Book Two: Chapter Thirteen: The Song of Celestia
Myths and Birthrights
By Tundara
Book Two: Duty and Dreams
Chapter Thirteen: The Song of Celestia
Soir bounded along the dusty path. Overhead, Sol turned the noon-day sky a sweltering orange-yellow, like she was trying to swallow the heavens. Wrapped in a white cloak, hood pulled down to shade her eyes, Soir didn’t worry about the blistering heat, or the lack of civilization as far as she could see. It’d been days since she and Hades entered the Great Dragon Desert. These were lands never settled or tamed. Even in the days of Marelantis, nopony dared enter the domain of the dragons.
Out in the sandy wastes slept the likes of Nogalacna the White, Ramoth the Golden and her consort Mnementh the Bronze, Cealanog the Ever Hungry, Tiamat the Chromatic Tyrant, and her ancient rival Bahamut the Platinum Protector. These were but the most renowned of the dragons who slumbered for centuries, awaking to brief periods of violent activity. Dozens of elder dragons slept, coiled about glittering hordes of gold, gems, and precious stones, deep in swirling dreams of greed, pride, and power.
She could sense them out there, alone in the scorched, barren, golden sea, almost as if their dreams were songs carried on the blistering winds expelled with their breath. Closing her eyes, Soir immersed herself in one such dream.
Her wings cast shadows across entire lands, and her head rose above even the tallest mountains. A glittering ocean of gold was laid at her claws by ponies, griffons, and zebras as payment for her protection. She was a good protector. A benevolent lord. So long as treasure flowed and they sang her name in worship, rather than those of the pretenders who imagined themselves her rivals. Foolish little wyrmlings. She would teach them humility and take their hordes for her own.
A little shake cast off the dream. Turning about, Soir skipped along backwards, waiting for Hades to catch up.
Even Hades walked softly, sunken eyes watching every hill, lest it should begin to stir. His bident hovered ready at his side, and the traces of a deadly spell prowled the grooves of his horn, eager to be completed and unleashed.
“Why do dragons sleep so much?” Soir asked in a voice that carried easily over the soundless dunes.
Hades didn’t answer at once, and when he did it was with a gruff snort. “Dragons are old beasts, the first of the mortal races conceived by alicorn and demon. The gods of fire and creation lent their knowledge to the likes of Leviathan, Mephistopheles, and Asmodeus, and created the first dragon. She was a weapon, and like all weapons, when the war for which she was forged was over, she lacked a purpose. So, she sleeps, as do all her brood who grow old and powerful.”
As stories went, it wasn’t the worst Hades had shared. Soir detected it was only a partial truth, which could be said of most of the grim god’s stories.
“What was her name? The first dragon?”
Hades shrugged. “Leviathan herself is sometimes said to be their mother, and from her they were gifted her serpentine qualities and colossal size. Other tales state the first was simply called Dragon, and all this is pointless. Leviathan is trapped beneath Tartarus, and all the first generation of dragons have long since died.”
“Leviathan isn’t trapped in Tartarus,” Soir responded, and gave her head a confused tilt. Affecting a didactic tone, like that used by her mother, Soir recited the passages about the summoning of Leviathan and the destruction of Marelantis as told by the Book of Names. A couple of the passages she mangled, and she hesitated over the final bit about Iridia and Faust fleeing the island.
Impassive, Hades said, “Impossible. I would know if one of the Great Sins escaped.”
Face puffing up at being disbelieved, Soir replied, “I am not lying! Everypony knows to be wary of Pride and Envy, because they are what destroyed all the old ponies.”
Sighing, Hades waved a wing, and conjured a large tent filled with bowls of fruit, sweetened water, and thick cushions. “You’ll get sun-sick soon if we don’t rest,” Hades said, and spread himself out beneath the shade, the conversation brushed aside like so much sand.
Grumbling, but knowing better than to bother arguing, Soir lay on her back, one hoof sticking out into the sun. In a warm, lazy haze, Soir’s thoughts drifted towards Twilight. ‘Find the stars,’ Faust had said, ‘and restore Harmony.’ How was she, a little filly, meant to do either? If not for Hades, she’d still be stuck back in Lourdes.
She wondered what Twilight was like. Her mama had said Twilight was a hero of Equestria and had saved the disc from Eternal Night by healing Princess Luna. That made her a pretty good pony, Soir thought.
“Say, Mr. Hades, do you know Twilight?”
“I have told you before that I do not.”
“Is she nice?”
With a long, rattling sigh, Hades rolled over.
“I bet she is like Princess Luna.”
Hades snorted.
“Do you think she will like me?”
Silence.
“Have you ever met Princess Luna?”
“Why must fillies talk so much?” Hades asked the desert at large.
“Mama said it is because Faust gave us the spark of curiosity,” Soir smiled, lifting herself up, head propped on a hoof. “What was your daughter like? Artemis?”
Rolling back over, Hades glowered at Soir. “She was the light of the Underworld, and my greatest joy. Hopefully, she’ll be returned to me soon.”
“I’m sorry. If not for me you’d already have found her,” Soir twisted her hooves together and found herself unable to look directly at Hades. “You really are a good pony, you know.”
“No, I am not.” Hades stood abruptly, and stepped out of the tent.
She almost jumped up to follow Hades, but quickly decided against bothering him anymore. He had the grumpy adult look that meant it was better to give him some space. Further reinforcing her decision, her stomach gave a low growl. Soir poured herself some water, and took a large pomegranate from a brass bowl. Flipping it in her aura, she peeled away the skin from the seeds. Popping a few seeds into her mouth, Soir felt sorry for Hades.
He tried hard to hide is heart, much like her mama, except he was so much easier to see through. Ever since they’d entered the desert, he’d been closed off, moody, and prone to going off on his own. Soir knew her geography well enough, and they could have crossed the desert in a day, two at most, if they’d simply flown. Instead, Hades seemed to want to take his time and brood. His excuses that the dragons would attack if they flew were obvious lies. If they didn’t stir when he used magic to summon the tent and food, they would ignore him flying so high in the sky.
Tossing aside the pomegranate husks, Soir decided to go explore, guessing that travel was done for the rest of the day. Just a short distance from the tent, the rocky, broken ground gave way to sandy dune seas. Golden hills heaved in rolling waves, their tops sparkling as the the dry winds whisked away the loosest grains. Laughing, Soir sank her hooves into the hot sand, and flopped down to make a sand alicorn.
Keeping the tent always in sight, she made a wide circle around the small camp and began to sing. The song had no lyrics other than those that sporadically sprang forth from her lips, then tumble away like the grains of sand whipping through her mane.
It was like being on a giant beach, and Soir loved every moment. She couldn’t wait until she found Twilight, restored Harmony, and could go home to tell her mama about all the places she’d seen.
As she completed her second turn about the camp, she noticed something out in the dancing mirages. Squinting, she shaded her eyes and peered hard as she could into the wavering miasma. After a few minutes, the speck become clearer, slowly resolving into a single black coated pony flying just above the dunes.
“Mr. Hades!” Soir called at the top of her lungs, head partially turned to where he sat beside the tent, still brooding. “Mr. Hades, somepony is coming this way.”
Hades jerked his head up, brow set into one of his typical scowls. He followed Soir’s hoof, and said in a stern voice, “Hide in the tent. It seems Twilight has sent us a messenger.”
“Really?” Soir swished her tail and came up beside him. “This has been an easy adventure! We’re already almost done.”
“Perhaps,” Hades chewed on the word. “Go inside the tent.”
Knowing better than to protest, Soir sufficed to pout, shuffle inside, and find a slit in the canvas through which she could watch and listen. It wasn’t long before the pegasus arrived, and landed in a swirl of sand before Hades.
