Chapter 51: A Glimpse of Paradise
The moon rose on the eve of the longest day of the year, its surface still scarred by the visage of a demon who had consumed a lost princess over two centuries ago. The ancient spell’s chill ran down Princess Celestia’s spine, just as it did every night as she set her sister’s orb on its proper path. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was how Luna felt every time, or if the moon’s frozen bite was of the villain lashing out at her intrusive touch.
“Your majesty, we are ready to begin the festivities…” a long-forgotten farmer said warily as he approached.
“85,196,” Celestia counted to herself as the ice on her breath created an unseasonable mist in the warm summer air.
“What was that, your highness?”
“Nothing.” Her horn dimmed as she turned to face her faceless subject. “Shall we begin this year’s Summer Sun Celebration?”
“Well, of course your majesty, but it’s just…”
“Just what, my little pony?” she asked with a dispassionate smile.
“Well, it’s just that the longest day is tomorrow, right? Why’re you wanting to hold the festivities now instead of just waking up at the crack of dawn like we always do?”
“As you said. It’s the longest day. Why would I want to make all of you celebrate for so long in the heat of summer?” The princess held her hoof out, letting her fur rustle in the wind. “The coolness of an evening summer breeze is an unmatched pleasure. It’s much better to enjoy the evening and end with the sunrise than suffering such a gruelingly hot day, don’t you think?”
The farmer took his straw hat off and shuffled it around in his hooves by the brim. “Well… it’s just that… you know.” While the silhouette of the stallion bore no eyes, his gaze unmistakably was drawn over Princess Celestia’s shoulder to the nightmarish moon behind her.
The princess giggled to mask her acute anger. Then, she smiled with the serenity of Elysium. “Well, perhaps this change will be the first step in helping fix that.”
Princess Celestia sat down in a royal box in a massive concert hall in Canterlot. As she got comfortable, she raised the playbill of the evening to admire the cover. Two disparate lovers sat on the edge of a moonlit lake looking away from each other, their hooves reaching out to touch one another. Under them was the name of the opera she was here to see: Starlight Soliloquies.
“Oh, oh! There she is! It’s Princess Celestia!” a noble lady called out, but the princess paid her no mind. “I told you she would be here tonight.”
“I don’t believe it,” the flummoxed opera manager whispered back to her with dread. “She didn’t hold Day Court today. I was so certain she would come to one of the earlier showings!”
“She’s in attendance now. Is that a problem?” the lady asked.
“All of our leads are resting. She’s going to be suffering through a slew of understudies!” he bemoaned. “And with Proscenium still mixing up his verses half the time, this show is going to be a disaster! Why didn’t she announce her attendance earlier?”
“Who is to say? The sun moves as she wants, and she seems to favor going out at night.”
“But nopony wants to be out at night!”
“There’s nothing for it, my good stallion. Perhaps your prime showing should be moved to later?”
Their petty aristocratic debate continued, and the princess breathed a sigh of relief as the world became just a little more bearable. As the curtains rose, so too did she channel the icy spell to raise the moon. “156,251.”
The stage moon came into full view as the actors took their places upon the stage. Princess Celestia offered a light applause and smiled with the serenity of Elysium.
“Princess Celestia!” another blank stallion called out from afar.
The alicorn turned her head down as the pony caught up to her long stride down the hallway of her school for gifted unicorns. “What is it, Headmaster Wintershire?”
“I must speak with you urgently regarding this new magical proficiency test you’ve instated this year,” the stallion said as he caught his breath.
“The one for the magical kindergarteners?”
“Yes. I’ve been reviewing the tasks you’ve asked to be performed and, well—forgive me for speaking out of turn—they don’t seem fair, your highness.”
The princess raised an eyebrow as she stopped to give the stallion her full attention. “Oh my. What makes you say that?”
The vision of the headmaster sifted through his papers, looking for the right one. “You see, your highness, while the problems you’ve provided have varied solutions from all the various schools of magic, they are much easier to satisfy if the student’s natural inclination favors illusion, enchantment, and abjuration. Those showing promising talents in different schools will have a harder time placing.”
“This is a problem. I didn’t think it was so obviously weighted.”
“It’s not a glaring mistake. I almost missed it myself after analyzing the solutions, but the bias is definitely there if you know what you’re looking for,” the headmaster bragged.
“I see. And have you mentioned any of your findings to the other teachers?”
“Not yet. I wanted to bring it to your attention first before asking the faculty.” Wintershire bowed respectfully as he offered her a scroll. “These are some recommendations I’ve made if you wish to review them. In the meantime, we can still use the old tests.”
“Wonderful. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, headmaster.” Celestia picked up the scroll in her golden aura and sparked it with a flicker of sunlight, reducing it to cinders in an instant. “There. Administer the tests I designed.”
“P-Princess Celestia?” the headmaster stammered as his head followed the scattering remains.
“Equestria is in need of more ponies gifted with the focuses I’ve recommended. With more ponies growing more comfortable with staying out later, we will need better spells for illumination and protection in the future. Nopony should be afraid to explore the wonders of our world, day or night.”
Wintershire looked over his papers again and then back at the princess. “But the tests… they’re not fair.”
“No, they’re not. Is that a problem?”
The stallion stomped a hoof in objection. “Of course it is! You’re asking me to play favorites with our applicants on a whim!”
“Then I suggest you pretend that it isn’t,” Celestia stated warmly, but firmly. “It will only be for a time, I promise.”
“But it’s discrimination!” He let the word hang in the air, but was met with cold silence. Hearing no reply from the princess, Headmaster Wintershire sighed as he tucked his papers at his side. “Very well, your majesty. It will be done.” The stallion turned around and began to walk away.
“Oh, before you go.” Celestia stopped him with her wing and guided his gaze up to her face.
“Y-yes, Princess Celestia?”
“Just now, were you going to tell the other teachers about your findings?”
“No, your hig—”
“Verim loqui,” she whispered as a gust of primal arcane magic flowed into his mouth.
“What language was—yes, I needed to tell them not to use the weighted tests.” The stallion froze and covered his muzzle in shock.
Celestia smiled with the serenity of Elysium. “Thank you for your honesty. I will be sure to attend and see that our newest applicants are given the proper exams. For now, would you care to join me in watching the moonrise tonight as we discuss your replacement?”
The wing against the headmaster stiffened before he could make a break for it. He then nodded yes. “N-no. I’m scared,” he admitted weakly.
“There’s no need to fear, Wintershire. I’m sure field research in the Frozen North will suit you well.”
The princess lit her horn with the strength of the solar winds as she channeled for a teleport across the world. She folded the shivering stallion into her caring wings as she counted 292,388 in her head. Even if the moon’s face was still marred by that old villain, she was going to enjoy seeing it from Crystal Peaks Outpost. The icy air always made her sister’s sky shine so much brighter.
A prismatic explosion shattered the sound barrier and rocked the School for Gifted Unicorns with its powerful energy. The applicant trying to hatch the test phoenix egg began glowing with the unmistakable might of a magical surge. Before she lost complete control, Princess Celestia threw a shield up around the little filly to contain the worst of it, but she underestimated her raw power. She hadn’t felt such gifted strength in ages. It took layers upon layers of wards to maintain the hastily cast shield, but the filly showed no signs of slowing down.
