Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience

[Iustus Vitea]

After all, there aren't any other Hours with Secret Histories as a primary Aspect. Or even confirmed to be an aspect at all, unless something got revealed about the Vagabond recently that I don't know about.

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The Vagabound herself isn't outright confirmed to have SH but her Names are so it's pretty likely.

*Breaths deeply* Ok, would a Winter Sacrament help in keeping this under control or make things worse?

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Winter would help, especially because ours is tied to understanding death.

incarnated Name (of an unborn Hour) powerful enough to take on the Sun's wound yourself and survive

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Wait which ending is this? Is it Executioner? Because I don't remember it from the Archeologist.

 

[Steady Gaze]

Spoiler: Copyedits for part 6 and The Three Rules of Grieving

@OurLadyOfWires a very short list of copyedits. I actually didn't even notice anything to correct in the updates posted today, but it's hard to read critically when reading for pleasure.

And of course, you know the stallion understand exactly what you mean.

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Should be understands to agree with "stallion".

There is something different ontonight.

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on tonight

Tall Tale, a city on the western shore of Equestria

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I thought this was an Equestria at War reference for a brief second, but then I realized it is in canon material (reference).

In MLP canon, Princess Luna and Pipsqueak have several interactions in the episode Luna Eclipsed (reference, episode), so this is cute!

"Selene and Pipsqueak sitting on a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Guys, stoppit! You're all being silly! He just gave me a gift, because my cutie mark looks a little like his! He's not my boyfriend and you all know it! Shuddup!"

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And on a completely unrelated, and certainly unimportant note, it seems one of Selene's classmates already gave her a present. A small lens-cleaning kit, that works for cameras and telescopes alike.

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However, the colt who is the amateur photographer is Featherweight; Pipsqueak only seems to have a talent for being cute, having a BritishTrottingham accent, and getting elected (in Crusaders of the Lost Mark (episode)) in the show. I wonder if @OurLadyOfWires got them confused somehow? Featherweight's cutie mark is newly earned in Ponyville Confidential in season 2, thus presumably gained after Luna's return, and therefore possibly after the point of canon divergence. Pipsqueak doesn't get one in the whole show as far as I know, so he's fair game for fanon cutie marks.

Also, this reminded me of an extremely cute fan animation:

Spoiler: embed of Picture This by DeadlyComics

View: https://youtu.be/lOmxpwNwhj4

 

[Nevermort]

It's dead simple, it's the shotgun toting parent's I just want to talk to him but as a ritual RA

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Okay people, it seems our next priority clear. Let's drop everything and start investigating this Pipsqueak .

Pipsqueak only seems to have a talent for being cute, having a BritishTrottingham accent, and getting elected (in Crusaders of the Lost Mark (episode)) in the show.

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Emergency!Emergency! Rally the Bureau!

merciless.

That said, she's not wrong.

I mean, Celestia basically gave a very short list of orders, and put a very short list of ponies in charge.

To act against them right now? AFTER BLUEBLOOD?

Foolishness. Fair Trial, Velvet and Cadance are basically unopposable in their roles.

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For a moment I though that the Letter came from Celestia, perhaps announcing her personal visit to Bureau over finding Changelings.
Would be interesting to see if she and Colonel Velvet would have found common language.
Velvet: This mountain is in the way.
Celestia nods and teleports away.
Cartographer guild is now out of job because their maps are not relevant anymore.

And hey, more proof Soft is not in her Father's business. She is terrified of Wolf cultist Velvet and considering how she started a ritual to kill a child I am too.

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What? No. Velvet did not intended to kill any child. She intended to kill time. Now details are not exactly clear by I imagine a Groundhog Day loop where Velvet gets to celebrate her daughter's cutie mark again and again. Of course Deputy and the rest of Bureau would need to repeat a meeting with Commisioner Velvet first, but as always Velvet is not the one who suffers from her regrettable actions.

*Breaths deeply* Ok, would a Winter Sacrament help in keeping this under control or make things worse?

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I would prefer to wait for Neighina actually in case we get lucky. But frankly Heart Sacrament may be more useful here.

 

[Iustus Vitea]

Personally I think the Rite is the final thing in the Mother of Wolves ending.

Also Lore subversions do not matter that much here when all Velvet feels can be boiled down to hate. Being calm and harder to unsettle mentally matters. And what do you know Velvet sees/uses the Winter Lore for that and her personal Sacrament is about understanding death

 

[Random Anon]

Cute-ceñeara

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@OurLadyOfWires Cute-ceañera.

What the fuck Velvet? A Resolution was hard enough, but I truly hope most of this update was flavor because holy shit. Looks like we're a lot more unstable that I expected, especially for being in a good or normal mood.

I do love/hate how the Rite and the Hugs were described.

 

[Venerable Ro]

Personally I think the Rite is the final thing in the Mother of Wolves ending.

Also Lore subversions do not matter that much here when all Velvet feels can be boiled down to hate. Being calm and harder to unsettle mentally matters. And what do you know Velvet sees/uses the Winter Lore for that and her personal Sacrament is about understanding death

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Funnily enough hatred really isn't really a part of any of the Lores, even Edge is far more about the conflict and the contest than the emotional context. Indeed Edge-adepts tend to be more stark or even cheerful personality-wise, since their primary reason for being is the striving and the war rather than the justifications thereof.

 

[Limabot]

To be entirely honest, I'm not entirely convinced that the whole Wolf ritual thing wasn't just in Velvet's imagination, and that she wasn't just standing there frozen for the exchange between the fillies.

Either that, or the Histories warped for a second there.

 

[Venerable Ro]

Either that, or the Histories warped for a second there.

