> This modern world > by LUCKYDAWG > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Settling in > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lief twilight of house sparkle, we has't did acquire a tut'r to aid in our learning of the new v'rnacular. Yet this mod'rn tongue is sore to learneth. Wherefore hast equinish hath changed so much? certes this is a new tongue all togeth'r. And wherefore is our spelling wrong? we spelleth t as t sounds liketh our tut'r learn'd us as a filly. We art at each moment did confuse. Our sist'r is eke schooling us, but instead of with scrolls and parchment the lady c'rrects us as we speaketh. T is getting tiresome. The lady hast did encourage us to writeth thee lett'rs as thou art learn'd in fusty equinish and we certes needeth some pony else who is't und'rstands us. much of a mod'rn w'rld is strange. we art constantly surpris'd. Wherefore, what charm wilt has't been used to maketh the moving paintings on the mure yond speaketh? and t'rches yond doth not needeth flame? our sist'r, the oth'r day, tooketh us f'r a rideth on what the lady hath called a trane. T wast a large metal carriage yond hath moved on t's owneth. We couldn't believeth t! nay pony wast pulling t. And its wast huge. T travel'd f'r many miles on its owneth and wast full of peasants. We did get off in Manehat'n, a city which didst not existeth in our day, and the l'rd th're hath shown us many wond'rful sights. Th're w're buildings tall'r then the tallest of trees! and the roads w're all pav'd with stone just liketh in cant'rlot. And absolutely ev'rything wast did paint. Hast our empire grown so much yond we has't such lavish cities across all of equestria? our sist'r sayeth t's so, but we art unable to believeth h'r. and food, th're is food ev'rywh're. Fate might not but has't did look kindly upon us f'r we has't yet to seeth one did hang'r'd peasant, unless our sist'r keeps those folk enshielf. the scholars might not but has't p'rfect'd controlling the weath'r and our farm'rs might not but beest well learn'd in soils f'r us to has't such a surplus of foods. Doth locusts nay longeth'r causeth us hardship and harmeth? we did see nay st'res of grain lest of famine and t w'rries us. What if 't be true the gryphans attempteth to flote our riv'rs banks 'r insects bringeth us blight. Wouldst our sist'r alloweth the peasantry starve? p'rhaps we has't grown too hay-fed and content to w'rry. Th're art apples, and many diff'rent col'r'd vegetables, and pastries, and we did see peasants drinketh chocolate and coffee! Ev'rypony hast plenty to consume and drinketh, coequal the po'rest of souls. I didst not seeth any young colts begging on the streets f'r a bite of bread 'r any widows washing laundry f'r spre changeth. certes we art a rich nation. Wherefore, th're art fruits we has't nev'r seen yond hail from distant lands! we hath tried what the m'rchant hath called a banana, t wast yellow and hadst thick peeleth. The fruit wast quite soft inside, and v'ry sweet. And those gents claim'd t wast so abundant s'rfs couldst aff'rd t! imagineth, the present day's s'rvants consume bett'r then royalty consumed bef're we w're did banish. i prayeth yond these times of plenty lasteth. The inn we did stay at wast eke diff'rent then what we're hath used to. Nay pony hadst to shareth a sleep chamber, and we we're toldeth yond nay pony hast to catch but a wink on straw. Celestia and us hadst our owneth cubiculos, and those w're nearly as lavish as our cubiculo in our castle. Those gents hath left us wines and chocolates, although we art unsure if 't be true yond is simply because we art royalty. We didst quite enjoyeth the strawb'rry wine, although t wast stout'r then we did expect. aft'r attending to h'r duties our sist'r didst taketh us to seeth a playeth while we w're th're. The theat'r wast quite quaint, th're w're columns madeth of alabast'r stone and col'r'd glass with images did inscribe within. And th're w're hundreds of seats. I quite did enjoy the showeth, but i didst not seeth a single gelding in the company which is most strange. I nev'r bethought i'd seeth mares on stage traveling with a troop. T seemeth quite improp'r. And i doth not knoweth what charm those gents hath used to maketh the setting seemeth so real. T wilt beest quite complex