Birthright

by machinekng

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Adventure, King Sombra
Length: 5662

Folklore attributes Equestria's founding to friendship. History tells us that it was built on tragedy and intrigue. It wasn't easy for the newly crowned princesses to carve out a place in the world, and their path was lined with loss and ha

For their heroic victory over Discord, Celestia and Luna have been crowned princesses by the Crystal Emperor and have been given the backwater territory of Equestria, their homeland, as their domain. This step-up in life has made them few friends, as the Imperial court sees the move as a blatant power grab, while the settlers of Equestria have no love for the Empire and no respect for their new overlords.

It won't easy for the Princesses to bring peace to the realm and carve out a place in the world. They'll have to both maneuver through courtly intrigue and the field of battle to get out this mess with their lives.

And just to make matters more complicated, Luna has received romantic advances from the most unlikely of places, and her decision may change the face of Equestria forever.

I'd like to thank Alex Nuage and TheDarkAngel for proofreading and ~Vectorshy for the cover art.

Published 2013-04-07 09:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-07 09:40:02 UTC

Prolouge: The Past Is Behind Us

“Yes, everything is going to be just fine!” Twilight shouted.

“Yes, yes it is.”

Celestia watched Twilight Sparkle take off, shooting over the crowd and beyond Canterlot’s ramparts. She smiled as her beloved pupil began to maneuver and dive over the valley that the city overlooked. This was a long time coming. Months of planning, maneuvering and outright manipulation had finally come to fruition.

There was a new princess in Equestria, one that seemed to be taking to her new form and status quite well.

Had she remembered to make sure Rainbow Dash had given Twilight flying lessons?

Probably not.

But Twilight could adapt just fine, hopefully.

Celestia’s gaze wandered from sky to the pony beside her, Luna. Oh, dearest Luna. She was smiling too, something that she didn’t do very often, anymore. Celestia turned away, her eyes back towards Twilight, then to the crowd, to Twilight’s friends, to anywhere and everywhere but her sister. She maintained the smile, but she couldn’t keep her head from drooping just a bit. It was memory again, returning to haunt her.The past was a heavy burden, and she had lived a long life. Too long, at this rate.

The thought caused her to look back towards Twilight. The newly-crowned princess was still gliding along the cliffs by the capital’s base. It was a rather graceful sight for somepony as- no- her wings just clipped a ledge.

And another…

And another…

Celestia nearly leaped into the air, dashing off into another adventure, the hero of the day once more. Soaring into battle, rescuing panicked stallions, fending off countless wicked foes. Her breathing quickened, and her heart began to beat harder and harder as she tensed, preparing to lift off.

But no, Rainbow Dash and a few of the Wonderbolts had already taken off, soaring down the mountainside to recover the careening Twilight. Celestia would have sighed, but that would have required dropping her smile, taking off the mask. No, not for a moment; composure was all. Still, even as her muscles relaxed and breathing returned to normal, her head drooped ever more slightly, weighed down by memory and regret.

She glanced once again at Luna. Her sister had seen the commotion and her smile had widened, a sight that was graced by the sound of a soft chuckle. For a second, Luna returned the glance, looking into Celestia’s eyes. It was only for a second, and they broke eye contact simultaneously, but it was enough. Despite her current appearance of joviality, Luna’s head was ever so slightly drooped as well.

Celestia let herself release a small sigh before resuming the masquerade.

She and Luna needed to talk.

The day’s festivities kept Celestia occupied for quite some time. Well, festivities for others. For the most part, her day was spent reassuring nobles. It seemed that Canterlot’s upper class had gotten the idea in their heads that any special occasion necessitated a private audience with the princess, and the coronation had only made things worse. She had just finished reassuring the pegasus Feather Pen that Quills and Sofas, Twilight’s favorite quill supplier, would not receive any special contracts due to the new princess’s ascension, and that the government’s contracts with his company would be honored as they always have been.

Then Blueblood walked in...

“This is a desecration!” Blueblood sputtered in utter rage. “The overthrow of all sense, all reason! How could you, auntie?! How could you let the daughter of a pair of middle-class-”

“That’s enough!” Celestia had already used up much of her patience and she was not going to squander it on a whelp like the whining unicorn before her.

