12. - The Museum
* * ✹ * *
“Good afternoon, Your Highness. Please, come in.”
Princess Celestia gave a nod and a thin smile to her therapist as she entered the doctor’s modest office. “I’m not late, am I, Doctor Cheerilee? I’m afraid things have gotten rather busy in Canterlot with the return of the thestrals, and I lost track of time.”
“Not at all, Your Highness. Make yourself comfortable. You’re actually a bit early today.”
“Good. I admit I…” Celestia hesitated, sat on the offered chaise lounge, and drew in a deep breath. “This past week has been rather eventful, and I’ve been eager to speak with you about what has been going on.”
“Oh?” Cheerilee sat in her plush office chair, then began to pour tea for the two of them from the waiting set. “I imagine you’ve been under a lot of stress. I’m happy to discuss whatever you’d like to talk about. Would you care for some tea?”
“Yes please,” Celestia said, watching as Cheerilee finished preparing the tea. There was some comfort in the familiar clinks of the porcelain as the good doctor steeped the camomille, which she knew was Celestia’s favorite blend. It spoke to the information that had been shared between the two in the therapy sessions, a thought that was both comforting and a little disturbing.
The only other ponies who knew Celestia so well were Baked Bean and Luna, with Twilight Sparkle and Cadance not far behind.
Once her cup had been prepared, she took it with thanks, savored a sip, and then took a moment to enjoy the calming scents wafting off the steam.
“Before we begin, I would like to follow up on the medical side of your treatment. Do you feel like the hormone shots are making a difference at all?”
“Something better, yes. But not as much as I’d like.”
Cheerliee nodded and wrote that on a notebook on her desk. “Can you elaborate on that? It’s fine if not.”
“That’s one reason why I’ve wanted to discuss things with you. My feelings have been…” Celestia trailed off again. “They have been confusing to me, I confess.”
“That’s perfectly normal. Our feelings and emotions can be muddled by the stress of life, and when that is added on to postpartum depression, it’s all the easier to feel twisted around emotionally. We have all afternoon, so there’s no rush. Start wherever you’d like, when you’re ready.”
Celestia took another long sip of her tea, then drew in a deep breath to steel herself, and released it slowly. “I suppose the best place to begin would be a few days ago…”
* * ✹ * *
Princess Celestia Bean was not a pony who could be easily surprised.
Over her lengthy lifetime, she had seen and heard things that others couldn’t even begin to dream of, so even if she happened to encounter a new or unfamiliar situation, she had a deep well of experience to draw from to remain calm and even-tempered.
In reality, Celestia had found that most situations could be handled in one of a set number of ways. Solutions to problems were quite often the same, irrespective of the particular issue.
But there was nothing that could have prepared her for the challenges that had come with her firstborn, so her visits with Doctor Horsenpfeffer were providing many new learning experiences.
Even if she didn’t particularly want them.
This current checkup was providing a prime example. Celestia had been ushered into the private exam room at her scheduled appointment time, and the good doctor had walked in shortly thereafter, holding a clipboard and several large needles with her magic.
“Good morning, Your Highness. How are you feeling?” Horsenpfeffer asked kindly, yet with a serious look.
“I’m afraid I haven’t felt much different,” Celestia answered with a frown. “I was hoping the hormone treatments would have had some effect by now.”
“I think this batch should help with that. It can be difficult to get the dosage dialed in just right with any pony, and since you’re an alicorn, that adds a few layers of complexity. Left flank or right today?”
Celestia winced. “Right. My left flank is still sore from last time.”
“I get that this is rather unpleasant, but bear with me. Look forward, please.” Horsenpfeffer removed the protective cap on the first needle, and inspected it before moving to the side of Celestia’s right flank. “How are your therapy sessions with Doctor Cheerilee going?”
“They’ve been interesting. We’ve mostly talked about emotions, and recognizing how to OW!” It took every last ounce of willpower to keep Celestia from shooting through the ceiling. Literally.
