Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
Celestia watched her sister enter the castle, trying to decipher her mind and what was going on in there. As much as she could reasonably predict what everypony was thinking around her due to her years of practice and expertise, Luna was forever an immeasurable wall to her. She was clearly up to something, with plans beyond Equuis as obvious as her sun but there had to be a reason for Luna to bring her and her followers onto the surface, especially if Twilight wasn't Magic.
She both loved and cursed her sister; Luna was among the very few who would never succumb to the fear of disappointing her, one that could stand horn to horn with her. Cadance might be an incredible force on her own, but she was not yet established as an independent ruler and her power was considered to be lesser than the elder Princess's by everypony except for Celestia herself. If the Crystal Empire returned and she took her place as their leader, then she would be free of Celestia and finally a proper equal, but that was still some time away if the timing from the other versions she had once viewed held true here as well.
Luna, on the other hoof, never saw herself as the lesser of the two when they ruled; she would not accept it. She was power that could not be denied and if she wanted something, then to Tartarus with those who stood in her way. Her passion for everypony's hopes and dreams was admirable; she would spend as much time as she needed to help either one foal or a whole country without so much as a complaint or concern to herself. Celestia couldn't have formed Equestria without her; she didn't have the martial mindset as her sister did, she couldn't connect with ponies in such a personal way as Luna did as they always saw her as the Princess, a figure of supreme authority rather than somepony they could relate to. Luna was everything she was not and Celestia had tried to emulate her ways so she could be a better ruler and pony.
But at the same time, Luna was so infuriatingly stubborn and thick-headed at times. If she thought something was the proper course and truly worth it, then damn everypony else that tried to dissuade her and the risks that came from it. If she hadn't managed to keep her temper in check that night... Celestia shook her head, trying to clear it of that thought. Having her sister take her followers and effectively abandon Equestria was bad enough; she didn't want to imagine what might have happened if Luna had gone full-on Nightmare Moon instead. She had seen what some of the more vicious versions of that being had been capable of in the other dimensions they'd viewed, and it had taken her sister's help at the time to help her work past the nightmares she'd had as a result. Not to mention some of the other wicked beings she'd seen. Cosmos in particular... just the thought of the self-proclaimed Spirit of Malice gave her the shivers, and she wasn't the only fiend of body and/or personality whom Celestia had no desire to ever see inflicted on her ponies.
Still, even without such wickedness involved, Luna's refusal to let matters rest when they knew they had greater concerns to deal with was baffling and so childish to Celestia.
Trying to redirect her thoughts in happier directions, the eldest Princess thought of Sunset and Twilight. She'd only seen them together a short while, but the budding friendship between them was clear, and it made her smile to see such a thing. In her look into the greater multiverse so long ago, she had seen many positive permutations of their relationship, from friends to honorary sisters to full-on life partners, and even a few more... out there versions, some of which had made her blush and still did to this day. Regardless of the form it took, she greatly preferred her memories of the worlds where they were close in some way or another over the negative ones.
Especially the ones where Sunset or Twilight had Fallen. Those she could do without.
Perhaps that was why I took so much care when I realized my Sunset was heading the same direction, she reflected. She'd truly become attached to the young mare since the day they met, and so had entrusted Cadance with the care of the sun for those few days while she followed Sunset through the mirror and ultimately talked her down. Without the Element of Magic, Sunset may not have been as physically dangerous as some of her Others had become, but still... Celestia didn't want to lose her to the darkness she'd seen growing within her. And in the end, she'd succeeded, as Sunset finally understood what Celestia was trying to get through to her, before doing her best to make amends for all the harm she'd done in so short a period of time.
Then they'd returned home, and begun again together.
For a moment, Celestia thought of the directions that experience could have taken, and then gave a small nicker of amusement. She was happy for some of her Others who had handled matters quite differently, but she had too many responsibilities to take the option they did, be it staying on the other side with their local Other as a couple and raising Sunset together, or just hoping for the better and entrusting her to Twilight's eventual positive influence.
Maybe in another lifetime, she thought.
"Your highness?" a stallion's voice interrupted her musings. "Are you all right?"
Celestia shook herself out of her musings as she recognized one of her guards. "Just lost in thought," she said. "Old memories."
"Speaking of old memories," Luna said as she peered at the walls of the castle. "This bears a lot of influence from our old castle."
"I found it befitting," Celestia said, tipping her head. "The old one fell out of use with what occurred there, so when we moved the capital, I thought it right to honour some traces of our old home."
"Far be it for me to lecture you on being stuck in the past, Princess, though an unyielding attachment to bygone days can blind you to the future," Luna lectured, shooting her a critical eye. "Though I doubt you will listen to my advice, you might want to try and bring your home into the modern world."
"We've renovated the interior more than once," Celestia said defensively. "Besides, is it so wrong to want to remember the happier moments of the past?"