“Greetings, Lord Hades, the God of the Dead, King of Tartarus, Master of the Golden Keys; I am Algol, the Demonstar, and wish parley.” Algol swept into an elaborate bow.
“Parley? Very well. State your intentions, and then be on your way,” Hades carried himself at what Soir termed his ‘regal’ posture. She hid a giggle behind a hoof as he stood there all puffed up like a peacock. The grown-ups looked over to the tent, then back to each other.
Algol rolled her wings, and gave a sinister smile in the evening light. “I only wish to speak with you. The filly with you is extremely pink to me, and I would make certain she is kept gentle golden-red. The mortal I trusted with her care lives? Ah, she does. Such a good, lime green and foamy blue mare she has been.”
Ears perked up, Soir gaped. This was the mare that gave her to Jardin? But, wasn’t it Faust? Jardin always said Soir was a gift from Faust.
“I gave my word to Soir that I would take her to the Goddess of the Stars, one Twilight Tuilerya,” Hades responded, as if that were all the explanation needed.
Evidently it was, as Algol nodded, and moved on. “My mistress is presently in the ancient city of Zerubaba, but will be there only a few weeks longer. She seeks the final filly who fell from fair Gaea to Ioka, and will soon possess her location.”
“You would betray your mistress?”
“How can I betray she who never held my loyalty?” Algol rocked back on her hooves as she laughed. “I have met many gods of the stars; Astraea, Astarte, Baltis, Citlalicue, Hathor, Ira, Tala, and Varda. I even met Ishtara, a strange foreign goddess from a place beyond the realms of madness. She and her kin spent a time here on Ioka, before departing for other realms. They were fun. Such deep reds and flashing golds composed their hearts!”
Hades considered Algol for some time, judging the crazy pegasus.
“How long has it been since you fell, oh former star?” Hades eventually asked.
Algol gave her wing an airy wave. “The calendars keep changing. I lost track several ages ago. No star fell before me, not on this or any other world. Ioka was still young, and the great raft of her kin could be seen swimming through space day and night; a hundred worlds fresh-spawned and vibrant yellow! In those days the songs of my sisters and I reached our cousins above the other worlds, creating a chorus so beautiful I sometimes weep to have forgotten its silver tones. A kaleidoscope of emotions resonated into our dreams. Behind Ioka, the first sun glowed orange-hot as it contained Yarmalyth, the Screaming Sultan bound in timeless sleep tended by the God of Order. So long have I been on the disc, I have grown mad, sane, and mad again I know naught how many times. Is that answer gold?”
Hades snorted, and gave his head a long, weary shake. “Madness clearly has you in its fragmented grip again.”
“Yes, though not of my own choosing this time, but because of her,” Algol pointed to Soir with a wing.
Letting out a little eep, Soir ducked back down, and missed what was next said. Her breath came in quick, shallow gulps, head swimming with conflicting thoughts. Algol was a villain! If this were one of her mama’s stories, and she the hero, then Algol was the villain who… killed her mother? Soir tilted her head and then shook off the silly idea.
Maybe Algol was her real mother. No, that was stupid, too. Algol was a pegasus, and she was a unicorn… maybe. Besides, everypony seemed to think her mother was one of the gods. Soir was no fool. She’d been able to piece together what everypony had said and stopped short from saying. Which meant her mother was Luna, obviously. Why else would she feel such a strong connection to the moon goddess?
Luna was a central figure in the slivers Soir had managed to identify of her past. That she dreamed most nights of Luna also helped. The dreams alone would have been suspicious enough, given normal unicorns had but a single dream in a year.
Well, except her mama.
Soir’s mama dreamed frequently, though she seemed to forget the dreams within moments of waking. Maybe she was the cause. Soir tapped a hoof to her chin, brow scrunched as she delved through ideas that had long existed on the fringes of her mind, purposefully ignored. Hints of her past, from the lack of a birthday photo on the mantelpiece, or any discussion of her father, bubbled to the surface. To this she added the recent revelations that Faust herself was concerned for her safety. Her hoof fell to her flank, and the strange mark she bore.
Inspiration flashed, and Soir jumped out of the tent.
“It means dreams!” She exclaimed, Algol and Hades looking over with slight amusement at her interruption. “My mark! I figured it out. My talent is with dreams.”
Turning away, wings spread to take flight, Algol said, “Do what you will. I am placid blue to know Namyra is safe. Till we meet again, Lord Hades.”
“Um, I said… My talent is dreams?” Soir blinked a couple times, then a couple times more as Algol took flight. Hades didn’t move. Cautiously, she scooted up beside him, reached up, and touched his shoulder. “Are you alright, Mr. Hades?”
He seemed to snap out of a haze, and glanced down at her with eyes dark as an ocean on a cloudy night. Whatever Algol had said affected him deeply, made him retreat even further into himself. Soir wished she could make him feel better. Take his hurt and hug it all away. Movement in the corner of her vision made her jump, and for a second she thought a dragon had awoken.
Instead, it was a thane that stepped forth. Soir frowned, a knot of dislike in her throat. Why was a thane following them? Had it come for her? She went rigged. Was she about to die!? She felt totally fine, though. Not that that meant much. She recalled old Mr. Potier had died suddenly while tending his kilns. Nopony knew why, just that he was laughing and making his pots, and then he fell over and was gone. Was that about to happen to her?
Soir gave her head a violent shake, and slapped her cheeks. No, she was Luna’s daughter! Which meant she was… an alicorn? Soir glanced over her withers, her very wingless withers.
Thoughts still racing, her ears perked up as Hades addressed the thane.
“Go to Zerubaba. You know what to do, and make certain they know the source of my wrath.”
Pulled out of her contemplations, Soir dictated by rote memory, “Wrath is the fifth Great Sin; For she who fill her heart with wrathful thoughts will be easily lead astray; The Book of Sol, the Great Sins.” She caught her lower lip in her teeth, and seeing the fury pinching the corners of Hades jaw, she asked, “You aren’t going to hurt anypony, are you, Mr. Hades?”
Ignoring her, the thane bowed, then took flight and flowed Algol south.
“Let us hurry, little one,” Hades said to her in a voice that left her feeling cold and alone. “We have much distance to cover before we reach Southstone, and reunite you with your sister.”
“Sister?” Soir scrunched up her nose, confused. “Princess Cadence is in Zebrica, too?”
Shaking his head, Hades banished their campsite, and indicated for Soir to jump on his back. “Come, we are flying the rest of the way.”
Squealing with delight, Soir threw her hooves and Hades’ neck, and settled herself between his wings. Creating a great flurry of sand, Hades launched them into the heavens, and then turned a sharp course towards the south-east.
Looking over the broad devastation of southern Prance in the flowing light of day, Celestia was struck by a heavy weight of how it had all been so senseless. If only her mother had taken the time to talk to Zeus, rather than rush ahead like a battlemad minotaur. Nothing could strike Celestia as being more unlike Faust, and even after weeks of parsing events, she remained unable to fully grasp what drove her mother into such recklessness.
Her mother’s conveniently inconvenient amnesia only compounded the issues.
A deep sigh whistled between Celestia’s teeth. Just when it seemed like they could finally reconnect, be a family like they’d been so long ago, they were torn apart again. Even Iridia was restored to her former self. Celestia had gone so far as to permit herself to dream of passing the governance of Equestria fully to the House of Ladies, leaving the throne as little more than a vestige of former monarchical power. They’d have found a quiet place, somewhere in the Heartlands, where they could be alone for a while, like those glorious few years in the Valley. Fate, it seemed, had other plans that were far too cruel.
Putting further melancholy thoughts aside, Celestia turned to her companion. “So,” she said, “shall we get to work?”