“But-”

“Twilight has been my most esteemed student for years, her brother is both a Prince of Equestria and of the Crystal Empire, and she has led numerous successful missions to safeguard the realm. What about you? What have you done?”

The prince was speechless.

“But... but...” he grasped for words, “but , it’s, it’s just not-“

“Fair? Perhaps rational? Do you question my judgment, nephew?”

“But the line of succession, you can’t-”

“There has never been an official line of succession. Luna and I will appoint an heir when we feel ready.”

Blueblood again groped for another complaint, some other arrow to use against the princess, but he found nothing. Falling silent, he hung his head and began to sulk out of the throne room. Celestia gave a sigh of relief, but Blueblood’s ears flicked, and he turned back towards the princess.

“You know, since I am already a prince, I just thought maybe, perhaps I could have that spell used on me, so I could, also…”

Celestia just glared at Blueblood, who promptly turned around and nearly galloped out of the chamber. It was pathetic. Blueblood resembled her cousin, his ancestor, so much, yet so little. Oh, Orion. Everything he wasn’t, Blueblood was, and everything he was, Blueblood could never hope to be.

The next pony in line, another upper crust unicorn, came in, wondering what had happened to the poor stallion that had just passed.

“My most beloved, dearest Princess, highest one, exalted above all other-“

Celestia cut the flattery short. “What would you like to ask of me?”

“Well,” the unicorn cleared his throat.

“No, there is not going to be any dramatic changes in the status quo or governance of the realm,”

Celestia calmly interjected before the petitioner could even gather his thoughts.

“That’s, that’s just fine, but I was going to ask-“

“No, Ponyville will not get any special privileges for having a Princess in residence, and neither will her family for the time being.”

“Very good.” The Unicorn was now visibly flustered, sweat welling at the base of his horn. “Still, I needed to ask…“

“Yes?” Celestia did her best to sound sweet, but it was getting hard.

“Well, with the discovery of this new spell, well, I don’t think I ever thought it possible that one could, well, become your highnesses, so I just wanted to inquire and see if it the spell in question, perhaps-“

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to kindly reject your proposal.” There was nothing kind in her voice.

The unicorn’s eyes went wide in shock. “It was a mere suggestion, a conjecture. I meant nothing of it, I-“

“Perhaps this audience is at an end?”

“Of course, you majesty, yes, I’ll, I must be going now.”

Like Blueblood, the unicorn got out of the chamber as fast as his legs could carry him, only for the next pony in line to trot in.

They would never learn. It was a painful ordeal, worsened by the memory of Orion. He was just another burden, weighing down her yoke. Celestia’s memories of her cousin were some of the brightest, the happiest times she’d had, which it made all the more tragic in the end. No, this wasn’t the time to bring that up. Not here, not now.

She tried to cheer herself up. At least Twilight was alright, even though she’d have to spend the night in the hospital, and the next week in flight school. Some lessons just had to be learned the hard way. Just like she had to learn how-no, again it wasn’t a time for such thoughts. Yet despite her efforts to dispel them, they still bubbled up from her subconscious, gnawing at her resolve, her composure. And while she fought them off, the line of ponies waiting for an audience grew longer.

And longer…

Luna had it easy. All she had to do was to get Shield Bearer, Shining Armor’s replacement as Captain of the Guard, to assign Twilight a small detachment and then place her signature on a few documents that floated her way. After that, she headed off to her tower quarters to rest until nightfall.

That was where Celestia finally confronted her.

Between two slightly less uncomfortable audiences, Celestia had asked a servant to bring up a bottle of wine and glasses up to Luna’s drawing room. There was already a table there, but the servant did have to get another chair. Luna only had one.

Celestia’s head, already heavy, drooped even further as she came in. She was exhausted by hours upon hours of dealing with the nobility and bureaucracy, but it was more than that. The room definitely wasn’t spartan, Luna had always held a taste for the extravagant, but it felt empty, unused. The chamber had fine paintings on the walls, but they were covered in dust, unobserved. The rugs on the floor were beautiful, the finest exports from Saddle Arabia, but they seemed too clean, utterly untrodden. The room was meant to be a place where ponies sat down and had a good time, where they could just talk and enjoy themselves.

