This story is a sequel to The Lunar Rebellion
When Queen Celestia has to temporarily leave Equestria on business, she needs someone to look over the kingdom in her absence. Much to everyone's surprise, she chooses the ambitious Sunbeam Sparkle to serve as her regent rather than the steadfast and loyal Shadow Kicker.
However, Sunbeam has little time to ponder why her monarch chose her. The Golden Path of Freeport, a corrupt regime ruled by false gods, sees Celestia's absence as an opportunity. Now Sunbeam must face a foe that claims to be every bit Celestia's equal, and with no divine powers of her own...
Chapters (6)
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Oh Midnight...like Maud, you make everything with you in it better.
I'd say Sunbeam, for all her pragmatism (maybe BECAUSE of her pragmatism) would be a very bad pick for a regency, even if only a temporary one. Still, at least you know it won't be boring.
Can't wait to see more!
So odd seeing Sunbeam look so small given her personality and power. She doesn't look as dominant as usual.
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You should take a look at this.
Sunbeam's mind is always a fascinating place to visit. Her self-assurance distorts the world with its sheer mass, resulting in a fascinatingly fish-eyed narrative experience. Eagerly looking forward to seeing her confront entities who are far more dangerously deluded.
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I'm aware of it. I even wrote two chapters for it. XD
This makes me extremely happy! A sequel to one of my top 3 fanfics of all time!?! Hell yes, I'm so excited! Great start too, filled with possibilities for the coming chapters! Thank you!
P.S Typo in title
Been a while since we've seen Sunbeam's perspective. Gonna be an interesting story
This can only end well
(Might want to fix the title)
Missing "of" between "turn" and "events".
Heh. Setting reasonable goals for those two would easily have meant just picking their fights better. If competence required being a good ruler, oppressive regimes and brutal dictatorships would have a lot less staying power than they do in real life. The Soviet Union hung on as one of the greatest powers in the world for seventy years of prison camps, secret police and genocides, after all.
Oh Lord, Sunbeam has the reigns. This is going to end with half of Canterlot on fire and the other half frozen in a giant block of ice.
Bllllll...
I am sorry for being immature about this spelling mistake. I am not sorry for finding it amusing.
9471448, 9471598, 9471697, 9471602
Typos fixed.
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Yeah, I’ve definitely enjoyed getting into her head. It’s a very unique perspective.
Huh, that makes me wonder. I don't think Luna has been mentioned at all in Northern Venture, but by the dates and the fact that we only have a hundred year from this point back to Nightmare Moon I bet she was involved in that conflict. I wonder if it'll come up in one story or another.
"Try not to screw it up or burn down too many people."
Okay, so no burning down anyone that doesn't really deserve it.
I'm curious to see exactly how these Golden Path false gods work. And if Sunbeam needs to apply fire to them.
Oh no.
Government philosophy time with Midnight Sparkle.
Here it finally is. Looking forward to whatever's in store.
I really like Sunbeam Sparkle as a perspective character. She has a very unique way of thinking compared to other Winningverse protagonists which really bleeds into the narrative as well. And considering that the only other time we've been in her head was in the Phoenix Empire stories, seeing Sunbeam as a mortal temporary regent should make for an interesting contrast. And oh my, look who's back. I liked Lunar Rebellion's little Midnight, and I liked Ponibius's Magus Midnight, but awkward teenaged Midnight was a possibility I never even considered, and I hope we see way, way more of her.
I get the feeling Celestia is trying to teach Sunbeam the same lessons she did in the Phoenxix Empire. Just not in the same way.
Normal pony compared to another false god that My Little Pony is full of.
A promising start. I’m interested to see whether Sunbeam is not ready for the Golden Path, or the Golden Path isn’t ready for Sunbeam
Sign that there is hope ol' Helioplot won't return to a smoking crater after a rebellion against the Arch Tyrant Magus of Canterlot!
Ooooooh! Perilously close to snarking about an "echo chamber" there, Sunbeam!
Methinks thou ought be more grateful the filly didst not wish to bleach the coat on her face in the pattern of a skull to go with that pink mane, O Regently One.
Fancy.
Midnight is endlessly entertaining. One of Freeport's gods deciding to pay a visit, though.... I'm inclined to agree with Sunbeam about this. Silver doesn't seem like one to back down, and we don't know much about the Golden Path's gods...
Nothing ominous here...
Giving Dawn enough rope to hang herself... or to climb out of the pit she's digging. Can't argue with that judgement.
Bad example there. After all, there's that mass polymorph spell in the Everfree castle library.
In any case, delightful as theology with Midnight is, the imminent immanent eminence is definitely cause for concern. This could get exceedingly tricky.
Can we have more of pony-Weyoun? And Midnight? Seriously, they should have a buddy-film.
Since the Winning-verse borrows a lot of ideas from Dresden Files I wonder if the Golden Path's "gods" are being empowered by the worship they are receiving. If so, then it would only make sense for them to what to spread their control and religion as much as far as possible since the more worship they got, the more powerful they would become.