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Baldomare took one look at that mess and went:


View: https://youtu.be/yK0MUXNhOn0?feature=shared

 

[Gyldir]

On the other, I do not want to have to have Velvet explain why Pinkie put so many candles on that cake!

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Easy to explain: "*shrug* Dunno, Pinkie being Pinkie"

 

[Bakkasama]

"Seleeeene has a boooyfriend! Seleeeene has a boooyfriend!"

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After all, your beautiful, precious, growing little filly just got her cutie mark yesterday. So of course she would already have a boyfriend today.

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She got her boyfriend today. And tomorrow she will be married. And the day after she will be old. And after that you will be burying her bones in her final place of rest.

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Selene and Pipsqueak sitting on a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Guys, stoppit! You're all being silly! He just gave me a gift, because my cutie mark looks a little like his! He's not my boyfriend

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@OurLadyOfWires I think this should be "coltfriend" instead.

 

[Sveta08]

You always drop lines like this and I'm so curious what you mean by it!

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Oh. I though it was... Uh... here. Let me just...

"Mail run! Mail run from the Castle!" a stallion's voice, slightly hoarse for some reason, comes through the door. "May I please come in?"

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As always, he is wearing his flying cap, and the magical saddlebag on his back is firmly locked. But thankfully, you don't see any judgment in his one working eye.

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Some of them needed… encouragement. Like the pony who is currently using his shovel to dig a grave, who nowadays wear an eyepatch over one of his empty eye sockets because… well, because he needed help so he could see things better.

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They burned them, and then they swallowed down the dirty ashes that remained.

That night, sixteen of them had the Dream. Fifteen woke up to share the news with their fellows, and one of them woke with his lungs full of ash, as he almost did not survive what found him during his dreams.

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That's what I meant. Just
"I see you"

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Writing from a cellphone. Pardon the lack of formatting. Ill also probably miss some stuff, but reading this made me want to answer right now.

Spoiler: Copyedits for part 6 and The Three Rules of Grieving

@OurLadyOfWires a very short list of copyedits. I actually didn't even notice anything to correct in the updates posted today, but it's hard to read critically when reading for pleasure.


Should be understands to agree with "stallion".


on tonight

I thought this was an Equestria at War reference for a brief second, but then I realized it is in canon material (reference).

In MLP canon, Princess Luna and Pipsqueak have several interactions in the episode Luna Eclipsed (reference, episode), so this is cute!


However, the colt who is the amateur photographer is Featherweight; Pipsqueak only seems to have a talent for being cute, having a BritishTrottingham accent, and getting elected (in Crusaders of the Lost Mark (episode)) in the show. I wonder if @OurLadyOfWires got them confused somehow? Featherweight's cutie mark is newly earned in Ponyville Confidential in season 2, thus presumably gained after Luna's return, and therefore possibly after the point of canon divergence. Pipsqueak doesn't get one in the whole show as far as I know, so he's fair game for fanon cutie marks.

Also, this reminded me of an extremely cute fan animation:

Spoiler: embed of Picture This by DeadlyComics

View: https://youtu.be/lOmxpwNwhj4

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Oh, yeah, i absolutely mixed them.

Its kind of funny. On my first draft I only had Pip in mind, but on my last edit I "remembered" he also "has" a related cutie mark.
That felt too good not to mention. It would give Selene the perfect justification, after all. So i added the one line where she mentions it.

But hey, it's an easy fix. And it makes the implications even better!

Thank you for pointing that out! Ill try to fix it from here, hopefully without my phone screwing up anything else.

@OurLadyOfWires Cute-ceañera.

What the fuck Velvet? A Resolution was hard enough, but I truly hope most of this update was flavor because holy shit. Looks like we're a lot more unstable that I expected, especially for being in a good or normal mood.

I do love/hate how the Rite and the Hugs were described.

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I get the spanish pun. But i found sources that have it written both ways.

And both make sense. One is a more direct pun the original word, and the other bastardizes it a little more to make it more "original" to ponies.

Any idea which is right, according to some official source?

@OurLadyOfWires I think this should be "coltfriend" instead.

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On one hand, I agree.

But on the other, "colt/filly" are so specific to "young male/female pony" that i wouldnt feel comfortable with a grown mare saying she has a "colt"friend

So here I decided to take the same liberty the show uses when the mane6 call each other "girls"

That's what I meant. Just
"I see you"

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Oh. Wait, no.

Trusty cloud is someone else.

Here:

Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience Crossover - Mature - Users' Choice!

You are part of a cult. In Equestria. What started out as a very interesting book club meeting finally crossed "that" threshold when you realized the ceremonial knife on the wall wasn't just ornamental. But by then, you had already started agreeing with their point of view. The only thing you DO...

forums.sufficientvelocity.com

EDIT: And the "hoarse" part is just a little peeve I have with descriptions. You see, Velvet is surrouded by pegasi, so she would know that he was "hoarse, probably because he flew through too many cold clouds today." That was the initial description. But then I realized that wouldve bem adequate from Velvets POV. Raven, otoh, would only think "hoarse, for some reason".
Nothing to it. Just writing style.



Aye then. See you all much, much later. Good day everyone!

 

[Random Anon]

Any idea which is right, according

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The wiki and other sources I've managed to find only refer to it by the pseudo spanish name, but I'm not an expert.
I'm not sure what it would be referencing if not that? Is there a horse pun in there?

 

[Sveta08]

Oh. Wait, no.

Trusty cloud is someone else.

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Aah.
Shoot. I had forgotten to doublecheck the Apocrypha.
Just saw two pieces of evidence line up in a row.