"Of course not," Luna snorted. "Though therein lies the prerequisite of them being happier times, Princess."
"Ahem," Fancy Pants said, stepping between them rather bravely. "Perhaps it would be best if we show the delegates of the Lunar Republic to their chambers, your highness."
Celestia took a moment to calm herself. "Yes, you're absolutely right, Speaker. If you would be so kind."
Luna was about to join him, when Celestia beckoned to her. "A moment, Luna."
Luna turned to her with her usual detached tone that was coloured with a hint of anger. "Yes?"
Celestia felt a pang at how frosty her sister sounded, but forced it down. If nothing else, her duty-bound sister would appreciate seeing what she had done in her absence. "Perhaps you would like to take a walk with me in the gardens. I do have some statues that I think you would like to see."
Everypony froze, staring at them, wondering what Celestia was doing and what Luna would do for such an odd request.
Luna, on the other hoof, knew what she was saying and nodded her head. "I would like that greatly," she said with her followers muttering in surprise to each other. "Director Onyx, please inform your officers they are not to follow me into the garden, no matter what they hear within."
Onyx nodded, clearly uncertain of her orders but he would follow them regardless. "Of course, Head Director," he said.
"Captain Sentry, please have your guards stationed outside the Garden of Tranquility, along with your counterparts," Celestia said to the pegasus.
"Yes, Princess," the stallion replied, before turning to his fellow Guards. "Form up!"
Onyx echoed his words, and both groups did as they were told, assuming formation outside the gates before their leaders entered, with Captain Sentry shutting the door behind them.
It was an awkward walk, the two sisters walking abreast of each other through the garden of statues and topiary, the silence being very uncomfortable for all those present besides the sisters, which amounted to a single soul.
Still, as they reached the centre of the garden which held a single statue, the two sisters came to a halt and stared at the mismatched statue which stared back at them with glee in its wicked face.
"So the prison still holds," Luna said, doing her best to keep up the impromptu staring contest with the creature in stone. In other times, she would have laughed but it could simply annoy her sister and that was too great a risk at this distance.
"Not for a lack of trying on our parts," Celestia muttered darkly with Luna turning her head in surprise at her sister admitting partial fault. Celestia saw her sister's smirk and scowled in return, shaking her head. "You are aware of how dangerous it is for us to fight this close to him, Luna. I am doing my best to control myself."
"I am fully aware myself, Celestia," Luna said, taking a breath to steady herself. "If not for the looming threat of letting Discord free, I feel things would be vastly differ-"
"Wait, Discord is real?" Cadance asked, stepping out of the bush she had been hiding in, looking very worried. "I thought it had been some sort of allegorical story about the benefits of harmony or something."
"Yes, he is quite real," Luna said, sharing a surprised look with Celestia that their niece had got this close without either realizing she had been there. "And a dangerous one as well; even after we uncovered the means to seal him, getting close enough to use it was not easy."
"He is empowered by fractious arguing and conflict, which is part of the reason why I strive for order and calm in Canterlot, and bar but a single gardener to this place," Celestia said. "If there was a fight before his statue, he could escape from his prison."
"If that's the case, then why haven't you smashed it already?" Cadance asked with her mane splitting about as the weight of the matter began to sink in. "In fact, if you will allow me, I will do it myself right now." she said, creating a massive hammer and holding it above Discord.
"As amusing as it would be," Luna said with a chuckle, sharing a smirk with Celestia as the older alicorn took the hammer away from the younger. "That would only serve him escaping sooner."
"The rock itself is a prison of Harmony," Celestia said, dismissing the hammer. "It is what binds him in place and what has contained his power for so long."
"In addition, Discord is akin to us, dear niece," Luna said with a click of her tongue. "Incredibly hard to truly kill, and part of a broken and near dead race. It would be an unforgivable sin to kill him, to shed more blood since those dark days of the war. It would also take more than the three of us put together to do so, and if it happened... there is a great chance that something even more dangerous would take his place, one without his known habits and traits acting against us. For all his unpredictableness, Discord still has patterns we know how to counter."
"And before you ask why I have not stuffed him in some remote place, there are two issues," Celestia said, with Cadance blinking owlishly at them. "One, it would be a great risk that those guarding him would not appreciate the danger properly and secondly, he tends to follow me when I did try it in the past despite being nothing more than an ugly lump of rock."
"Wait, wait wait," Cadance said, holding up a wing. "You mean to tell me you've had a potential dangerous enemy just lingering here that could break free if a couple of ponies couldn't agree on something and now is the first time I'm hearing of this?"
"A calculated risk," Luna said. "I would have done the same in her place; the more that know of Discord, the greater the chance that a potential enemy could seek him out to make a deal to overthrow my sister which would undoubtedly backfire for everyone on Equuis as we don't possess the means to stop him anymore."