None of that had ever taken place here. Celestia doubted that anypony but the servant she had just sent up had ever spent any time in the room, not even Luna herself.

After waiting for around a quarter hour, Luna finally exited her bedroom. She yawned deeply as she sleepily trotted out, her eyes still half-closed, but they sprang open when she noticed Celestia.

“Sister,” Luna began, startled by Celestia’s presence.

“It’s alright,” Celestia reassured her softly, “nothing’s wrong, everything is just fine.”

Luna blinked a few times. Her eyes drifted towards the table, noting the wine and extra chair, but made no motion towards it.

“Well then, you ought to retire to you chambers. I can handle the night, alone.”

“Don’t worry about me; I’ve had to stay up late before, doing your job and all.” Celestia tried to crack a grin, but Luna’s face refused to acknowledge the joke.

“What’s this about?”

Celestia sighed. “Luna, we need to talk.”

Luna’s eyes drifted again, doing their best to avoid eye contact. Her hooves shifted nervously. “We’ve talked before.”

“You’ve never really told me what happened Luna. How you became that... that monster.”

Luna froze, staring at Celestia. It may have only been for a second, but it seemed an eternity as the princesses’ eyes locked onto each. Finally, Luna broke away, her head drooped even further. “I see.”

“It’s time, Luna.”

Luna raised her head, beginning to protest, but then stopped, letting it fall down and hang once more.

She breathed in deeply. “Just let me raise the moon.”

Celestia nodded, and Luna walked out from the drawing room onto the balcony. While raising the sun always drew a crowd, thus requiring a ceremony to maintain its mystique, nopony was there to watch Luna carry out her duty. She simply raised her horn, letting her magic flow through her and out into the sky, reaching across tens of thousands of miles. Slowly but surely, the sun began to descend and the moon to rise behind it. It was almost a mechanical process, like two titanic gears grinding against each other. It took nearly a half hour, but Celestia waited patiently, using the time to pour the wine. Soon, the sky had grown dark and the stars began to appear, twinkling into existence one by one. It was odd, but Celestia never understood the stars. The sun and the moon were no mystery, she had reached out and touched them countless times, but the stars were far beyond her. Once, she had tried to touch the stars like she moved the sun, reaching out with her magic. It had been fortunate that a butler had decided to come in at the time, bringing up a cleaned dress for her wardrobe, and broke her trance. Otherwise, she would have died then, her body an empty shell, her soul lost in infinite space.

Luna came back in and took her seat. Tentatively, she took a sip of the wine.

“Thank you,” she whispered, raising her head from the glass. “What’s the vintage?”

“Oh, negative six Equestria Reckoning, I believe.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed in confusion, and then widened. “You don’t mean…”

“After the... incident last summer I had the Guard see if there was anything left in the old castle. It turns out that the old wine cellar was intact.”

“That would mean…”

“Yes, this was grandfather’s wine.”

Luna was taken aback for a moment, but recovered and looked at her glass fondly. “We pressed this ourselves, didn’t we?”

Celestia grinned. “Remember the time, when you were a filly, you nearly drowned in the fermenting vat?”

Luna smiled, and even giggled, “I can still feel the hangover.”

They both laughed at that one.

Luna sighed this time. “I cannot believe you were able to recover it. So long ago. So long.”

She rested her front hooves on the table and her head on top them.

“Where do you want to begin?”

“At the beginning. That’s generally the best place to start.” Celestia reclined in her chair.

“Alright…”

The forest was beautiful this time of year. Autumn had begun to set in and the leaves turned brilliant, the trees clad in every shade of gold and crimson. The fallen leaves covered the well-worn paths that criss crossed through the trees, but as long as a pony kept an eye out for poison joke and other foul plants, she could still stroll through the woods and enjoy that early fall breeze. That was just what the two sisters were doing, although it was less of a stroll and more of a sneak. Mother had told Celestia and Luna never to leave the castle grounds without escort, lest the Lord of Chaos sweep down and carry them away. But he was just an old mare’s tale wasn’t he? And it was just so nice out, and so crowded in the courtyard, and they were grown mares and could handle themselves. So, Celestia had goaded her sister into it. Once breakfast was over, they made the motions of heading towards their rooms to study, but as soon as they were out of view they sprinted to the guards’ training ground. As soon as they were sure nopony was watching, they took off, dashing over the battlements and into the bright forest.

