The boat that had departed the Regia was one of several, a flotilla of small craft that sped upriver with the help of magic. Each contained reinforcements enough to help supplement the forces currently in the city of Trottingham, or what remained of them. The ponies had been informed that Trottingham had been attacked, and the city was now dark. It was very likely that Celestia herself had led the attack, no doubt to recover Rainbow Dash, while the bulk of her forces massed in Ponyville, hoping to push through where the Forest was thinnest.
The plan was for the elite Lunar Guard as well as the best-armed of the Ever Free Fighters to ride upstream to a fort that had been created last year, known as Fort Dauntless. Commanding the river, it sat on a hill overlooking much of the surrounding forest save for a circle that had been cleared around it in order to prevent sneak attacks. They were only hours from the stronghold, having left the Regia at noon. It was nearly sundown, and most ponies in the boats were silently contemplating the setting sun as they moved into the gathering dusk.
Sweetie Belle was no exception. She sat near Scootaloo, clutching the pack of supplies she had been handed as she stepped onto the boat. The jambiyah that had been given to her by Mahtaram was belted securely around her middle, like she had seen the Gryphon do, along with several other knives. In addition to this, she was wearing armor. Originally, she hadn’t wanted to wear the boiled leather gear, but Rarity had insisted.
“If you are absolutely set on charging off into battle, with a child no less, you are not going unprotected. You can count yourself lucky I let myself be persuaded by Pinkie Pie.” she had said. “You’re wearing the armor, and that’s final.”
It wasn’t that bad, not really. Scootaloo was wearing a similar getup, though hers was more focused around protecting her forelegs and shoulders, with minimal padding along the sides. Fastened to her side was a pair of simple steel shoes, ones that would make her blows much more effective in combat, easily deadly to anypony not wearing armor, and troublesome to those that did.
The two of them sat in the stern of one of the boats, where they had been since the beginning of their journey. The mood in the boat was largely subdued, save for the cheerful conversation of the few Ever Free who had somehow made it into the skiff. These were the ones who had not seen combat, and were either masking their nerves with false bravado, or were genuinely excited about the upcoming battle due to their lack of experience.
A hulking Lunar Stallion shook his head. “Reminds me of Whitetail.” he grumbled. “Here’s hoping that it won’t turn out similarly.”
Sweetie tilted her head curiously. “Whitetail…Scootaloo, wasn’t that when you were first working for the Ever Free?”
The orange Pegasus grunted. Opening one eye, she looked at Sweetie Belle. “Yep. One of my first assignments.”
“What was it like?” the unicorn asked.
The Lunar stallion chuckled. “Trust me, kid. You don’t want to know.”
That was the wrong thing to say to Sweetie Belle. She felt the curious reporter in her stir at the dismissal. “Now I really do. I know it was a military defeat for the Ever Free, but what was so bad about it? We in the capital didn’t hear much about it other than Equestria won.”
Scootaloo sighed. “Look, I really don’t want to talk about it. It brings up a lot of things I’d rather keep buried.”
“Scoots, I know every one of the team member’s backstories except for yours. I know that the battle probably had something to do with why you joined, and why you decided to come inside of the Everfree rather than operate outside.”
Sweetie Belle leaned in, making eye contact with her friend. “And I’m willing to bet it has something to do with the fact that you didn’t once attempt to talk to Rainbow Dash while we were in the Regia, not even briefly.”
That did it. Scootaloo sat up straighter, and examined Sweetie Belle with all the intensity of a hawk. “Fine. I can’t keep any secrets from you. Especially now. So I’ll tell you exactly what it was like.” She looked at the stallion seated next to them. “You want to help me out with this?”
He leaned in as well, the three of them forming a small circle. “I’ll listen, and chime in where I’m needed.”
Scootaloo nodded, looking at Sweetie Belle again. “So tell me what you know about the Battle.”
Sweetie Belle thought. “It involved the Guard, some of the Third and Fifth Fleets, the Regulars, and took place near Ponyville. Estimated casualties on the Ever Free’s side were around four thousand, as opposed to the thousand or so ponies lost on the Equestrian side of things. It lasted one day, and was fought over…something in the Woods.”
Scootaloo nodded. “You’ve got the basic bones of it. But what you’re lacking are details.” She inhaled, looking up at the reddish sunlight filtering through the trees. Sweetie Belle got the feeling that Scootaloo wasn’t entirely there anymore.