In a desperate attempt to save the girl from overwhelming herself, Celestia ran to the nearest window and redirected the excessive magic force into a beam of pure energy. Her horn burned as she channeled it into the most massive arcane firework Canterlot had ever seen. It burst into a flash of lavender that rivaled the rainboom that had caused it in the first place. She made a note to apologize to the weather services for the disrupted cloud layer later.
The princess lowered her shield, expecting to find the worst underneath. To her surprise though, the little pony was still alive, only a little dizzy from the ordeal. Not only that, but a purple phoenix chick emerged from its shell. It’d been many moons since she’d seen a mage channel enough of their magic into one of Philomena’s eggs to change the chick’s natural plumage so deeply. The unicorn was so young too.
“Twilight!” her mother, Twilight Velvet, cried out as she rushed the platform to embrace her daughter.
“Are you alright, my little pony?” the princess asked Twilight.
Twilight’s eyes spun around trying to figure out which way was up. “Did I pass?”
Celestia giggled as she reached for the phoenix chick. “I’d say. And with flying colors,” she announced loud enough for the examiners to overhear. They nodded in agreement and began writing in their notepads. “You have a very special gift. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a unicorn with your—” her words died on her lips as she saw the filly’s familiar cutie mark appear at her flank: the symbol of the Element of Magic.
“Princess?” Twilight asked nervously.
“Twilight Sparkle? I would like to make you my own, personal protégé here at the school.”
“Huh?”
The princess tilted her head. “Well?”
“Yes!” the filly shouted as she jumped for joy.
Twilight’s parents joined in her excitement as they rushed around their daughter. Celestia nearly hopped in as well. Such a phenomenon couldn’t have been a coincidence. This was the first sign from Harmony that the ancient predictions weren’t wrong. The prophecies were all coming together, and soon the stars would aid in her sister’s escape. And, if Twilight’s cutie mark was an indication, she would play a pivotal role in saving Luna where Celestia had failed all those years ago.
Celestia subtly plucked a feather from the phoenix and summoned a book of her personal students. Passing by entry after entry, she found the next blank page and began to paint a circle using the feather’s fiery barbs. The book’s enchantment worked its magic, burning a hole in the center of the circle while Celestia copied the filly’s full name at the top. The phoenix’s right eye glowed with magic for a second as her enchanted tome finished burning a window onto the page. She clicked her tongue to grab the chick’s attention, and nodded in approval seeing it look up to her face through the lens in the book.
“One more thing, Twilight Sparkle,” the princess said as she closed her Personal Protégé Compendium.
“More?” Twilight asked in disbelief.
The princess turned to her new student and smiled with the serenity of Elysium. “What would you like to call your new phoenix familiar?”
The moon shone in all of its unblemished glory on the outskirts of the Badlands. It’d taken far longer than Princess Celestia would’ve liked to track down Chrysalis after she and her ilk had been blasted away from Canterlot. The little drones that had survived the newlyweds banishing spell had suffered enough, and hopefully learned their lesson. There was just the matter of dealing with their recovering queen.
Celestia gave one last look to make sure she hadn’t been followed when sneaking out of the hive. The coast was clear, so she dove towards a clearing and rolled the cocoon off her back and kicked it towards the ground below. It smashed into the dirt with a splattering impact, expelling the injured royal within. Chrysalis screamed from the violent wakeup call as she tumbled over sideways before a tree trunk brought her to a sudden stop. The weary changeling groaned in pain as she tried to get her bearings.
“Good evening, Chrysalis.”
The queen’s eyes shot open at the familiar chipper tone. “Y-you! How are you here?” She looked around at the forest’s edge that stopped just shy of the wasteland. “Wait, this isn’t the hive.”
“No, it’s not. You didn’t make it easy either. Luckily, most of your subjects are still trying to recover what’s left of your invasion forces. Retrieving you from your hive was easy enough to do without anyone noticing.”
“But my throne… nothing but changeling magic should work! The disabling barrier would’ve made picking you off mere nymphs play.”
“Throne?” Celestia tried to recall anything remotely chair-shaped in that place. “Oh! So that’s what that siphon-stone structure was supposed to be. Unfortunately, I couldn’t just leave it alone with all the harm it was doing to the local environment,” she explained, pointing towards the perfect circular edge where the grass fell to the desert. “The hive will just have to make due with the barrier gone.”
“G-gone?” Chrysalis balked. “How—”
Celestia’s horn sparkled with golden sunlight. “Siphon Stone, or Antimanacite, doesn’t completely negate magic. It only absorbs it when used. The stone still needs to dissipate the energy, and it’s not very efficient at cooling off when it comes to solar magic. Don’t worry though, I was able to erect a shield long before it exploded.”
“But…” The exhausted changeling struggled to keep up with the alicorn’s explanations. “What is even going on? You don’t look hurt in the slightest. I blasted your horn with everything that I had. You shouldn’t be able to walk around!”
“I will admit that you did fool me enough to gather an impressive amount of love. That was no small feat. I wonder though, was it cunning or coincidence that you attacked me when you did?” Celestia tapped the top of her pristine horn with her hoof. “I had to take the blow myself. Otherwise, defeating you might’ve resulted in too much collateral damage. Lulu would’ve been so upset.”
Chrysalis tilted her head. “Lulu?”
“Yes. My sister’s been looking forward to our niece’s wedding, despite having to keep watch from the anonymous tip you left to throw us off. Honestly, it is a small blessing that she was sleeping when you made your move.” Celestia smiled softly as her eyes flared briefly with a deep, ancient anger. “Had you struck her down, I assure you that we wouldn’t be speaking right now.”
The changeling shuddered from the brief change in the princess’ demeanor. She looked away, trying to blow off the unease. “Well, you found me. What do you want?”
The princess shook her head. “There’s nothing I need from you. I just wanted to offer you a chance to tell me your last words. Do you have any?”
“Last words? What do you mean last—” Chrysalis screamed as lashes of solar wind wrapped around her with searing light. She shivered with anger and pain and tried to control her breathing. “W-what do you think you’re doing? Let me go this instant!”
“My apologies, Chrysalis, but I can’t let a creature like you scuttle away. Not when I’ve worked so hard to bring perfect harmony to this world.” Celestia stood up, lifting her captive next to her as she escorted the queen to the border between the grassy plains and sandy wasteland. Another fiery flash sounded as Chrysalis tried to break free. “Don’t struggle against the binding. They only burn if you move. I don’t want you to pass out before the end.”
“The end?” The changeling’s eyes shrank as she finally understood the gravity of the situation as the edge of the wasteland drew closer. “Wait, no! Stop! Don’t I get a say in this? A trial at least?”
“You’re already guilty of attacking Equestria. I have the headache to prove it.” Celestia held the changeling over the dropoff into the desert. “And like so many villains to come before you, I don’t see a path of reformation given your proclivities. So, I will ask you again: do you have any last words?”
“Please! You can’t do this! I’m Queen of the Changelings!” the captive creature cried as she tried to wriggle her way out of the magic locking her in place. The scorching magic tightened around her body, squeezing her until she was immobilized as her eyes were forced to stare at the unwavering sun. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry! I promise, I won’t ever attack Equestria again!”
