This story is a prequel of Good Trooper Gilda
The world is strewn with the ruins of lost kingdoms. A wise monarch knows how to preserve her realm for posterity, but it's hard to have a posterity when you're childless, and too old to be laying eggs. Old hens shouldn't have these sorts of problems, but they are hers, as is Trottingham until her time runs out.
But Gharne has a plan. If only she can trap the ponies' eternal princess inside of her web.
A duchy might live forever, if its duchess did the same.
Isn't Good Trooper a sequel to this, as in the political climate of Trottingham in Good Trooper comes about because of these events / this story?
Is this a pre-sequel?
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Technically, this is a prequel. But, since FimFiction doesn't have that functionality, this must suffice.
Unless I wanted to make it a sequel to Shrink Laureate's Schooled in Warfare, which is likewise considered by the site to be a 'sequel' of Good Trooper Gilda.
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It's almost reached the point where we can call it "Another entry in the Good Trooper Gilda verse!"
I do wish Fimfiction's sequel marking had the option to say "this is a prequel" (and maybe some other options as well?)
An excellent addition to the Good Trooper Guilda continuum. It put things in perspective and give us clues for futures stories.
- The Plain of Jars and the catacombs under the Cathedral.
- The Crystal Empire, Sombra and Princess Amore (which I wonder if you will use the IDW comic plot that Sombra turned her into a living statue and shattered her. Putting her back together can bring her back.)
- Goffer Heir and the Relic of the Winds.
So many great plot thread tu pull upon.
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... it does?
Right at the top when you are editing the story where it says "prequel story:" and then asks for an ID or URL.
On the story page it will return "This story is a sequel to [story]", on the prequel story there will be a box similar to the "also liked / similar / author" box labeled "Sequels".
So if you reverse the order, put the URL to this story in Good Trooper's prequel story box, it will return "This story is a sequel to [this story]" and this story will have Good Trooper in its Sequel box.
Victory by surrender. A cunning old crow, there.
Well, this was a surprise, but a welcome one. Nice to get a little bit more backstory to this rather key event to the whole lore.
Politics makes us all liars and heroes.
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More like, it was a cult center long after the Nightfall. The second sack was by an Equestrian army burning out NMM cultists from the then- Temple of Night. There's something haunted about those caves, the batponies say. It's easy to fall to the darker dreams there.
A cruel cruel hen helps a hen in need
A hen will be there to help them see
TBH, I always imagined the Celestia of this AU to be just leagues above everyone in terms of depth of plan, intrigue, and cunning. This makes her out to be pretty guileless , flying by the seat of her... saddle? Then again, it would be no great leap to believe her outbursts and flaring temper are a ruse, or a deliberate letting down of her guard. After all, there is no reason to put on any type of show if you're being offered something for nothing.
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I like to think of Celestia as being vastly more experienced, but not supernaturally more intelligent than anyone else. She plays the game of politics well by having seen it all before. Being able to outlive the competition gives her a huge advantage since she can lay down plans that don't need to bear fruit for centuries.
But she can still be surprised if you make a move that doesn't fit with her expectations. Bequeathing her the whole benighted Trottish isles? That's not something she could anticipate.
For an example of how I think this Celestia works, see The Traveling Tutor and the Diplomat's Daughter.
The land and the princess are one, with the former affecting the latter? That would actually explain a lot of the Celestia we see in Good Trooper Gilda... assuming it's even remotely true.
A shame Auntie A didn't hear that. At least, I assume she didn't. She might have just sneered.
Fascinating addendum to this world. Thank you for it.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm....
Awwwwwww. Party pooper.
Would she like an...mmmm..banana?
I just got a mental image of Celestia with Greta Thunderburger's face... ewwwww... talk about a cold shower.
10012399 And yet, it's something I would have anticipated instantly, given the circumstances.
More proof of my divine omniscience!
I AM A GOD!!! *gets struck immediately by lightning* Cough... was that... yer best sho- *and an asteroid falls on him* Not bad... but I can sti- *and then a black hole* Ouch.
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DAMN YOU! Now I've that image stuck in my head and the only way to remove it is judicious application of vast quantities of alcohol. I hope you're proud *hic*.
10336987 I am proud.
And thus a lot of the neglect and reasons for the island being in the state it is are revealed.... and that this was the least horrible option of those she had available to her.
And damn, it takes a lot of chutzpah to essentially browbeat not just Celestia, but the more emotional and prone to anger Celestia of this 'verse into doing what you want... impressive.
Uh the description says sequel, Should it be prequel? or am I confused.
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The code is unforgiving of details like that, unfortunately, and that was automatically generated, not written. No such thing as 'prequels' in fimfiction linkage.
Correction: the linkage included in the code is backwards and misleading. On advice, I've yanked it out and inserted a hand-coded link instead.