“I was under contract with the Ever Free after my delivery business went under. Too many security checks can get bad for mail, you know? So I was desperate, and asked around for work. A pony that wasn’t a pony approached me in a Hoofington and offered me a job. And wouldn’t you know it, it was in Ponyville. He wanted me to scout out the route to the Whitetail from the woods. I was sort of on the edge about the whole thing, but the money was too good to pass up. I loaded up my scooter and trekked back to Ponyville. I got a job delivering mail in the city and in my spare time, I sent the occasional message back.”
The stallion nodded. “I remember looking over some of those reports. I was in the Lunar Reserve then, before I got called up. They were helpful.”
Scootaloo continued. “And then, I was offered another job. There was a massive undertaking being instigated by the Ever Free. An army of nearly six thousand would be marching out of the Ever Free to the Whitetail Woods, to seize the supply caches that were apparently hidden inside of the forest. If I helped to move goods with them, not only would I be well paid, I would be taken into custody, inducted into the rebellion, and provided for as an agent. Now, it was summer then, and things were looking good, but I knew fall wouldn’t be far away, and then would come winter. And the last winter had nearly killed me. No home or job. I’d freeze to death. A spot with the Ever Free was looking really good.”
“So you took the offer.” Sweetie Belle said.
Scootaloo nodded. “I did. The appointed date came, and it was hot and dry, like it had been for weeks. A good breeze was coming from out of the west, and from the south came a column of armed and armored ponies. The made it right around Ponyville without entering the town.”
“That was on Lady Twilight’s orders.” the stallion rumbled. “We were to avoid the town so as to give us a bit more time and to keep civilian casualties to a minimum.”
“In they went, and I with them. The group I was with threw open this trapdoor in the middle of nowhere, started hauling out sacks of beans and crates of lantern oil. I loaded up with a few packages, and handed them off to the runners waiting by the forest edge. I went back and got more, and once the door was emptied, we did it all again. Until the reports came in.”
“The ponies in town had alerted Canterlot. They had a radio tower set up near town hall, recently built, and soon enough we saw airships on the horizon.” the stallion said. “We didn’t have a lot of flyers, and those that were available were being used to ferry messages between teams. We had about half of the supplies back in the Everfree already, but we were going to have to fight for the second half.”
Scootaloo’s voice grew a bit shaky. “I was just about to exit the treeline when the first rounds came in. You know those cruisers the Navy has, big and mean. One of the forward facing arc guns let loose right as I hit the treeline, and I watched a ball of magical lightning as big as my head tear up three ponies in front of me. But I couldn’t stop, otherwise I was a goner. I kept my head down, charged through, and dropped my bags near the Forest just as the rest of the Navy came in overhead. They were Third Fleet, the skeleton guard left in Canterlot while the rest were away on exercises. But that wasn’t all. They had troop carriers with them.”
Sweetie Belle could see the Pegasus’s hooves shake, and she reached out, cupping Scootaloo’s hoof in her own. The Pegasus smiled gratefully and kept talking, like she couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “I went into the Forest for the last time, right as they lifted out the last of our supplies. I found out later that we were the only team to get all of what we had come for. But what supplies we had salvaged would help the Ever Free to limp through until harvest, which was in a few short weeks. Now we needed to fight our way out. And that was going to be tough. Some of the Guard had already landed on the ridge between Ponyville and Whitetail, and there were more arriving. We were already under fire when we made it back into the treeline.”
The stallion nodded agreement. “We had already begun to trade spells with them, but they were beginning to dig in on that ridge, and it overlooked our entire escape route into the Everfree. Every time we tried to make a break for it, they would light up the edge of the woods with spellfire, and the ones that made it through got torn up by the Navy’s guns in short order. Another wave of transports rolled in, and they deployed Regulars, who advanced further down the hill and started to set up proper field fortifications and siege weapons. We were getting hammered, and so we pulled back into the woods.”
Scootaloo continued. “The Third Fleet was bad enough, but when they started hurling rocks and firepots into the trees, it got really bad. Nopony knew who was in command, who was with what company of ponies, and everypony was running around like chickens trying to form up proper battle lines. Every time we got something set up, the Navy would swoop in and pound it into the ground. We tried sending up fliers, but the Air Corps was in the area, and they kept us on the ground. And then, after hours of this, the Fifth Fleet arrived.”