Well! At the very least, don't have to worry about The Royal Courier being a wolf cultist yet then.
Thanks kindly!

 

[jason1stlegion]

Drunkeness leads to Confusion

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Moth is the Lore of obsession and yearning (including very Old Yearnings) in their capacity as drivers of change and wilful ignorance.

Desire leads to Obsession.

 

[des-pair-2]

You are Velvet Covers, and you are currently in Princess Celestia's solar.

Which isn't really unusual, because you are here to deliver your quarterly report. You didn't need to deliver it verbally, paper would have sufficed, but you feel she needs to talk to more ponies.

You idly wonder how long ago she spoke to another pony.

The report begins by narrating progress on the goals of the Bureau. The number of changelings found, caught, and killed. Their pony collaborators included.

There will be no report on the Bureau's official goal again. No clues will ever be found and you trust that she will reveal herself when she is ready.

You then slowly shift to talking about the Bureau itself. All the minutiae you think she needs to know.

And you feel her attention drift. You don't know if it's because she trusts you to deal with it, or if she simply doesn't care. Perhaps both. Perhaps neither.

Your voice gets slower as you reach the end of the report. But you can't end it yet, because you have one more thing to say.

"The constables have apprehended a pony who claims to have been your student, Sunset Shimmer."

You say that, and you feel her attention return. Return, and intensify. You avert your gaze to the floor; staring at the Sun has never been good for your eyes. You don't know how long you have stood there, and you don't know what expression she is making, but eventually she responds.

"Deal with her at your own discretion."

Nodding in acknowledgment, you finish your report and leave. You walk with measured steps, not letting any nervousness show, until you are safe in your office.

With a sigh, you look at the papers stacked on your desk and begin working. Now what to do with her...

 

[Venerable Ro]

You are Velvet Covers, and you are currently in Princess Celestia's solar.
.
.
.

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Well that's a thought innit? Personally I wouldn't trust Sunset with so much as a Smith's Secret, but who knows.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

a pony who claims to have been your student

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Ah yes, her!

I hope you all manage to meet her.

And this is great! Thank you for writing it!

Do you have a better title in mind?

 

[Venerable Ro]

Ah yes, her!

I hope you all manage to meet her.

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Bacon Horse existence CONFIRMED!

We must find the Bacon Horse.

 

[des-pair-2]

Do you have a better title in mind?

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No, the title is much better than what I had in mind before I decided to let you choose it.

Edit: clarity

 

[Rafuki22]

I hope you all manage to meet her.

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Hmmmm, i wonder what other characters like Trixie, Cozy Glow, Starlight Glimmer and others are dealing with at the moment.

 

[DelightedOne]

Bacon Horse existence CONFIRMED!

We must find the Bacon Horse.

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Depending on the state of the Histories, she might be the one finding us. Sunset is a very complicated character and she is not doing well in the mental health department, mix that with her having been Celestia's student(and all that entails) and her canon goal... it will be good if someone stops her from getting the Element of Magic this time if Twilight never recovers(that "bonfire" in the Library makes me hopeful though).

Hmmmm, i wonder what other characters like Trixie, Cozy Glow, Starlight Glimmer and others are dealing with at the moment.

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Umm... in order according to canon(assuming they survived the Catastrophe):

Plotting against Twilight- fuck, we may need to take care of that if she gets the Alicorn Amulet and Twilight is still in the bad place since she, you know, takes over Ponyville by putting a dome around it Simpsons-movie-style as revenge for being upstaged by Twilight and we live in Ponyville.

Being a closeted power hungry sociopath filly-much further problem, we may not even meet her especially if the Magic of Friendship does not take off as well as it did in canon.

Taking care of her cult when Equestria is a worse place- her cutie mark spell may dull some effects, like Ash's since nopony would be able to innovate because of it and Paranoia's since if everyone is "equal" there is no need to fear but she can still be affected and considering Evil...

Forget that, all of them could become worse and that is not something we want so the Stains need to come off, can we invest in that already? Either by befriending more Elements or developing a ritual, after A Memory of Light Jade could work on it for us.

 

[Bakkasama]

Bacon Horse existence CONFIRMED!

We must find the Bacon Horse.

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I have only ever encoutered the Bacon Horse in fanfiction, but I have liked every single fic that I read in which she appears, so I am partial to this.

 

[Venerable Ro]

Plotting against Twilight- fuck, we may need to take care of that if she gets the Alicorn Amulet and Twilight is still in the bad place since she, you know, takes over Ponyville by putting a dome around it Simpsons-movie-style as revenge for being upstaged by Twilight and we live in Ponyville.

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I'm honestly not sure we even got as far as Boast Busters before we kicked the canon chain of events off a cliff. If so we probably never even noticed an itinerant performer pass through Ponyville considering how reclusive we were/are.

 

[DelightedOne]

I'm honestly not sure we even got as far as Boast Busters before we kicked the canon chain of events off a cliff. If so we probably never even noticed an itinerant performer pass through Ponyville considering how reclusive we were/are.

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We had Hearth's Warming at turn 9 so we know winter happened around there, Winter Wrap Up was ep 11 while Boast Busters was ep 6, canon kicked the bucked just before turn 5 so it is possible it didn't happen, but the Crusaders are a group(even if a bigger one)and that was on ep 12 so it is hard to tell what stuck and what didn't.

 

[Naqu2o]

…You know, it never really occured to me until just now, but… Velvet's main lore is Secret Histories. If and when she becomes an Hour, this fact… may have some consequences.

After all, there aren't any other Hours with Secret Histories as a primary Aspect. Or even confirmed to be an aspect at all, unless something got revealed about the Vagabond recently that I don't know about.

