Daring Do: the Legend of the Algae Photis
by Wanderer D
Chapter 17: Ahoy!
Silverstream had always wanted to be a pirate. That is, whenever she didn't want to be a princess, or an aquanaut, or a baker, or a bank-teller, or a Stair Designer. She wasn't exactly sure why she wanted to design stairs, except that half her life she had spent underwater with her mother, and only got to see them with her father. And no hippogriff ever used them because... well, they had either flippers or wings, so the best they had at Hippogriffia were the jagged protuberances from the rock cliff that some dared to call "stairs", but to a real connoisseur like herself, they were at best… something. But not stairs.
Eventually, as she had grown up into the young, dashing pirate-baker-to-be that she was today, she had even built herself a little studio to draw schematics for stairs. And by the Pearl there were a lot of types of stairs!
Straight Stairs, L-shaped stairs, U-shaped Stairs, Spiral Stairs, Circular Stairs, Curved Stairs,
Ladder Stairs, Split Staircases… a lot, basically. And even more to discover! But, after being captured by Tempest and Ahuitzotl, she had little time to think about whether the stairs should be at a thirty or fifty degrees angle from the horizontal. She couldn't be a Stair Designer now. She needed to be a pirate!
"Yarr!" she whispered, trying not to be overheard by the crew.
She shifted in place, trying to make as little noise as possible within the crate she was hiding inside. True, she didn't know how many pirates started their careers inside a large wooden box with the food in it, but Pearl-dammit, there had to be worse starts to piracy, and besides, airships were little more than flying wooden boxes with food and creatures inside, right?
All adventures began with a small step outside the door, after all, and if she wanted to avenge her father, then she needed to be there when the thing happened.
What "the thing" was, exactly, she was not entirely sure of, but it involved recovering the Pearl, which was certainly important, then finding and fighting the bad guys, which was also important and then getting some sort of magical items lost to time.
That was also important. Because they were going to use them to heal some vampire siren from another dimension. Silverstream knew this because she was good at taking notes, and when she was focused on something she was some sort of savant, according to Queen Novo, who also said it was very rare for Silverstream to actually concentrate on any one particular topic, which was nonsense, because she had proven several times that pineapple did actually mix well with rice and coconut.
Granted, that had been irrelevant to her math class, but she was already ahead of the curve with that. So much ahead, in fact, that she was at a 360 angle from every other griff in her class!
Satisfied that her logic was absolutely on point, she then pressed her eye to the hole in the plank next to her. She could see most of what was happening outside. There was the Abyssinian and he was talking to what could only be… a hag! Or maybe a parrot. If it was a hag, she looked perfect. If she was a parrot… she had seen better days. Maybe.
Silverstream silently resolved to ask her fellow pirates how they got a hag to work for them.
Either way, they were loading the crates! This was it! No turning back now! She stifled a giggle when she noticed the parrot approaching and slid back away from her peephole. She held her breath as she heard the parrot do something to the outside of the crate, then felt as the whole thing was suddenly lifted into the air.
It was terribly disorienting, considering that she knew she was in the air, but she had no frame of reference. She instinctively wanted to open her wings, but if she did, she might knock things over and betray her presence in the crate.
She felt the crate move through the air and risked another peek outside, watching as a burly parrot in the most pirate-like getup she had seen so far motioned for her box to be lowered into the hold.
Silverstream grinned and was about to clap excitedly at the idea of her plan working out, but she resisted the urge. All she had to do now was wait until they were underway. Then it would be her turn to shine.
Twilight Sparkle smiled when she spotted Alejandra, and walked over to the griffon. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah," she replied, rolling her wings back. "I'm still just a bit sore from the pounding I got at training."
Twilight nodded, wrapping a wing around her friend as she guided her back to the Arpia. "Will you be alright?"
"Yeah, it just… brought back a lot of memories working with him, you know? Good ones for the most part."
"Yeah, I know." Twilight said. "I can still see Ghalahad's face when the Assassin killed him if I close my eyes and listen to the one here."
She felt the griffon sigh and lean into her. She didn't mind, right now in Equestria, only she and Alejandra knew the loss they had suffered. Having Galahad here had helped, but it still didn't erase what had happened across the mirror.
Finally, Alejandra straightened up, glancing at Twilight fondly before stepping back. "Thanks Twilight. I needed that hug more than I knew."