"But we have already started the means to correct that," Celestia said. "We are not so blind in our personal quarrel that we are unable to deal with him."
"Hopefully, in due time, the means to defeat Discord again when he escapes will be ready," Luna said as she and Celestia placed a hoof on Cadance's shoulder to try and calm her.
"And from them, any other dangers will have a solution to them as well," Celestia said. "We might not have given you much reason to have faith in us, but rest assured, one thing we can agree on is the protection of our world."
"And these are plans that have survived our personal schism," Luna added. "So while he might be a threat, he will not be an insurmountable one."
Cadance shook her head, stepping back from them. "I do not know what's more unbelievable; that Discord exists or how in sync you two are now, after all the petty snipping and fighting you've been doing since you both met each other again." With a groan and a sigh, Cadance raised her wings in the air as she walked away, leaving the two sisters to stare at each other before they laughed and shook their heads.
"We have been foolish," Luna said with Celestia giving a tired sigh.
"We have," Celestia said. "And I doubt we will come to a peace just because of this."
"I suppose we will be even more foolish then," Luna said, narrowing her eyes. "We have yet to truly meet each other, and this is certainly not the place for such a reckoning."
Celestia nodded her head, and the two sisters walked away from the statue of their ancient foe, his mocking laughter clear in their heads. He had been close to escaping then; they were both aware of it and it left a sour taste in both of their mouths.
"We're going to have to tell her about everything, someday," Celestia said quietly into her sister's ear. "I still remember so much of what we saw together..."
"Quite," Luna replied just as quietly, whipping up a brief obfuscation field spell around them, similar to the ones she'd put around the carriage earlier, but with an added visual component to prevent anypony from reading their lips.
"I wonder what she would say about that world?" Celestia asked as she turned to her sister, now able to speak normally and silently thanking her for the spell she'd cast. "The one where two of me were together?"
Had Luna been drinking, she probably would have snorted it out through her nose. "I don't know, Celestia," she said. "But if I know our niece, at the very least she would be pleased to see Sunset with a happy life with two parents that cared for her."
"Very true," Celestia replied. "Plus a loving aunt." Then she sobered. "Luna..."
Luna raised a hoof. "Celestia, you and I both know the time is not right. There is too much bad blood to let out this close to him," she said. "We will settle this eventually. But for now, we have other tasks to worry about."
"Mm." Celestia nodded, then sighed. "But Luna, I wish you could see things how I do," she said. "Equestria needs us both."
For a moment, Luna froze. Then she looked at her sister. "Equestria needs its leaders, that is true. I will not deny that," she said. "But I have my own people, and they need me just as much. As you look to yours, I must look to mine." Her horn glowed and dispelled the field she had made, and she walked off, leaving Celestia to wonder just what her sister meant in her choice of words. "Thank you for showing me your garden and statues, Princess."
Celestia nodded, still troubled as her sister walked away.
Letting out a quiet sigh, she headed for her office, knowing Luna would likely be meeting with her Directors for a while. It would give her time to think and plan, and get rid of the folder that Bluebood gave her. While it might be the answer to dissuading Luna of her notion that she needed to protect those on the moon alone so they could start working together again, it would undoubtedly forever estrange her from her sister and might even push Luna to take drastic actions in her rage which would free Discord in seconds.
And even if it were not for that fact... Celestia shook her head.
No. I will not consider it. I can't.
But she would read it anyway. If only to see how badly our security might have been compromised, she told herself.
As she thought that, she couldn't help but feel a familiar chill go down her spine, one she hadn't felt in over a thousand years. Not since before that day, when they had left her. Had Luna been the one to feel it, she would have recognized what it meant immediately. But Celestia did not.
After all, Honesty had not been one of hers back then.
It was a good hour or so later when she emerged from her office, with lunch finally being prepared and everypony being called in.
Cadance and Luna were already waiting in the dining room, along with the four Directors Luna had brought with her. Fancy Pants and Claret Holder were also joining them, and the nine all settled in as their meal was served.
It was Director Honey Spice that seemed the most interested, asking about the different products and ingredients that went into the dishes, writing stuff down in a little notebook she had on her, while the Speakers and Cadance did their best to answer.
The old mare let out a sigh in the midst of an explanation, resting her head in her hooves. "My apologies," she said to the Speakers and Cadance before looking at Luna. "I know I was a holdout on the idea of creating an official currency, Director Luna, but now that we are preparing to obtain seeds for new crops, we need a means that will make sense to our new partners."
Luna nodded. "The question is, what should we use?" she asked. "As we all well know, the vast majority of our metals have always been tied up in the construction of the domes and related structures inside and out, and acquiring more is always a tricky proposition."
"Where do you get them from?" Claret Holder asked curiously.