Zeus rolled his wings and gave a wide grin. “Ha-ha! I will have these forests and fields good as new in a day. No, less. They will be even better than before, the earth more fertile and the skies commanded to be pleasant year round. They will have gentle rains in the spring, glorious sun all summer, and warm blankets of puffy clouds in the fall. Winter will bring white fields of snow almost as pure as your own coat, my beloved—”
“No,” Celestia said, cutting him off. “The land will heal, in time. Ioka takes attempts to ‘fix’ her disc poorly, believe me. No, we will go among the towns and help them rebuild their shattered lives.” Celestia indicated a nearby town with a wing.
Demolished roofs and charred trees were only the most visible scars. Everypony in the town had lost loved ones. Some lost all their family.
“Follow me,” Celestia said, dropping off the cloud on which they sat. As she spread her majestic wings, she cast a spell to hide herself under the guise of a simple pegasus.
A short distance behind her, Zeus did the same. They circled the town and came to a gentle landing next to the temple. One side of the roof had been torn away, a jagged stump all that remained of the belltower. With the temple unsafe, the Sisters had set up tents on the grounds where ponies could sleep. An awning in front of the doors to the temple shaded a large book watched over by a novice where the names of the missing could be written down, and scratched off when they were found. Next to the novice, another Sister passed out bowls of thin soup to waiting ponies.
Looking up as Celestia and Zeus approached, the novice put on a forced smile. “Faust’s blessings, strangers. Do you need help with anything?”
“No, we were passing through and wondered if there was anything we could do to help, actually.”
Smile growing a little more natural, the sister shook her head softly and said, “Every bit of help is appreciated. Sister Tourte has been asking for more hooves over by the mill. Th-they still haven’t gotten all the bodies out, yet. And we are desperate for every bushel of grain that can be salvaged.”
Celestia nodded, and with Zeus in tow, made her way over to the former mill.
They were greeted with exhausted scepticism by Sister Tourte until Celestia reiterated her desire to help. The moment Celestia began to speak, a deep scowl crossed Sister Tourte’s taught mouth, and she snorted, “We can manage just fine without you.”
“Excuse me?”
“We do not need the ‘help’ of Equestrians. We have already received all the ‘help’ we will ever need from the Daybringer.” Sister Tourte dismissed them with a wave.
Celestia let out a little sigh, and took a moment to contemplate how to calm the priestesses anger. Out of the corner of her eye, Celestia caught Zeus’ furious expression just before he let out a deep growl.
“It is a fool who turns away an offered hoof out of spite,” Zeus marched up to the sister, and loomed over her. “Especially when in as desperate need as this town finds itself. And how is it that you blame Celestia, when it was Faust who caused all this damage when she challenged another alicorn?”
Cursing inwardly, Celestia hovered on the precipice of intervention. Revealing herself was, perhaps, the worst possible answer, if the sister’s reaction to a simple stranger from Equestria was any indication. Seeing Celestia had been disguised would be so much worse, and the rumours that would spread as a result far more damaging than if they’d done nothing.
Not so easily dissuaded, Sister Tourte snorted, and stretched up on her hoof-tips so she was nose-to-nose with Zeus.
“The tales of Faust being present are false, as Mother Framboise would attest, if she were here. Holy Faust has never directly confronted another alicorn. Reports of a fiery maned, white mare fit Celestia when she has warred in the past. No, no, my goddess is not responsible for this madness, but her failure of a daughter.” Sister Tourte spoke with such venom and anger that Celestia rocked back on her hooves.
Around them came a few grumblings, some ponies in agreement, others shaking their heads or looking away with embarrassment.
“Sister Tourte, that is quite enough!” Interjected a middle-aged mare coming up the lane , flanked by a pair of Sisters. “You embarrass the monastery with these outbursts.”
“Mother Framboise, we do not need—”
“We need all help offered, Sister Tourte. The capitol is working with its usual diligent pace, and if not for the kindness of strangers, we’d have no roofs over our heads or food stored for the coming winter.” Mother Framboise stared down Sister Tourte until she shrank back from her elder and offered Celestia and Zeus grudging apologies. Expression softening, the Revered Mother continued, “Why don’t you go help Sister Sequin. You are so good with the little ones, and they need to be surrounded by love in these trying times.”
Once Sister Tourte had left, Mother Framboise introduced herself properly to Celestia and Zeus. Celestia returned the courtesy, offering names ‘Sunny’ and ‘Stormy’ for herself and Zeus respectively, and thanking the Revered Mother for her assistance.
“Nevermind that,” Mother Framboise said with a dismissive wave. “Every pony is under a great deal of stress, and some react poorly to witnessing their idol’s fall first hoof. She is a good pony, underneath her surly hide.” Looking Zeus over nose to tail, she said, “My, you are a strapping stallion! We could certainly use your help. I bet you can do the work of several ponies!”
“Ha-ha!” His stormy expression was swept away by the Revered Mother’s flattery. “I am stronger than a dozen ponies! Come, lads, let us not keep the mares waiting with bellies pinched with hunger!” Grinning, Zeus thrust out his chin and marched towards where a group was erecting a scaffolding and winch to lift a wall. Habitual laughter announcing his arrival, Zeus grabbed a rope in his teeth, and began to help.
Stepping up next to Celestia, Mother Framboise let her calm demeanor slip into a severe scowl. Celestia raised a brow at the sudden hostility. “Thank you for coming, Your Highness, but, you shouldn’t have brought him here,” Mother Framboise gave Zeus a sour frown, then shook her head. “If you two are discovered, it would upend all our work to recover the towns’ spirits. But, I suppose you have your reasons.”
Celestia let out a long sigh, not surprised that one of her mother’s High Priestesses knew her identity. “Since I am stuck as his chaperone, I figured it might do some good if he saw the damage he caused and helped to fix it.”
She stared at Zeus’ back, watching him like a hawk as he helped lift an entire wall with a single wing, and toss it aside as if it were lighter than a feather. The workers gawked for a moment before they began to form a chain to pass out the grain bushels. Celestia shook her head at the display of exceptional strength. No doubt, Zeus simply assumed it as something ponies were capable, since it was a mere fraction of his natural abilities.
“Honestly, I am uncertain if he is a bad pony, or just an idiot. I’m leaning more and more to the latter.”
“An idiot in love with the sun? Now, there is the start of many a story.” Mother Framboise laughed at the exasperated groan that came from Celestia. “Holy Faust warned all the Mothers about Zeus, and to keep an eye out for you and him. I can not begin to express the relief I felt to hear Her voice, especially since I am the only Mother to have been present and survive this disaster.”
“A disaster she could have avoided, if she’d but come to me first.”
“Oh?” The High Priestess asked, the skepticism in her tone burdening the single word with an entire speech worth of rebuttals.
Celestia released a slow, sad sigh. That peculiar aura of a Revered Mother drew answers where Celestia intended to stay silent. It was one of many reasons she tended to avoid the mares. Before Celestia noticed, she was deep into a tumbling soliloquy.
“I know I am not my sister. Luna is the fighter, not I. She spent her formative years under the tutelage of knights, soldiers, kings, and warlords, honing her already keen natural talents. We she not bound to Selene, Luna may have been a Goddess of War. In contrast, every time I have taken up sword or battle-spell, disaster has followed. Mother warned me time and time again to leave fighting to my sister, and events have shown merit to her advice. So, I have cultivated other skills. Diplomacy, manipulation, and the carefully crafted aura of a statesmare. All to keep my ponies safe, mostly from myself. Unleashing Sol’s full fury has devastating consequences.”
“Yet, when you took up Coronal Edge against Zeus, disaster was halted. The same is true of your final confrontation with the Nightmare a thousand years ago.” Mother Framboise pointed out, and Celestia had no argument against her point.
Celestia laughed. She found herself enjoying having an impartial ear willing to listen to her ramble. How long had it been since she’d really just talked to somepony about her own thoughts. Not all that long, in retrospect, and it was becoming a far more common occurrence year by year.