Sweetie Belle knew the story of the Fifth Fleet. Based in Fillydelphia, it had been largely destroyed by Twilight Sparkle and Spike after they had tried to escape the city. They, as well as Golden Radiance, were responsible for nearly half of the Fleet going down in flames over the city. After the rebellion had been well and truly underway, Detrot’s mighty industrial complex, by and large unused in recent times, had been shifted into overdrive. The Fleet had been assembled in a matter of months, with replacements rolling off of the line, bigger and better, in days. Within a year of Twilight Sparkle’s rebellion, the group of airships had been totally rebuilt or revamped, even those who had not been damaged.
“They hit us from the north and east, driving us back towards the last southwest corner of the Woods we could still hold. Half of the trees were straight on fire, and we had lost easily a thousand ponies. Finally, we were out of options, except for one. A quick team of runners would start a fire to the southwest of Ponyville, and turn it dangerous while pointing it towards the town. We’d use it as a distraction, punch through their lines, and make it into the Everfree.”
Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened. “You mean the Ever Free started that fire? The one that…”
Scootaloo nodded. “That one. I volunteered. We were each given a bag containing a specially treated fire crystal, the kind we’d normally use in demolitions. One of the engineers had modified them, instead of the explosion coming out all at once, it was a controlled bleed of heat. We waited, right there on the edge of the Woods. I could see the explosions lighting up the ridge in front of me, and the spells kicking up dirt near the treeline.”
She gulped. “My hooves were shaking, my heart was pounding, everything seemed still for a moment…and then the whistle blew, and we were off. It felt like a race at first, like a weird kind of fast marathon, you know? Until the first shots came in, and one caught the pony next to me in the satchel. He lit up like a candle. I can still remember him screaming. Then it didn’t seem like a game anymore.”
She clenched her hooves, clearly back on the battlefield. “I just remember running, and running, and running until we reached our destination. I looked back over my shoulder, and out of thirty volunteers, I see that eight beside me made it. We’re on the hills right outside of Sweet Apple Acres. And I thought when I arrived that I’d feel bad about setting fire to that hillside, but all I could think at that point was how burning all those apple trees was going to save my flank. I got out my crystal, and the others got theirs out, and we get ready to set fire to the fields. And just as I get ready to tap mine in, the absolute worst happens. There’s a sound like thunder, and streaks start filling the sky. One fiery, like a comet, one made of thunder clouds, one flat white, and one just trailing lightning out of nowhere. And of course, the one at their head. A streak in every color of the rainbow angles itself down towards us, and it’s all I can do to tap my crystal before Rainbow Dash lands on the hilltop.”
Sweetie Belle and the stallion both looked at Scootaloo, watching her recount the events of that day, events that clearly still meant something to her. “There was no stopping the crystal once it started, and two others had managed to activate theirs as well. They were the first two down. She whipped a crossbow out of nowhere, chambered two shots, and took them both down before they could get more than half a dozen paces clear of her. She only missed me because I tried to close with her. And I paid for that.”
She lifted her wing to reveal a white line, puckered and twisted, underneath. “She did that. With a dagger that she left inside. I hauled off and decked her in the face, and I ended up breaking my hoof in three places. Of course, after that the others had managed to activate theirs, even though the rest of the Solar Wing had landed and began to run down the survivors. She didn’t even bother to use another knife on me. She knew I was done for. I looked into those eyes, and I saw something that I had hoped never to see Rainbow Dash express towards me. It was contempt.”
Her voice shook. “That almost hurt worse than the knife. She was my idol, growing up. I had respected her, in a way, even though she was on the other side. I thought it showed that she had morals. Morals I didn’t agree with, but still. And then I found out that not only did she not extend that same respect to me, she looked at me like I was worse than trash. I was nothing more than a traitor to her at that point. But that wasn’t what was important to me. I needed to survive. The route behind me was closed, so I did the only thing I could do. I charged forward.”
The stallion tilted his head. “Into the fire?”
Scootaloo nodded. “Bleeding into the fire. Luna, it was horrible. Rainbow Dash almost chased me down, but I think she decided it wasn’t worth it. That knife had nicked something important, so I was bleeding everywhere. But it missed the artery she was aiming for by less than a quarter of an inch. Woozy, broken, bleeding and burning, I tumbled down that hill, through the fire and flames to a ditch. It was a drainage ditch for the farm, not with water, but it still had plenty of mud. I pulled the knife out, packed mud into the hole, bound the wing up with my satchel, and passed out.”