“Thank you so much for apologizing.” Celestia smiled upon the sinner with the serenity of Elysium. “Henceforth, I shall bear these final words in silence. Go now before me in both peace and harmony, Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings.”
With that, the princess shot a golden beam of purifying light into Chrysalis’ eyes as she begged for mercy. Her wails became brittle and hard as the petrification spell wormed its way through her body down to her silken tail. When the pest had finally solidified, the princess lobbed the fresh statue into the air. She whipped around and gathered every ounce of strength from both her body and the surrounding landscape into her hooves. As the pitiful statue fell behind her, Celestia unleashed her mountain-cleaving fury into a single buck.
The problem dealt with and her anger vented, Celestia took a calming breath as she watched the flakes of gray silt scatter in the wind. She gave one last scan of the horizon with a life detection spell to make sure nothing had witnessed Chrysalis’ judgment. The last thing the princess wanted to do was chase down loose ends when she had a wedding plan to readjust around her sister’s freer schedule.
The final vision collapsed, but the tranquil smile on Princess Celestia’s face never faltered. Fancy stepped back, his fur standing on end, finally seeing the taciturn warmth for what it truly was. Luna stared directly at its dominating glow. There were no words that crossed her lips, only tears that flowed freely along with the scales that were burned off her eyes. The oppressive light of her sister’s confession seared her soul with lifetimes of sins she bore in quiet serenity.
Celestia’s stillness faltered with gentle understanding. “I am so, so sorry, Luna. You were never meant to know any of this.”
“Sorry?” Luna muttered in disbelief. She subtly shook her head, not allowing her gaze to falter in the face of such calming terror. “No. You’re not sorry. You can’t be. Not after manipulating our little ponies for a millennium…” Luna trailed as she looked into her sister’s brilliant, pink eyes. “How have you not succumbed to darkness?”
“I would never. I did this to dispel the darkness forever. As long as we keep watch over chaos’ seal, nothing will ever come between us again,” Celestia assured.
“Because you purged everything in daylight! How is this not the realization of that loathsome utopia the worshipers of this forgotten temple sought to establish?”
“Because they wished to end the night forever! For me to slay you!” Celestia’s eyes flickered as she reaffixed her smile and calmed herself. “I would never do that! Not to you.” The princess reached her hoof out and shined sweetly upon her little sister. “I love you, Luna. I love you more than anypony. More than the world. More than Harmony itself.”
Luna retreated from the blistering malevolence extending its touch towards her. “This isn’t love… this is madness! Never in my wildest dreams would I think you were capable of such profanation.”
“I know. I do not expect forgiveness for what I have done. All I ask is that you now allow me to fix this.”
“Fix? What do you mean fix?” Luna yelled through desperate laughs. She wasn’t sure if it was from the insanity of it all or the sorrow crushing her from within. “There is no fixing centuries of tyranny! There is only stopping it before you can use up even more lives!”
“No, I can. I swear to you that I can. It’s possible if we act now.”
“Stop it! Stop lying to me!” Luna gripped her head as she fell back on her haunches. “What can even be done to begin repairing the damage you’ve done? What justice could you possibly serve as recompense for such heinous acts?”
Celestia closed her eyes. “I’m prepared to face whatever punishment you decide to enact, my beloved sister. Trapped within an eternal dream, petrification, beheading, whatever will make you happy.”
Luna flinched from the very thought. “There is no realm in this or any reality that I would take pleasure in taking your life! I still love you, sister! Despite the evil you have done, the terror you have inflicted, the lives you have taken, I still love you.”
Celestia smiled gently and closed her eyes. “As do I. I always have and I always will love you. no matter what. All I ask is that whatever you require of me, that we never be parted if I remain in this world. I could not bear it.”
“SILENCE!” Luna boomed as she stood against her sister in defiance. Nostrils flared as her gaze burned with righteous rage, but her knees quaked in the face of reality. “Silence. Be… be still. Do not speak. You have no right in making any requests of me. Not when I don’t know what to do!” Her breathing became uneven as grief overtook her and she began to weep. “Why, sister? Why have you done this? You knew it was wrong. You knew I would hate this! Why?”
The elder princess rushed in, wrapping her wings around her precious sister, holding her close as she cried. Celestia dried her sister’s tears with her feathers as Luna tried to push away, but the larger alicorn refused to let go. She kept the moon within her warming embrace as she kissed her forehead.
“I am weak, Luna,” Celestia admitted, smiling all the while for her beloved sister. “I failed you a thousand years ago because I loved myself too much. I was blinded by hubris until it was too late, and then I drowned my sorrows in the adoration of the ones who built this accursed place. Even still, I didn’t see what I had done until Glissando’s zealous cry forced me to destroy what my blind arrogance had created. I couldn’t let them turn against you again. I wouldn’t let the Nightmare return. Never again.”
“And now the world is a nightmare we cannot awake from.”
“No, no,” Celestia cooed as she lifted Luna’s head to meet her caring gaze. “I swear this was a mistake, Luna. Just wake me up and I will make all of this go away.”
Luna sucked in her lips as her resolve weakened to her sister’s siren song. “How? Suppress my memory like you did centuries ago?”
“Never. You would never fall for such a clumsy illusion for long anyway.” Celestia stroked her sister’s mane, trying to calm her down. “Just tell me where you found that record and I'll make this all go away.”
Luna’s tears dried as she realized what Celestia was asking her to do. “Traveler’s Remembrance…”
“Yes. All you have to do is tell me where to find that troublesome record and I will destroy it as it should have been all those years ago. Allow me to bear the terrible weight of this sin in silence.” She pulled the smaller princess under her chin as she smiled serenely. “I swear upon the sun, moon, and stars above, you will never find this out again.”
Princess Luna’s eyes dried as she pulled back from her sister’s wings. Her horn lit with magic as she teleported away from the eclipsing sun. “You expect me to just forget this? To let you walk away? To allow your sins to go unpunished?”
“No. Not if you don’t want me to. You may deliver your judgment to me now and I will do my best to carry it out myself. And once this silly summit is over and you’ve fully resumed your place at my side, we can finally rule together. Or, if you prefer, you can go explore your wondrous world while I watch over Equestria. Whatever you want to do.” Her gaze flickered over to her most capable envoy. “I just happen to know the perfect guide for your travels. Isn’t that right, Fancy Pants?”
Fancy blinked in confusion at the sudden attention. “I beg your pardon?”
“Again with the questions. It was your business to know my desires before I had them for over fifteen years. How are you so dense?” Celestia’s angelic laugh made Fancy’s fur stand on end as she brought a hoof to her forehead. “Honestly, I’m really disappointed. You’ve been on dates and gone to her room multiple times. And then I find out from Cadance that there’s not even a spark of romance between you? From either of you? I know they say I’m as patient as the day is long, but even I have my limits.”
Luna’s breathing increased rapidly as she began connecting dots in her head. “Those rumors, constantly cropping up around the castle… It was you. Of course it was you. How could it not be you?”