“Two more,” Horsenpfeffer stated, pulling the first needle out. “Do you feel your time with Doctor Cheerilee has been fruitful?”
“For the most part, yes. She has given me some things to think abouOW!” she yelped, giving her medical provider a furious glare. There was a vacancy on the moon at the moment…
“One more, and then you can smite me. For the record, I don’t like administering shots this way. But you tense up when you see needles, and once you do that, it’s impossible to get anything past your skin.”
“They certainly OW! aren’t my favorite.” Celestia rubbed her sore rump as the purveyor of pain disposed of the syringes. “But if it will help me feel like myself again, then I’ll endure it.”
“Good to hear. I’ll draw some blood at your next visit and we’ll see what your hormone levels look like. If they’re good, we should be able to start tapering off the shots as your body resumes its normal balance. In the meantime, keep visiting with Doctor Cheerilee. She’s been in touch with me, and she thinks you’re making good progress.”
“My sessions with her have been… Well, interesting, I suppose. She has not told me anything I don’t already know, but having her tell me feels like a friendly reminder.”
“I expected that, given your unique age and life experiences. But reminders never hurt anyone, and who knows? Perhaps she’ll surprise you with a nugget of wisdom that you haven’t heard yet.”
Celestia nodded. “I certainly wouldn’t mind that.”
“That’s everything I have for you for today. Here you go.” Horsenpfeffer presented a lollipop to Celestia, who promptly unwrapped it, popped it in her mouth, and ate it, stick and all, with a few quick crunches. “I’ll see you next week.”
Celestia stood and left the exam room with no further comment, eager to get away lest Horsenpfeffer decided she needed to administer another shot. She was out of the infirmary in a few quick strides, and she sent out a quick location spell to find her husband.
She was not surprised when the spell revealed he was in the kitchen. It was near lunchtime, and Bean was probably preparing a meal, or at least as much as Chef Beet would permit for the both of them. Celestia suspected that Beet was concerned about her own employment status, since if Bean cooked too much, some stuffy bureaucrat could decide there were too many chefs in the kitchen, as it were, and eliminate the excess in the name of the budget.
Opting to teleport, Celestia’s magic worked quickly, and she felt a small tingle of delight when Bean smiled at her over his steamy pots and pans.
“So, did you banish Horsenpfeffer yet?” he quipped.
“No, but she’s on thin ice,” Celestia grumbled, again rubbing her flank. “I still don’t understand why the treatment requires three shots. They hurt.”
“I bet. Those needles looked huge. How hungry are you?”
“Somewhat.” Celestia sniffed the air, and a rush of tempting flavors tickled her nose. “Let me see. You are making…” She took several long sniffs over Bean’s cooking. “Ah. Falafel, miso sesame couscous, cashew broccoli, spiced tahini, micro cilantro, hummus, and pita strips.”
“Very impressive,” Bean praised with a slight smile. “You’re turning into quite the Bean. With a bit more training, you could probably sniff out things better than I can.”
“I doubt that,” she said, enjoying the aroma of fine cooking. “I can only identify the main components of the dish. I’m not able to pick out individual ingredients, like you can.”
“You’re not too far off, though. You’ve definitely developed the Bean nose for food.”
“Well, since I am officially Celestia Bean, it seems I should live up to the family tradition. Is Apollo with Mama Nana?”
“Yeah. He was asleep when I left to get this cooked up. He’ll probably need to be fed when he wakes up, though.”
Celestia’s shoulders dropped slightly, and she sighed resignedly, “Most likely. I will tend to his needs at that time.”
Bean nodded, removing his cooking from the stovetop. He began to plate his creation. “This is ready, if you are.”
“I might as well eat now,” she grumbled. “We’re not going to have time to eat later, between Apollo and our scheduled appointment at the museum.”
“We can cancel that, if you’d prefer,” Bean offered. “We don’t have to start your biography right this instant.”
“No, I believe it would be for the best to continue. I have already lost many memories over the years. We need not tour the entire collection of artifacts today, but we should get some notes started.”