and i wond'r how those gents art able to putteth t up and packeth t up with any speedeth. The art wast most wondrous, and those gents hath used t'rches without flame to showeth night and day. Those gents coequal hadst a quite valorous depiction of the moon. The st'ry wast of pirates and at which hour the captain of the foe ship wast did capture the fiend did escape the prison through fopping the key beareth'r. We hath asked if 't be true such amusements shouldst beest did allow as t maketh a fleer'ry of the royal guardeth and may encourageth foul behavi'r. Shouldn't the fiend beest did punish as an example so yond laymen knoweth the pow'r of the coronet? our sist'r hath said yond plays nay longeth'r needeth the royal sealeth of approval and we art still quite p'rplex'd. How doest our sist'r maintaineth pow'r if 't be true the lady doest not has't some measureth of controleth ov'r how the masses p'rceive the coronet? but enow of trivial things. Our sist'r hast inf'rm'd us yond politics has't hath changed greatly senseth our departure and not just laws on m'ral conducteth 'r speech. But the lady hast nay timeth to learneth us as the lady is tangl'd with negotiations. Something to doth with tradeth in the de'r kingdom. The lady hast recommend'd thy tut'rage in matt'rs of the state until such timeth yond the lady h'rself can taketh on the role. in desires this finds thee in valorous health, luna r. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lief princess luna, i am s'rry yond t hast taken so longeth f'r me to replyeth. Although i has't did study fusty equestrian in 'rd'r to readeth source texts, i has't nev'r conv'rs'd in t. As t is i am s'rry if 't be true mine own grammar 'r spelling is wrong. Although, i supposeth standardiz'd spelling didst not existeth a thousand years ago. I am currently trying to maketh a translation spelleth and i has't did cast an exp'rimental v'rsion on the hist'ry booketh enclos'd. I am hoping yond thee shall beest able to readeth t. i am sure thy sist'r hast done h'r most wondrous to answ'r thy questions, but i shall doth mine own most wondrous to replyeth to thy inquiries regardless. to starteth with, equestria is nay longeth'r did rule by an absolute diarchy 'r monarchy. While the gentle houses has't at each moment did hold some sway senseth the nations founding, the chamb'rs the present day art able to retract 'r enact laws by vote f'r the entire nation and not just their domiciles. The coronet may chooseth to not enact the laws those gents passeth, but if 't be true those gents vote again and t passes with larg'r numb'rs the coronet's auth'rity may beest ov'rrul'd. Their is eke anon a house f'r peasants, who is't art vot'd in, as well as a house f'r l'rds who is't retain their seats by birthright. Only in times of chaos and war is the coronet's auth'rity absolute. To und'rstand how this cameth to beest i encourageth thee to readeth chapt'r twelve in the booketh i hath sent thee, starting on page 126. One of the laws hath passed is freedom of speech. Ponies can disagreeth with the coronet, and p'rf'rm plays yond fleer the coronet, but those gents may not sland'r the coronet 'r claimeth things art true at which hour t is a forswear. speaking of war, famine, and disease i wilt mention yond equestria hast been at peace with its neighb'rs f'r at least three hundr'd years and hast not seen a famine in nearly a hundr'd years. Did increase tradeth abroad as well as bett'r farming methods hast madeth food scarcity a rarity. While t is true yond most ponies nowadays wasteth a lot m're then those gents shouldst while some ponies still wend to sleep chamber fill'd with pangs of hunger, widespread did hang'r hast not been a problem f'r so longeth yond most of the population is not conc'rn'd about t. The chamb'rs at celestia's insistence has't hath passed laws to maketh sure yond the po'rest ponies, especially foals nev'r wend fill'd with pangs of hunger. All fillies and colts art requir'd to receiveth an education, and primary schools art free. Food is given freely to the young in their classrooms. Widows and oth'r po'r souls art given stipends from the gov'rnment to holp buyeth food and coequal to payeth did rend. Most of this is cov'r'd in chapt'r 31. in desires this finds thee well, twilght of house sparkle