“I won’t apologize for trying, but I will if I misread any shifts in your preferences. If it’s not a stallion you favor, I’m certain any or all of the Element Bearers would love to have you. There is also a former student of mine if you want a bit of a bad girl, but I’m afraid arranging a blind date will be difficult. She fled through Starswirl’s mirror portal when she traced the scrying spell on her familiar.”
“They’re ponies with free will, not dishes to be sampled on a whim!” Luna rebuked, cutting her sister off before she could utter another word. “By the stars, I’m still finding myself after my return. So much has changed, both in the world and in myself. It may be years before I can trust myself enough to share a lifetime with another.”
“And that is fine. Those will pass in due course, Luna. The Elements saved you from her clutches. However, that does not excuse you, Fancy Pants.” Her smile never faltered, but her eyes burned with a thinly veiled wrath as she turned to him. “The time you’ve spent together should’ve been more than enough for there to be at least something. Still, you feel absolutely nothing for her?”
“But I do care for her, your highness. It’s simply that she’s a princess—”
“And you’re a noble!” Celestia argued as she stood taller. Her mask cracked as she drew her smile slightly too taut. “Not just any noble, but the noble of nobles. The Kingmaker of Canterlot. Respected, well-traveled and versed in multiple languages, handsome, uniquely talented, honest, loyal, kind, filled with laughter, and generous to a fault. You turned out to be better than I could’ve ever imagined, practically sent by Harmony itself right when my sister was set to return! You are perfect in every conceivable way! I made sure of that!”
The solar princess stomped her hooves in explosive fury as the cathedral began burning once more under her solar flaring. “SO WHY DON’T YOU LOVE HER?”
Luna dove into Fancy Pants, sweeping him across the room to safety, away from her sister’s wrath. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m…” Fancy trailed as he tried to find his courage. He could feel Luna’s tremble in her desperate grasp. “I’m fine, your highness. But what about you?”
Luna shook her head as she clutched onto Fancy. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry you were caught up in this. I’m sorry for… I’m sorry!”
Fancy hugged the princess back, shielding her from the sun’s burning rays. The envoy looked towards Celestia and held firm as he stood up. This needed to end. He couldn’t allow Luna to keep fighting on her own.
“Your majesty, is this what you truly wanted?” he asked as he stepped forward.
“Of course not, Fancy Pants. I’m sorry that I lost my temper, but we wouldn’t even be in this situation had you not so hastily spilled your tea on my book.” The princess stepped forward, standing at her full height against him as she hardened her gaze. “I trusted you with her, I tasked you with her safety in this foreign world. You were my most Noble friend, and yet you betrayed me.”
“You once said that a true Noble One was somepony who carried the legacy of friendship through their lineages,” Fancy remarked, refusing to yield any ground. “How can you say you were truly a friend of my mother after you so blatantly abused her trust in you? How can I be a Noble One if your friendship was built on a lie?”
“That was not a lie. I loved your mother,” she answered evenly, despite the twitch in her eye.
“You certainly had a strange way of expressing it,” he spat in disgust.
“How dare you!” she shouted as her mask cracked further under the pressure. “You saw the memories! I wanted to tell her that I loved her. I wish I could’ve told her the truth. But it would’ve jeopardized everything I’d worked for!”
“I’ve seen what your work does. Just look around us!” Fancy pointed his hoof at the grand cathedral serving as the most splendid funeral pyre the world had ever seen. “How many more were there like Summers? Any one of them could’ve loved you like she did! I bet we could fill this room with the sheer number of ponies who would’ve gladly shared their lives with you. Was sacrificing all of them worth it?”
“A thousand fleeting lifetimes for an eternal one? Without question,” Celestia answered as plain as day. “You come and go like waves on a beach. Even if I feel relief for a moment as you wash over me, the water always recedes, and I’m left alone upon the burning sand once more.”
Fancy glared at his friend in disappointment. “So, our lives are only valuable for the comfort they provide you?”
“Do not twist my words!” the princess roared as her mask shattered into pieces. The light of the sun glowed hot with indignation. “If I did not love you, I would not bother ensuring the sun rose every morning to bring life to this world. It was my overindulgence that brought the Nightmare about! You had all the love to give to me, and I greedily took it all for myself!”
“No. You’re wrong, Celestia,” Luna corrected as she looked up from her despair. “That is not what happened.”
Celestia stopped her tirade and turned to her sister. “What are you talking about? I was obsessed with the attention. I shined so brightly that nopony could see you. I failed to share their love and mine. I failed to save you as the Elements took you away for a thousand years.”
“Neigh. You belittle my involvement in this sordid affair. I still became—”
“You became trapped in the moon because of me!” Celestia argued.
“You can erase the memories of those awful events, but you cannot change what happened.” Luna stood to her hooves and wiped her tears so she could gaze clearly at her beloved sibling. “I know what I did. I remember it clearly. Why do you insist on taking it all upon yourself?”
“Because it was all my fault! Don’t you see? I didn’t love you enough. I only loved myself. I betrayed you!”
Luna shook her head. “And your memories betray you. A thousand years was naught but a blink of an eye for me. I became jealous—”
“Because I—”
“CEASE YOUR PRATTLING AT ONCE!” Luna royally commanded her sister, the force of her voice collapsing another section of the fracturing wall. “This world doesn’t revolve around you!” The princess fumed quietly for a moment, but then caught herself as something flashed across her face. “But you think it does, don’t you? Why else would you play goddess with fate?”
“I had to. I couldn’t let anything drive us apart again. I just wanted you to be happy.”
“Happy with you,” Luna remarked as the gears began turning in her head. “Not jealous of you. It always was, and still is about you. You say you made this world for me, but if that was true, then you would have submitted to night eternal long ago!”
“No! I’d never forsake you to that evil! I-I just wanted you to come home and be happy again. I love you,” Celestia offered weakly.
“I know you do, but you also want me to love you.” Luna took a long, hard look at her sister, who was slowly cracking under the pressure. “You’re scared that I won’t. You… you fear that more than you actually love me.”
Princess Celestia’s eyes bulged as the words crossed her ears. She shook her head on instinct, but her shivering told a different story.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” Luna said as she stepped forward in deepening concern. “It’s the only reason you’d go so far. You’re absolutely terrified of the idea.”
The retreating sun opened her mouth to deny it, but she couldn’t force her lungs to breathe. She desperately tried to cauterize her wounded mask, to reset control of herself, to become the steady sun once more, but she could no longer hide. Her hoof touched the side of her head, feeling her visage locked in panic. “I’m scared?”
“I see it now. You’re frightened. Just like I was jealous. You let that festering fear control you, consume you, and drive you to this.” Luna’s face fell with grim understanding. “You could never become a Nightmare because I already made your life a living one, every day for a thousand years.”
“No, don’t be silly, Lulu. You did nothing wrong.” Celestia shook her head as she plastered on a fragile smile. “Just allow me to wake up and pluck that record from the past. I promise that you’ll never discover this again. I can do this.”
Luna smiled sadly. “I know you can. You’d keep this from me for all eternity, letting it fold within the annals of history as time erased any trace of your abuse outside of your memory. However…
“I SHALL NEVER ALLOW IT!”