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Secret Histories might actually be Rose from Book of Hours, and it is confirmed that the dappled Rose is what the Vagabond would use if she wants to attack the other Hours, so the Vagabond IS Rose heavy when she wants to.

But it is not confirmed if Secret Histories is actually Rose, so maybe

 

[Venerable Ro]

Secret Histories might actually be Rose from Book of Hours, and it is confirmed that the dappled Rose is what the Vagabond would use if she wants to attack the other Hours, so the Vagabond IS Rose heavy when she wants to.

But it is not confirmed if Secret Histories is actually Rose, so maybe

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In CS canon Secret Histories deal entirely with discovering locations and do not subvert any other Lore, in fact the only ritual you can do with it is summoning Teresa and that's stated to be a matter of attracting her scholastic interest.

In BoH the Librarian is casually familiar with events that occur in multiple Histories and their archives deal very bluntly with the topic once you get into higher-level books. Rose does seem to deal with the concepts one might attribute Secret Histories to though.

'The rose which encompasseth all'. Nine directions to new horizons.
[Exploration? Enlightenment? Hope?]

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[Greymere]

In CS canon Secret Histories deal entirely with discovering locations and do not subvert any other Lore, in fact the only ritual you can do with it is summoning Teresa and that's stated to be a matter of attracting her scholastic interest.

In BoH the Librarian is casually familiar with events that occur in multiple Histories and their archives deal very bluntly with the topic once you get into higher-level books. Rose does seem to deal with the concepts one might attribute Secret Histories to though.

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You can also see hints of the SH's color on the Tree of Wisdoms behind the Bureau's redacted stamp.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You are Velvet Pride, and right now you are suffering.

You are in pain.

More than just pain, this is torture.

Because why? Why?

Why must the world be so cruel to you?

Why must she be so close, and yet so far away?!

"Are you alright, Lord?" the familiar voice of Cantrip, your faithful maid, comes to you.

But you don't really have it in you to answer her. Not with words, at least. Instead, you just let out another long, pained sigh.

"You have been sighing an awful lot, Lord," she says, with an apologetic tone. Or at least you think her tone is apologetic.

Because what else could it be? How could anypony look at your situation and not feel sorry for you? How could anypony with a sliver of empathy possibly not be commiserating with your anguish?

Never mind you just heard her stifle a laugh just now. She was probably coughing or something.

"Would you like something from the kitchen, Lord? That ought to cheer you up."

Alas, you can tell that Cantrip is trying to be kind to you. But she simply does not understand what you are going through.

"There is nothing in the kitchen that could cheer me up, Cantrip," you say, weakly laying your chin on your hoof. "Nothing in the kitchen, or in the cellar, or even in the Princesses' own castle. No, the only thing that could possibly cheer me up would be…"

You trail off, but the implication of your words is obvious.

The two of you are currently on your room's balcony, looking down at the estate's garden.

But the garden is not in its usual calm and serenity. In fact, you are looking down at a sight that is quite the opposite of what you would usually see, from this vantage point.

There is a small party happening right before your eyes. A few stories below you, the garden is currently filled with a reasonably large crowd of commoners, most of them foals. And the yells, cheers and laugher of the assorted peasantry is so loud you can barely hear the accompanying music.

That party, you know, is due to your sister's… daughter, having gained her cutie mark. The earth pony one. The one she adopted. And right now, it feels like every last foal in Ponyville has been summoned to your estate.

But the commonfolk foals, and the noise they are making, isn't really the source of your predicament.

Instead, the reason why you are in so much pain… the true meaning behind the words you exchanged with Cantrip, just now… the very reason why you are wasting away at your balcony, as you look at the quaint party down below, is none other than…

"Look at her… just look at her…"

You say that, as you look at the rare and radiant mare, who is currently idling at one of the corners of the garden.

Because even though she is almost out of view, she still manages to be at the center of your attention. And even though you are so far away, you can still see every last detail of her braided mane, as it flows around her neck. You can still see the mysterious hints of her coat, as the wind blows against her cloak every now and then, revealing the side of a foreleg here, or a glance of her tail there.

You can't help but stare at her fierce, captivating beauty, as she stands apart from everypony else. But still, for some reason, remains at that gathering.

But what can you possibly do, other than just gaze at her from a distance? After all, you still remember what your sister told you, just last month. She said it herself, that beautiful Axe is a complicated mare, and that she is more than just a pretty face for you to woo over. But still, what… what should you do, then? What course of action would pose the least amount of risk? And in the other hoof, how could it be that striving for a mare as fair as her would not be risky to begin with?

You do not know. You do not know, and you are paralyzed in your indecision.

However, the one consolation you have is that nopony else seems to have their sights on her… yet.

And since your older sister also told you she is a lonely mare, maybe you could try to…

Wait… what is going on…?

"Oh, look, isn't that Lady Covers' pegasus daughter? Isn't that Miss Silky?" Cantrip says.

And you can only watch, in growing astonishment, as…

As the little pegasus, your biological niece, just…

Did she just crawl out from under Axe's hood?

You rub your eyes, just to make sure you are not seeing things. But sure enough, for all that fair Axe is still sulking away at the edge of the garden, it seems your niece's head is somehow poking out of her hood as well. As if the little filly is riding on her back, and just poked her head out of Axe's hood to tell her something.

More than just that, you watch in disbelief as the filly produces a pair of cupcakes, that she is holding in her hoof. And then… and then she…!

"She… she is eating out of her hoof… She is literally eating out of my niece's hoof," you say, in utter disbelief.