Luna’s head swiveled from side to side, watching out for hidden danger. Her eyes flicked in all directions, and she shifted nervously back and forth. Her head turned longingly back towards the fortress, and after having walked a bit, she built up her courage.

“Sister, I think we ought to go back. Many ponies at court discuss the demon and I don’t think that it’s just a legend.”

Celestia laughed. “Sister! Are you really going to let some old ponies’ mutterings keep us cooped up on a day like this? Aren’t the leaves just beautiful, and look at the sky!”

“We have the same sky back at Canterlot…”

Celestia gave her sister a playful nip on the ear. Luna blushed, her eyes cast downward.

“I just don’t know if this is such a good idea…”

“Don’t be such a spoilsport!” Celestia teased her younger sister. “Anyways, I was reading and came across a story about an old ruin somewhere in the woods. There’s supposed to be an ancient treasure hidden there, the remnants of an ancient pony civilization, guarded away until-”

“And you think Discord is just a myth!”

“Sis!”

“Remember the time you fell into the mirror pond?”

“Oh don’t bring that up. The spell I came up with worked perfectly and nopony was the wiser!”

“Still…”

Celestia smiled, and nudged Luna. “Let’s have an adventure. You’re only young for so long.”

Luna hesitated, nearly continued to protest, but instead dropped her head. “Okay then.”

Celestia laughed and gave Luna another bump. “Everything is going to be just fine, you’ll see.”

“Perhaps we should skip ahead a bit,” interrupted Celestia, who was wearing a guilty smile.

Luna snapped back to the present and raised an eyebrow.

“Fine then…”

The radiant burst of light washed over Discord, illuminating his twisted figure. The draconequus writhed in agony as he was bathed in the terrible brilliance, screaming in sheer pain. Still, the sisters refused to lose their resolve and kept the beam focused on him, even as sweat began to bead on their foreheads. The swirling stones continued to pulse, thousands of beams bouncing back and forth but all reflecting towards Discord. Try as he might to escape the dreadful assault, Discord could not move a step; the side effect of having one’s feet petrified.

After a few seconds of struggle, the draconequus gave up any attempt of escape, and stood calmly with a sad face, his eyes fixated on the elder sister.

“So cruel, Celestia?”

“Why so cruel?”

A single tear coalesced, and began to fall down Celestia’s cheek…

“No, further than that.” Celestia’s smile had fallen away, but the guilt remained plastered on her face.

Luna just sighed, annoyed by Celestia’s constant interruptions. Still, she knew what her sister had gone through, and it wasn’t a pleasant memory for her either.

“Then when?” Luna inquired.

Celestia looked up in thought for a moment. “The coronation day, I believe. Would that be about right?”

Luna looked upwards as well, trying to imagine what her sister was feeling at the moment. Her gaze returned to earth and tried to look Celestia in the face.

“Yes, that would be a fair beginning.”

Author's Note

Narration and Perspective

This is just to clear up any confusion about my narration style. I prefer to write in what I see as a combination of 1st and 3rd person. The story is told from a 3rd person viewpoint, but any internal opinions/feelings expressed in the narration are subject to the focus of the story. Thus, a character's internal monolouge will blend with a more objective depiction of events.

Chapter 1: A Thousand Years

Hundreds of flugelhorns blared into the sunlit sky, producing a harmonious fanfare out over the gathered crowd. It was a unique sound: brassy, but sharp and precise, and played in perfect time and tune. The horns’ players perched on the roofs of the homes lining the thoroughfares leading to the palace, their horns pointed inwards and downwards towards the crowd gathered in the palace’s shadow. The effect was overwhelming to some, ponies towards the back of the throng winced from the oncoming harmony, but it was intended to be so, to shock and to awe. It was a message, a signifier, a display of power. The musicians had been placed so the sound would come down like a crashing wave, forcing those in its path to either bend or break. It was a reminder.

