After over a hundred years of ruling, Princesses Celestia and Luna are finally getting around to having their capital city built. For head mason Gabion, it's a once-in-numerous-lifetimes opportunity. Canterlot can only be built once, and he's the one overseeing it.
But there's a snag. The design of the castle is eye-poppingly impractical, ready to fall over the cliff at a moment's notice. It's a sin against good architectural practices everywhere. Even Celestia's assurance that she'll personally lend her magic to help build it does little to reassure him.
...And now he'll be giving orders to Princess Celestia herself for the duration of construction. This is going to be a weird job. Maybe he can get to know her a bit, if only to make things a tad less bizarre.
With a title like this I'm going to be tracking this one.
Flagstone watched Celestia as the mare levitated several thousand tons of stone in the air. "Oh, daaaaaaamn."
"I'm sorry?"
"Nothing, nothing." She smiled. "Keeping doing what your doing, it's really working." She coughed. "I mean, it's getting the job done. That's all.
Anyone care to place bets on wether he is committed to a normal insane asylum or goes mad and gets lost in the corridors of the architectural monstrosity he will create never to be seen again?
I love your work and style. Keep it up!
Hmm. Intriguing. Looking forward to seeing where you go with this.
And I have to agree with Gabion. "We have such confidence in our ponies that we choose to live in an apparent deathtrap" isn't the best architectural message to send.
That went better than I was expecting.
I'd like to see a scene in an episode of the castle, and Canterlot, from the base of the mountain.
Something like this: https://www.deviantart.com/jowybean/art/Behind-the-city-of-the-Rulers-443939303
I love seeing stories where Celestia does things like a 'normal' pony, stripping her title and just acting like anyone else would in appropriate situations. Great work with this one.
This. I like it. Another!
No but seriously, this does a good job of showing the mighty glory of the Princess Celestia from the perspective of the common pone. And how much she doesn't want to be that. Still from the common perspective. Nicely done that!
Given her mane and tail, the overall effect was like a pair of multicolored jellyfish were trying to eat her from each end.
In any case, wonderful stuff thus far. Gabion's a good teacher and Celestia is a much better student of masonry than of drama. Definitely looking forward to more.
Celly made friends. Yay.
Good to see Celly being able to interact with ponies who'd usually fear her. In multiple definitions of the word, even.
Well, this is working out nicely. Hopefully nothing ruins this rapport.
Something probably will, because narrative, but still.
Nice.
It’s not like he couldn’t visit.
Indeed, I like this story so far.
Celestia getting down on the workers level in a practical way, not a "I'm leaving Princesshood behind forever" way.
You make the story work, dear author.
This third chapter is better than the last.
Adding it to my Favourites only after two chapters was a good call.
The Applejack Engineer inside me approves of this story
*Slow clap* And thus why Princess Celestia loves to send and receive letters. It's one of the few ways she can get around her status and just talk to her fellow Ponies, and keep in contact with the rare few who are friendly to her or don't get hung up on titles.
I think this is the maturation of a beautiful friendship.
Way to be blunt with that PS, Gabion.
Good worldbuilding.
Glad to see that nocturnal aspects were included in the design.
Please continue this story
It starts...
That post script is bound to get an amused reaction from Celestia.
I'd put this story on my 'Waiting Until Complete' list, until I noticed you had a weekly update schedule for chapters. If you're planning on continuing with the weekly updates, mentioning something like 'updates on Saturdays in the description might entice more people to read before the story is complete. I'm always afraid of tracking stories where I don't know when the next chapter might be arriving.
Regardless, this story is marvellous, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.
I like this already. Celestia's message about the communication was smart and prevented a large panic attack.
Even an immortal Alicorn needs to practice.
It's actually quite a good idea.
Poor Luna she doesn't know how to escape the formalities like Celestia and ponies are even more afraid of her than of her sister.
This was a good chapter and I liked Celestia's attitude towards her immortality.
I was about to comment on how that was a beautiful story and how fitting you seemed to close it, but I see the Complete tag has not been added !
Another chapter? An epilogue?
This story is being placed on the top shelf of my Favourites
I really like this friendship.
I just love this story more and more with every chapter.
Love when a character just says to hang it all when it comes to etiquette.
Just popping in to thank you for writing such an excellent story of Celly having friends. We all need them, and immortals? More than the rest of us. Thanks for pointing that back out in such an excellently warm and fuzzy way! Have a moustache.
Alondro examines the part of the castle sticking out of the mountain. "You know, if it weren't for the fact that we know there are huge caverns honey-combing the interior of the mountain, I would say one could construct a diagonal interior support from steel beams, with additional support structures at an angle beneath it, deep into the side of the mountain and support those narrow towers and terraces, if they're built of hollow blocks with steel reinforcement rods rather than solid stone. It's all about positioning the internal scaffold and supports, then building the ornate façade out of light-weight materials. But, with those caverns in place, the abnormally small and vertical mountain is likely so unstable it should collapse on its own, to say nothing of drilling into the side of it to hang a castle."
But, ya know, magic! I dun gotta explain nuthin'!
Hmph, Mr. Perfect Cell managed to cut perfectly smooth blocks of stone in seconds!
The only problem was that persistently green one...
"You're either perfect, or you're not me."
I always assumed her peytral was gold-plated vibranium.
This reminds me of what I'd thought would be the best opening scene to an FIM movie, starting a film series off with a stronger re-telling of NMM's return and the Mane 6 getting together, except it'd be Celestia raising the sun at the Summer Sun Festival.
It's that sort of dramatic spectacle that grabs the audience's attention, and at the same time you get the first glimpse of Twilight as a filly... then the opening credits would be narrative imagery going along with the opening credits showing all the Mane 6 in their respective original locations, leading up to the first Rainboom and Celestia coming upon Twilight's immense magic surge.
A mere eight years? Why, its been 20 for me and I hardly look or feel different at all!
Though... I do feel a little thin... sort or stretched... like butter over too much bread... *Alondro fingers something in his pocketses...*
9629250 One can either be morose or optimistic.
I tend to lump those who claim to hate the idea of being immortal into two camps: those that have some form of depression, and those that are in the 'sour grapes' category, trying to find excuses not to want something wonderful they can find no means of obtaining.
I exist in my own camp: The one who finds interest in almost everything and laments that there isn't enough time is the universe to see it all.
Wow. Just... Just wow. It's great to see this side of Celestia from a 'commoner's perspective. And seeing Celestia open herself up like that in turn is refreshing.
Great job, Rambling.
Poor Celestia. Still it's good she has ponies she can rely on.
Well I've sat here for the last ten mins, trying to think of something other than the usual comments, good story, well done, good job. They all apply but just don't reach the level that this story requires.
I'm glad you wrote this we don't see enough of Celestia being allowed to just be a pony with someone else.
Yet another Beautiful story.
Can anyone recommend a roofer? It's raining.
Indoors.
Directly onto my cheeks and nowhere else.
Wonder if Gabion would be one of The Statues?
Fan Vault as a cross between Tree support and Lily Leaf platform?
Or you could look at a giant wagon wheel tying things together, embedded in the mountain, with support. Etc.
It only takes one pone to make a difference.
Thank You.
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A real good read.
Better than it seemed on first appearances.
You told this story of early history well.
One of the loveliest stories on the site. Quaint, short but long enough, detailed and capturing. Makes me thirst for an Epilogue where Luna and Celestia converse of him after.
I’m not sure if I like that this ends in his lifetime or not. Wonderful story all told.