“I’m actually really curious about what we’ll see.” Bean presented his newest masterpiece, and Celestia took a moment to appreciate the sight and the smell of the meal. “The curator said the museum had some new Unification era artifacts on display, right?”
Celestia nodded, moving alongside her husband from the kitchen to the dining hall. “Yes, but I very much doubt that Dusty Manuscript has anything that is actually new. Most likely, Canterlot University has merely rotated the pieces they already have in their collection, or they borrowed something from here in the palace.”
“Hey, you never know. Maybe they found one of your old shoes or something,” Bean jested.
“If it is a new item, then I would guess that, as well. But that would also mean that somepony has been snooping around in the Castle of the Two Sisters, and I’ll have to remind them of how dangerous my old home is.”
“Oh, I don’t know. A little paint, a few throw pillows, and you could turn it into a nice bed and breakfast.”
Bean’s joke fell flat on its face in front of the Princess, and she simply frowned. “No. There are too many unpleasant memories there.”
“Understood,” he said worriedly.
Celestia nuzzled his cheek. “I’m sorry, Bean. I could have phrased that better. Come, let’s eat before the food gets cold, and then we can see for ourselves what the museum has to offer.”
* * ✹ * *
The Museum of Equestrian History at Canterlot University was arguably the premier museum in the whole of Celestia’s domain, and even if it wasn’t, it was a close second.⁽*⁾ It would take a pony several days to absorb every trinket and bauble on display, and days more to get just the bare minimum of information about the history of each piece.
(*)Celestia’s hall closet came in around third, since it did not have enough space for visitors, was not indexed, and contained quite a few devices or artifacts which probably should never be revealed to ponykind. Ever.
—
Baked Bean had planned on touring the museum much sooner, but a certain nose boop had curtailed that ambition. So, he put serious effort into curbing his enthusiasm as the royal carriage came to a stop outside the main entrance, hoping he wouldn’t annoy his wife too much with his questions.
But questions there most definitely would be. He already had a dozen in his head, and they hadn’t even entered the building yet.
A fair number of ponies were present and waved to the royals as they stepped down, but Bean suspected they were there by happenstance; seeing Celestia was a bonus for the day. He took a moment to make sure Apollo was snoozing securely in the carrier around his neck, then glanced up to his wife.
The sight broke his heart a little. The Princess of the Day was all smiles and politeness for her subjects, her face the picture perfect mask of a cheerful ruler who was pleased to be among her little ponies. To the throng, she probably looked as radiant and graceful as she always did, the grand eternal anchor for the world to admire and revere.
But to him, who knew her as wife and mother, the cracks in the facade were all too obvious. Bean could see how her cheek muscles strained to pull—and hold—her lips into a smile they did not want to be in, the fine lines in the corners of her eyes that always came when her efforts were forced instead of natural. She was trying so hard to keep up appearances, even though everypony knew she was struggling with postpartum depression.
Then again, she had done so for a thousand years, through the best and the worst moments in Equestria’s history. Pretending to be happy was as natural as breathing to her, and she probably didn’t even realize she was doing it now.
His musings were interrupted by an elderly mare, who in her youth had been a vibrant pink but age had mixed in more than a few grey hairs. She walked up with an eagerness to her step, giving him a short bow and his wife a far deeper bow which quite nearly brought one knee to the cool marble floor.
“Missus Manuscript, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Celestia greeted, perfectly diplomatic.
“The pleasure is all mine, Princess Celestia,” Dusty Manuscript replied with a welcoming smile. “And I must thank you again for visiting today. I am at your disposal for the duration of your visit.” Dusty then turned to the two princes, giving the younger of them a very grandmotherly look of adoration before shifting her attention to the father. “Prince Bean, I would love to get your opinion on the special exhibit I have in the auxiliary hall on the history of Salt Lick. We’ve been fortunate enough to receive several wonderful pieces on loan from many fine collections both in and near your hometown.”