This was High Chasaline, the royal seat of the Crystalreich Impervium, or to most ponies, simply the Crystal Empire.

This was where kings and queens, princes and princesses, and every other sort of chief or chancellor came to bow down and pay their respects, to gaze upon the holy Crystal Heart. This was the core of the Crystalline Reach, the system that had ruled more than half the known world for a thousand years. Whatever glory that it may have lost would be reclaimed, and what was forgotten would be known by all.

It was a reminder to the expectant populace, to visiting emissaries from far off lands, to petty nobles that had come to see the show.

The Empire had not fallen. It was here to stay.

While the musicians bounded the streets a throng of thousands filled them. Most were imperial citizens who had come to see the proclamation, and to partake in the accompanying festivities. Today, their Prince, their Emperor, would speak before them, and their very livelihoods could depend on what was said. Mixed among them were civil servants, minor emissaries and others that stood out but did not merit the limited seating on the platform erected in the center of the circle, directly below the palace’s balcony.

The few dozen seats there were reserved for only the most important guests. To the far left sat an Arabian Emir and his vizier, and to the far right a griffon baron lounged, casually sharpening his talons against each other. Others, all dressed in the finest attire, flanked them, forming a semicircle around the second level of the platform.

Far fewer seats were placed there, but they were far grander, thrones good enough for any self-respecting ruler. Six figures sat here, robed in even more majestic regalia. They were the Prince-Electors of the empire, and perhaps one would eventually sit on the imperial seat, but there were still two thrones left empty. A rather worrisome fact, and while the princes would have been normally been flaunting their position, most brooded instead. The seats had to be for the Emperor of course, the Emperor and his son. Why else would two extra seats reserved, especially ones seated in the middle of the row? It was a simple, rational explanation. That had to be it.

But for now, the Emperor was above, high above in the castle that dominated the skyline and overlooked the circle. The platform’s dignitaries did their best to look regal as they craned their heads back to get a decent view. It soon became clear to most that this was an impossible feat.

It was just another reminder.

The Emperor was above all, not even the heavens could look down upon him.

And here he came.

The curtain that separated the castle from the balcony was parted, and the buglers began a new fanfare, the imperial anthem. The crowd began to cheer, but they did not burst or explode into celebration. It was a reserved, obligatory sound. Not to celebrate, simply to appease.

The Emperor took his time, basking in the sun as he strutted out of the castle and into the air. As a crystal pony, the light refracted off his polished crystalline fur, producing a full spectrum of colored light. His regalia was nothing flamboyant, at least by court standards. His mane was arranged into the obligatory headdress of High Chasaline nobility, and he wore a plain purple military uniform with gold braid and a few medals.

Finally, the anthem ended. Everypony was silent with bated breath, all in anticipation.

The Emperor cleared his throat.

“Let every eye be a witness to the occasion, every ear record these words and every mind remember fondly.”

His voice was deep and forceful. It wasn’t a harsh sound, but nopony would call it soothing.

“I am here today to inform that the rumor that you may have been hearing is not just a flight of fancy, but rather the most solid and integral truth.”

What rumor, which rumor? Was it? No. Could it be? No, not that one. The crowd became excited, anxious. Many started to murmur to each other. Even those on the platform, their heads strained from looking up towards the balcony, raised eyebrows and began to whisper. What rumor would concern the emperor? Was this all a joke, a petty display of dominance? No, it couldn’t be, it had to be something.

“As you all are aware, the foul demon, the self-proclaimed god of chaos, Discord, has ravaged our realm for years. Everywhere he has traveled he has only brought mayhem and destruction. Only the power of the Crystal Heart prevented him from laying waste to the Imperial Seat itself.”

Could it be? No, how could…

No, Discord was just too powerful, too…

But what if…

Could he really be…?

“Some of you have said that the beast would bring the Crystalreich to its knees.”

Could it be true?

“But fear not, my subjects, my foals. Discord is no longer.”

The crowd was stunned, agape. Even many of those on the platform gave gasps of shock. How could, how, was it even possible? But, how, nopony had ever stood up to the ravager. But the Emperor couldn’t lie like that, could he?