"That is actually quite cute," Cantrip says, absent-mindedly, "I wonder how she managed that. Didn't you say Lady Axe was, well, more on the unapproachable side?"

"That shouldn't be possible!"

How… HOW?! Did your older sister lie to you? Is this a jest of some sort? No, it cannot be. You are sure of it. The first day you met fair Axe, she slapped your hoof away even as you introduced yourself. And every last servant you spoke to, unreliable as they may be, confirmed that Lady Axe is a very demanding mare.

So why is she eating sweets out from your niece's hoof… while she SITS ON HER BACK, as if that was the most natural thing in the world?!

Your confusion is so great that you can barely spare any attention to the beautiful sight of Axe munching down on the pink-topped cupcake. Yet another sight you would have treasured, lost forever, due to your own inability to accept what you are seeing.

"Dear Celestia, how… what should I do? How can I ever…?" you mumble to yourself, bringing a hoof to your forehead as you realize just out of your depth you are.

Should you try to befriend your niece? She is your family, after all. And for all that she is a pegasus, she can still serve a purpose. Maybe you should try to win her over? Have her introduce you to Axe?

Or maybe this is a sign that you are behind in your own game? Because if Axe had a reputation of intractable just a month ago, maybe the mare is starting to warm up to the residents of the estate? And if that is the case, she will surely start attracting suitors sooner rather than later. So, even though you are the only noble in the region, that doesn't mean you will be completely out of competition.

But perhaps… or maybe… however…!

Your thoughts begin to spiral out of control, and you remain in an utter loss. Because what… what should you do?!

Still, luckily for you, you are not without allies.

So, you turn to the other pony who has been with you the whole time.

"Please," you say, "I… I need some advice. And I know you are wise in these sorts of things. So, unworthy as I may be, may I please beg you for guidance right now? What should I do? How could I possibly win over fair Axe's favor?" you ask, nay you beg for her guidance.

You say all of that to elegant Mareinette, who is currently lounging next to you, and who had been patiently listening to your plight this whole time.

Mareinette, who is also being attended by your servants, is currently lying on the best sofa you have at your disposal. The one you had brought to this balcony at her own request, so she could generously grace you with her presence. Furthermore, at the mare's request, you have also provided her with a pair of opera glasses, an expensive set of hoof-held binoculars that are meant to be used by nobles from the box-seat of a theater.

She had been using them to look rather intently at the foals as they play in the party down below. But of course, nopony found anything strange in that because Mareinette can do no wrong.

And much, much more importantly, the mare turns her bony visage towards you as you beg for her favor. And after what seems to be like an eternity…



"[GRAIL]!"



She tells you… she gives you the advice to… nay, she gives you the instruction, the revelation to…!

"Yes… yes, you are right! You are absolutely right," you say, feeling your previous panic fade away as you stand up from your seat with renewed purpose. "Everything you said make sense, and I shall act upon your words immediately!"

You say that, and you immediately make your way downstairs, with Cantrip in tow.

Because how could you have been so foolish? How did you not think about that?!

Yes, you owe your deepest gratitude to Mareinette. Because you definitely must go and…!





- - -

- - -

- - -





You are Jade Whistle, and you really think you shouldn't be here.

"I really think I shouldn't be here," you say out loud.

"Nonsense, Jade. You are as welcome as anypony else," your friend says. "In fact, Selene herself said she hoped you would come!"

Your ears perk up a fraction as you hear those words.

Did she really mean that? You don't think she is lying to you. But still, she is one of the few ponies who still has the ability to do that, so you can't really be sure.

"She said that?" you ask. And for all that your voice sounds perfectly neutral as you say that, you still feel as if the disbelief in your tone is painfully obvious.

"Well, why don't you go ask her yourself?" she answers, giving you a mischievous smile.

And you feel a wave of nervousness rush through your body at those words.

You are currently in your friend's house, in her garden that is so large you could fit more than two of your old houses in it. And you are here because Selene drew herself a cutie mark, to keep up appearances.

But of course, that did not stop your friend from celebrating it as merrily as if the cutie mark had been a genuine one. More than just that, you actually appreciate her doing that.

However, for all that the two of you are having this conversation, and for all that you two are physically in the garden, you are still a respectful distance from the haggle of playing foals.

You still feel a little… uncomfortable, at the thought of getting any closer. You feel as if approaching the leg-high crowd, as they play so cheerfully, would somehow spoil the mood and make everything worse.

That discomfort didn't stop you from coming, of course. Or from bringing a gift. But still…

"Come on, Jade, you can do it," she says, giving you an encouraging push, "as long as you promise not to cheat, if they blindfold you to play one of the games they have going on."

Your lungs seize up slightly at that. And she knows you just laughed a little bit, even though you didn't do anything more than exhale a little more strongly than usual.

"Well…" you say, as you try to convince yourself of her own words.

Because yes, you would like to do that. Or, if nothing else, you would like to pursue the truth of whether Selene really did ask for you to be here. After all, you always thought she felt uncomfortable around you, given how many times you "examined" her while she was still just a filly.

However, for all that your heart is pushing you towards that, you still feel like every other part of your body is pushing you back. From your legs, that feel like they just created roots on the ground, to the muscles on your neck, which seem to insist on making you face some other way whenever you look at the foals.

"Still, no pressure. There's still plenty of time left in the day, and plenty of food to work through while we are at it," she says, tapping you on the shoulder.

And you sag a little bit at that. Because sure, she doesn't want to push you. But on the other hoof… maybe you would like to be pushed?