This news pleased Bean greatly. “Really? I didn’t think Salt Lick had enough historical history worthy of your prestigious hall.”
“A few years ago, I decided I wanted to give our smaller towns and lesser known regions a chance to show their wonderfully unique and vibrant histories.” Dusty motioned to the front doors, and she continued to talk as they all moved toward the entrance. “Your marriage to Princess Celestia prompted me to select Salt Lick after we had finished with Barrelstown.”
“I hope whatever location was next didn’t mind being bumped,” he teased.
“I don’t have a set order, so no one got bumped. Right this way, Your Highnesses.”
* * ✹ * *
It quickly became apparent that Baked Bean and Celestia were going to need to make many return trips to the museum.
The flood of information was, in a word, overwhelming. The Eternal Mare of the Day was tantalizingly familiar with each item on display, and Bean was quickly filling page after page of notes as his wife would recount an astonishing amount of history, context, and detail about everything, no matter how large or small it was.
And, naturally, Dusty Manuscript tailed along, surreptitiously taking notes of her own and noting what items needed to have their descriptions altered. Or thrown out entirely and rewritten.
Apollo, for his part, was trying to be helpful by laughing and giggling in his carrier, his hooves wiggling furiously whenever a sparkly trinket caught his eye. Though he couldn’t be quite sure, Bean half-thought that, once or twice, he saw a slight flare of golden yellow magic flash across his infant son’s horn when something really caught his attention.
After a few hours, the small group happened across a display covered by a velvet cloth. “Is this the new artifact you’ll be displaying, Missus Manuscript?” Bean asked.
“It is. It’s quite the curious piece, actually. I would greatly appreciate any information you can give me about it,” Dusty Manuscript admitted. “From the intricate markings and the rate of decomposition, I estimate it is actually from the end of the Pre-Unification Era. Most likely, it was created before your ascension to the throne of Equestria with Princess Luna.”
“Where did you find this item?”
“An archeologist by the name of Dig Dug. He has a talent for finding old sites and treasures, and when he showed his latest find, I knew we had to have it here in our collection.”
“Did he say where he found this artifact?” Celestia asked, with just enough hidden concern to attract Bean’s attention.
“Somewhere near Baltimare or Manehattan, I think,” Dusty answered, completely missing Celestia’s darkening tone.
“Celly?” The change in Celestia’s demeanor worried Bean just a bit. “What’s wrong?”
Dusty pulled the velvet cloth away, interrupting the reply. A golden peytral sat in the display, similar in appearance to his wife’s own neckwear, but the center of it held a brightly polished topaz set in the center of a stylized sun. Several smaller suns and moons of various types ran up each side, mirrored to each other as they went. On the back, there was a small, neat inscription in Old Equish that Bean couldn’t read.
It was quite interesting, but Bean completely forgot about that when he glanced up and saw Celestia’s growing fury leaking out from behind the cool mask of control.
It was a sight he hoped he’d never see again. Celestia was frozen in place, her eyes wide in horror and her whole body trembling slightly. Her body language screamed for her, and ever so slowly, she turned to the wilting curator.
“I am acutely aware of the origin and history of this peytral.” Celestia’s tone was soft, but full of barely restrained rage. Bean checked the tips of her mane and tail for embers and smoke. “Where is Mister Dig Dug now? I must speak with him. Immediately.”
* * ✹ * *
Baked Bean was worried.
True, this was nothing new, given his wife’s struggles with depression. Her apathy towards life and her son motivated him to do anything and everything possible to lift her spirits, and he had felt that his efforts were productive, to a small degree.
But this?
Bean would almost rather take apathy over the silent rage Celestia was now exuding. He was genuinely concerned that Daybreaker might show up at any moment, and the worst part was that he didn’t even know why it was happening.
Bean took a moment to check on Apollo, who was currently sleeping in the baby carrier aboard the air carriage. Thankfully, the rushing wind and turbulence wasn’t keeping him awake, but he wasn’t going to stay out for long.