"Passing asteroids, mostly," Luna said. "They tend to be rich in the metals we need for our construction, but they do not pass close enough or in sufficient quantities nearly as often as we'd like." She sighed. "And besides, for most unicorns, pulling them out of the sky without risking burning out their magic from overuse is not an easy task, and I cannot spend all day doing it either."
"Perhaps we could assist the Republic," Fancy Pants offered. "I am sure that living on the moon has taught you some impressive lessons that you could share. Quid pro quo."
"Maybe," Director Quick Light said. "But before we do anything of the sort that large, we would need to clear it with the rest of our fellow Directors."
"Of course," Fancy Pants said. "I would not suggest otherwise."
"How are your transportation methods progressing?" Claret asked with the Directors stiffening and looking at Luna, who snorted.
"It is hardly a secret that we have been hard at work on a more efficient means of transport between our moon and Equuis, one that will not rely on a single pony teleporting them back and forth," she said. "To answer your question, we have spent a number of years testing smaller prototype models, and our Directors of Science and Transportation have great faith in them. Development on the full-sized core machinery is progressing well, but again, acquiring sufficient materials to construct the outer portions is a work in progress. However, we are confident that when the full-sized versions are complete, they will work as we require."
"If that is the case, would it not help to transfer such projects on the surface so you can have greater access to the material?" Celestia asked with Cadance facehooving and Luna snorting in laughter.
"Oh that was a truly good one Celestia," Luna said with a smirk on her face. "I truly needed that. But honestly, such a thing would risk the Republic's secrets leaking out to people who are not equipped to handle it properly and could cause catastrophic damages if the equipment is misused or not correctly put together. Not to mention we would need a large amount of land to do our work, and I can't imagine that there is a lot of free real estate left on the planet."
"I was being genuine Luna," Celestia said hotly. "It was an honest offer."
"Really?" Luna clicked her tongue and shook her head. Her expression suddenly shifted. "But in all seriousness, construction of the larger outer structures is better handled in space, for a variety of reasons that I don't think I need to explain to you, Princess Celestia."
"That is true Luna," Celestia said. "But I thought I would make the offer regardless."
"Although, Director Luna," Director Raven said. "While moving the main project itself is out of the question, we could move some of the smaller parts projects to the surface without the same concerns that come with the larger one and it would allow proper testing as to their purpose that we can only simulate and guess in the Republic. Plus, if there is an accident, there is more that we can do here opposed to the moon."
Luna looked almost as if she was considering it. Finally, she said, "It is a... possibility, though again, one we will need to bring up to the rest of the Directors."
"I have been told of how your Board works, and I must say it is an interesting system for running things," Claret Holder remarked. "How did it come about?"
"A lot of discussion, taking place after several years of work," Luna said. "The Departments all developed out of a need for better regulation over certain aspects of our nation; more have been formed over the years since the initial group, some split off from other departments in a few cases. Education and Recordkeeping were once a single department, for instance. If events go well here, I expect we will probably establish a Department of Commerce or Trade."
"There are a number from within my department that could serve well as the new possible Director," Director Raven Inkwell said, fixing her glasses. "Though I suppose one from your own as for diplomatic measures would be necessary as well, Director Luna."
"True," Luna replied. "And while we are on the subject, a treasury department would probably also be required at some point, either as a sub-office of the Commerce Department or an independent department of its own."
"All things we will need to bring up once we have finalized the treaties here," Director Onyx said, which Luna nodded to.
"I expect some might be harder to convince than others," she muttered.
Cadance nodded sympathetically. "Some politicians are always more difficult when it comes to trying to get change through," she said. "Especially those opposed to what they politely call a 'reformist' agenda. Complaining about how the system wasn't broken and didn't need fixing." Cadence snorted and shook her head. "They think I haven't heard worse or I can't take worse. They forget I grew up in a farming community on the outskirts of Equestria before my ascension and was raised as a hearty Earth pony, as Mom and Dad didn’t really have any pegasus experience."
Fancy Pants chuckled. "Alas, I know the feeling well, dear Princess," he said. "I hate to speak ill of my colleagues, but more than a few of our body have been particularly stubborn in their opposition to some of the bills we have passed onwards."
"Perhaps it would be time to change how your structure is; instead of inheriting your place in the Noble Council, you should try and arrange appointments to it into a manner similar to your Common Council?" Luna said at Fancy, though she was looking at Celestia.
"Some of us have already done just that," Fancy Pants said. "Myself included. Our body does include a number of hereditary peers, our soon to be former Speaker among them, but I am one of the Life Peers, granted my title by the Crown." He gestured to his Cutie Mark. "Despite what some would claim, I worked my way to the top in my younger days, earning my position and respect through my actions rather than my blood, and I have done my best to encourage others to do the same."