Her voice grew stronger. “I woke up at least ten minutes later, and everything was on fire. The fields, the trees, even some of the ditch. But I could see my way out. That ditch ran along the edge of the farm, running towards the Everfree Forest. I could hear the last ponies retreating from the battle, and I gathered up my strength and followed them. It was long, and I fell a few times, but at the end of the trip, I stood alone, walking towards the last medics outside of the Everfree. I gave them my name, the company I had been arbitrarily assigned to, explained where I was, and passed out. I woke up in Trottingham three days later.”
The stallion whistled. “That’s damn impressive, kid. That fire you set was what gave us the diversion we needed.”
“What happened on your end?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“The fire they started got noticed in a big damn hurry. I was fighting in close along the front lines, repelling Regular charges, when I saw the smoke begin to go up. A minute later, a hefty chunk of the fighters gets pulled off of the line, helping with the cleanup. The Air Corps goes too, and the Third Fleet, almost out of fuel, peels off towards Canterlot to bring back water to fight the fires. If there had been any rainclouds around, they might have been able to contain the blaze, but the sky was clear as could be. It had been for days.”
He stretched, cracking his back. “I fought off the last charges with my platoon, and then we fell back as per usual, except we didn’t establish another line. We just cut and ran towards the flames, heading around the back of the fire. We took some shots along the way, and I lost a few good friends in that dash to the Forest. But most of us made it, and splitting the forces like that saved a lot of lives. If we hadn’t had that blaze, every single one of us would be dead or imprisoned now.”
A cry went up from the first boat. The Fort could be seen in the distance, low and solid in the last lights of day. Torches burned along its length. Ponies patrolled the walls in force, and Sweetie Belle’s heart swelled. To move large numbers of ponies, Celestia’s forces would need to come through here. But this Fort was the greatest stronghold of the east, manned by some of the finest ponies that the Ever Free could offer. There was no more defended position outside of the Regia, and Sweetie Belle was to be included in that defense. If there was any safer place for her to be, she couldn’t imagine it.
Celestia spread her wings wide, drawing on the power she had stored during the day. Behind her, the city of Trottingham burned, consumed from within by the fires of retribution. Three full Legions of ponies stood at her back, with her Sunborn waiting patiently. Not a one of them had been bested in combat that day, and a very few had been wounded. And they still hungered for combat.
With a minor effort of will, a lance of energy streamed from her horn, splashing across the Forest in front of her. Immediately, it flared into a hellstorm of fire and heat, consuming the leading edge of the thickly packed trees in an instant. She did not trust the Forest, especially at night. It would have to go, she thought, burning a wide swathe for her forces to march through. With that gone, she would have little trouble reaching the Regia.
Radiant Zenith’s head snapped up from the text she was reading, her body perfectly alert.
“What’s wrong?” Twilight Sparkle asked, looking up from her map.
“There is a disturbance on the edge of the Everfree.” Radiant replied. “A fire, a very wide fire…” her voice broke off. “Oh, that pompous, arrogant little tyrant!”
Twilight had never seen Radiant Zenith quite as angry as she was right then. The mare’s coat began to glow silver, and her eyes narrowed as smoke began to leak from her horn. She rose smoothly, gazing out towards the east, towards Trottingham. “So, Celestia thinks she can intrude on my Forest, does she?” Her horn lit up, and suddenly Twilight was very much aware of the power her erstwhile ally wielded. With a hiss and rush of wind, the light on her horn went out. Radiant Zenith smiled, her teeth suddenly pointed. “Well, I’ll just lay out the welcome mat for her, shall I?”
Lightning crackled across the sky in blue and green and black, as Radiant Zenith finally began to exert herself. “I’ll send her every beastie, every rotten and dead thing that slithers and crawls throughout my Forest. Poison and death and slow, creeping rot, or my Power is forfeit. She’ll rue the day that she stepped foot into my woods, Twilight Sparkle.” A twisted smile crept across the unicorn’s face, and Twilight got the feeling that she was enjoying the thought of slaughtering those who had transgressed upon her. A low roar echoed through the woods. Then another, and another, followed by the yipping of wolves and the shrieking of bats and other, less savory things.
Radiant Zenith turned to Twilight, and the expression on her face was one Twilight had never seen before, nor ever wanted to see again. Radiant Zenith wasn’t afraid, or angry, or confused. She was hungry.