“I am no longer afraid of my own power. What I mean is that we could have come up with a plan that wouldn’t have resulted in so much misery.”
Mother Framboise leaned back and watched Sol through the thin layers of clouds. It was going to rain later, and the clouds were beginning to grow heavy where they’d been gathered by the few pegasi in the area. “I think that was why She pushed herself so hard against Zeus, even knowing that it was impossible to win. Your shadow only continues to grow with each passing year. Enough to make even Holy Faust doubt herself.”
Celestia verged on speechless. The idea of her mother being envious, or intimidated, by anypony was utterly preposterous. Especially for herself to be the cause of Faust’s insecurity.
A tune struck by the ponies as they worked flowed over Celestia and Mother Framboise, and the pair stopped to listen.
Merely we work away,
Though the clouds be growing thick,
skies turning an ugly grey,
Golden is the day.
Prophecy foretold,
Praises sung to us all,
Oh, She named her,
‘Celestia’,
Protector of us all.
A fife cut in, adding its sharp, high notes to the myriad voices, ponies clapping their hooves in time as Zeus took up the next verse.
Oh, the legends so bright,
Defender of the light,
Magic and mystery,
Coat a glowing white.
Mane of roiling, flowing flame,
Quite a vision to behold,
Many hearts she’d did claim,
Lovely Celestia.
At this, the gathered villagers broke out into a rousing chorus, their voices strong and carrying far. The music swelled, somepony adding the sweet chords of a guitar, sending the notes dancing like sprites across a field of flowers.
And the skies would weep,
And many dreams she’d keep,
And all the days belong to,
Her Celestia.
And the skies would weep,
And many dreams she’d keep,
And all the days belong to,
Her Celestia.
Mares and stallions began to pair off, hooves skipping to the beat and swing their partners into a heated dance. Though their homes were lost, and many loved ones gone, the natural good hearts of ponykind refused to wallow for long in misery. The guitar swelled, and Celestia herself sang, her voice so pure, so beautiful, filled with a touch of her Power, nopony present remained sorrowful.
Oh, in a palace so fair,
On distant snowy mount’.
Guidance given to us all,
Written on scrolls of gold.
Ne’er an angry word,
Graces tongue or brow.
Rule over all the land,
Wise Celestia.
And the skies would weep,
And many dreams she’d keep,
And all the days belong,
To Celestia.
And the skies would weep,
And many dreams she’d keep,
And all the days belong to,
Her Celestia.
Overhead the clouds parted, Sol’s golden rays shining down on the town, and the singers. Sol’s heavy voice touched Celestia in a happy, bouncy hum. Joy, warm and ever expanding, flowed through Celestia from Sol, and out towards the ponies.
Oh, the song of Celestia,
Glowing through the heart,
Better not turn away,
Kind Celestia.
When she cries, “Have no fear,
Until the end of time.”
You will e’er be protected,
By Her Celestia.
Again came the chorus, the ponies singing with far greater gusto. Celestia joined in, spinning about, the center around which all the others danced. Their faces shone brightly, the last of the grain bouncing out of the ruined mill as they swirled and sashayed. Zeus carried a dozen bushels on each wing, and on these sang a fair young mare.
And the skies would weep,
And many dreams she’d keep,
And all the days belong,
To Celestia.
And the skies would weep,
And many dreams she’d keep,
And all the days belong,
To Celestia.
Twilight was torn from pleasant dreams by a hoof playfully circling the base of her wings. Saffron and spice tingled in her nose in wonderful swirls, and the hoof trailed along the curve of her neck. A happy murmur rolled from Twilight. The other pony shifted in the large bed, and nipped at her ear with the edge of pointed teeth.
Twilight’s eyes flashed open at the bite.
In a panic, she took stock of her location. She wasn’t in her own room, but one far more lavish and ostentatious, yet with a warm, lived-in quality. Colourful cushions were stacked next to an open window and tea table, with old books within easy reach. Dresses dangled over a bedroom screen, and an open jewelry box sat on a vanity, necklaces, bangles, and earrings spilling out of the painted rosewood.
“Good morning,” Maatsheptra purred, taking a last nip at Twilight’s ear before she rolled out of bed and sauntered towards her vanity. A silk dressing gown floated down from the bedroom screen, and the empress slipped into it as she crossed her bedroom.
Heart hammering against her chest, Twilight raced through her memories of the previous evening. There were flashes of laughter and leaning against somepony almost as tall as herself. After staggering down gilded halls, Twilight started to bid Maatsheptra a good night outside the open doors to the empress’ quarters. Reckless impulse compelled Twilight to snatch a kiss, and push her way into the room. Subtle resistance melted, and the bed welcomed the giggling pair.
What followed turned Twilight’s face a deep crimson.
Glancing to the side, Twilight spotted the empty bottles of Moonwine on the bed stand, along with two glasses. She was beginning to loathe the delightful nectar.
“I must admit, Princess Twilight, I never suspected you to be so adventurous and bold.” Maatsheptra said with a satisfied nonchalance as she rang a small bell to summon her maids.
Blush growing deeper, Twilight wanted nothing more than to turn invisible. She regretted never learning such a useful spell. Teleporting seemed far too rude an option. Trapped, Twilight could only sputter an apology as the empress’ hoofmaids, along with those assigned to Twilight, entered through a side-door.
Panic flared for a brief instant. She was doubly caught lying tangled amid the empress’ bed sheets, with nowhere to run. The mares’ faces were utterly placid, but Twilight was certain she detected a hint of judging amusement twinkling in their eyes.
A deep breath, held for a count of three, and then quickly released expelled a portion of Twilight’s anxiety. She reminded herself that there was nothing wrong with ponies enjoying each others’ company. It was simply something done in private. Without a small herd of hoofmaids listening through the door as…
Twilight bit down on her tongue and focused solely on the pain.
Her fears dimmed a little at the laissez-faire demeanor of the empress, but only a little. Reminding herself she needed to show strength, along with repeated refrains of ‘what would Celestia do?’ helped create a place of refuge from which she could control her anxiety, if not embarrassment.
“I was lead to believe that ponies were so staid, and boring, when it came to matters of the bedroom,” Maatsheptra continued, either enjoying Twilight’s embarrassment, or oblivious to it. Almost certainly it was the former.
“Yes, well, everyone seems to forget that I was half raised by Cadence.” Twilight crossed her hooves, and after a short internal debate went to a nearby bench so as to allow her hoofmaids the ability to brush her mane, coat, and wings. “It is just something I participate in only rarely.”
Bookended with laughter, Maatsheptra said, “You did seem rather pent-up.”
Cheeks burning hotter, and unsure if she wanted the answer, Twilight asked, “It wasn’t bad, was it?”
The question slipped out before she fully parsed the repercussions, and cursed herself for sounding like an uncertain teenager after her first time. Sure, her list of partners was rather short. Okay, there were only three names on the list, including Maatsheptra, and both of her former partners had been stallions. But, she’d read everything there was on the subject, even the much maligned Book of Love, with all it’s dreadful ‘love’ potions and ‘passion’ spells. Not that she’d memorised the contents, a cursory reading giving her enough understanding to discount anything the book contained as useless. The romance novels of one Miss Lucky Score had been far more informative on the subject.
As if reading her thoughts, Maatsheptra answered, “It was very… methodical, at first.”
Twilight’s ears dipped, then picked back up.
“At first?”
“Mmm, you grew very intense. Passionate. The thing you did with your wings,” a gentle purr rolled from Maatsheptra, and she gave Twilight a seductive wink over her withers. “When you trusted yourself, and followed your instincts, it became a glorious night, indeed. It was nice being surprised, for once.”
Conversation naturally carried on in a similar vein. Twilight wasn’t surprised to discover Maatsheptra had taken many partners over the years. Many, many partners. But, never one she loved.