Princess Luna flared her wings out as darkness swirled around her. “I see through your dwindling light, sister. You put on a brave face as you walk this world in denial of the truth, but the guilt is crushing the sunlight within you. I know it well, for it is the same one that I’ve lived with since my return to this world.”
“Denial? No. I’m not denying anything.” Celestia struggled to put herself back together, but her mask crumbled again when she saw the encroaching shadows. “You were judged by Harmony upon your return and found blameless. You have no reason to feel guilty for what happened.”
“That is what you wish for, but that is not how things are, or ever were.” The Princess of the Night continued her slow march towards her sister. With each step, her body lurched higher as blackness consumed her fur. “For you to face your sins, you must first accept mine.”
The last vestiges of her front collapsed as she backed away from the advancing moon. “No, Luna. Stop. You’re mistaken. She wasn’t you. You’d never hate me. I stole that light from you. It was my fault!”
“Even before we ascended, I was always jealous of your superior grace, your beauty.” Her nebulous mane flared out with stellar power as her pupils narrowed with predatory intent. “And when we became Celestia and Luna, Harmony had the audacity to grant you greater magical strength as well. You grew in greater power and beauty under the favored day while I faded into the darkness of night!”
“Stop it. Please. No more!”
“I hated you,” Luna said as her voice became sharper and colder. “I slowly turned my back on Harmony as loneliness and envy festered within my soul,” the ancient demon proclaimed as her mouth sharpened and she donned a mythril helmet. “I was the one who devoured our subjects for magic to match yours. It was I who wished upon the stars for a chance to murder you in cold blood!”
“Et tacet!” Celestia hopelessly commanded, but the magic fell on deaf ears within the Dreamscape. “Et tacet!”
“It was me, dear sister!” Nightmare Moon cried out, her monstrous presence stained with deep sorrow and shame. “It was always me.” The ancient villain bowed her head. “I’m so sorry that I hurt you. I love you, Tia. Even after all you’ve done. I love you so much.”
“Get away from me!” Celestia crumpled to the floor, her majesty fading as the years weighed upon her shoulders. “Nightmare Moon hated me, and… and I hate her for taking you—for stealing my sister away from me!” The streaks of green and blue retreated from her mane as her alabaster coat lost its brilliant luster. Finally, her broken wing fell open at her side, the enfeebled limb’s feathers blowing away, leaving behind a threadbare appendage.
With pity in her eyes, Nightmare Moon stepped forward towards her withered sister. Celestia tried to crawl away, but her brittle hooves skidded uselessly against the stone floor. “I used to dream of this moment. I would savor watching you helplessly flee before I slaughtered you. I am so sorry I ever entertained such darkness.” Nightmare Moon stretched out her obsidian wings and drew closer to the eclipsing sun. “Deny the truth no longer. Please, sister. I cannot stand to see you suffering like this.”
“Then let me wake up!” Celestia begged as the shadows licked her scattered feathers. “Let me fix this so you never see it again!”
Nightmare Moon shook her head and knelt before her sister. “We were meant to rule together, to bear the weight of the heavens in harmony. So too must we bear the yoke of our immortal sins upon our withers. I solemnly swear this to you: I shall never leave your side again, my beloved Celestia. We shall care for each other, sharing in sisterly love forevermore and beyond, even after time itself has reached its end.”
“No! No, please! Let me wake up!” Celestia wept bitterly into her sister's raven chest, screaming for relief as the black swan’s wings folded around her. “Wake me up!”
The cathedral’s fires flared even larger, trying to set the stone platform below them ablaze to free Celestia from her worst nightmare. Fancy looked around for safer ground, but there was nowhere to go. The dreamscape burned so intensely, he swore he could almost feel the heat boiling the air. He fruitlessly reminded himself it was just a dream as he ducked down lower to the floor to avoid the billowing smoke. He watched with worry as the black pillars rose skyward towards the sun.
And the sun stared back at him.
“Luna!” Fancy yelled as he pointed up to the sunlit iris engulfing the sky. “Above us!”
The Nightmare scattered into black mist, leaving Princess Luna behind in its wake. She turned away from her sister and looked up to see another sun turn its gaze towards her, enveloped in a blazing sky that stretched across the horizon. Luna quickly lifted her sister’s tear-streaked face and looked into her mournful, pink eyes.
“If this is not a Nightmare, then this must be…” Luna looked back up at the sun and gasped with recognition. “You said that this was a cursed recurring dream. A punishment for tearing out the memories of our subjects whilst they slept. Why did I believe you?”
“I was too weak, Luna.” Celestia’s head fell forward against her sister’s neck. “My resolve was faltering. I needed to remind myself.”
“So you created a tantabus?”
The entire sky roared with deafening, magical fury that shook the world. Meteors began to rain from the sky, bursting upon the ground with apocalyptic fury. The sun retreated away, revealing a second as it pulled its face away from Equestria. It reared back and crashed one of its hooves into the backside of the moon, breaking the heavenly body apart like a mere dirt clod. Fancy’s mind nearly shattered trying to fathom the enormity of the creature blotting out the stars.
Through his descent into madness, a beam of light blasted him between the eyes, along with a command from Princess Luna.
“DESTROY THE BOOK!”
Fancy shot awake from the nightmare and looked around. Princess Celestia had collapsed onto the table, but Luna was nowhere to be found.
“Dear heavens! Is she actually in there with that thing?”
He rushed to Celestia’s side and found the soggy book under her sleeping forelegs. He tried to grab it with his magic, but his aura was already occupied with searching for his crystal. He carefully took the tea-soaked tome out from under her and threw it in the fireplace. He stoked the fire until the spell in question was burned beyond recognition for good measure.
With the forbidden spell book dealt with, Fancy needed to get Luna out of that nightmare. He reached for his unfinished cup of tea and whispered a soft apology before splashed it into Princess Celestia’s face. However, nothing happened.
“Wake up, your majesty!” Fancy yelled into the princess’ ear. It flicked slightly, but it wasn’t enough to overpower the magically induced slumber. Looking around, he spotted the record player still spinning in silence, with the occasional pop of the needle. “That could work.”
Taking a page from the Festival of Flakes, Fancy cranked up the volume as high as it would go and set the disk to reset itself. He then covered his head with the cushion and waited for the broken record to do its duty.
SCREEEECH!
The old speaker wailed with the shrieks of the damned, sending Princess Celestia skyward in terror. Her sudden ascent stopped as quickly as it started as the back of her head collided with the ceiling. She bounced back down to the ground and turned the player off.
“What in heaven’s name was that for…?” Celestia’s voice fell away as she remembered the answer. “The book!”
Fancy kept his mouth shut as the princess teleported to the side of the table, searching high and low for her precious tome. The fireplace popped with the fresh kindling, whipping her attention around just in time to see the last of the pages turn to ash. Celestia’s magic reached into the fire to pull it out, only to recover the scorched remains of a hardback cover. The conquered princess’ knees buckled as she toppled to the floor.
After another moment, a mote of starlight shined into existence and flared with lunar light. Princess Luna sailed out of the exploding starburst towards the ground on her back, covered in soot and smoldering wood. She bounced across the floor and collided with the wall, groaning in pain as she flopped onto her side.