Twilight smiled. "Anytime." True, her feelings about Alejandra were mixed when it came to romantic issues, but when it was a straightforward friend-in-need situation? That she could handle without a problem.
They walked up the plank and into the ship. Things were wrapping up, and Twilight could barely suppress the urge to tell them to just finish already and get going. Tempest was already on her way to the Algae Photis, and who knew what she would do with such a powerful item.
Twilight paused on the deck and glanced at the city. "Do you think I'm abusing my station?"
Alejandra gave her a small smile. "I'm afraid I'm not too familiar with what royalty can—or can't—do."
Twilight sighed, feeling the weight of the whole mission resting on her shoulders. There was so much to do. So many dangers already creeping up on Equestria, and so many people in peril. She had wondered, before going to Earth, what kind of duties she would have as a princess. Who knew it was going to end up like this?
Her eyes studied Hippogriffia for the last time. How would have things been if she had brought the girls with her? All of them? How much fun would they have had, Fluttershy exploring the city, Pinkie Pie making friends… even maybe expanding their markets in the case of Applejack and Rarity?
"The team would have been too large," she whispered to herself, "I would have a really hard time keeping them under control. Especially Pinkie."
"What was that?" Alejandra asked, making Twilight blink and look at her friend.
"Oh. Nothing," she said, chuckling. "Just… missing my friends, a little."
Alejandra nodded, looking back at the city as well. "I think they would have liked visiting here."
"Yeah." Twilight didn't look, but she could feel Alejandra's eyes on her.
"Do you want to talk about them?"
'Yes,' "Not right now…" 'Because I feel guilty. Because I'm afraid for them. Because I don't want them to be broken, like I am.' "We have much to prepare, and our enemies are already underway. Let's talk to Celaeno and get going."
"Sure thing." Alejandra said, and even though the griffon probably didn't notice it, Twilight did hear the soft sigh of disappointment.
For a moment she wanted to berate Alejandra. She didn't know her friends that well. She didn't know how Equestria had been mostly in peace for centuries until recently everything started hitting the fan. She didn't know how unprepared ponies were… always relying on Princess Celestia, who wasn't unbeatable!
She wanted to tell her how the Commander's much less efficient counterpart had managed to overpower the princess. She hadn't seen how easily Discord had thrown everything into chaos and time and again it fell on her shoulders to rally her friends to risk their lives to help save Equestria.
That it felt like a lifetime when they had stepped up and guided her instead of her fighting an uphill battle to get them to just trust her. That ever since fighting Nightmare Moon, she had had to get them on her side again every time. At the wedding. When Discord appeared. When she came back from the mirror and they wanted to send her back to Ponyville while they faced the vines on their own. She had to prove to them again and again despite the fact that they were her friends and they should trust her. At least Discord's spell to change their natures was outside of their control but...
What was she supposed to do? After all she'd seen?
Her friends were trying to stifle and "protect" her when 'it was them' that needed to wake up and smell the bacon. They were her friends, little town ponies for the most part that were blissfully unaware of the dangers out there.
They weren't supposed to end up dead inside an inn, burnt to the ground by aliens and monsters. They weren't supposed to drown in their own blood while another listened to them pass away without being able to do anything! They were supposed to be kind and gentle and take care of animals, not… head a band of rebels against fascist human-hybrids that hunted them down! They were supposed to create fashion and be dramatic, not serve as bodyguards to alien figureheads!
"Twilight!"
She snapped her head up, blinking at Alejandra. Twilight realized she had been gritting her teeth and slowly relaxed her jaw, and forced herself to close her wings, and dispel her magical aura. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry. I just… I need to be alone. Please coordinate with Captain Celaeno. We can get going, I just have to think."
She left before Alejandra could say anything.
Dear Rainbow Dash,
How is everypony doing? Or should I say everycreature? I don't want to offend anypony, so please make sure to let me know if I did!
Things have been interesting here in Canterlot. We found Twilight's old friend, but she refuses to come out of her house. She seems deeply hurt somehow, and I just want to pull her into a hug and tell her it will be alright, but I'm afraid she'll dump a library on me if I try.
Spike says that she was Twilight's friend before she met us, but Twilight said that she didn't have friends before us… I wonder if she just… didn't know? It saddens me that she might have thought that way, who knows how much it would have helped her to know these kinds of things?