“I can ill afford ‘love’, Twilight,” Maatsheptra sighed as her jewelry was placed over her head. “My empire comes first, even before my own foals. I hardly need inform you of the weight of such responsibility. Bereft of an alicorn’s fabled immortality, love is a vulnerability I can ill afford.”
For a moment, Twilight felt like she was back in Ponyville’s spa with Rarity, discussing all the juicy gossip of the day. It was refreshing to allow her mane down around the empress. No worries about decorum, about saying or doing the wrong thing and causing an incident. The empress appeared to enjoy the relative freedom as well. She spoke at length about her daughter and son, how one was so good and decent, and the other such a mischievous little scamp. Her face glowed when she talked about her foals, and for the first time Twilight was struck by the realization that Maatsheptra was not unlike any other mare.
As they spoke, Maatsheptra began to fiddle with a lapis-lazuli broach. She turned it over this way and that. Put it in a small jewelry box only to take it out again. Eventually, she retrieved some enchanter’s tools and worked on a little segment of some charm.
When Twilight asked about what she was doing, Maatsheptra sighed and said, “I have been preparing this for Algol, a simple thing to bring her a bit of luck and keep her safe. It is silly, I am aware. Algol is more than capable of looking after herself, and, despite all my efforts to the contrary, I love that mare. She is the closest thing I have to a mother, and without her, I’d have no empire to guide.”
The broach was passed to Twilight. It was a very simple affair, well crafted and sturdy, in the traditional old Queendoms style. Essentially, a charm to bring good luck, the enchantment was rather basic comparable to some of the earliest spells Twilight had learned during her apprenticeship. Given the size of the broach and the materials used, it was actually a little remarkable Maatsheptra managed to stabilize the matrix.
Twilight passed the broach back, and the conversation shifted again.
All too soon they were brushed, decked in their chosen regal apparel, and princess and empress quit the bedroom chambers to go their separate ways. They hesitated only a few short moments, Maatsheptra leaned in to whisper, “I hope there will be a chance to repeat last eve, before you are forced from my home.”
Blush returning, Twilight admitted she was a little partial to the idea. She promptly kicked herself for accepting so quickly. Tail seductively swishing, Maatsheptra vanished down the corridor.
Flanked by her hoofmaidens, Twilight decided to check in on Fleur and Luna.
Already well acquainted with the Golden Palace, Twilight fairly skipped along. She was under no illusions of being in love with Maatsheptra, and Cadence would have quickly agreed. No, it was the growing warmth of budding friendship that made Twilight’s hooves lighter, and the day seem a little extra bright.
Certainly, she’d never slept with any of her friends before. The idea barely crossed her mind more than two or three times over the years. The closest she’d come had been the slumber party, since it was in a few of the later chapters of her slumber party guide book. Fate, however, always seemed to have other plans for the group.
Twilight abandoned the line of thought as she arrived at the training hall and made her way inside. She paused just inside, overcome by the sight that greeted her.
Wood clacked against magical shield, accompanied by shouts, as Fleur charged Luna. In an easy, loose stance, Luna held her wings open, aether dancing along the primaries as she cast. Fleur spun her practice spear, seeking a hole in Luna’s defenses. Her opening came as Luna abandoned the barrier to unleash a bolt of blue-white aether.
Anticipating the attack, Fleur changed her direction with a stamp, thrusting her spear at Luna’s chest. Luna flowed around the practice spear, rather than simply dodge the attack. Twilight was overcome with awe at the display. Luna’s movements were nothing like the Nightmare’s. She was filled with efficient grace and perfect poise. Catching the spear in her primaries, Luna twisted it from Fleur’s grasp. Without slowing, she tossed it away and brought her other wing up in a sweeping slash, stopping just a hair’s breadth from Fleur’s throat.
Breathing heavily, Fleur slumped a little, and went to retrieve her practice spear.
“It looks like Fleur’s training is going well,” Twilight said as she approached Luna.
Luna shook her head, but it was Rainbow who answered. Snorting, she said, “This is torture! It’s like watching a cadet copy somepony. She has no imagination or talent. Fluttershy could do better, and well, she is Fluttershy.”
Twilight gave a little start, having failed to spot Rainbow and Pinkie sitting on the sidelines. Fause sat with them, her wing draped over a very grumpy looking Timely. Twilight trotted up to the group, Luna close behind after she instructed Fleur to go through some practice routines.
“You are all too accurate, Lady Dash.” Clouded in an air of regret, Luna watched Fleur repeat the strikes and steps over and over. “Algol is a foe I would be hesitant to send my greatest knights against. Fleur has no chance of winning, even if she had years to prepare.”
“Unless she could access Athena’s knowledge and skills, you mean,” Twilight supplied, scratching her hock, uncertain what she could do to help.
“Athena is gone, and there’s no sense lamenting what might have been. Better to .focus on what will be, or could still be,” Faust said, rolling her wings in a shrug.
Upper lip curling with disdain, Luna asked, “And what, mother, is the future you see for Fleur?”
“Many, and only one,” Faust said in a distant, almost bored monotone, as if she’d had to repeat the same answer dozens of times already. “I no longer meddle in Fate, Luna. Trying to control a force beyond her was the great mistake the former Faust made, and it cost her, and everypony she loved, immensely.”
“You talk like Faust—you—died, and was a different pony.” Exasperation gave Twilight’s voice a bit of a harsh snap.
Grinning like Twilight had told a private joke, Faust nodded. “Faust did die, and then you saved me, Twilight. She and I are divided by several thousands years of memory and experience. I could be her again, should enough time elapse, and similar events replayed. Or she could return to me via other means. Such speculations are pointless, however. I am me.”
Groaning at the non-answer, Twilight decided to see if there was any help she could provide Fleur. Afterall, she was an accredited Master Abjurer by the Council of Magi of Equestria. Teaching Fleur teleportation or blinking was impossible, given the few short days remaining before the duel, but there were a few wards and charms that could be taught in that space of time.
Tossing a towel used to wipe her face aside as Twilight approached, Fleur enquired what the commotion was all about. After Twilight explained, she gave the offer to help teach several common, simple wards.
“Merci, mi amie, but such spells, wouldn’t they be much like a foal trying to fight off a dragon by waving her hooves in the air, non?” Fleur invited Twilight to join her in the middle of the training hall with a tilt of her head.
“I’ve found that simple, basic spells to be far more effective in a fight than long, complex matrices,” Twilight casually explained, taking up the spot Luna had occupied when training Fleur. “Not only are they easier to remember, and form, they are a lot quicker, and their simplicity gives them a surprising amount of flex when channeling excessive amounts of aether.”
“Are you certain they were only so useful to you because you are an alicorn with all the magic of an alicorn?” Fleur took up a practice spear, and gave it a few twists and jabs, trying to get a feel for its weight. When satisfied, she squared off against Twilight, waiting for an answer.
Twilight didn’t have an immediate answer to give. She’d never contemplated the idea before.
The core principle held a measure of accuracy. Coupled with being Fostered during nearly all her previous fights, with the fate-bending nature of the enchantment, she couldn’t claim her experiences as being anywhere near typical or indicative of the usefulness of the spells.
There had to be some way to protect Fleur. Some spell, or skill, or item…
Ears perking up as ideas began to build, and coalesce into a plan, Twilight said in an exuberant burst, “I know how I can help!” Before anypony could ask her what she meant, she’d darted from the hall and back to her quarters, leaving a bemused Fleur alone in the middle of the training hall.
Maatsheptra’s words rattled in Twilight’s head and formed the core of her idea.
While it was impossible to teach Fleur the necessary spells, it was possible for Twilight to craft an item to carry the protective wards. And, she knew exactly what to use.
Bursting into her room, she threw open the drawer next to her bed and pulled out the box sent to her by Iridia, and a large satin pouch.