It had been hard enough to get him to go down for a nap in the first place. After Celestia’s unexpected reaction, the Princess of Day had teleported herself and her family back to the main hangar in the palace with an intense surge of magic. Sergeants Hokey Pokey and Clover Leaf had then been given a few brief moments to hitch themselves to the carriage, and once ready, Celestia had taken off with a furious flapping of wings…
Leaving him and Apollo behind.
Hokey Pokey and Clover Leaf had done their best to catch up, of course, but the effort was doomed to immediate failure. Laden as they were with carriage and passengers, the best they could hope to do was to keep Celestia visible as a pinprick against the horizon and hope to reach their destination before they passed out.
And that was to say nothing of poor Lieutenant Midnight, who was chasing them down like a bat out of Tartarus, since she was built for stealth and gliding instead of speed.
But onward Celestia went, so onward pressed the beleaguered party as best they could. Mile after mile slipped away as minutes turned to hours, leaving Bean little to do but sit, fret, and keep Apollo entertained since his nap was over and he wanted to get out and play.
Granted, his concerns were probably skewing his perception of time, but it sure felt like they had been aloft for many hours.
Eventually, Bean noticed that Celestia had slowed, and she was rapidly descending. A quick glance over the side of the carriage showed a small hamlet in the distance, but it didn’t look familiar.
“Where are we?” he asked himself.
“Journey’s End, Sir.” Lieutenant Midnight had managed to catch up to the party with Celestia’s reduction in speed, but was clearly paying a steep price for the chase, given that her coat was slick with sweat and she was gasping in large gulps of air. “It’s one of the oldest earth pony cities in Equestria.”
“That peytral must have come from an archaeological site nearby,” Bean mused. “Hopefully we’ll get some answers here in a minute.”
The landing was smooth, but Bean jumped out before they stopped and quickly trotted over to his wife. She had landed at a small wooden home on the edge of town, and was pounding on the front door with thunderous blows.
“Celly?” he gently asked, putting a hoof on her shoulder.
The touch seemed to break her from an angry trance, and her features softened slightly. “Forgive me, Bean. I didn’t mean to...” She paused, glancing over the royal guards with a sheepish, concerned look while clearly gathering her thoughts. “That peytral was given to a dear friend of mine at the founding of Equestria. The only way it could have gotten to the museum is if it was exhumed from her grave.”
“You think this Dig Dug fellow is a grave robber?”
Celestia nodded. “Any potential archeological site must be approved by myself before any work can commence. There are certain places—like this one—that should remain undisturbed.”
Bean nodded. While he still had questions, her explanation at least gave him a foundation to start with, and more answers for him would come once Celly got the answers she was after.
After another round of knocks that nearly tore the door from the frame, a dingy gray stallion finally answered. He had a towel around his neck, his mane was loaded with suds, and he looked rather perturbed. Once he realized who his unexpected visitors were, however, he quickly offered a deep bow.
“Your Highnesses!” he yelped. “Forgive me! I didn’t realize—”
“You are Dig Dug, yes?” Celestia forcefully cut him off.
“Yes?” he offered, swallowing hard.
“And you are currently excavating a burial ground without permission.”
“Your Highness, I assure you that I am following every letter of the law. I submitted all the paperwork for my site many moons ago.”
“Show me. Now.”
“Of course. Give me just a moment.” The accused moved back into his house, turned a corner, and disappeared from view.
Celestia drew in a deep breath, in an apparent effort to keep from channeling her inner yak and smashing the home in front of her.
Bean would have tried to comfort her, but Apollo had begun to fuss, so he moved to one side so he could take care of his son instead, incidentally shielding his young eyes from any possible upcoming violence.
Sergeants Hokey Pokey and Clover Leaf, despite still being out of breath, had unhitched themselves and, at Celestia’s nod, quickly trotted around to the rear of the house. There was a yelp, several loud crashing noises, then some shouting.
A few minutes later, Dig Dug was forcibly dragged back to Celestia by the two guards, despite his best effort to make a run for it out his back door. There was a faint sizzling noise, and he was shaking like a leaf when her magic snagged him and hoisted him up.