“Now they are in my world, Twilight Sparkle.” Radiant Zenith chuckled. “My land, my rules.”
Twilight Sparkle felt a chill run down her back, and realized that she felt almost sorry for the invading forces. Almost.
So Celestia, knowing full well that Radiant Zenith is basically a god within the confines of the forest decides to start combat at the very edge of the forest and let them know she is coming. I've always considered Celestia in this universe to be fairly stupid, but she just keeps getting dumber the further on this goes. Of course there's always the chance she's betting on Luna helping her on the inside, but I doubt she thought that far ahead.
I liked hearing about Scootaloo's past, especially the part with Rainbow Dash. I wonder if Dash even remembers seeing Scotaloo there, or if she was just another face in her war of vengeance.
Death and destruction! Fun.
2427214
On the contrary, I believe that Celestia is still a few steps ahead of the Ever Free.
Very good chapter. Nice to know what happened at the Battle of White Tail. Can't wait for more!!!
2427276 I disagree. Frankly, if she wasn't in possession of both mind and emotion control I honestly don't think she'd have ever gotten this far. She's in a position of power, and has the advantage of being in that position for centuries, that's about it. Luna herself mentioned that strategy and subtlety weren't Celestia's strong suits when she played chess with Twilight.
Well, looks like Scootaloo is Boris now.
images.wikia.com/cnc/images/archive/0/06/20120202174057!Boris.jpg
And the rest of her team were Crazy Ivans.
2427296
And having Cadance ascend so that Luna would regrettably agree to force Twilight into bearing the next alicorn wasn't a move ahead of the Ever Free?
2427372 If she had thought that making Cadance ascend would force Luna to side with her, maybe, but that's not the case. Neither sister expected the aether to side with Celestia on this, as neither sister understood what the Shadow actually was. She had Cadance ascend to solidify her control, nothing more. Like I said, without mind and emotion control, Celestia's got nothing. Getting lucky isn't the same as being smart.
2427412
She's smart, but like many Chessmasters, she doesn't improvise well. She has to have it all thought out. Take that away, and she has problems.
2427412
Celestia does have an understanding of balance, and having Cadance ascend obviously would tip the scales. It would only be fair that say that Celestia was gambling on this, with her sister being more concerned with balance than anything else.
2427431 Well, I'll take the word of the guy writing the story. I suppose its just a side effect of us never seeing her in any situation that doesn't catch her by surprise since her failed attempt at mating Twilight to Morning Star.
2427435 Except, you know, that's not what happened. The revelations surprised her, she didn't plan it, she got lucky.
keep it up
2427462
I was only saying she was gambling on Cadance's ascension tipping the balance. She didn't know what would exactly happen.
2427578 And I'm saying that I can't imagine that being the case. Celestia planned her ascension for the same reason she wants Twilight to bear the next alicorn, to solidify her control over the ponies. The fact that her actions resulted in what is essential God's mouthpiece telling Luna to side with her was entirely unplanned. If she thought that Cadence's ascension would provide her with anything beyond a soul to sacrifice to reclaim the element of magic, she would have just hurried that along instead of dragging her feet for four years. Celestia is not what I'd call patient in this story. Of course, if you think differently, that's fine too.
If Rainbow Dash officially joins the rebellion, there should be a scene where Scoots confronts her, and calls her a hypocrite, just for the reaction that Dash will have. ("You change your loyalties on a whim, you don't deserve to wield the element of loyalty.")
=Mis
yeah! go Radiant Zenith!
i dunno i think i'd really like to see a picture of scootaloo decking RD in the face
2427611
Well, apparently I'm just gonna have to agree to disagree here, seeing as I'm unable to convince you that Celestia is planning ahead.
2427893 I don't doubt she's planning ahead, just not in the way your claiming. The author himself has said she's not good at improv, and this entire thing has been improv for going on four years.
2427941
Maybe the war, but Cadance's ascension was something that was planned way beforehand.
2427953 Yes, I know that. That's not what we're discussing. You said it was done to tip the balance, that's not the case. The only plan Celestia has in regards to Cadance's ascension that is newer then a century is using the remains of the soul bind to reclaim the element of magic. Before that, she was just another tool of control used in creating Twilight. The whole, Luna now has to side with her is not something she planned, just as she didn't plan for Luna to betray her to begin with.