You don't know…

"I guess…" you say, not sure of how you feel now. "Oh, by the way, the thing you asked me to do? I found a place. I mean, I don't think there will be anything interesting there other than what we are looking for, but still… it's nearby, or at least inside Equestria, and I don't think it would be too hard to get there."

You say that, and you watch as her expression shifts slightly. She knows what you are talking about, of course. And she even gave you the resources so you could do her this small favor.

However, any seriousness she has in her face dissipates a few moments later. For obvious reasons, you realize. This is not the time or place to discuss this.

Still, even though you know she saw right through your sad attempt at changing the subject, you still appreciate that she doesn't call you out on it.

You really are thankful to her for that.

"That sounds wonderful, Jade. And thank you so much for doing that," she says, and you feel a small sense of pride running through you as she thanks you. "By the way, do you think that…"

She starts to say something, but her words trail off as the two of you notice an approaching pony.

And like every other time you saw him, you want to feel scared. You want to feel afraid, but for some reason you can't bring yourself to do it. As if you are looking at a scabbard that, for some reason, completely deflects you from the idea that there is a blade sheathed in it.

You also want to say that you feel a headache, at that paradox. But you can't even do that. This sensation reminds you a little bit of when you tried to look at your former Master. But while the Master was large and confusing, and his obfuscations were as obvious as they were effective, you can't really see anything when you look at him.

This is not a like a storm of moths that is blowing you away. Instead, it is a mask. A mask that your mind understands it is best to leave untouched, given what lies beneath it.

So, the two of you can only watch in silence, as the old stallion makes his way towards you.

"Excuse me. Employer. Miss Whistle. Pardon my interruption," he says with a polite smile, briefly tipping his cap as he does so. And then, he turns to your friend. "But I would like to report that we have collected the pony you wanted to speak to. He is waiting for you, right now, at the appointed place."

To which your friend answers with a nod.

"Of course, very good. Thank you so much for doing this, and I will be there in a moment," she says.

You swear that she whisper a few more words under her breath, as if she is thinking to herself. You swear that you just heard her say something like make sure and another word that ended with squeak.

But well, if she doesn't want to tell you what this is about, then you know you shouldn't bother her by asking.

"I'll come back as soon as I'm done with that, Jade. But do enjoy the party while you are here," she says, giving you one last brilliant smile before she starts walking away towards one of the annex buildings. "Oh, and Biedde, could you please call Mareinette? I would like her to be on standby. I might have something for her to do, if my little chat goes in a certain direction."

She says that as she walks away, and you make sure to wave her a small goodbye.

She probably didn't notice you waving her hoof. Which is fine. You like it when she notices you, but there's a part of your head that still think you don't really deserve it.

Although you do feel another wave of happiness, as she looks in your direction and waves back with a smile.

But after that, she is gone.

Leaving you there.

Alone.

With a small crowd of playing foals right there.

…

You take a deep breath.

"Maybe…" you say to yourself.

And then you decide what you should do next.





- - -

- - -

- - -





You are Velvet Covers.

And you can say that, without a doubt, today was a resounding success.

Well, technically speaking, the day isn't really over yet. In fact, given how this is the last day of the week, you know that this is just the beginning of a very memorable weekend! If not for you, then certainly for your daughters.

Still, the cute-ceñeara itself is officially over. And for all that at least a third of your daughter's friends and classmates will be staying for the night, there is a respectable number of ponies who are currently in the process of leaving the estate grounds. Some of them are doing a last-minute visit to the food tables, while others have offered to help clean up in the helpful Ponyville fashion.

Granted, today didn't go entirely without its twists and turns. After all, there was the mishap in the dining hall earlier today, the fact that you had to keep Mareinette on a very short leash, and of course there was that strange report from Biedde that he "intercepted" some crazy pink pony who was trying to infiltrate the party.

But still, all is well that ends well. And you are confident that you are now sufficiently experienced for when Silky gets her own cutie mark.

However, as you stand in the garden and watch your servants begin to wrap things up, you are surprised by the fact that you sense a certain pony making her way towards you.

Still, you can sense her hesitation. So, you let her get close enough that you are sure she actually wants to speak with you before you turn around.

"My, my, my, the star of the show herself. Is there anything you want, dear?" you ask, as you turn around and face your daughter.

And as expected, you see Selene standing right in front of you.

She looks happy, of course. Or at least she has a small smile on her face.

However, for all that she looks happy, she still looks more embarrassed than anything else. Although… no, she doesn't just look embarrassed. She also looks slightly confused.

Happy, yes. Happy about the party, happy about the celebration, and happy that everypony seemed to be happy. Which only makes sense. After all, the joy that a group of ponies can create when they come together is almost infectious. And Selene was, quite literally, the center of today's event.

But still, she looks conflicted.

And to be honest… you know exactly what she is conflicted about.



In fact, you would be lying if you said that you did not prepare for this.



"Can I help you with anything, love? Do your friends need anything upstairs?" you ask.

But of course, she just answers you with a small and shy shake of her head.

She is not here because of something like that. And even if somepony needed something, Soft or one of your servants would have already taken care of it.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you…?" she says, or maybe she asks. Judging by her tone, you can tell that even she isn't sure about it.

So, of course, you just wait for her to continue.

The two of you are standing in the garden, just outside the front door of the mansion. There are ponies here and there, doing this and that. Servants cleaning up the after-party detritus on the floor, guests who are still making their way outside. You can even spot Baldomare, far away and by the entrance gate, talking to Jade, the quiet mare holding what looks like donkey's tail from a blindfold game you saw her participating in earlier today.

However, and more importantly, you know nopony is really eavesdropping on you two. This is, you know, the perfect example of having privacy in plain view.

You know this, and Selene knows this.