“Luna!” Princess Celestia cried. She abandoned the useless remains and teleported to her beloved sister. “Luna, are you okay? Luna!”
The smaller princess groaned as she coughed up some debris. She glared at her sister with pity and righteous indignation. “By the power granted to me by Harmony itself, I hereby strip you, Celestia, of your title and duties as a Princess of Equestria and Keeper of the Sun, effective immediately.”
“But sister, you have only just returned. You’re not ready for—”
“This is not a request,” Luna wheezed through a hacked cough. “If my lungs were not filled with ash, I would be issuing this decree with the Royal Canterlot Voice. Do you understand me?”
Celestia closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes, your highness.”
“You shall be relieved of all duties until you have served penance for imposing your will upon the fates of others and I deem you capable of ruling once more, if ever such a day comes. For now, I must ask you to relinquish your power willingly to me immediately.”
A palpable silence fell over the room as the waning moon looked upon the all-powerful sun.
“Please, Tia,” Luna begged with a weak croak. “I cannot fight you. Not again.”
Celestia sucked her lips in as she gazed lovingly at her precious sister, tears welling up in her eyes. She channeled her magic as she leaned down and kissed her sister’s forehead. The morning light faded from her aetherial mane as it flopped down in strands of pink. The luster of her right wing withered with the chaotic wound flaring back. Its creeping black and purple veins webbed through the unfurled limb hanging lifelessly to her side.
As the fallen princess broke her kiss, her soft smile returned with the serenity of Elysium. “Anything for you, Lulu.”
If you find a simple mistake in the GSP (Grammar, Spelling, or Punctuation), please let me know through a private message rather than leaving it in the comment section. Thank you for reading!
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Whaaaaaaaat the hell.
Yup, did not see any of that coming.
11622587
That's the issue of one character doing their best to hide something. I hinted at this as hard as I could anytime the opportunity presented itself starting all the way back in chapter 4, but there's only so many hints somepony like her will drop.
Everyone guessed the who, but no one knew the why.
Okay, Now the Alternate Universe Tag makes sense. I was wondering when it would come up.
Luna needs to bring in Twilight and Cadance and let them know what happened yesterday. If she tries to go forward by herself without the other Princesses the general public will assume this is a coup or something worse.
11622632
It's why this story is a sequel to Gloria Celestia.
O wow
at least we now know what happened to summers...on the other hand i now have so many more
Thank you so much for not spacing out these 3 chapters
11622668
I really, really tried to get it into one, but 10K self-imposed word limit was too brutal. So, I ignored my inclination to try to be brief and went all-in. This is the first time I've put so much unexpected head canon into a fic at once.
And you're welcome. Delays between these would be torture and I wanted to get this out all at once anyway in one chapter. So, instead of punishing the readers with waiting, I punished myself with writing. I hope you enjoyed it. I know it was really rough on the folks helping me out, so kudos to Jymbroni, Alchemik, and AP.
This, this is why Luna my favorite, since she understands what free will and what celestia is wrong.
Plus yeah, I though celestia was sketchy and didn’t trust her and I was right.
11622636
A sequel? What sequel?
11622621
I did. Well the part where she wanted control over everything.
Also if there a sequel perhaps a human can assist the princess hmm?
Hint hint?
11622671
Good call. I'm glad my hints didn't go unnoticed.
11622672
I don't have any sequel announcements ready. This is a sequel to Forbidden Melodies and Gloria Celestia.
11622673
Edit: Oh, I misread that and my earlier response probably came off harsh.
PSA: Don't rush to answer comments in-between classes.
Brava, truly brava, and thanks for the triple threat. I have so many emotions right now and have no place to put them!
Ooooh, this is a curve. I suspected Sunny was Celestia, but there is so much more. It hadn't quite been clear to me how much of an alternate universe this was until now. Does Spike even exist here? And are Celestia’s denied feelings and self recriminations turning into a Nightmare in her psyche?
I'd say the story was taking a hard turn and changing completely, but I think Celly+Summers is too well mirrored in Fancy+Vinyl. A worst case outcome but the same root problem as one won't allow themselves to love anyone but *the one*. So much so that even when Luna returned Celestia couldn't enjoy it, stuck in the mental ruts of endless perfecting things for her sister. Her idea of her sister. Will Fancy realize the parallel though?
Goddamn, Celestia is in dire need of a psychiatrist.
11622953
Mr. Editor here! There was originally going to be a bit in Chapter 48 after Cadance said "Besides, the crystal ponies love Equestria so much!” where she mentioned Twilight's phoenix — whose name sadly escapes me at the moment — was getting a statue made of her after having fulfilled Spike's canon role as the Empire's "Brave and Glorious" savior, but it got cut after Rego decided to reveal it here instead (possibly in part because I admittedly somewhat-biasedly opined that it called too much attention to itself amongst the buildup to that chapter's big reveals). Best to drop it alongside all its fellow bombshells, I reckoned.
So yeah, while the baby phoenix helps Tia keep tabs on Twilight, Spike's fate/existence is still up in the air. In the meantime, let the Word of Saint Paul proclaim that he's doing okay. Another dragon family took him after he went unclaimed through hatching season, and he and his two adoptive elder siblings spend their days lava-surfing and throwing secret tea-biscuit-and-poetry parties, all while he regales them with eyeroll-inducing assertions that he's supposed to be destined for bravery and glory. (That is, until the day a recently orphaned, anxiety-ridden changeling looking for a better way of life stumbles upon them, but that's a 400K-word adventure for another time.)
…All that being said, Rego could always overrule me and say Gustave le Grande made an omelette out of him. It's his call, not mine. :P
theres a little demon inside of me thats like "but she had good intentions 🥺💔" even though celestia fumbled for a milenmia straight... anyways these chapters have been amazing <3
11622953
This was always part of the plan, just the execution was in limbo. What wasn't the plan was this taking three gosh dang chapters to do finish this part. I'll go into details about what went into it when the fic is done. Always wanted folks to know the who so they could focus on the why.
As far as Spike? I thought it's pretty clear. No dragon egg means no Spike. Even if there is a dragon hatched out there from that egg, he's not Spike. Wasn't raised by ponies. Feel free to head canon whatever you want for the fate of the egg, but Spike the Dragon doesn't exist in this AU. Yay!
11622963
As promised, yes. It was Vinyl and Celestia. They're the two I consider in need of therapy if asked.
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Aww... you're so nice to the Spike fans.
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Good. That's what I was going for. Though to say it was a "fumble" is too nice. It's a balance I strived to find because I want folks to be able to understand and/or feel pity for her while not excusing her actions if the so choose. Silent Princess Celestia is still a monster, just one we wish wasn't.
Glad you're enjoying the fic!
Glad as heck to see everyone's enjoying the twists, turns, and burns!
Didn't find an excuse to say it earlier, but I really enjoyed the payoff for the "serenity of Elysium" motif. Leaves me wondering how many times I let the phrase pass me by without another thought; it's very "Would you kindly?"-esque in that regard, just off the top of my head, and I mean that in the best sense of the word. Inherent investment bias aside, it was a lot of fun to see all the entailed buildup come to a head… especially considering some of the plot points I've been privy to. Kudos! :)
As a random final thought before I get into the replies: I went to a 20th anniversary screening of Tommy Wiseau's The Room last night, and if I'm recalling the timing correctly, this Triumvirate of chapters was posted around the point in the movie where this happened:
It might just be a disproportionate yearning for cosmic coincidences talking, but there's a way to connect this to the plot somehow, I just know it.