2427976
And I believe Celestia knew full well that Cadance would tip the balance. Now that I think about it, I'm not exactly sure if tipping the balance would bring definitely Luna to her side. I'm gonna say she took a gamble and she got lucky. After all, Celestia was working on a way to recruit Luna to her cause.
Interesting ending. A thousand years of death, decay and nature at its prime. And nothing breeds chaos faster than death, no matter whose end. The sunblessed may live, but the regulars, not really, and an elite unit without a shield is very vulnerable, training and ability beside. Especially if the cost effectiveness when they start falling. For the dead cannot bleed, cannot be stopped short of fully shattering them. Spears, hooves, and daggers are poor choices against any rotter. Even should twilight be betrayed by luna, celestia may win a battle, but in twilight's first rebellion, lost the war. I wouldn't have pegged him though a xanatos master.
2428005 Yes, you've quoted that before, not really proof of anything. She had no clue that would do anything to effect Luna beyond making it two alicorns to one. She never had plans to recruit Luna beyond the Elements of Harmony making it impossible for Luna to directly stand against her, that was a major point in the first story.
Cadance was never about tipping the balance, it was and is, all about power to Celestia. She's no good at improvisation so she instead relies on raw power. Her plan has always been to create a fourth alicorn, through mind/emotion control before, through brute force now.
2428048
And I'm pretty sure that Celestia did know that Cadance would tip the balance. She has a very good understanding of balance. Celestia used this knowledge to bind the Elements to herself as seen in her dream (Interlude in Dreams). Such an ascension would most definitely call for the scales to be rebalanced and Celestia would know this. If she did not, then how did she know how to bind the Elements way back when?
2428360 I see absolutely zero reason to assume that to be the case. The only balance Celestia sought to tip with Cadance was power, not the cosmic forces between order and chaos. There is no evidence in the story that Celestia even dreamed in her wildest fantasies that she could convert her sister without mind control or torture. Celestia doesn't care about balance, that's the main conflict of the story. Binding the elements wasn't about balance, just as rebinding them isn't about balance, its all about power.
If you wish to believe otherwise that's fine, but there has been nothing in story to convince that your arguments are correct.
2428454
Nothing in the story. That's true. I asked Airstream about Celestia's understanding of balance a while back during the first Q&A for Dusk's Dangerous Game. He said that while Celestia does understand the need for balance, she sees order as the only path "and believes absolutely that Order will bring about that balance." Celestia has a lot of power sure, but she doesn't want to lord over ponies. She's not into the whole power-hungry thing. Celestia just wants a world with no negativity, where no pony can get hurt.
2428515 Bullshit. She wants a world where there is nothing for order for those she deems worthy, and plans to wage war on everything she doesn't. That's not balance to anyone that's sane. She has convinced herself she cares for balance, but her actions say otherwise. She a power hungry tyrant, nothing more.
And no pony will get hurt because they won't even be capable of considering any thoughts she deems bad, or feel any negative emotions. They will be pawns, disposable objects marching cheerfully to their deaths at her command.
2428525
If that's what you want to believe, go ahead. You find her a evil dictator, but she's been explicitly written as a knight templar. She honestly does believe she's doing this for the good of the world. Don't believe me if you want, but if you go back to Lines & Webs, knight templar would be a very good match for her actions back there.
On a unrelated note, it's been half a year since this fic's publication. Huzzah!
EDIT: Accidentally a word. Pretty major accident there.
2428624 And believing what she's doing is right is entirely irrelevant. She's a tyrant, nothing more, and no amount of trying to claim that there is a difference between a tyrant and a knight templar with absolute power will change that.
With all of this chaos it is only a matter of time before discord gets free. and oh is Celestia going to get bitten by that problem especially if the everfree manages to hold her off long enough.
2428637
Not saying she isn't a tyrant. But back to the issue at hand, Celestia's understanding of balance definitely had a part in Cadance's ascension. And knowing her sister's only goal is to maintain that balance, she had this in the bag from the day she imprisoned Luna.
2428681 I disagree. Celestia may know of balance, but there is no evidence to suggest that this was part of a larger scheme to get Luna on her side.
2428687
It's just my theory, based on the information I gathered.
2428717 And if you wish to believe that its fine, I'm just saying that the fact that neither sister understood what the Shadow was provides heavy evidence that this was not some scheme by Celestia to turn Luna. The more likely scenario is that the sun lucked out there, that's all.