So, you just give her as much time as she needs, as she gathers her courage to say what she really wants to say.

"I… I wanted to thank you, for today. I really appreciate it, and… well, it was really fun," she says, with an embarrassed smile that looks perfect on the face of a filly.

However, that flicker of uncertainty once again wins over, and her smile turns into hesitation.

"But you… you really didn't have to do it? I-I mean… if I knew everypony would make such a fuss about it, I don't think I would have…" she trails off, sitting on the ground as she nervously scratches one of her forelegs. "I didn't even put that much effort, into my cutie mark. If I had known, I'd at least made something less lame or…"

That is more than enough, you think. And you decide to step in as soon as you hear her voice trailing off once again.

"What? You really think we didn't need to do this?" you say, with a gentle smile on your face. "Selene, love, haven't you been paying attention?"

You say those last few words with the slightest and fakest tone of disapproval. Just enough to catch her by surprise. But still, you do it in a way that she knows you are not really being serious. Or at least that you are not really chastising her.

"Sure, when you think of it a certain way, we didn't really have to do that. But that's the thing, Selene. We did it because we wanted to. We did it because we care about you."

"But. But I…" she jumps back in as soon as you finish speaking, and you can tell from the frustration in her tone that she doesn't even know why she feels this way. "But everypony put in so much effort! It was a whole party and all, and… and it wasn't even over something real. It wasn't because of anything important-!"

"And that," you interrupt her, "is where you are wrong."

You say that, and then you stop for a second. But only for a second. Still, you give her the opportunity to jump back in. To say that you are wrong, or to try and express her growing confusion a little better.

However, once you realize she still can't put her frustration into words, you continue yourself.

"Selene, dear, I want you to listen very carefully," you say. "You might think your cutie mark is… lame, as you said. Although I think it is very well made. And you might think today was, well, if not a waste of time then at least a waste of effort. But rather than think any of that, I want you to understand that today we were celebrating you."

"I… but I know that? I mean, I know that. It was in the name, even. I know this all happened because of my cutie mark."

She says that, and you can hear a small groan mixed into her words. As if she is starting to think that you didn't understand her at all.

Little does she know that it is the opposite.

"You didn't hear me well enough, Selene. I didn't say we were celebrating your cutie mark. I said we were celebrating you."

Selene purses her lips at that, but you begin to answer her next question even before she has a chance to ask it.

"The thing is, Selene, that today wasn't really a party about… well, about a lie, or the clever deception you decided to go with. The thing you need to understand, dear, is that you did not just bring all your friends and family to celebrate one big falsehood. And, please trust me when I say this, you are not a bad pony, who just put on a great show and had everypony dancing along to the tune of something you made up. You didn't do anything wrong, and the party we had today wasn't anything bad either."

"But… that can't be right… Mom, they… everypony congratulated me because of…" she tries to say with a meek tone, looking at her cutie mark as she does. "I just feel bad about this. I… I don't mind lying to protect somepony, but I feel like… like today was just a big reward for something that I don't deserve. Something that I didn't work for, or that wasn't really mine to begin with."

She says that, and then she looks down with a dejected expression. An expression that definitely does not look like on the face of such a young filly.

However, you know that you are not just speaking to a filly.

You are also speaking to a grown mare. To an alicorn. To a Princess.

And this is exactly why you have been expecting to have this conversation with her.

Because you see, during the months that you were taking care of Selene, and as you realized she was slowly waking up, you slowly came to realize something.

You realized that you knew Selene very well.

But also that you did not know Princess Luna at all.

So, you did the only thing you could do to try and remedy that. You tried to research it. You looked for records, and accounts, and even old stories about her. Anything to give you a little more insight of the pony that your daughter had been, or perhaps the mare that your daughter would one day become.

However, not only did you find very little material on the subject. Everything you found also pointed in a rather… troublesome direction.

Specifically, the few accounts that you found about Princess Luna all told the same story.

They all told the tale that Princess Luna, unappreciated by her subject and ignored by her sister, rose in rebellion against the ponies who had shunned her night.

…

However, once you realized that was the only surviving account, you came to a… rather sadder conclusion.

Because you know that story, that Princess Luna grew to hate her sister and her subjects, is a lie. You know that was not the reason of why she did what she did.

But here is the thing about it… who was the only pony who could have created those accounts? Who could have possibly reached that conclusion, that Luna grew spiteful due to neglect… if not Princess Celestia herself?

So, for all that your research did not reveal anything about Princess Luna, you did learn that Princess Celestia, after banishing Luna so long ago, came to the conclusion that she had neglected her sister. Princess Celestia, the pony who was closest to Princess Luna in that distant time, thought that she had mistreated her sister so much that Luna reached the point of seeking vengeance.

And for all that you do not know how true that might have been… you also know that every tale and every story, no matter how unlikely it is, carries a sliver of truth.

Which in turn means that…

"Selene, why are you saying that?" you say, putting a hoof under her chin and raising her face. Meeting her hesitant gaze when she finally looks towards you. "Why are you even thinking about that? That's not true. And if you think that is true, and want you to forget about it right now."

You say that, because right now… you aren't really speaking to Selene. Right now, you are speaking to Princess Luna.

You are speaking to the part of your daughter, the one that you know is somewhere inside of her, that has taken upon herself to protect everypony. You are speaking to that part of your daughter who met a horrible fate, while trying to defend those she loved. And that, unfortunately, still thinks that she failed at it.

You are speaking to Princess Luna who, even if she doesn't remember it, was neglected by her own sister so much, that her sister thought that was the reason of why a terrible tragedy happened.

You are speaking to the pony who, deep, deep down, thinks she is not enough.