Luna smiled at that. "A good thing to know then," she said. "Our own Directors all earned their spots through proving their skill at the job before they ran for office, and it was those skills that saw them each elected."
"Ah." Fancy Pants nodded in approval. "Always a wise method, choosing those best qualified for the position."
Luna nodded. "It has been our way since the beginning," she said.
Talk soon shifted to other things, but Celestia forced herself to keep quiet, focusing on her meal and the wine that Claret Holder proudly informed their guests came from his family's own vineyards, which they had operated for generations and where he himself had worked (his wine bottle Cutie Mark had actually come from his doing so) before turning to a career in the political sector.
She had to admit that some parts of what they were discussing sounded fascinating. The system Luna had set up was apparently very effective, and worked rather well for them by the sound of it. But still...
It wasn't Equestria.
When Sunset returns, I will have to make sure to sit down and have a long talk with her, to get her opinion on things, she thought to herself. And Twilight's parents as well. She'd been quite startled when she'd heard Director Inkwell's casual mentioning of Twilight Velvet as their Director of Housing - it had only made logical sense that she resided on the moon, since Twilight herself lived and worked there, but her rank had been unexpected on Celestia's part.
I will have to speak with each of her followers here, individually and privately, she decided. To ask them for their personal views on my sister, and on Twilight. Even if she isn't Magic, or my student, she is still important to Luna and to us all, if she holds a different Role as Luna seems to be hinting. She paused as she took another sip of her wine, staring at her sister. And I do want to know more about how close she and Luna are. Are they like Sunset and I? Or are they more distant, a mere teacher and student?
No, Celestia chided herself. Even if this Twilight is a normal pony, Luna wouldn't let a possible assistant like Twilight pass her by. Nearly all the Twilights she had seen before were towering figures of power and resources, capable of moving mountains with the simplest of actions and words. She had once seen a Twilight convince an untrusting world to band together and defeat the Storm King earlier than normal through genuine friendship made on a year-long journey as a newly minted princess. And as their Twilight had been groomed under her sister, she was undoubtedly more aware of the nature of things than most. No, their Twilight was no mere pony.
The question now was, she thought as she listened to the ongoing talks with one ear, which of her sister's followers would be most willing to speak to her alone first.
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Hmm... Celestia is making some dangerous assumptions.
Celestia's playing with fire here with all of these assumptions, methinks the other horseshoe's dropping down soon!
Space elevators would be pretty useful.
Ngl Luna and celestia are really just both horrible at diplomacy with each other. Celestia seeks to actually be trying to be nice mostly while Luna is a bit of an ass. Celestia also has done things to her sister during this that served well in pissing her off.
Celestia always seems sketchy to me. Always sets off my "Spider Sense"
No matter how she is really portrayed, there is just something about her that screams, "I'm going to stab you in the back."
I think it's the fact that she comes across as doing anything she sees fit to stop Any threat to Equestria. I wouldn't put it past her to burn the moon base to the ground because "it would be best for everyone" and Equestria would be safer and improved by it.
The Monk
“There are many ways to create a monster, and the one the girl knows best is rather basic: you tell someone they're a monster over and over again, then wait to see how long it takes before they agree with you.” -Estee
Also, I'm rather surprised that people haven't caught the fact that Celestia doesn't call them Luna's Citizens, or Lunar Citizens. Celestia consistently calls them Lunas followers.
Monk
“Her hands were still bound with rope, she debated an escape before all the stupidity gave her an aneurysm.” -Scarheart
10811524
I think that's why Luna has been a bit snappy with Celestia, She's been picking up the cues everyone else doesn't. It does feel like she's expecting the Lunar Ponies to all move down Planetside so that all ponykind can live in Harmony™.
I honestly don't blame Luna for being short with her sister since it definitely looks like Celestia wants to take control of the situation and do what she thinks is best rather than cooperate with Luna as an equal.
10811725
That's kind of why I hope Luna has sent representatives in secret to other countries already. Celestia can use Equestria as the import hub for goods and services coming from the moon. Since the rest of the countries on Equis (the world) are mostly third world, Celestia could keep a strangle hold on how far they can advance.
However, having support from the Minotaur, griffins , Nippon, or Saddle Arabia gives The Lunar Republic some real protection from Equestria, should the country threaten to absorb the country or threaten military actions. This would protect by giving The Lunar republic an international forum they can use to bring any forceful actions to the international countries of the world, thus applying political pressure as the other countries take notice. It would also provide a potential military ally if needed.
Also, by allying with other countries, the Republic would have multiple distribution hubs in multiple countries making it more difficult to apply financial pressure through sanctions.
"We will not allow you to sell products to the world until you meet Equestrias demands. Bar the spaceport."
"OK, Hey guys, start using the Nippon spaceport as the primary distribution point, Celestia doesn't want our stuff."
