The Twilight Empire

by Nathan

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 1020

Celestia and Luna have been gone for hundreds of years. How does Equestria fare under Twilight's rule? Is it still a kingdom of magic and friendship or has it become something else entirely?

Centuries have passed. Celestia, Luna and Cadance are long gone, having ascended to another realm during a time none living can recall. None save one. Twilight Sparkle now rules as Princess of the Equestrian Empire. Under her rule, the nation has thrived for many hundreds of years. But is it the same Equestria that Celestia governed over so many years ago? Or is it something entirely different and new?

This is the first piece in a planned larger set of stories. Each chapter will be another short story set in this world.
If you favorite, please leave a little feedback to let me know what you liked!

Published 2013-03-14 08:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-03-14 08:50:01 UTC

Equestria Academia

The school bell rings and class is in session. The Twilight Sparkle Academy of Academia is renowned for two things: for the order and efficiency it enforced upon its staff and students and for being the number one ranking Academy in all of Equestria. Each classroom is precisely the same. Thirty desks arranged in five columns of six spread out in front of a large black board. A professor’s desk sits in the corner of each room, each adorned with an identical flower arrangement and set of supplies to aid each teacher in their lessons.

From the first bell to the last, students only leave their seats for the midday meal and regularly scheduled communal restroom breaks. Rather than waste time sending scurrying across the vast campus to each class, the teachers came to them. Each professor at the end of his class would pack up the supplies he brought with him and move on to the next classroom down in order to teach the same lesson on the same subject to a different set of students.

Grades were arranged in halls which were themselves separated into three wings. When one student achieves sufficient marks to advance to the next level, a ceremony is held at the end of the week in which the student is assigned to a classroom with available space in the next hall. They begin their schooling at their new level at the beginning of the next school week.

The weeks last from Monday to Friday, with three days off for the weekend to allow for at home study and relaxation. Each school day lasts from 7:30 in the morning to 4:00 in the evening. Classes are generally an hour long with a five minute break in the middle of every other class for restroom usage and a half hour lunch period at noon.

It is within these halls and during these times that the students study all matter of subject material. History, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering and much, much more. During their time in the first two wings, students receive a well-balanced education on the basic tenants, theories and concepts of all the major sciences and academic fields. When they reach the third wing the students are able to choose a field in which to specialize and focus their energy. This field comes to dominate the bulk of their courses with the remaining fields being reduced to only what is necessary to support their chosen pursuit.

In order to complete their studies and graduate the Academy, senior students are required to research develop and present a project relating to their field of study to Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. Each project should strive to discover something new about the world. They are judged on innovation, practicality and the thoroughness of their work. Those who are truly exemplary in their work are invited to join the personal Think Tank of the Princess.

This Academy—and others like it—are the backbone of the Equestrian Empire. We are a nation of science and technological wonder. Gone are the days of mystery, magic and superstition. If a thing exists, it can be understood. If it cannot be understood then it is anathema.

Many resisted the decision to ban the use of magic in Equestria. The law came without any warning or pretext about one hundred years after Celestia, Luna and Cadance had retired into the Aether, leaving Twilight Sparkle in charge of the nation. In her wisdom, the Princess of Equestria had come to understand the dangers of using a power that nobody truly understood. With something so mysterious and unpredictable as magic, it was only a matter of time before an experimental spell or charm triggered a disaster. It wasn't until the destruction of Ponyville in a freak surge of magical energy that the public at large realized the truth of Twilight Sparkle’s words. Casting one final spell, she sealed the magic of the nation away and for a time we were left with nothing.

It was then that the first scientific endeavors began. Pegasi and Unicorns had lost the most influence when the magic was sealed away. With the loss of their weather control abilities, the Pegasi were unable to control when the rains and winds came and their flight was also limited. Unicorns, lacking both the strength of the Earth Pony and the natural athleticism of the Pegasi were also left without a purpose. Joining forces, they began research into the weather patterns and forces that they had wielded instinctively for thousands of years but never truly understood.

Meteorology was the first of many fields that cropped up and from it came many more. The study of weather lead to advanced mathematics and the study of how different growing conditions affected crops. Zoology became a much more important factor in the management of livestock. The study of physics lead to more sophisticated steam engines than those that had powered the largely superfluous trains of the old era, allowing for faster travel and even flight for those once grounded. Aeromobiles became common both for commercial and personal use as a means of crossing the now vast Empire in the span of half a day rather than several weeks’ train ride.

Princess Twilight Sparkle ushered in this new golden age of innovation. Things once though impossible or unnecessary are now commonplace and essential. All that falls outside the realm of what can be studied is decried as superstitious nonsense. With each new advancement in technology, the Empire expands. New races and cultures are welcomed with open arms as the borders continually advance. Most are, indeed, eager to join the Empire and experience its bounties and they bring with them new ideas and ways of looking at things that only further advance the glorious works of this new age. Equestria has become more now than ever before, a beacon of unity and hope. Each passing day brings a new discovery and each new discovery uncovers a thousand ideas worthy of exploration. In this golden age of Science, we have found a peace that will never be broken.