"You deserve this, Selene. I want you to trust me when I tell you this. You deserve everything good that happens to you. And you deserve to be surrounded by ponies who will cheer you on, no matter what you do. Even if all you did was draw a beautiful cutie mark, which for some reason you think is lame."

You say that, and you can tell that… that she doesn't really believe you.

She doesn't believe you, but she is still listening to you.

Which just means you need to keep talking. And you will keep telling her this, all of this, for as long as she keeps listening to you. You will keep telling her about this, until she finally realizes you are speaking the truth.

"You think we just had a party because you told a small lie that got out of control? You think you didn't deserve what happened today, because you just drew something on your flank without putting a lot of effort into it? Well, that's not what I see at all! Selene, when I look at you, the only thing I see is a loyal little pony."

She tries to say something, but she can barely mumble an answer. In fact, it is all that she can do to just keep looking you in the eye.

But still, you carry on. Your tone neither harsh nor judgmental. In fact, as far as you are concerned, you are just stating the obvious.

It's just that she needs a little help to realize that.

"You are a sister who is bending over backwards, and even trying to figure out how to lead a double life, so you can keep living with a filly who loves you. You are a daughter who… who learned about all the horrible things your mother did, and who still forgave her. You forgave me Selene. And I still don't think that I deserve that."

"But… but you do, and…" she says, trailing off again.

"So, I don't ever want to hear you say you don't deserve something. Because we are the ones who don't deserve you. And every single day that we have with you is fresh reminder of that. Of how lucky we are to have you with us, and of how much we would be willing to do to keep it that way."

"W-what? I… that's not true!" She says, and her tone almost sounds panicked for a moment. "I mean, I'm… I'm just a filly you all took in. I'm the one who's lucky and…!"

And then she trails off, her eyes going a little wider as if she just realized something.

"That's exactly my point, dear. That's exactly how me and your father feel, every day," you say affectionately ruffling her mane as you do. "You are the stars in our sky, Selene. And we will always be your biggest fans. And no matter what you do, we will always find a reason to celebrate it."

You say that, and you watch as she once again looks down towards the ground. But this time, rather than having a dejected expression on her face, you can tell that she is thinking… that your words, or maybe just your conviction, finally got to her.

And finally, you see a small smile appear on her face.

This time, it is a very embarrassed smile. But in a good way.

"Um… do you… do you really mean that?" she asks.

And you don't even hesitate before you pick her up on your forelegs, pulling her into a hug.

"Of course I do!" you say, planting a kiss on her cheeks. And then another. And another, and another, and three more. Until the filly is laughing as if you are tickling her, trying to push you away without really meaning to do it.

And a few seconds later, you let her go. Watching as she happily makes her way back towards the second floor, where her friends are gathered in her room. Her expression making it very clear that any conflict she was feeling before is now completely forgotten.

As you watch her retreating back, as she makes her way up the stairs, you can't help but think that…

You remember reading, during your research, about the countless small things that Princess Luna used to do, all those centuries ago, that were neglected or ignored. You aren't really sure if you read that from a historic account, or if it was in a more innocent and romanticized story. But still, you remember it all the same.

You remember reading about how Princess Luna would fill the sky with stars and constellations, night after night, that nopony would bother to look at. You remember reading about how Princess Luna would patrol the night, fighting against the monsters of the forest and the terrors of nightmares, and she would not receive even a single word of thanks for it.

You wonder how much of that really happened. You wonder if those accounts were really true, or if they weren't instead conjured by Princess Celestia's imagination… as her mind grinded against itself for a thousand years, wondering what she could have done to wrong her sister so much.

You wonder how much of that is true… but in the end, you just don't know. You might never know, even. Maybe even Selene herself won't be able to remember.

But what you do know is that you and you family will never make that mistake.

And every day, for the rest of your life, you are going to make sure that Selene knows how loved she is. How loved she is, and much you appreciate her efforts, and that you will be there to cheer her on. No matter what she does.

You will always be her biggest fans. And if she doesn't know it yet, you will just have to keep throwing parties, like you did today, until she realizes it.





Selene's cute-ceñeara was a success.

Jade Whistle has located an Expedition where "the easiest lvl 6 book we can get for Baldomare" may be found. It has been added to your Expeditions list.

Spoiler: A small happenance during the celebration

"Mom...? Can you come here for a moment?"

"Yes Silky? What is it?"

"I... I just walked into Axe? She was nailing uncle Pride and-"

"She was WHAT?"

[Velvet Covers has learned the-]

"No, no, calm down Velvet... Silky dear, I need you to explain to me very carefully what you mean by that."

"Okay...? Well, uncle Pride and Axe were in the dining hall, and Axe had a hammer? She was, um, nailing him against the wall? She seemed very upset about something he said earlier, but I'm not sure."

"Oh... Oooohhh. I see. Thank you for calling me, dear, I'll go take care of it right now."

"Okay! And, um, I managed to make Axe stop. But I couldn't pull the nails away? They felt funny when I touched them, and Axe told me to stop trying and carried me out of there. Did... did I do something wrong?"

"Not at all, love. Now go play with your friends."

"Okay!"

- - -

"... Pride... I..."

"She said yes, Lady Velvet. This... is what progress looks like!"

"I think I'll need Baldomare's help to get you down... just... just wait here..."

30 bits have been removed from your inventory, to perform Jade's scrying ritual.

More to follow.

 

[Venerable Ro]

Mareinette is helping.

And by the Storms the book really was in a local expedition! Or at least a "local enough" one. Possibly meant to be an opportunity to discover that whole "get a trait from a high-level book" buisness?