The Monk
“What else to do? How did people survive boredom in olden times? ... Oh yeah, lots of stabbing." -RushyFiction
10811764
Right, as of now Luna (and probably Celestia) are the only ones that can teleport from the planet to the Moon and back.
I honestly don't see any way teleporting from the Moon to (say) Griffinstone would be any more difficult than teleporting from the Moon to Equestria for Luna. The only limitation to do this would be Luna's own stamina, her having to be somewhere for official reasons, and having the other nations agree to keep diplomatic talks a secret.
If Luna really wanted to press the issue, she could make an "official request" for an embassy and set up relations as a foreign nation.
Celestia could theoretically force the issue by starving the solar panels on the Moon but this act of spite and disharmony would definitely awaken Discord.
Also, do you have a script that automatically appends saved quotes or do you copy them in yourself?
Edit: Complied with a request from the Author
10811764
10811799
Yeah, I just saw that. Can you take out that business on my comments? This isn't a M rated story, after all.
EDIT:
thank you guys.
10811764
The lunar Republic most certainly doesn't have enough resources to expand that many trade nodes to that many nations. One definitely two is pushing it and the reason why celestia calls them that is because Lunas nation is as recognized as Micronations are in our world. Itd be fair to not address a nation thats basically a large city state thats unrecognized until it is recognized by equestria. It'll probably happen eventually when Luna and celestia stop being little children fighting over the lives and wellbeing of their citizens lol
10811806
Got it, comment edited.
10811830
That's probably why the "Crystal Empire", despite the grandiose name, is basically a city-state and functionally works as part of Equestria.
10811837
You know, I always thought that was shady as hell, the way Celestia did that. Equestria sends a team into a foreign country and assassinates the ruler. Then, they install a puppet government on the throne without regard for the people. A government composed of.... Surprise, surprise, Equestrian Citizens.
Yeah, that's not sketchy at all.
As for City-States or Micro-Countries, in the old days of Ancient Greece and ROME, there were quite a few City-States in the world. now days there really aren't more than a few left.
Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Vatican City.
Monk
“We’re the aliens in this situation and I’ll be damned if someone else tries to abduct others, that’s our bloody job” he stated angrily, retrieving a rifle from the arms stockpile, cocking the receiver dramatically. “Gear up gents; it’s time to pay the neighbours a special ISA-branded diplomatic visit” -Dropbear
10811837
Agreed, same thing is probably gonna happen to the lunar "Republic that has had the same leader for 1000 years " but itd still be beneficial to all citizens if they worked together, magitech is a thing in mlp so imagine how busted combined efforts of equestria, lunar Republic and the crystal empire would be. Its stated already the magic in equestria advanced a ton, so if they did reunification the nation thatd already the world power would be uncontested and all powerful
You don't say
I'm not suprised
Yeah I don't think that would be easy to accomplish at this point without going down the road of tyranny, possible yes, but far from easy
I'm concerned that Luna will use a meeting like that as fuel to keep herself angry at Celestia
Basing your plans on what happened in alternate timelines is very risky. And foolhardy. And actually no better than Cannon!Celestia's habit of pulling "plans" out of her flank and basing them on the delusion that "everything will work out".
Ah, so that's how it happened in this 'verse.
So ... NLR has better government systems, better monetary systems (or a superior lack thereof), no issues with dyed-in-the-wool criminals or even ponies who wander aimlessly through life, oh and vastly better technology. Equestria has ... better magic? Supposedly? Which we haven't seen the slightest sign of? And violent bigots, can't forget the violent bigots. And Discord's upcoming release -- which the NRL is already preparing to avoid entirely by moving to another star system.
Why exactly is the NLR bothering with Equestria (or the rest of the world) at all? Especially since they are already working on the plan to just dump everyone else and leave?
I can't wait to see the moment in which Luna tells them that they're leaving the star system.
Will Celestia loose her shit? Or not?
10811844
More like restoring the rightful monarchy, seeing as Sombra himself was an usurper (as implied in the show itself, where it's said he "took over" the Crystal Empire, and elaborated on in the comics where we saw him turn the former ruler to crystal and shatter her before declaring himself King).
Until next time...
Anon e Mouse Jr.
10811429
As in Clarke's Fountains of Paradise, yes.
10811844
Homie sombra literally enslaved the entire country after usurping the throne from the beloved ruler of the country, no sh1t she went off to use the elements on him, Luna did it too lol
10812193
they don't even have the resources to get to the surface of the planet without Lunas magic they're not leaving the star system anytime soon
10812174
When tf did it say they were leaving the star system? They can't even get to the surface of the planet without Luna teleporting them they aren't even close to interstellar travel, let alone the fuel needed, nor the engines to leave to another habitable planet would take generations to get to, there's not a chance the lunar Republic would be able to leave within a reasonable time frame at all.