“Last chance,” threatened Celestia, tone flat like hot iron, as sparks began to flicker in her mane, leaving small wisps of smoke drifting in the breeze.
“Okay, okay!” Dig Dug bawled. “I admit it! I don’t have any permits!”
Celestia snorted, a dark cloud of smoke rushing out of her nostrils. Without a word, she turned and marched towards a nearby grove of trees, dangling the protesting archeologist in front of her by a firm magical grip on his tail.
This time, Bean and the guards could keep up with her, albeit with a brisk trot. Bean carefully watched Celestia as she moved, ready to hold a hoof over his son’s eyes at any moment should his wife decide that violence was an answer for this particular situation.
This trip took less time to complete, a fact that clearly pleased the still panting guards. Unsurprisingly, Celestia was heading straight towards what looked like a cemetery, the ancient stone markers hedged in by a low stone wall and a small wrought iron gate. Celestia, despite her obvious rage, entered the grounds softly, her steps suddenly turning gentle and subdued.
Her pace was unabated, however, and with a few long strides she had crossed the silent tombs and reached the furthest—and what appeared to be the oldest—part of the cemetery. Here, the grave markers were nothing more than stones in the ground, some cracked and chipped, and all having lost whatever inscriptions they may have had to the ravages of time and erosion.
Bean also noticed that, here and there, there were clear signs that somepony had been exhuming the graves. There were fresh mounds of upturned earth, and what looked like a haphazard attempt to hide what had happened with piles of leaves and loose grass over the mess. The frequency increased as they moved further in, and Bean realized that Dig Dug had been doing this for a long time.
In the far corner, next to an outer wall, was the grave that Celestia was aiming for. This grave, while still disturbed, had grass growing back, so it had probably been one of the first to be excavated. Celestia held Dig Dug over the spot, and shook him a little.
“You did this.” Her voice was short, sharp, and loaded with condemnation.
“Your Highness, please.” Dig Dug blubbered, looking like he would do anything to avoid a one way trip to the moon. “You have to admit that, after over a thousand years, this really can’t be considered grave robbing anymore. At worst, I'm only guilty of unauthorized excavation.”
“You have disturbed a site that is most sacred to me.” Celestia glared daggers at Dig Dug, and Bean was grateful that the phrase ‘if looks could kill’ was not literal. “To say nothing of the final resting places of these other ponies. I knew them, talked with them. I heard their dreams, I fought against their nightmares. And you,” she snarled, her eyes slowly beginning to burn with a golden fury, “have seen fit to enrich yourself from their deaths.”
Bean slowly retreated, lest he and his son be caught in an alicorn-fueled explosion of fire and brimstone. Dig Dug, despite being obviously terrified, did not realize how close he was to the brink of annihilation at this moment. Bean could clearly see the raw, unmitigated power that was only held back by a few thin threads of immense willpower, and the surges that were leaking out between the seams would not be held in check for much longer.
But just then, Apollo began to whimper.
The unfamiliar sound drew Celestia’s attention, making her face turn from anger to deep unease when she saw her own son shrinking away in fear and alarm. Her muscles slowly relaxed as Bean pulled Apollo into his shoulder and gently tried to soothe him, with little success.
The Princess of Sun and Fire drew in a deep breath, put a hoof to her chest, and drew it away with a long exhale that smelled of ash and brimstone.
“Sergeants, please escort this criminal to the local sheriff.” Celestia dumped Dig Dug in front of them, and the guards took him into their custody with a quick nod. “I will be along shortly to discuss the matter.”
All Celestia wielded now was concern and regret, and she slowly approached her husband and her son with a soft shushing noise. “It’s okay, Pollie. Mommy got a little upset, but she’s better now. You don’t need to be afraid.”
Apollo slowly pulled his face away from Bean’s shoulder, his lower lip quivering slightly. Celestia offered a concerned smile, which melted away when a small spark of golden magic leapt from his nubby horn.