The Emperor just smiled, the stunned silence music to his ears. He paused for nearly a minute, just to take it in.

“Some have said that the Empire could not endure. That it was the end of an era. That a thousand years was long enough, too long for any one nation to last.”

The crowd had recovered by this point, and stared at their ruler in awe and expectation.

“They were wrong. They said the same when the Long Winter set in. Thousands may have starved, and thousands more fled to the south, but still we stand!”

Those in the crowd began breathing heavily. It was a lot to take in. Discord was dead! He was finally dead!

“And now Discord, the Lord of Chaos, has been brought to heel! They said he would be our downfall, but still we stand!”

The cheering began again, this time genuine. The crystal ponies, which composed most the crowd, began to shine and the Crystal Heart began to glow and spin as wisps of light flowed into it.

“This is not the end of an era, but the beginning of a new golden age! Stand tall citizens of the empire! Stand and walk towards our destiny!”

More cheering, more shouts of joy. If the buglers had begun to play, it was doubtful that anypony would hear them above the clamor. A few ponies began to jump up and down in excitement, to the short-lived annoyance of those around them. As for the platform’s occupants, although they had done the best to maintain a good composure, they found themselves having a hard time of not joining with the sound of celebration. It was just so good to hear, perhaps too good.

The Emperor caught his breath, and looked down once more upon the throng.

“As the Crystal Heart is my witness, I declare, that just as this Empire has lasted for a thousand years, it shall stand a thousand more!”

The Crystal Heart spun violently, then suddenly stopped, hurling a wave of light out over the city and into the countryside. An aurora of scintillating color radiated from the palace spire, flowing outwards in all directions. A few of the foreign dignitaries reacted in shock as they found their bodies coated in a fine crystal varnish, but their advisors and assistants assured them that the effect was only temporary, assuming that they didn’t establish a long-term residency in the city or the surrounding area. Most, however, only reacted with celebration. It was a good omen, as if the Crystal Heart had validated the Emperor’s words. Any doubt of his integrity, any belief in falsehood on his part vanished in an instant.

This was truly a day to celebrate.

The flugelhorns started up again, a quick succession of high notes. The emperor cleared his throat once more. It was hard to be sure which caught the ponies’ attention, but the crowd slowly quieted down, once more standing in silence.

“Now then. Would you like to know who vanquished the foul creature, who defeated the terrible Discord?”

The thought hadn’t entered anypony’s mind, but now it was at the forefront of everyone’s concerns. The chattering and murmuring resumed and even the dignitaries arced their sore necks back towards the Emperor in interest.

“It was not I, but the noblest of all heroes to grace the Reach since the Age of Sagas, since the foundation of history.”

The crowd grew ever the more tense, ever the more excited.

“These heroes, these two courageous ponies, are here today. Right now, behind the curtain.”

All eyes shot from the Emperor to the veil that concealed the palace interior. All save one set, which instead flashed to the empty seats on the platform.

Two of them.

“Would you like me to present them before you all?”

A resounding cry of ‘aye’ and ‘yes’ rang out from the crowd. It would seem like the palace was reverberate until it shattered, sending the Emperor plummeting to his doom.

“Very well. With the highest honor and greatest gratitude, I present to you the Ladies Celestia and Luna of Canterlot!”

Cheers broke out again, but nothing like before. For many it was simply a lack of familiarity.

Who?

Celestia and Luna? Never heard of them before. The names were a bit odd though, didn’t follow the common conventions.

And Canterlot? Where was that?

A few did show some signs of recognition, but no positive ones.

Canterlot? Wasn’t that a backwater fort in the middle of nowhere? Yes, somewhere in the south.

The Emperor was parading a pair of colonial hicks before them?

Above them?

Above them…

More eyes darted to the empty thrones. Realization set in for many on the second platform.

This wasn’t going to be good.

Then the sisters themselves walked out, and whatever cheering there was before, the crowd became even more dampened. Exclamations of shock and confusion were clearly audible and muttering and murmuring abounded.

A first glance revealed that the sisters were more than a bit taller than the average pony. That was fine, even a boon. Heroes are supposed to be larger than life after all. A second glance showed them to be unicorns-

No, pegasi. See the wings?