10812174
Also , its stated they are bothering with equestria and everyone else because they have barely any natural resources because they only get resources from asteroids.
Huh, you know, if you're ever inclined to, I'd be VERY interested in reading up on that Storm King idea you just mentioned! It sounds like a FASCINATING story and I'm curious to how and why it could happen!! Please!!!!!
Oh, and this chapter was nice. Good to see the sisters getting along over SOMETHING at least.
10812459
If that is the case, I suggest you go take a look at Diplomatic-verse series
10812481
Really?! Then I shall!!
You know, I came across this new story (Seven of Six: The Long Night) which offered up a rather plausible way for you to potentially make either Sunset or Twilight into a SEVENTH Element! If you're interested, check it out!
10812316
10812236
True, but again, it really boils down to how much do you trust Celestia. Celestia in canon is the type of monarch who lives by the Chinese philosophy of, "History is what I say it is." destroying books and revising history into what is most convenient to her. She (Not in this story, but in the original timeline) remove all mention of Luna from history. Not only her fall, but all her achievements as well. All the laws she pushed, credit given to someone else. All the military victories she had, given to someone else. Then portrayed Luna as a cannibalistic boogieman that hunts and eats foals. Making sure that this version stuck by creating a holiday.
So lets talk about another thing removed from the history books, the Crystal empire. It all really boils down to, how much you trust Celestia. Personally I wouldn't trust her half as far as I could throw her.
Celestia just happens to have the rightful air of the crystal empire in her court. This rightful air just happens to be a Alicorn. This rightful air, just happens to be dating the head of Celestias military. Huh. Quite a coincidence when you think about it. Celestia has her most trusted military officer standing right next to the queen of a foreign country. You could successfully argue that with her sister gone, her head of military would be her second in command. So really both of these ponies were raised and indoctrinated with the plan of placing them in charge of a foreign power. Trained and guided by Celestia herself to ensure that their loyalty is to Equestria first.
Queen Amor wasn't an Alacorn, she was a crystal unicorn, much like Princess Platinum. The only history we do have of the empire was a handwritten account that just happens to have been written by either Celestia or her sister. Quite a coincidence. Had Amor been an Alicorn, then I would entertain the idea that Cadence might be her descendant. Might be. In my personal opinion, and my understanding of how our world works, the chances of Cadence being related to Amore at all is almost nil. Obvious pawn, groomed to be used as a leader of a puppet government. Most trusted military leader in place beside her, in case she turns against Equestria like Luna did.
My opinion, but fits my view of Celestia.
The Monk
“To say that Twilight Sparkle went bugfuck would be like saying the Incredible Hulk had some mild anger management issues.” -DustTraveller
10812536
The source of much of this backstory was not Celestia, but Sombra's own diary, where he described how he overthrew Princess Amore.
Celestia is flawed, but not evil. Not here.
Until next time...
Anon e Mouse Jr.
10812536
Thats not really true, despite what you may believe It most certainly makes more sense that Luna just faded out of existance from time, no one is gonna be immortalized for 1000 years without also being physically there by Celestia. Its never stated that Celestia was the one to audit the entire holiday of Nightmare Night. Also, that Crystal empire bit you brought up is entirely false. All the crystal ponies willingly accepted Cadance over Sombra because he was a usurper and enslaved the populous of the Crystal Empire, let it be known that the history of the Crystal Empire that we know of was entirely from the diary of Sombra. We also know he enslaved others as he immediately did it again after leaving his imprisonment in the alternate timelines from Starlight. Plus we all know Cadance has the cutie mark of the Crystal Heart, that basically marks her as the heir to the Empire, and lets be real who wouldnt want an immortal leader that you never have to worry about dieing of old age or going senile. Plus the alicorns basically get eternal experience with leadership, so who tf cares if they get a benevolent, immortal leader who literally represents the emotion of love over the Slave Tyrant? Also why do you act like luna is so innocent all the time? She has the exact same roles to play as Celestia does, and if we were counting canon she was going to commit a planetwide Genocide by making the planet uninhabitable. Not to mention she actively is worsening relations with Equestria by bickering with Celestia like their children.
10812807
Thank you for correcting me about the Diary being Sombras, I didn't know that.
As for Luna, don't think that I hold her on a pedestal either.
I was just taking the time to give my personal opinion on Celestia as I see her.
I don't want to hijack the comments from being about the story and onto the crystal empire. The point I was trying to make was that Celestia may be more malevolent than benevolent.
The Monk
“Winona let out a bark and immediately ran up to Armor and started licking his muzzle, tail wagging like she was promised cake if she did it enough.” -Snakeskin Ducttape
10812323 Actually, it was flat out stated in Chapter Three, here is the (most) pertinent quote:
(emphasis added).
As for resources, the same chapter has the Directors say that the Orion will be finished by the end of the month. It doesn't sound like they are having any problems finding resources to me, only building up a reserve ....