“He’s trying to put up a shield,” Celestia whispered in horror. “He’s afraid of me.”
“Hey, hey.” Bean offered to try and comfort both his wife and his son. “Everything’s okay now. See? Just a little bit of a heated moment. Nothing to worry about.”
Apollo held tight to Bean for a few moments more, but ever so slowly, Bean could feel the rapid heartbeat of his son slow against his chest. Then, Apollo reached out with one small hoof, and with a barely suppressed gasp of relief, Celestia took her son in her loving embrace.
With small tears of regret and gratitude, Celestia wrapped her wings around Apollo, and he snuggled into her as she softly cooed and hummed. Bean offered a hug to Celestia, standing on his rear legs so he could properly wrap his forelegs around her neck and kiss her cheek.
“Never again,” Celestia vowed with deep conviction. “Neither of you should ever fear me, or what I might do.”
“I think this is a bit of a unique circumstance,” said Bean, but Celestia shook her head.
“No. This was…” she took in another deep breath. “I owe you an explanation, but not here. Let’s deal with Dig Dug and then return home. I have something to show you that will help explain why this is so important to me.”
* * ✹ * *
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Probably family that Dig Dug just grave robbed.
His action will bring him a lifetime sentence at best.
Magnificent chapter, thanks for making it Irrespective.
Dig Dug dun dug himself a dig down to Tartarus the Minecraft way.
Straight down with no regard for any trouble to come Creepering down from above.
And this trouble came by way of The Sister of the Sun!
Who almost burned her own fuse to a fiery KA-BOOM like a Creeper!
Should've dug your own grave first, Dig Dug.
> Irrespective re-entered the chat.
:D
I cant imagine Archaeology being much of a thing in Equestria. I mean, alicorns are right there. Kind of takes the mystery out of the whole endeavor, and it probably upsetting regardless.
I'd also imagine they'd respond to questions to the past as "Life was awful and everything sucked."
Dig Dug should be grateful to Apollo that prevented him from being turned into a small pile of ash.
Damn, and that was probably one of her greatest fears too
Wohoo, New cap of this awesome nosey story! Thank you very much :3
And we got more opCelly this cap, nice!
Cute moments too, yes!
And the Dug guy there really messed with what he shouldn't there haha, exited to see what else we're going to uncover next cap
11844792
Someone should mod The Aether with pony final boss.
11844822
and Discord but with him you kinda have to guess which is real and which he made up
11844923
Life never sucks with Discord. Yeah, sure, he's an prick, but how much harm has he done? Yeah, he's betrayed them and its conjecture, but ultimately that benefitted ponies. As for his reign, while living beneath checkerboard skies and having to pull randomness from the food trees that smells of polka dots and is the color of tuesday and it turning into a bowl of toothpaste and brocoli, you were more then likely not going to sodomized by vandals or starve to death
While and interesting chapter to read, we the fans are left on a looming cliffhanger here at the end.
Hopefully we won't have to wait Fivever for the next chapter. I always hunger for great stories.
Yeah, not likely
Didn't think so
11844822
The alicorns may be right there, but even they can’t have been everywhere all at once all the time (especially considering little details like Luna’s timeout on the moon or Cadence not even having been around as long as the two sisters). So at best a historian can get their specific views and memories of the past from them...which means still needing other sources for anything else one may be curious about, and that does in fact still leave room for archaeology in my book. The legitimate kind, of course, not things like Dig Dug’s little “get rich looting anonymous pony graves without permission” scheme.
Without reading the next chapter, I'm going to make a prediction: This was the burial site of Celestia and Luna's mortal family before the unification.
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A small pile of ash that someone would then take a picture of, the picture being taken too close such that the image is slightly distorted, which would become a beloved part of history despite its seeming mundanity as Celestia had a direct part in its creation. Centuries later the then-framed picture would be immortalized in a museum under the title of 'the portrait of what looked like a large pile of ash'.
When you set out to rob the grave of royalty's friend, dig your own grave first.