We will keep trying of course, but I feel like Twilight is needed to get Moon Dancer out of her shell. She'll do things if Laetitia orders her to just because she thinks it's Princess Luna, but Twilight's human friend is naturally not comfortable with that.
Speaking of which, I've taken her flying with me, and she's spent a lot of times at my house in Ponyville, getting to know my friends and going on long walks with me. It's nice but knowing that she's dying… it makes me sad. I hope your adventure is a success and you can cure her, she's a very gentle soul.
I also wanted to ask you, did something happen? Yesterday my cutie mark started glowing for no reason, but I immediately thought about Twilight. It felt like she was there, all stressed out and I just wanted her to know that we love her and that I could be there for her whenever she needed me.
It's strange, but I feel we were somewhat connected for just a moment! I hope she's doing well. Even if it was my imagination, it made me think of her, and how she could use some more kindness now that things have changed for her so much.
How are you doing?
~Fluttershy
Shortly after all the crates had been loaded, there had been a lot of excitement outside. Creatures were shouting and running, but it wasn't in fear—no, it was the organized chaos a pirate ship needed to set sail!
Silverstream had heard loud noises all around her as the ship got ready, then felt it shudder as it pulled away from port. There was no swaying in the ship, since it was flying and not sailing on water, but the wood of the hull still creaked whenever there was a turn. Soon after they had taken flight, she had heard the captain shouting more orders, and then felt as the ship accelerated.
That had been… probably hours ago. At first she had been excited. This was her first foray into piracy after all! Something that her brother had always said she'd never do.
"Eat that, Terramar!" she whispered. This was so exciting! She had plans that involved sword-fighting, bandanas and treasure! Also, the Pearl. No proper pirate would ignore the Pearl. And she needed to bring it back to help her dad. That was more important than piracy. It was more important than stairs or having fun.
However exciting things were in concept, in practice, she was still stuck inside a large box with bags and smaller boxes of dried fruits and fish, and there were too many creatures about for her to get out while they were still within reach of Hippogriffia.
She'd have to wait a few hours for the ship to leave Seaquestria entirely behind and be too far away for them to just send her flying back, or even turn around. That meant… she was going to get bored. Thankfully, she hadn't slept at all last night, so she made herself comfortable—using her little knapsack as a pillow—and closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, it was mostly quiet. The only sounds were the creaking wood, the wind, the crackle of ropes stretching or tightening with movement, and the occasional clinking of metal and glass bumping onto something. She peeked out of her hole, noticing the cause of the latter were the lamps in the hold.
She waited, both to allow herself to wake up fully, and to make sure there was nocreature around. She licked her lips. She really, really needed to use the Little Bird-Fish Room. Carefully, she pushed the top of the crate open.
Or she tried.
It was then that she realized a tiny problem. "Oh no… they put another crate on top of mine!" she whispered. She glanced around herself, barely able to make out anything inside the crate itself, and the more desperate her condition, the more desperate she was to get out.
Maybe the plank with the hole was lose enough? She tried shaking it, but it wouldn't budge. She was going to be trapped inside! For days! Without access to the Little Bird-Fish Room! She threw herself at the plank, trying to break it, but only succeeded in hurting her shoulder.
She sniffled.
This was not what piracy was about!
It was then that she heard a loud scraping noise above her.
Eyes wide, she watched as something wedged itself into the crate at the corner, and then heard a grunt, soon her whole crate was washed in the dim light of the hold, and two parrots—one large and brutish, the other the harpy she had seen earlier—were glaring down at her.
"Toldja I heard the food snorin'!" the harpy said.
"Looks like we have a stowaway," the bigger parrot growled threateningly.
"Well lass," the harpy asked, sneering down. "What do you have to say for yerself?"
"Yarr?"
End Chapter 17
Yarr? Yarr!!
Twilight was just proven to not have kidnapped Silverstream. And now with Silverstream's latest stunt it's going to look like Twilight did kidnap her this time.
Good planning, or silly fish-bird antics?
Well, there's that issue dealt with.
This is a good sentence. This is a very good sentence.
In a military operation, yes. On a diplomatic friendship mission? Pencil it in. After all, Twilight has a world to unify without even going through the mirror. Though first she needs to get her head together, poor thing.
The stowaway certainly complicates things. We'll see how it goes from here.
Silverstream was so precious this chapter. And the ending wss perfect.