10812328 Oh, and unless Luna plans to leave Twilight (and whoever the other Element turns out to be) behind (possible, but unlikely), then she is deliberately stripping Equestria of defenses she knows (thanks to seeing all those alternate timelines) it will need to survive -- after parading Twilight in front of Celestia.
10812193 Considering that if the NLR leave and take Twilight (and the other Element) with them, Equestria is doomed? Yeah, I think Celestia will loose it when she finds out.
Were the mentions of a world where Celestia got together with her Equestria Girls counterpart to take care of Sunset a reference to another story?
10814437
Not yet...
(Although one of our other stories does have a mention of the human and equine Celestias from that pair of worlds having been together, albeit not on a permanent basis.)
Until next time...
Anon e Mouse Jr.
10812978
It is actually unclear in the canon world if the comics even count. Many of the back stories in the FIENDship is Magic series have proven to be false in the show canon, such as the Siren's backstory in FIENDship issue #3(proven false by Shadow Play in season 7) or selective, such as the brief mention of King Vorak by Discord in The Ending of the End (as seen in FIENDship issue #2). Going by this, Sombra's diary could very well be consider not canon in the show universe.
On a different note, I now want to know if Celestia has seen any universes where being manipulative didn't work out for her.
10818498
A key thing to remember is that some of our stories have noticeable deviations from cartoon canon and the expanded universe materials - we use what best fits the story. For instance, in our Diplomacy-verse fics, Sombra and Tirek have backstories based off of, but not identical to, the events portrayed in FIENDship is Magic (we've made no mention of Radiant Hope, for instance, and never suggested that Sombra had any trace of good in him). For another, in that series, the changeling species' origin is very different from the comics version, but certain events (the invasion of Trot, and their being imprisoned in a volcano) are still part of their history. Finally, in the Sirens' case, we generally ignore that issue entirely in favor of the cartoon's version, or at least use the cartoon story as a basis.
Then there's also the backstory of how this multiverse as a whole came to be, and how it ties into Nightmare Moon's origin. The show's implication, as of season 4, is that she fell all on her own; the comics had her unwittingly corrupt a race of dream-making creatures through her jealousy and bitterness, who in turn made her own fall even worse when they merged with her, and later tried to find a new host after being separated from her. Here, we always ignore the comics origin story in favor of one based on Lauren Faust's intention: that Luna's fall and Discord's later release were the result of an outside force. Our versions of Nightmare Moon are always the result of a possessing spirit, the Lord or Lady of Nightmares (whose power over dreams has the same origin as Luna's own), that had been generally evil and/or power-hungry before it ever met her. (Though not all of them across the multiverse are evil - the Lord of Nightmares in this story was apparently reasonable enough when Luna spoke to him, as mentioned in chapter 10, that she was able to avoid getting possessed.)
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: neither of the sisters is evil in this story. They are flawed: overly stubborn, each convinced they are right and the other is wrong. Each wishes to ensure that their ponies are safe, from Discord and other threats, And each has stated a desire that the other will have grown in maturity during their years apart so the other can now see things their way.
And that stubbornness and attitude issue is going to be a major plot point, until they can resolve their differences and come to work together once more.
Until next time...
Anon e Mouse Jr.
10818933
Makes sense. Although I don't believe I said either of the sisters were evil. It's just I've seen Celestia has a tendency to pull the strings a little bit to get what outcome she wants, as in the canon show with the return of the Crystal Empire, or in a couple other stories. She does come off as controlling, though her intentions aren't evil persay, they're actually for the benefit of her nation. She just has a tendency to forget that ponies don't like to be controlled.
was that a warning of some kind?
10812319
The NLR is planning something big and has been for longer that they have been planning relations with the Equus. They have been deliberately avoiding talking about a very important project (the one Twilight has been working on) to solve resource needs. I don't know about you but resources become far easier to obtain when you don't have to worry about hard vacuum. They implied at the beginning that they were leaving, it is just assumed that whatever potentially habitable planet they've located is in another star system. Also I'd argue that it is far more difficult to make a shuttle that can regularly travel between the planet and the moon than to make a massive one way colony ship that simply has to land on a planet. Regardless R&D is complete and construction is one month from completion on the Orion and research into single staged orbit craft doesn't appear to have even begun.
[Edit]
Unless of Course Orion is headed by Halsey in which case I have no idea what they are planning and Equestria should be very concerned.
10821733
Space elevators are much simpler, less fuel and the like. Plus there's tons that could happen if anything goes wrong with that colony ship, which is a guarantee. They have a very small populous in the lunar Republic so if anything went wrong like power issues and such they'd be done for.
10821760
That may be true but that still requires cooperation from the planet. Something that was not considered when Orion began and has only been on the table for the last few weeks.