Twilight hadn’t thought about the pouch given to her by Bonnie Belle in some time. Better known as Bloodrose Belle, Captain of the Sea Serpent, the most notorious pirate in several generations, she was also Rarity’s mother, and Twilight dreaded having to meet the mare again after her failure to protect Rarity. A failure she would never repeat.
Inside the pouch were several large blue diamonds mined somewhere in Griffonia, and then passed from trader to trader, until ending up on a Hackney bound merchant ship, one that was taken as a prize by Bloodrose. The gems were of startling size for having come from outside Equestria’s gem-farms. Pure, natural blue diamonds; no better focus for enchantments could be found on the disc.
Next, Twilight retrieved the tiara, and set aside the box.
Tools. She required tools.
These turned out to be easily acquired, her hoofmaidens sent to fetch them from around the palace. In short order she had microscopes, magiscopes, fine pointed etching tools, clamps, bags and bottles of reagents, and mounds and mounds of parchment at her disposal. The room quickly became more laboratory than bedroom, which made Twilight feel more at home than she’d been in months.
Turning the tiara over, Twilight placed over it a sheet of thin parchment, and traced an outline. She set aside the tiara for the time being, along with the gems after selecting three moderately sized, clear stones. The remaining seven she placed back in the bag for later.
For the next several hours Twilight stared at the parchment picturing various matrixes for the enchantments.
She began with the most plain, simplistic, and easy to craft. Something used as lessons for first year students. Lacking the necessary subtleties and strength Twilight required, she quickly moved on to more advanced matrices. One by one these were discarded, problems cropping up in an endless maelstrom of discarded ideas.
Most of a night was wasted trying to overcome the flaws inherent to Equestrian enchanting. Though a pinnacle of the enchanters arts, with devices and tools unimagined even a few years prior, Equestrian methods held a number of flaws when attempting to place multiple functions into a single item. There was beauty to Equestrian methods, the fantastical natures of the palaces and ships produced testaments to how Equestria rivaled Marelantis in terms of the enchanters arts, despite the two systems being as different as day was to night.
Twilight’s ears pricked up, like a fox hound sensing prey.
Marelantis was the answer. Their methods were slow, and almost utterly forgotten, but possessed all the traits she required.
At once, pen began to fly across the parchment, tracing echoes of the enchantments Twilight had seen in Leviathan’s palace. Circles within circles connected by interwoven lattices of runes. Her initial attempts were quickly discarded, a hefty pile of crushed parchment growing next to Twilight’s desk.
Groaning, Twilight rubbed her dry eyes and woke the stars before setting back to work.
She could feel the approach of a block, of a hurdle that she’d either crash into and push against for days until either giving up or overcoming. Unable to afford such a delay, Twilight cast about for a guiding light, and found it in Altair, the Charmstar.
Since time immemorial Altair had guided and watched over the greatest enchanters of every generation. The star held boundless knowledge on the nature of enchantments, charms, and wards. Pulling on the ethereal chain binding Altair to her, Twilight was filled with all Altair’s accumulated knowledge.
A second creative wind followed, Twilight’s pen moving seemingly of its own accord.
Inspiration guided Twilight’s pen into a pattern more intricate than any she’d previously attempted. Ordinarily, she never would have contemplate such an enchantment. She was not as talented as Rarity when it came to the school, and since moving to Ponyville, hadn’t found much opportunity to practice her admittedly meagre skills. Confidence in her new-found powers, however, spurred her onwards.
The Charmstar hovered around Twilight for the entire design process, imparting her knowledge and understanding of charms, enchantments, and wards to her mistress. Vega appeared here and there as well, supplying blessings intended to fend off black aether.
No question existed about the nature of Algol’s magic. Meeting Algol had been enough to confirm that she practiced the colloquially termed ‘black magic’, her presence overflowing with malicious intent. Few ponies ever used black aether, the colour long associated with darkness, demonology, corruption, and the mind. Outside of historical figures, the only pony Twilight knew who’d ever controlled black aether were her mother, Velvet Sparkle, and that was mostly by rumour and stories. Twilight wished there was time to go and consult Velvet.
Black aether was not evil, per se, only that the applications strongly suited Algol. Altair and Vega both agreed with her assessment and went a step further, informing Twilight that before her fall, Algol had held a fascination with the Dark runes themselves, and gathered to herself all that she could discover.
Patterns within patterns began to emerge, focusing on the central gem, with the others providing supportive auxiliary functions.
Wishing there was a way to test the enchantment’s matrix without wasting materials and precious time, Twilight took up the largest of the gems, and began the painstaking task of aether-etching, channeling magic through the gem at specific frequencies while inscribing the necessary runes at an almost microscopic levels.
Working without pause, the hours morphed into days. Distantly, Twilight was aware of setting the stars, and rousing them from their sleep. In a similar manner, she knew ponies came and went from her room, some asking questions, others just sitting nearby while she worked. Her answers, when necessary, were all succinct and to the point. Follow-up questions were ignored, and received low growls if pressed.
She had no time to spare on the trivialities going on around her.
Not even when Faust and Applejack’s raised voices echoed through the guest wing, or when the palace shook from what was either an earthquake, or a frustrated alicorn stamping her hoof.
At long last Twilight reached the culmination of the echanting process; setting the etched gems into the inscribed tiara. The fitting had to be absolutely precise. There was no room for the slightest error. Each gem took several hours to place, adjust, and then finally set.
When, at last, the central blue diamond was fitted a shimmer rippled across the completed tiara, and Twilight allowed herself a relieved breath.
Pushing herself away from the desk over which she’d been hunched she could not say how long, Twilight inspected her work.
Everything was as intended, and if she’d not erred in designing the matrix, the tiara would provide greater protection than the finest suit of barding, and create a barrier sturdier than those cast by the finest battlemages. Twilight doubted even her brother was able to cast a better spell.
All that remained was to give the tiara a name. The Diadem of Stars, or perhaps, Twilight’s Tiara were the most logical, but felt a little underwhelming. Twilight knew what she’d made was unlike anything else forged since Coronal Edge and Penumbra were respectively crafted by Celestia and Nightmare Moon.
She’d decide on a name later. First she had to give it to Fleur.
Turning on her stool to place the tiara in its box, Twilight was shocked to find Applejack dozing on her bed.
Applejack rested on the bed, legs stretched out to the side and chin on folded hooves. Matted fur on Applejack’s cheeks gave testament to tears shed and since dried. Raising her head a little, Applejack gave one of her brave half-grins that spoke of inner turmoils, and a fervent desire to not have them affect the here and now. It was a smile Twilight was used to seeing moments before she and her friends plunged into the latest danger facing Equestria.
“How long…?”
“Have I been here? Almost a week, Sugarcube,” Applejack said with a yawn. “Or, if you mean about how long you been working. Princess Luna said you started a little bit before we got here. ‘Shy’s out in the gardens, enjoying all the exotic flowers an’ critters an’ such. An’ Soarin is off getting me something to eat. I think he’s lost again, though. Been gone a while.”
“Fluttershy’s here too?” Twilight blinked a couple times, and then became aware that she’d felt Fluttershy and Iridia arrive some time before, and promptly put aside the implications of them coming to Zebrica entailed for later parsing.
She couldn’t tell where, precisely, the others were, only that Luna was somewhere in the palace, Fluttershy a little further off in the gardens, while Faust and Iridia were down in the city.
Shifting topics, Twilight asked, “What happened?,” while she placed the newly crafted artifact on a velvet cushion, and closed the lid on the box.
Her mood steadily darkened as Applejack related everything that had occured since they’d parted following Rarity’s funeral. When Applejack reached her arrival in Zebrica, she snarled, “And Faust, Celestia damn her, refuses to help! She won’t say where Apple Bloom and the other fillies are, except that they are relatively safe. ‘Relatively safe’!? If that ain’t some of the worst hedging I’ve ever heard! Every time somepony presses her, she just starts spouting off some confounded nonsense about not interfering in Fate no more.”