Poor Silverstream, an Interesting choice of words, but probably not the most helpful in this case
- Thunder
Weeeeell... Pirates kinda kidnapp new recruits by pumping them with whiskey and taking them onboard while they‘re knocked out. So she kinda has a point?
9920339
Everything but still, punishment couldn't be avoided
Damn it, Stream. Twilight just proved she's innocent, and now you go and make it real?
9920345
The thing is - you cannot judge, not when you would abandon your child, or you would give in to demands.
9920566
Still, that doesn't protect from punishment
9920274
OK, freaks. Tell me, WHERE am I wrong? DIslike has had to come from SOMEWHERE. Or you simply can't accept the truth that both Twilight and Celestia do their best, and that they are not all-knowing, therefore can make mistakes?
Was it that you wanted Celestia to KILL her own SISTER? She couldn't save Luna, not without the Elements, and Elements would not answer to Celestia anymore.
Did you want Celestia to KNOW about the shapeshifting attack, by SOME miracle. Did you want Celestia to VAPORISE the whole wedding chamber. did you expect Celestia to KNOW that she would be overpowered by the bug? Chrysalis was surpised, SHE WAS SURPRISED BY HERSELF, that she could participate in ANY-AMOUNT-OF-POWER-TAG-OF-WAR with Celestia and WIN?
Or maybe you expected Celestia to do SOMETHING about DISCORD, the SPIRIT of Chaos, and WIN withOUT the Elements?
Tell me, WHERE am I WRONG?
Edit: Ohh, I get it, it's because I called Twilight stupid? Well, isn't she? If I, in half a minute, came with the reasons why we shouldn't think that Celestia is in any kind of WRONG, how did Twilight manage to BLAME her mentor? Twilight. Is. Stupid. If she doesn't see the reasons why Celestia did this or that.
9920569
It doesn't protect from punishment, I never said othervise. But I said that you, or anyone else, can NOT judge, or CLAIM anything about punishment. It's THEIR business, you have no claim as to whether they deserve punishment or not.
9920582
9920582
And I haven't said that, just that it's unavoidable and given the serve of it, that he got it so midly
9920588
Well, you came off as judging him, for an impossible choice.
9920592
I did not. Only pointed out he can be lucky to have that mld punishment, given the serve of the his deed
9920578 Dude, I come in, and you're starting a fight over a dislike? Do you know how many dislikes this story gets just because I wrote it? And you're complaining about someone disliking your single comment? Calm down.
First of all; re: the punishment for treason, no one here judged Silverstream's dad except for Novo. Alright? He put the whole nation in peril for someone they loved, and although she understood his reasons and was lenient because he was blackmailed, the fact was that he acted against his country's interests and therefore could not stay in the same position politically as he had before. End of argument.
Second of all: Re: 9920274
To begin with, this is a character's perspective. Twilight does think that Celestia was woefully unprepared. And with good reason. As far as she knows Celestia knew that Nightmare Moon was coming back for 1000, years which is a long time to prepare, and bet it all on a gambit. That's not being prepared. If Celestia had other means of fighting NMM we don't know, but we DO know thanks to Starlight Glimmer, that if Twilight hadn't been there, they would have LOST.
Chrysalis - Celestia didn't hear any of that. There was a "warning" instigated by Chrysalis herself to make them paranoid, then it was Shining's brilliant idea to cast a shield around the whole city, which... let's be honest here, was a pretty dumb idea. Being prepared militarily speaking could have been several steps in addition of the shield being a resort but not their go-to-end-all resort. It ended up with Shining completely mentally exhausted and an easier victim for Chrysalis. This was ALL EXPLAINED in the episode. And again. If Twilight hadn't been there, we know Chrysalis would have WON.
Discord: On this one, I sort of agree with you. Celestia understandably thought he was contained. We don't know if the spell was supposed to last forever (clearly not), but chances are, neither did she. This is Twilight just adding another thing that Celestia could have—in her mind—done differently. How? Who knows.
But I imagine, that your downvote comes out of your attitude in the comments. You write as if you're the ultimate authority here, and it does come across as condescending.
9920658
Wanderer, you can't imagine how many of my arguments have been disliked. Like, out the blue. I would understand if I was argued with, and presented at least SOME arguments. Secondly, you can't imagine just how many of my disliked comments were in f*cking protection of characters. I won't go into it here, but if you want, I can PM you quite a bit of stories and my arguemnts about how Twilight is wrong in trying to steal the pearl while her country burns to the ground, and those seahorses just hide behind a rock, and shoot down even slightest attempts at diplomacy. You can say that I'm fed up with being dissmised, and seeing how characters are being said to be in the wrong, despite doing their damned best to save themselves or do right.