2428735
And I amended my theory. There really is no way for Celestia for accurately predict what Luna will do. The plan was to have Cadance ascend and throw things out of wack. Celestia gambled on the imbalance to be pretty large, large enough that Luna couldn't ignore it. And she scored.
2428809 Again, I call bullshit. The only shift of balance she hoped for with Cadance was to increase the number of full powered alicorns on her side from one to two. This was not about upsetting balance to the point Luna couldn't ignore it, she didn't plan for God to decree that they would have to do something about this. Celestia's plans to get Luna on her side were all mind control and torture, pure brute force, nothing more. Failing that, she planned to use the fact that she now had a full powered alicorn on her side to negate Luna's assistance to Twilight.
2428828
Just gonna have to agree to disagree here and end it at that.
2428902 Fair enough.
Celestia shall die!
Death and crimson rain~
Hopefully Twilight shall succeed!
Awaiting further releases.
I'm still in the Celestia is utterly insane party. She clearly cares only for power and control at the moment, and everypony is going to suffer for it.
2428914
In any case, when the foal is born, I'm pretty sure Luna will just snatch it away anyway. She never stated that she would hand the foal over to Celestia once the deed was done. If all goes well, Tara will raise the baby. It's unfortunate for Twilight, but hands have been forced. It's this or the whole world goes kaput.
2428950 Who said there will be a foal? Celestia and Luna are working together, but Discord is not going to be sealed much longer, and I'm not certain I trust the voice of god here on what needs to be done. I also don't buy that the author is going to kill off the main character but we'll see.
And if it comes to that, let it be destroyed. There won't be any reason to preserve life anyway if Celestia wins. That's why the Everfree exists. A more rational solution would be to get rid of Luna, Celestia, and Cadance before letting Twilight give birth.
2428975
We'll see.
2427431 She has been in power for 1000+ years, with barely anything to challenge her and keep her skills up. Now she is going to war with someone that very quickly learns the rules of the game, and is getting help from 2 different ponies that almost have the same experience as Celestia. 3, if you count the changelings.
Celestia is good, but there are 6+ players on the field. Celestia and Cadence. Twilight, Luna, and Radiant Zenith. And of course, the 6th that everyone has forgotten about. Discord.
Discord has more experience than any of them, since he can change the very rules of the game to suit his needs.
really, the game can go any way possible. The game isn't over, till it's game over.
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Oh, come now. When I said that any character could die, I did mean that.
2429158 Frankly, it seems far too predictable to me at this point but I've said before I hate trying to guess what will happen in stories like this. So I'll just keep reading to see.
The Everfree is still the Everfree BUT Celestia has had ten full years to build up her military forces for this operation and thousands of supertroops at her command ... oh and Celestia is there herself in case she needs to step in to take care of a really big nasty ...
final point on the list of Celestia's forces ... What is Luna going to do? will she sacrifice Twilight to save the world (as Celestia's mind slaves)? Or sacrifice the world (potential victims of Discord or whatever other big baddie is on its way) to save Twilight and the Everfree in the short term?
good guys side ..
How many adult dragons live in the Everfree forest? my guess is not enough.
Even with the help of the Goddess of the Everfree Twilight is still well and truely fucked...
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Am I the only one concerned about allowing the birth of a god who can literally mindrape every single sentient being on the world, no matter his alliance? Like Cadence wasn´t already bad news.
The Kratos path seems more desirable for moments.
Hi first post here on Fimfiction, honestly this story made me sign up just to comment! Amazing storytelling all the way!!!
Anyway, I am convinced that the forest battle is going to be the absolute climax of the story. Celestia with an OP army on one side, and probably the largest and most varied group of allies (Gryphons,Changelings,Wielders, Twilight+Luna) ever seen on the other. Just some questions though:
When you wrote "Trottingham burned", do you mean the Celly absolutely razed the city? As in EVERY SINGLE PONY inside is dead? It also disturbs me how invincible the Legions are. I think that there is some unknown weakness inherent in them, one that will turn the tables in the Everfree's favor.(Something to do with the Wielders, perhaps?)
I also wonder if the Shadow will make an appearance at the battle. As we've seen, Cadence + 3 Wielders could barely contain it, and it's unlikely that it won't be drawn by the huge magic bursts during the battle. It could mess up plans on both sides, and if Discord's there as well...
Looking forward to the next installment!