Anger made Applejack’s voice crackle, and her tail snapped side-to-side.
Sadly, Twilight was presented with no time to comfort her friend as her hoofmaidens appeared, and said, “Your Divine Highness, it is time to get ready. The duel is only a few hours away.” Between them, they pulled out one of Twilight’s dresses, a flowing blue Rarity Original vaguely reminiscent of traditional Neighpon styles, trimmed in gold, complete with accompanying jewelry. “Her Majesty says that if we fail to hurry, you will be late for the preceding ceremonies. You as well, Lady Apple. It has been decreed that all the Elements of Harmony are to be present.”
That was all it took. Twilight’s heart hammered against her chest, and said, “We can’t be late! Applejack, you need to get ready as well. I’ll help you find your sister, of course. But first, I need to make sure one of my fallen stars doesn’t kill Fleur.”
Jaw tensing like she was chewing on one of her old hats, Applejack snorted, and said, “Fine. Not like I know what to do next anyways. Promise me, Twilight, that nothing will happen to my sister, and you’ll get her home.”
A niggling voice in the back of Twilight’s head warned her not to make such a promise. Not when she had no idea about the Crusaders situation. Were she able, she’d have split herself in two in order to protect Fleur and the Crusaders. She’d been able to protect princess Hattmettren, and she’d protect them too.
Stats
Page generated in 0.03 seconds
Total duration
1,028 users online
1,513,034 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Unfortunate you weren't able to do that argument between Faust and Applejack. It is what it is, I suppose. I'm glad that Applejack has a place in the story currently even if it's just grief and worry. I wonder how that'll affect her child?
The assassination plot-line got scraped? Now I kinda feel that after the Leviathan's defeat the story misses a proper villain...
8841786
The assassination plot-line was just too much fluff. It never felt all that well connected to what I was doing that draft, and more drama for drama's sake. Cutting it was one of the first things I did. It's much like if there was a third draft of Myths I'd cut Gilda, Zubu, and Orenda, their roles and arc completing absorbed by Sweetie Belle at this point.
I tend to think of things in half-book arcs. Since Leviathan there has been the Faust-Zeus battle arc, and since then we've been in the Duel arc. This arc has been very filler-ish. Then again, so was much of the opening arc with Twilight's Awakening in Book One. There are three antagonists for this arc of the story; Algol is the main antagonist, driving most of the other characters actions; Hades is the second antagonist, his stuff mostly a slow build towards his role in the upcoming arc; the last antagonist I'm keeping under my hat, though process of elimination would reveal who it is rather quickly. I'm curious if people are picking up on this character or not, and how the reveal will be received.
This is the last 'filler' type chapter that there will be for a couple months. The next chapter opens with a big action set-piece, and fifteen has the duels and concludes this arc. These slower chapters are necessary for pacing and build up. Everything can't be all action and danger every chapter. I'm looking forward a lot to the next arc, even though it has a fair bit in common with one of 'Sharing the Night's' plotlines. Readers of both stories will notice it at once.
8840565
Applejack's role in the story has been relegated to the worried mother-figure for the CMC's heroic journey. I have a tendency to write very 'wide', that is to say, have a massive cast of characters with a lot of minor or moderate roles in the story, rather than a few characters who each figure into multiple aspects. The spreadsheet for the character list is long... I try to give all the main cast something to do, and not just be ornamentation. But I often feel that I'm ending up spreading things too thin and not giving any character enough time to shine or develop.
part of me want Hades to meet twilight and go from anger/wrath to love/lust and fall in love with twilight at first sight
This was a nice chapter and I liked how Twilight practically worked for a week non-stop to assist Fleur. Algol is certainly not a good pony and seems to have unclear motivations.
8842338
Hehehe, yeah, but doing that twice in a row would be a bit much.
8842411
fell for all we knew twilight is the reincarnate of his first love...... that or she end up remind him too much of his daughter that he cant harm her
anyway good story
8842433
Wasn't his first wife Hecate? And second one Nyx? (Luna's Gaian Counterpart) or was it Astraea?
And wasn't there rape (probably not) and imprisonment (definitely) implied? Yeah I don't see anything like that happening.
My best idea for a name is the Stella Aegis. Kinda mixing English and Latin, like with the other ones.
8842668
not sure, really
8842668
Hecate was closer to 'Friends with Benefits' than wife. Yes, it was Nyx and not Astraea he kidnapped. Both of those things were implied. This is in line with Bulfinch's translation; 'Here Proserpine was playing with her companions, gathering lilies and violets, and filling her basket and her apron with them, when Pluto saw her, loved her, and carried her off. ... The ravisher urged on his steeds, calling them each by name, and throwing loose over their heads and necks his iron-colored reins.'
So yeah, implied, but I won't go so far as to confirm.
Hades is heading towards some nonredeemable things in the next few chapters, and I don't want to just overload the guy with The Evils.
I was being far more laissez-faire about keeping things consistent when I was doing the background stories between the story and real-world mythology. The genealogy is a complete mess.
It should have been Hecate and not Artemis who is Hades daughter. I should have kept Persephone, and had her be similar to Iridia rather than Luna... and on and on. This is something I'm considering correcting in the de-ponied Myths and Birthrights.
8842688
That is a nice name, though there is already Aegis itself (Athena's shield) in the story.
8842965
Bah! It's no Stella Aegis!
Hmm... Gotta dig deeper into my Mythology knowledge.
Tyche's Favour (Sort of like "Fortune Favours")
Benediction (technically, the item is enchanted (blessed) by the divine)
Zorya (Slavic guardian goddesses: representing morning and evening stars)
At worst, you'll already have a name in mind. At best, my ideas might serve as inspiration
Heeey, Twilight made her artifact! Neat! Hopefully Algol can't just effortlessly disregard it, lol.
So, I thought about something during this chapter, and I can't remember... was it said at some point that Algol killed Sirius off-camera? Or could she still be in play?
8843372
Last mention of Sirius was Algol commanding Halphamet to take Sirius and Authea's shade to Zerubaba. Authea was then seen in the Tamil Tahree, and was subsequently destroyed/turned into a gem by Twilight. We've not seen the last of Sirius.
8843048
Some nice names! I've already got some ideas written down, but I'll add this to the list. Can never have too many choices.
8842433
Thanks! Hades and Twilight's meeting is just around the corner, so you shouldn't have to wait any more than two chapter updates to read it.
8843628
So they're candidates. That's always nice to hear
Looking forward to see what Twilight end's up calling it.
Twilight, is THAT how I teached you to do politics!?
Reading the name suggestions for the tiara in the comments, only one name pops to my mind, because I just love puns so much: "Corona Astralis", the crown of stars. It's both a fitting name, and a punny one, as it sounds similar to Corona Australis, an existing constellation.
8855448
Another interesting option. Thank you for the suggestion. It's on the list. The temporary name I am using in the draft for chapter 15 is... okay, but feels a little plain as well.
Truthfully, the whole Twi-sheptra thing is kind of off putting. It seems rather out of character for Twilight in general. There doesn't seem to be any sort of chemistry there at all, and of all ponies, with the exception of Fluttershy, I would think Twilight would be the least likely to jump into bed with someone she barely knew. It doesn't help any that I have the strong suspicion that Maatsheptra is going to attempt to grab Twilight's power for herself, in a Sombra like ritual of sorts.