9920690 I understand, but lashing out in comments is not going to prove you right either. People will disagree with what you say or try to get a rise out of you. It's annoying, but not worth provoking a possible fight, or inviting people to troll you if they feel like teasing you.
Lol! Ok that one had me laughing a bit.
Yarr. Heh heh.
9920658
You know, I do want to point out that thanks to Starlight we don't know - we know in one timeline, NMM won, yes.
But in another, Discord won - and Luna was there.
In another, Celestia fought Sombra - alone.
In another, Chrysalis had won - Luna's fate unknown.
Tirek, even Flim and Flam - in all but one timeline we see, it seems Celestia did overcome Nightmare Moon.
Like Twilight and her friends are needed to overcome all of them - but generally speaking, Celestia seemed to be significantly more likely than not to overcome any single threat.
Basically, I parse it as Sunbutt has about an 80-90% accuracy without Twi & co. She still hits far more often than she doesn't...but without Twilight, all it takes is one missed shot and she's trapped in a viper tongue, and game over.
9947037 I mean, you can look at it that way, but you can also look at it from Twilight's perspective: If Celestia has had thousands of years to plan ahead for all known entities. Chrysalis, I'll give you, was unexpected, even if Shining Armor's "solution" was haphazard at best. But Tirek, Discord, the Storm King* and especially Nightmare Moon are known equations that she should have had a plan of action for. So why didn't she?
I'm not saying (and neither is Twilight) that Celestia as a ruler in general is without merit, but when it comes to enemies, she's notoriously unprepared.
*No matter how you want to put it, the Storm King had been building his empire and conquering other countries for years before their surprise attack in Canterlot. Only someone with no international policy, or bewildering ignorance would not have seen that coming. Hell, she even knew to tell Twilight to seek out Novo, so it's not like those continents appeared out of nowhere, and the hippogriffs had lost their kingdom months before the attack on Canterlot. Since Celestia is not an idiot, she either willfully ignored all of that, or well, I don't know what other excuse people can think up for her.
9951920
Right but all I'm saying is we don't know what other plans Sunbutt had, but there had to have been something because in GlimmerLines Celestia still won more than she lost, as Tirek for example doesn't show until after NMM, Discord, and Chrysalis.
I mean I know how I put it: weak writing on the FiM side, or Celestia just loves losing
9954365 Weak writing. IMO they really did a number on Celestia the moment they decided she wasn't the mysterious figure and just a glorified sun-raising winged unicorn.
9954707
Well, yes. That's the obvious answer. Which is why I just disregard a lot of canon in my head in sorts and just reconcile it with 'Sunbutt is playing ultra-chess and its all according to her scheming, it's just hard to see why being so seemingly neglectful actually matters'.
I have a much longer rant cause lol ive spent a ton of time being upset about Celestia o'er the years, before I just kinda made myself relax and chill
9955270
Can you PM it to me? Would love to read it. thanks.
9955270 I mean, tbh you also have to account for what we do actually see in the series themselves. You can argue that in the jumps we see one villain or another, but I would counter that with: basically it's whoever got to her first. Why? Because in the normal timeline, we see her lose against everyone else except Sombra (until this season). NMM? Loses. Discord? Loses. Chrysalis? Loses. Sombra 1? Doesn't even show up. Tirek? Didn't even fight. Tempest Shadow? Loses. Cozy Glow? Already had sucked the magic out of her so she had to walk and by the time she got to the School of Friendship all magic would have been gone. Sombra 2? Loses.
Tirek/Cozy/Chrysalis? That one I will give her.
Again, I love the character, but the writers really did a number on her.
9955592
I mean, it basically relates to disagreements with some executive decisionmaking that went on, but honestly I don't have the energy in me to redo it. Long story short I just disagree greatly with some of the writing choices that were made but don't feel like throwing shade that much anymore.
9955606
The fun counter to that if you want to play chessmaster is she's basically a goddess of Xanatos Gambits and is intentionally taking dives to power Twilight up to the point where she can retire. Like, there's 100% a One Punch Mare style story you could right, where Celestia spends the entire series fervently hoping Twilight is up to the task so she won't have to break out of Goop / Stone / what have you and reveal her true power.
