on your body."
"Other than what I biologically have, I don't have any," Lacewing said, her horn softly glowing pink from the ambient love she was feeding off Celestia's love of her subjects. "Besides, I have to feed for two now."
"Feed for-" Celestia's eyes widened as Lacewing gestured to her barrel, the chitin appearing softer and bigger than how it normally looked. "Well now, isn't this a splendid surprise, does your husband and Chrysalis both know?"
"I dropped the bombshell on them at same time when she stopped by for a business update earlier," Lacewing snickered, her wings buzzing with a soft chirp. "They fainted! I know it will be hard, but such is a bug's life."
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I thought I knew who you were talking about, then I realized that I was confusing Lacewing and Fiddlewing.
10609072
Heh, try again
multihued
ma'am\
I'm afraid that I can't tell what the non-pony equivalents to these would be.
Celestia
Then I thought that the "certain drone" was her husband, but no...
Sorry. I read CSP again just a few months ago, and I still don't know the reference.
10609198
6100 words and only 3 errors... I'm getting better
Thanks for pointing them out, and reread Chapter 7 of CSP, Lacewing is in that chapter
10609220
Well, I have read it again, and I still can't find her. But, as someone who regularly needs to have things on shelves pointed out to him, I accept that she's there, and lose no enjoyment of your story for being unable to find her.
10609346
She is in one of the tv commercials during Flim and Flam's interviews
Celestia has the Vanderdecken Account.
All monetary bets are off?
Go Dragonfly?
10609383
In short, yes XD
I'm just waiting for Chrysalis to choke up that Royal Jelly, feed it to Dragonfly and shove her into a pod to mature.
10609445
Why's that?
10609348
Oh, I remember! Her husband was accused of being a Changeling, right? Happy new year!
10609598
Bingo, and she dropped her disguise on air. Happy New Year to you as well.
Funny thing is, a lot of this chapter has events in both CSP and The Maretain (like how Chrysalis and Twi are no longer the heads of the centers and Twi wanted Chryssy to kill her -Sol 31-). I will be including subtle call backs here and here in my chapters going forward as a scavenger hunt of sorts.
When Mark goes to the Palace, have Twilight show him the videos from the Probes. I wonder what he'd think of seeing Earth fiction made fact.
I imagine the lesson involved mentioning cape decapitations that make Chryssie's 'tear your head off and suck out your guts' routine downright pleasant in comparison.
Yeah, I can imagine the rescue bankrupting both programs.
Oh god, Occupant as the head of the program, that can only end well.
... Twilight needs therapy for suicidal tendencies. Though, both this and canon Twilight need therapy for a multitude of issues, so that's nothing new.
Oh, hey, Lacewing.
Get something to make that queen big blush, Sunbutt!
'involving a stallion wearing a cape was sucked into a jet engine' - cape being sucked
'Eques' - Equus
'informed from Twilight' - informed by Twilight
Figures. Her own captain was an Earth Pony too.
10641080
Precisely, I was wondering if anybody would pick up on that
Very clever mare... Having a secret stash to boost nation or one / two organisations for bad times.
Very clever...
Great chapter
incoming ♡
Bugwaifu & Sunbutt =
Guess Chrysalis most produce eggs and that what shocked her most?
The secret stash is a great idea, yet a logical conclusion. A immortal will always work their pay, if a nation leader is payed and supported by the nation:
👍
Getting food and lodging for free, than a lot of money will be horded