P.P.S. "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?" of all episodes is apparently airing on Discovery Family as I type this out. Good timin', huh?
11622587
11622953
Hoping it was the good kind of surprise/curve!
11622963
Quick, is anyone here a
doctordual citizen of the Owl House fandom!?11622991
Dramatic depiction of these tragic events (EDIT: evidently, the No-Fun-League doesn't like having their videos embedded. "Everybody betray me!"):
(The Earnest Byner and/or Mark Sanchez fumbles would also suffice. We've got a millennia to fill, after all!)
11622992
Well if nurture is so important then Twilight probably has some pretty significant changes to her own character. Helping raise him as a little brother had to be a big deal in shaping the pony she became. Likewise without Spike her dynamic with the other girls is probably different too.
These chapters were absolutely amazing, I've loved the world building you've created in this story that helps it that much more engaging and this is wonderful meshing of characters and backstory lore stuff. It's awesome.
11623256
It was something I really enjoyed as well. It honestly didn't start out as that, but then I thought of where the serenity of Elysium was. It's a restful smile of perfect peace, but only after one is already dead.
Here's a game. Find the comments where I am responding to others as Silent Princess Celestia.
Also, "Only in My Memories" is a fun revisit now.
That went from rom-com to doomsday REAL FAST.
Anything for Lulu? No. Even now, you're still at the center of everything. You've put yourself there, and you refuse to leave. You are the lynchpin on which everything now hangs, and for what? To have sister back? No, to have your doll back. Every piece of the last thousand years makes up the picture it does because baby's bottle wasn't warm enough.
There's an ironic poetry to it, you know? For a millennium, your sister's love was the only thing that you wanted, and now that the deck is empty, it is the only thing that you have.
Sic semper tyrannis.
11623736
Biting and accurate words. Some have pitied her, others want to burn her. Just hope that fans of her canon appearance don't find this intollerable to the point or rage. There's a reason I never added this to any Celestia is Best Pony group.
Also. does this affect your image theory from this post? 11555817
Wow, now we had explosion of long-built tension... Let's see if the other tensions will also explode or if it will be more peaceful. I am looking forward to that, but now I need some time to process what happened. And this was a doozy. Thank you for tackling these emotions.
11623743
It does, but only in so far as it means that Summers wasn't a prophet; the song wasn't about Eclair and the image in question was a coincidence, not a clue.
I suppose there's nothing now but to wait. But hey! If nothing else, Fancy has probably had his fill of "optimal" for a good while. After all, 1,000 years of optimization gets him to the finish line a day late and a dollar short. Time to take a risk, old boy.
11623917
Yeah. Didn't want to spoil the fun, but like, 100% guarantee here I'm not doing some kind of ARG hunt for clues thing. The image was literally "I like what I wrote here and no one is going to do fan art of it. I want to see what it'd look like from an artist's perspective. Here's $$$, Doodle Mark."
I do appreciate the idea that you think I'm smart enough to do that though.
11623743
Not "canon" (and especially not "rage"), but not gonna lie, I enjoy some good old fashioned Tia "I failed Luna" angst every now and then, so to see it recontextualized as coming from such a self-centered place is, uh… ouch. The good kind of "ouch", rest assured!
Common conjecture is that watching Walk Hard makes it impossible to take 99% of musical biopics at face value. Shoot, is this gonna be analogous?
That line. That fucking line. That's the summation of Celestia's post Nightmare existence.
11623927
You are definitely further beyond "Ugga bugga" than I am.
well ok i did not see that coming.
From an objective POV this is still absolutely stunning.
But I really can't get into it. Time to see if I enjoy the next chapter more.
After reading these three chapters, I simply sat my phone down and stared off into space for 15 minutes to digest what I read.
This is wonderful, I am thoroughly perturbed and yet keen to know more.
The author suggested I posted my proposal for a sequel here to allow the other readers discuss the idea.
Concept for a sequel named "Nowhere Mare".
Princess Luna would choose Banishment/Exile until such time Luna feels Sunny Skies has served out her penance and deem worthy to rule again. Only then her alicorn magic will be returned to her. Until then she is stripped of the name Celestia. Perhaps as an irony declaring the screech was caused when Celestia collapsed from a sudden stroke and passed on. Having a closed casket state funeral for the the mare that gave her life to building a better Equestria. There can always be given if Celestia is allowed to return that the funeral was a cover story for her languishing in a coma all those years.
It be effectively as close to the execution option thaf Rego didn’t go with that Luna can choose and still feel she hasn’t fully bloodied her hooves a have a relatively clean conscious. Since it really a two fold punishment, denying Sunny her original fate of ruling and also forcing to face being without her sister. It also give Sunny time to reflect on what she did wrong and maybe a chance to be less self centric.
To drive the point home Sunny would be escorted as the nameless mare to one of the port cities to be escorted aboard a departing ship. Being deported for her banishment the destination selected at random from the departing ships heading to non-Equestrian port of call. Neither Princess Luna or Starry Midnight seeing her off or again once the final punishment is declared. Also so Luna doesn’t lose the courage to send her sister away. The next morning articles in the various papers detailing the banishment of the “Nowhere Mare” stripped of name and any titles for REDACTED crimes against Pony Kind. The paper carrying photos of the nameless mare to let citizen know to report any return of the mare and to avoid her travelling abroad.
The entire story revolve around Sunny’s departure from Canterlot under guard and boarding the ship not knowing where she bound for. Then her travels always on the move looking for work and foraging for food on the road. Meeting interesting non-ponies and learning to cope with her ongoing nightmare of her sister despising her. Especially if the tantabus was not removed and especially if Luna solution as a safe guard against the tantabus escaping is To prevent Sunny from remembering any living ponies when she dreams, and as a bit of earn punishment having her suffer bouts of losing herself and memories just as Summer did toward the end of her life. Maybe it allow Sunny to better reflect on what Summer went through when she left her.
Sunny travelling alone with nothing other then the bare minimums exiles are allowed when exiled. Maybe some bits, travel cloak and saddle bags, some iron rations, and of course a few slings for her lame wing. Maybe a trinket of no physical value to remind her who and what she lost. A nowhere mare because she lacks citizenship in any state having been stripped of her rights for her crimes.
A sad tale of a nowhere mare making plans for no pony in a nowhere land.
11623956
I'm a few steps above Captain Caveman.
11624017
Don't worry. I posted all of this at the same time for a reason. Ripping this band-aid off.
11624227
My goal is to always make my reader feel something, so I'm very glad to hear it. I hope you continue to enjoy it as it develops.
11624509
... I said you could discuss your theories better here because I can't talk about such things being the author. My theories are just the story. But okay? I endorse the enthusiasm.
11624518
Ok, but can you do the yell?