Damn. That would be fun to write.
9955840 you should write that. But make it plausible. "What you don't understand, Twilight, is that I orchestated every decision you made so that I could finally retire and be paid for eternally by the government I erected, protected by an immortal puppet queen! AHAHAHAHAA!. Tea?"
9955906
It'd be way more One Punch Mare. After Luna, Celestia would have fought basically 5 centuries worth of every big bad coming Equestria's way until literally everything learned to step the fuck off and she only had to get up every 20 years or so.
But then she got bored of it all, and tired of having to be Mom all the time, and also it was kind of alienating when literally everyone was terrified she would melt them on the spot because it was well known she COULD, so she started handicapping herself somewhat (Though still always winning) to make it seem like she was more approachable.
So the only things stupid enough to actually attack her when the show starts are 1000+ year old threats. At least, until Chrysalis, which opens the floodgates to allow testing Twilight, and through it all Celestia is totally manipulating things to make sure Twilight can carry it.
Basically, like that Celestia is the original Berserker story from ages ago, except crossed with One Punch Man.
9955606
Well, counter to that is why does she successfully fights against Sombra in one of the broken timelines? There's a theory that she DOESN'T fight only because if she DOES - fate of the world will be evewn worse than if the villain has their way. Seen Daybreaker? Yeah, if the pushes herself too far she might let it loose without the ability to pull at the strings of her alter ego. The last time travel, the one that looks like brown/red wastleand. Looks like Celly decided to go all out, and met Tirek. So, yeah, mutually assured destruction, woo.
Keep in mind, Celestia doesn't want to destroy ANYTHING. She wants her ponies to be happy. And more often than not, letting loose would have carried some bodycount.
9955906
You make it sound like she doesn't deserve it. I'd like to see you to stay on the throne, for ever and ever. No matter how you like your job, you'd want SOME breaks now and then.
9956045
Yeah, I already pointed it to Wanderer, but I'd like to say it in this comment too. There's a theory that Celestia literally cannot go full out.
Looked for the video... It's in Russian. If you want I can translate it, but for now, you can try to figure out how it works by video alone.
https://youtu.be/jRzoc-m6w2o
9956327 Dude. Get over it. I really have zero interest in your theories. I've already told you why things happen as they do here. You butted into another conversation. Just. Leave. It. Alone. No one is "attacking" Celestia. We all like her. Get over it.
9956628
Get over what? I just commented on a topic.
YARR!
Well done, freaks. Ignore any and all arguments from me, dislike my comments more... Well done, ignorant brats. Defend your perception regardless of arguments from any other point of view. There's beliveing in what you know, and then there's dislike bombing anything you don't like...
Hey what chapter of ranger does this start from
10026432 186
Really jarring line, that one.
10120268
I mean sure you can always look at things in a negative light if you want to, and I'm not innocent there either, but this story already has you covered in that case. I don't really see the problem with most of what you're saying anyway. It's not automatically a lack of education or understanding that causes a land dispute, and given the way they solved it I'm hardly gonna throw stones at em for it. Pretty civil all things considered. Thorax... distrust of what was until very recently an enemy... uh yeah, no kidding. Changelings are tricksters by nature? Ponies should just immediately trust because he seems to be honest and transparent in his dealings there? That's how car salesmen work, too.
The dragon thing's a bit odd but gotta set up the episode, and just because Celestia knows the girls can handle a sleeping dragon doesn't mean she knows the quirks of their life cycles. Spike's egg was always weird though... pretty much an excuse to have a dragon among ponies, specifically as Twi's assistant/little brother/however you care to define their dynamic. And I gave a possible explanation for a lack of most foreigners: Equestria is weird and most griffons, minotaurs, and dragons want nothing to do with Happy Rainbow Land. You don't have to accept that answer, but you haven't invalidated it. But there's only so much of the show's writing I'm gonna defend here. Tweet at them if that's what you want. As to me, I do try to see the good, and understand reasons behind the bad other than just passing it off as 'this character is a monster' or what have you. We're here in fanfic to make our own headcanons... if you want a pessimistic one go for it. You haven't swayed me though; that kind of thinking isn't what brought me here. And I know people are mixed on the 'it's a kid's show' defense.. but it is. You don't teach kids morals unless the characters learn them via the conflicts in the show. They don't do that if it was all perfectly taught to them off screen.