I wonder if Sunbeam's going to get to add "Godslayer" to her list of titles. Considering her open disdain for them, it's likely she won't so as not to cheapen the word.
Just, viewing Sunbeam's thoughts here in regards to Celestia at the start of this chapter, the way she somewhat hates her but also paradoxically holds her on a similar too-high pedestal, as if a goal to overcome... a sort-of-worship. I can't help but draw connections between Sunbeam and Endeavor, and Midnight and Todoroki, of Hero Academia. I almost wonder why I haven't done this before.
___
So we have some sort of Incarnates from that cesspool of a pirate town trying to muscle in on Equestria? Afraid of Celestia, but all a-swagger the moment she's stepped out. Bid for the throne while the big mare's away? Are we going to see a Lucifer allegory?
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First off, nice connection to My Hero, love that show. Second, Freeport has aged out of it’s “pirate” phase at this point. In fact as I understand it, Freeport’s biggest problem is that the Golden Path are too enthusiastic about enforcing the law. (Evidentially not enough to not participate in international arms trafficking but I guess that line ends the same place that their borders do.)
Is it weird that I’m actually kinda more interested in what’s going on with Dawn than anything else right now? I mean everything else is really cool and I’m excited to see where it goes, but for some reason I really want to see what exactly happens with Dawn and her Dad. Can’t wait to see the next update!
Dawn needs some help, but I'm not sure who can provide it such that she would accept it.
Hey, maybe Midnight will be able to annoy the false gods to death and solve the entire mess for everyone.
Very intriguing and an enjoyable read. Please continue.
Great chapter! It's always a treat to see the threads weaved between stories, both with characters and the in world history.
Basing one's divinity on the good old "Because I said so" argument... yeah, that one doesn't work for most parents on concepts far more reasonable.
I disagree. That should be on a shirt.
Kinda sad seeing what’s become of Dawn, but not terribly surprising. And it’s always excellent seeing Midnight’s strangeness being weaponized. Looking forward to the next one!
Haven't read the other story about the Chargers in Freeport so I can't say for certain. I have a strong suspicion Mors is angling to have Sunbeam take out Veritanu for him so his own allies can have an easier time "liberating" Freeport.
I have had a great many enemies whose deaths I decided upon.
"People I don't like end up dying"
Two? The Kickers are one, obviously, but what other clan survived the Lunar Rebellion?
I highly doubt it will be as easy as that. Plus, even it was easy to kill him, you'd need an actual reason to do so besides him being annoying.
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Stalkers i believe.
Loved this line.
So Dawn Cumulus is Checkov’s gun.
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They’re the ones.
Well this promise didn't work out.
Huh. Seems unlikely, but it's an interesting possibility. It also makes me wonder if the Blightspawn Celestia is off hunting are truly the work of Blackfyre.
Hmn, also interesting.
I like this argument.
I feel like that diplomatic meeting went fairly well, but I wonder if Shadow is going to agree.
Yeah, I had a feeling about that.
Huh. Count me particularly curious about the eventual overthrow of The Golden Path by, among other people, members of this clan.
Efficient!
Oh shit.
The ship seems too small to really be Veritanu's goal.
It wouldn't be very diplomatic, but it might be a good idea.
(Nightmarish laughter)
And people wonder where Midnight gets it.
Ah. Posturing for the crowds at home... presumably. We still don't know all the details about what's aboard that ship. And as Mors himself noted, even in the best of times, you rent the loyalty of mercenaries. In the worst, you only bid on it.
In any case, both sides are in for some unpleasant surprises in the future. Looking forward to Veritanu's coming-to-Sunbeam moment.
And so an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. But that’s international politics in a nutshell isn’t it? Leaders just want to look good to their people while getting as much of a leg up on the competition as they can. But pride cometh before the fall (or something to that effect). The question is which of them will fall first? Obviously Sunbeam comes out of this on top, but it would be very interesting for her character if in order to beat Veritanu she had to give up her pride (one of her defining characteristics) and at least appear to prostrate herself before him, if only because it’s part of some larger plan to ultimately win.
However, Sunbeam, you forget that it is because Celestia chose to exile Luna that your daughter was able to exist in the first place. Had she simply slain Luna, then Midnight too then might not have existed to be your daughter, and I daresay your life would be left empty because of it.
You know, I've always been curious if we'll ever get the chance to see how Midnight met Corva? Even if we know the ultimate resolution I would still be interested in seeing how she pulled it off.
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I’m pretty sure that got covered in Midnights Shadow. At the end I believe.
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Fimfiction shows that I've read that chapter, I gave the story a thumbs up which I never do until a story is completed, I even gave it a favorite which follows my previous rule, but I have absolutely zero memory of that chapter! Which is super frustrating since it would have answered some questions I was running into.
We'll, at least I finally got this refreshed/cleared up. Thanks for the tip.
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No problem!
Now I'm hoping we get some artwork of Sunbeam making Shadow blush.
Man, i was nervous about reading this on the day it was posted, but im glad to see it was an actual chapter and not and Aprils Fool prank.