8861920
As a general rule I'd agree with you about Twi. This little 'twist' is one I've known for a long time would be very difficult to write and touchy for some readers. It is important and not simply tossed into the story for no reason, but it isn't going to be some big huge thing either. I also didn't want, and can't have, Twilight stay static, and when thinking over the differences between Myths' setting and the show one of the low-key aspects has always been how relationships are handled and viewed. It is to the point where the etymological meanings and usage of lust is different on Ioka. I've never really touched on the issue beyond perhaps a hint here or there in some of the side stories. The biggest being the opening line for 'A Dream of Pride and Envy'; First among the Great Sins is Lust. For those with a covetous heart will never see what they already possess. -The Book of Sol, on the Seven Sins of Ponykind
Ultimately, the real issue is I never previously clearly defined that this version of Twilight neither cared for nor disdained such interactions. Head canon and backstory has that she had partners, found the experience to be neither here nor there, and focused on her studies. Much like friendship, she simply didn't have the time or see the point when there were more pressing concerns.
As for who engages in such acts, I have it in this order for head canon: Pinkie/RD >>>> AJ >>>> Twi > Shy/Rarity. Why? Rarity seems the type who'd 'save herself' for her first true love. Because romance.
Also, it is almost outright stated in the first few chapters of Myths that there was a strong expectation of Velvet arranging a politically advantageous marriage for Twilight. Sadly, I've not really done much with this aspect of Velvet's character, or that side of unicorn society in Equestria. Again, it is my fault for not properly supporting these aspects of the setting and story.
And, I've now spent more time on the subject with this response than I have in the rest of the years I've been writing Myths.
8862515
I suppose it's understandable to put it down as a sort of failure of worldbuilding (if you'll so forgive me for such harshness, oh worldbuildy one) but at the same time I think that stories that seek to pull the camera back from the mane 6 and Ponyville fundamentally have to handle the characters, even within the greater context of the universe, as if they were fundamentally the same.
For example, in Xenophilia, you have worldbuilding and herds, and its all very sexual yada yada; but, whatever you might think of the success or failure of the worldbuilding within it, or the writing the the fic itself, one thing that it does is write Rainbow Dash in a way that It keyed into something that I feel is a fundamental part of her character, but is often missed: her insecurities (perhaps seen best during the Young Flyer competition.) So, despite being in a world of herds and polyamorous love, Rainbow had a couple of bad experiences and ended up fundamentally burnt out of relationships on whole. Of course, this was largely to justify her hooking up with a hewmon but here we are.
I don't really disagree with the character sketch you've given of Twilight's past relationships, at least not exactly, but I can't help but feel like Twilight ought to approach such relationships with a certain amount of... Twilightism. Which probably precludes the possibility of falling into bed with someone she just met, and with whom she doesn't appear to have any reason to do so. One would imagine if she was so prone to doing so, she would have been seduced by all manner of other young nobles from other, less powerful houses, as she was the Heir apparent (as far as I can tell) to the very powerful Sparkle House. But that doesn't seem realistic; more in line with her character would be her being less likely do to do so, no doubt educated and warned from an early age about those sorts of nobles who would try to bed her for political gain in one way or another. Since she's literally a god now, one would imagine she'd be even more uptight about it.
I really think more should have been done to illustrate why it would be otherwise;; perhaps not just for Twilight, but the whole mane 6 as well.
One fluffy pre-alicorn fluff piece plzDoes this make sense in the sort of culture you're imagining, though?
8863783
Thanks for the long response!
Twilight has always been one of the characters I've found--generally--easier to write, so long as I keep her along the lines of my own anxiety disorder, and what I would have wanted to do in similar situations (as opposed to what I would have done, which is pull a season 1-3 Fluttershy, and hide). Maatsheptra is meant to be masterful at manipulation and seduction, which puts me as the writer in an awkward spot as I am most certainly not either of those things, and could barely fill a thimble with my understanding of the latter. So, the sub-plot and character interactions are not what I'd wish them to be. Not meant to be excuses, just admissions that I need to do better in the future.
Also, Twilight was drunk at the time. Yes, a lame excuse, but an excuse nevertheless!
As for Rarity, I find the idea plausible that she is a virgin. Though, it is equally plausible that she has spent evenings with Fleur and Fancy pants. There were mentions of Fleur having at one time broached the subject of Rarity joining her herd way back in chapters one and two of Myths, and Rarity responding that she wanted to find, fall in love with, and marry on unattached stallion. She admits it is selfish, but wants time with him 'to herself' before adding anypony else. So, she's in a Schrodinger's Box situation at the moment until any story requires it being stated one way or the other.
The herds and world-building has always felt rather tricky to me. This isn't Xenophilia, focusing on family dynamics and *ahem* fun stuff. Nor is it strictly about the politics and intrigues of the noble houses. The underlying idea has been, 'How would having living, real gods interacting affect the societies of a world?' So, the herd structure comes from Iridia causing a skew in the male-female birth rates. Having goddesses with no gods, and the greater number of mares to stallions leads to matriarchal societies. And so on, and so forth.
8864333
Not with that attitude it's not!
I do understand where you're coming from, its perhaps not realistic in any sense to expect every fic to explore every aspect of every bit of the world that's being world built, and certainly your fic, as you say, explores the question of living real gods and so forth. On the other hand, it's probably difficult to demonstrate just how far a character has developed, or how different the gods are, if there's no baseline to go from.
Plus, I'll admit, I think something focused on other aspects of the world would probably add more depth and expansion to the world the ponies live in.
8869936
Well, I don't think I was as clear as I wanted to be with that statement. What I meant was that the world building in regards to herds and unicorn politics wasn't as deep as I'd like, and that I tend to keep a little distance from the subject as I have low confidence in my ability to give the subject justice. I am fairly confident that I am, in general, perhaps a tad too heavy on world building for the sake of world building, and should Just Get On With It in regards to the plot, such as there is.
I do make the attempt for the world building to have some relevance to the plot, but it doesn't always.
Ohhh, Loreley!
I love that song
In fact, I was originally introduced to Blackmore's Night by another pony fic, which used 'The Storm'
Sadly though, I found the text a bit off. Mostly because, where 'Loreley' has three syllables, 'Celestia' has four, which messes up the rythm a bit when you try to read it to the tune of the original song.
Aside from that, nicely done
8874411
Yeah, it isn't perfect. I'm not much of a songwriter, hence why I 'borrow' *cough cough steal cough* other songs as frameworks. Overall, I think the song is one of the better ones I've done. I'd shudder to think of anyone with talent trying to sing it, however. Tolkien I ain't when it comes to poems and lyrics. The song in the next chapter is just... It is cringe levels of bad.
8875145
Yeah, i wouldn't be able to write a song from scratch either.
I have a decent feeling for rhyme and metre, but little to no actual musical training.
I can change a song around and have it remain singable and I'm fine doing verse or rhyme, but hand me a sheet of music and I'll have no clue what's going on.
Actually learning to play an instrument (beyond the few weeks of classes my parents had me do as a kid) is just one of those things the 'later... maybe' to-do list. Much like writing a story actually
Still, if you ever want some help fixing up a song, I'd be happy to help in so far as I can.
8875452
Thank you for the offer, but, I prefer to keep the failures of the songs my own.
No... NO you didn’t! Tundara you sly dog! I knew I recognized those names I knew it! Ramoth the golden and Mnementh the bronze!!! Noble and mighty leaders of the last weyr. But if they are here, then where are Lessa and F’lar?
8895766
It is only a reference/cameo. I'm glad people have been noticing them.
Ha, of course Algol met the Vala of the stars! I love these references, such fun.
Yknow despite everything I'm holding out hope for Algol.
Not brushing aside the references to her monstrous actions, but I suspect that to some degree Algol does care about a few things, including upholding the honor of fallen stars and the wishes they fell on.
That's the best explanation I can think of for her engineering the final stage of Namyra's resurrection.
I'm also holding out some hope that Twilight figures out a way to restore fallen stars back to their homes, but I'm probably getting too optimistic here.