And no, the lack of knowledge of the Storm King isn't baffling, that's you deciding it is (not just you, of course). So I'ma say this one more time for the cheap seats: He did NOT exist pre-Movie. The characters cannot know of him because he didn't exist canonically. There is nothing baffling about it at all. How is this confusing for people? Now, you can reconcile the 'but they should (in universe) have known' in a negative way if you want, as Twilight is doing here. Because sure, if everything was consistent, that argument exists. But we know they literally could not have, because he didn't exist in canon until the Movie needed a throwaway villain. And Celestia wanted hippogrif help for the same reason we got a bunch of anthro characters instead of already established races: Hasbro wants to sell more toys (and I'm not saying they even went about it well, Movie versions of established characters and races would have been more appealing imo, but I'm not in Marketing so...). Basically the Movie was trash... I choose not to take it out on the characters.
Except Tempest... to briefly address your other reply. Because while there is sympathy to be found in her backstory... not nearly enough to justify what she's done since. You either remove her agency and basically have her a brainwashed soldier, at which point sure she's a victim. But she's also barely worth discussing at that point because she's less an antagonist and more another candidate for a therapy system Equestria may or may not have. Plenty of people have been abused and bullied and didn't choose to help enslave the world over it. To me, she has agency and is responsible for her choices. Is she redeemable? Sure, by Equestrian standards. But suffering does not make it okay to make others suffer, and a sad origin doesn't excuse monsters, it just makes them. If she gets lucky here she won't have to pay for all the horrible things she's done. If she doesn't... I won't shed a tear. That's all. Now I know what you might be thinking: 'But Sun you just said above you don't want to dismiss characters as monsters and now you're doing it with Tempest.' Or maybe you aren't thinking that, but just in case... yep. Except the 'dismiss' part. I don't dismiss her. On the contrary I weighed what happened to her and what she did, what we actually see instead of the negatives so many of us come up with to explain inconsistencies in the writing. And I determined... yep, she's a monster. A villain who's made her choices, selfishly dismissing the happiness of whole nations to serve her personal goal. Will she be redeemed? Sure, maybe. But if not... ah well.
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That doesn't apply to in-world logic and stories. I'm sorry, but just because they hadn't invented him yet, doesn't mean that they couldn't have integrated it better, and in-world. For actually coherent stories, It IS baffling that Celestia had no idea the dude that conquered half the existing world existed. Even Abyssinia had been mentioned before in MLP:FIM (By Rarity, no less). A couple of lines in the movie to establish him and the ponies wouldn't be completely ignorant of him. You can't validly use a marketing maneuver to excuse in-world inconsistency. Even if it was something they were told to do, it was something they could have done better, and they didn't. In fact, the writers clearly had an underwhelming understanding of who the characters were in the first place, given how they are all portrayed. This is why, as far as this story goes, where the characters actually live and breathe in that world, it doesn't make sense for Celestia not to know about SK. The real world reasons have nothing to do with in-world reasons. They sucked at writing the story, and they made Celestia, Luna and Cadance look worse through incompetence (both in-world and meta).
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And you insist on continuing that trend rather than attempting to repair it. You admit it was flawed writing, but rather than working around it, you just shift those flaws onto the characters so they look like shit. And you choose that, rather than have it happen via incompetence. But we've had this discussion before. I really just need to stop commenting altogether. Repeating myself helps no one. ...Yeah, done deal. I won't comment on this story again.
10121442 I actually give reasons as to why she chose not to interfere in this story. And it just so happens that the main character of the story happens to disagree with her reasoning. But what happened here, is that people take that as an attack on Celestia without taking into account the context. This is not a fix fic. The movie hasn't even happened. But all the story decisions are based on what canonically happened in the show and movie. And then it diverts from there. There's even evidence that other characters don't agree with Twilight's assessment but, heaven forbid that a character who got screwed over by the writers of the show doesn't get fixed immediately.
Awwww.....thats adorable
Snoring is a dead give away that could give me away as well... Learned from a mate of mine if i read it correct how one can get it developed without breathing problems...
Chick is sure a to young to take it seriously... understanding true danger, despite being cubnapped not long ago.
Spike will be so cross that another child outplayed him and take part in the adventure, even if locked up in the brig...
People have died pulling that stunt because they died of dehydration.