But, they have horns, long ones at that. Look!

Yes, but, they, they, but…

They have both?

What? How?

Ponies didn’t know how to react. Ponies didn’t have both wings and horns, they couldn’t! Pegasi and unicorns had produced offspring before, sordid affairs they were, but the offspring favored one parent or the other. Never both.

What could this be? What could it mean?

Could it be, no, the Emperor would never, but…

What else could they be, but the spawn of Discord? Twisted, unnatural creatures, defying all pony reason, crimes against the natural order of all things. Well, they didn’t seem twisted or malformed, they were actually quite striking, beautiful creatures, as they came alongside the Emperor, giving him their respects. Still, it just wasn’t natural!

The Emperor cleared his throat again, and the flugelhorns began to sound out, but this time the uproar continued.

“Quiet.”

The Emperor was ignored. The chatter became shouting, and panic began to mount among the throng. Even the guests sitting on the platform looked uneasy, disgusted by the realization of what was about to happen next.

“Silence!”

The emperor shouted over the throng, and in a few moments the tumult subsided, although a buzz of murmurs still filled the air.

“It is by the work of these two ponies and them alone you have been saved. Do not blaspheme your salvation!”

The murmuring died down even further.

“Because of their bravery, their tenacity, their defiance of all odds, they have succeed in beginning a new age. And so, I will give them the highest honor I can.”

The crowd had once again swayed into anticipation. The Princes on the other hand just groaned. This was just too far. He had really lost all his…

“As Prince-Elector of the Crystal Heartland, I hereby award both the Ladies Celestia and Luna of Canterlot the Crystal Star, the most precious medal our nation has to offer.”

A couple of cheers came out of the crowd and sighs of relief came out of the Princes. That was the right way to handle things. Give the freakish colonials a couple of pretty medals and send them off. Who knew why those thrones were there, but it definitely wasn’t because…

“In addition…”

The Princes’ murmurs stopped, and their heartbeats froze.

“I do decree that the lands south of the Crystal Lowlands…”

No, no!

“…west of the Seaboard Provinces…”

This couldn’t be happening, it just couldn’t be happening!”

“…east of the Earldom of Glascow…”

The Earl of Glascow, a large bull who was sitting amongst the other Prince-Electors, swore, and quite loudly so. A few mothers at the front the crowd did the best to hide their children’s ears from the bovine’s foul language.

“…and North of the Bay of Stars, that these lands, commonly known as Equestria, is now a formally incorporated part of the Empire, its people now officially citizens of the Crystalreich.”

The ponies below didn’t know what to think. The dignitaries were just speechless, and those in the crowd didn’t know enough about court politics to understand what was going on. Everything was happening so fast.

“The ponies of these territories are bound to the Imperial Seat by their hereditary oaths, given by their forefathers before they fled to the fringes of the Reach. I pardon them for the temporary neglect of these oaths, and as it is my right, I thus transfer these oaths and every other vow of fealty of the populace of Equestria to the heroes you see before you!”

Silence.

“By the power invested in me as Emperor, by the light of the Crystal Heart, by the love and loyalty of the citizens of the Empire, I, Felix of High Chasaline, decree the territories of Equestria now constitute an Electorate, and proclaim the Ladies Celestia and Luna Princess-Electors of Equestria and of the Empire!

“Gaze upon your new Princesses!”

For a moment, there was just silence.

Sheer silence.

One pony began to stomp.

And another...

But only a few. It was a pathetic sound, weak and without any sort of sincerity, but that’s all that came out of the crowd. The aurora above the palace flickered, its flowing tendrils retracting, and then faded as it had appeared.

Just another omen...

Author's Note

Worldbuilding

First, I'd like to point out that the geography/locations of the story do not nessecarily correspond to the official map. It's always bugged me that the Crystal Empire only seems to be a few hours train ride away from Ponyville, so I'm deciding to conviently ignore that piece of canon.

Another note would be Canterlot. It'll be more clear as we go on, but for now, when Canterlot is mentioned, it's refering to the old castle we saw in Season 1 Episode 2.

Again, things will be explained as the story progresses, but if you have any questions, just ask.