11624524
... I don't know. And I'm too scared to try because I'd get strange looks at work. Therefore, I cannot best him due to shame.
derpicdn.net/img/2017/5/20/1441238/medium.gif
11623743
Eh, her canon mask was slipping. A bit of strong-headed self-love sneaks out in show here and there. One can say that it's authors screw up at writing, but let us leave the third wall intact, okay?
Some factual divergences from canon in story were jarring, but otherwise... when Tia laughted at Twilight's angst... that was very self-centered move, believing that laugh would not cause anger. Tbh, I would not try that even with my partner. Or when she tests Twi's patience... that totally looks staged, pardon the pun.
There also the elephant in the room that never gets answered in stories where one of the two sisters ends up being punished by relinquishing or otherwise losing their Alicorn powers. Does this make Sunny Skies and mortal Pegasus again? If it does what would a an elderly pony becoming a Alicorn look, since all the Alicorn in the story ascended as a young adult or younger and then seem to stop aging at the peak. Even if becoming a Alicorn makes the form youthful again does that mean exposing her core true self again will result in her being elderly and frail?
Hmm. Well, I am certainly taken by surprise.
I confess, I'm a little disappointed to discover 360,000 words in that this has shades of "Tyrant Celestia"; I'm not usually one for the whole "Arch manipulator Celestia" vibe, at least not to the extent that she can be said to usurp the will and choices of others. It's not an interpretation of her character I find appealing. Having Celestia so overtly dismiss the lives the mortals for her own gain just seems so antithetical to the character, at least as I tend to enjoy her.
On the other hand, I've been enjoying this story for a long time now, and am not about to stop reading it; maybe this will be the one to convert me?
Celestia has gone Crazy in this universe while her sister was in exile. will twilight ascend into a alicorn in this AU and will discord be reformed as well?
11622992
Sorry, Spike, you're involved with this one.
*pulls out the road map*
*studies the current landscape; confirms we're at the corner where Celly Dr. dead-ends into Luna Blvd.*
*Looks back where we started; way over there at Vinyl's Place next to Screech Alley*
*traces path from there to here*
*flips map over to see where we're going; it's blank*
*set fire to the map*
I give up, where the hell are going next? This is been one hell of a journey so far. And why do I feel that Octavia's suddenly sprouted a massive migraine?
11641752
As I always say, if I don't need to write Spike, I'll always opt out where I can. If I get to make the AU have a great enough depature from the canon show, well... give me that Infinity Gauntlet.
11641761
twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Shepard-Gamestop.jpg?fit=1200%2C662
I'm Rego, and this is my favorite comment on Chapter 51.
I've managed to binge read everything available in 3 days. And I am stupidly invested in the story. I can't wait to see more of it. Great work, Reg. Keep it up.
11642270
Thanks for the encouragement! You'll be happy to know then that I just got my first draft of Chapter 52 off to the editors. Had to take a break after the Triumvirate of Chapters here to recover and the ending of 52 was giving me problems, but if the help I have approves of what I got, then hopefully we'll be seeing it live this weekend.
I appreciate your readership. I'll do my best to land this crazy plane as we enter the home stretch.
I gave this some time to mull over and I have to conclude that ultimately this was a wild turn in a bad way. I am unconvinced that a story about shipping vinyl and fancy pants needed a twist about celestia's sins, or that conversely a sequel to gloria celestia about celestia's sins needed to be primarily focused on a romance of Vinyl and fancy pants. It could be argued that thematically you can draw a parallel between Vinyl's initial concerns about fancy supporting her limiting her freedom and ability to choose with how celestia acted with summers, with fancy doing it the "right" way and celestia the "wrong" but that would be a stretch at best. Ultimately this was a really unsatisfying reveal leaving me wondering about the thought process between trying to jam together these unrelated storylines rather than just splitting them up into separate stories. Honestly my feeling at this point is that the vast majority of the content relating to both celestia and luna out should have been cut a long time ago, but it's too late for that now.
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I have to say that I find myself agreeing to this comment because when I first read this chapter, I had to just stop and seriously consider if I wanted to continue following this story for a few days, and this is the first story that has ever made me do that. What got me the most was the feeling that, this was just the authors blatant hatred of Celestia put on display here. Celestia has had her entire life destroyed in this chapter, her power, position, crown, castle, and country were all taken from her by Luna who also claimed to have the right to take it from her. Celestia governed, ruled, lead, protected, and above all grown Equestria into perhaps he safest, happiest, and prosperous nation on her world. She has done all of that ALONE for 1000 Years! Luna just comes in and says I have the right to dethrone you and take all of the work that YOU did because of ....reasons. She even takes her own personal Alicorn powers from her, that's like a person saying they have a right to what you do with your own blood! And Celestia just goes along with it all because "oh I love you sister", like she is just suppose to lay down and take this over something like that! That she would care so little about the nation she spent 1000 years watching over, that she would just give it up without a fight or even a challenge for it!?
Celestia is now a crippled, weak, depowered villain who may not even have a place in her own country even more! Luna is now the heroic God Queen of Equestria who will not NOT have to worry about any revolts over dethroning her sister (the most beloved pony in Equestrian history). No everyone will just be very reasonable and understanding about the person who went evil to try and overthrow her sister to rule the kingdom alone, has now overthrown her sister and is now ruling the kingdom alone, but for good reasons this time!
This entire piece is just the author going I love Luna, I hate Celestia, and it all has ZERO place in a romance fic between Fancy Pants and Vinyl Scratch.
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I'm sorry that you both feel this way and I do accept the criticism. I've been concerned about this plot point being negatively received since I came up with it when I was planning the story. I knew it'd rub folks the wrong way.
However, I will not accept the idea that I hate Celestia and that you would reduce it the claim that I hate Celestia and love Luna.
If you've only read this story of mine along with the rest of the Silent-verse, I could see how you'd make that mistake. It's called the Silent-verse because of the impact this version of Celestia has had on this AU's history. However, I've got other stories where she's not an antagonist. I enjoyed writing those as well. She's one of my favorite characters, and sometimes it's fun to reimagine them. That's part of the fun of fan fiction.
Again, I'm sorry if you feel upset and betrayed by this story, but I do have my reasons for making this arc the B-plot of the story. If you don't like it, then you don't like it. That's both fine and fair. I'll accept that. Reducing it to claim that I hate Celestia though is uncalled for. I don't hate Celestia.
If anything, you should've taken the reading that I don't care for Spike. I completely unexisted him.
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Does the word of Saint Paul mean nothing to you!?!?
:P
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For the record, at least three outside users signed off on this turn of events, and personally speaking as one of them (and as someone who has quite a soft spot for Tia — see my earlier "ouch" comment for an immediate reference), not once have I gotten an earnest impression that this was an act of malice on Rego's part. Like he said in his own response, we can have a debate over the execution, but I'd prefer to steer away from the "author's blatant hatred" powderkeg when it need not apply.
Ah, I love this chapter. What a buck to the head. 1000 years of corrupted love, culminating in near total failure. Luna doesn't hate her anymore, that's all she gets. In the midst of this epic spectacle of a chapter (very, very epic), I noticed something curious:
Was Discord never released in this AU? He was certainly never redeemed, as Silent Celestia doesn't believe in that. Knowing her, his petrified form probably isn't just out in the garden either.