Bone Marrow had been wandering through the halls of Twilight's Castle for some time now. Each hallway mirrored another, making the entire place seem like an endless maze. If not for the tapestries and different carpets, he would've sworn that he had passed the same hall at least a dozen times.
Wouldn't it make sense to put a sign outside each of the doors? 'Here is the kitchen, here is the bathroom,' things like that.
The colt's stomach rumbled. He had realized that his hunger wasn't one of magical need, but of physical. Did he really need to eat again? It had been so long. His time in the Mines of Scoria where a few months had passed, his time wandering the land and from when he was killed, twice, by a bandit. Then the other times he had been too busy to sit down and have a meal if it wasn't for the maddening demands of the void.
The void... it was still curiously silent. It was like Bone Marrow was missing something, not an old friend, but the familiar comfort of knowing where it was. The silent gnawing on his mind and the unending thumps of every heartbeat for miles around. Now there was only silence in his mind. Silence and the constant demand that he actually eat something for once.
"Maybe here?" Bone Marrow opened a crystalline doorway and found another empty bedroom. He slumped with a sigh, "This place is too big for it's own good. At least Celestia's castle had guards to tell you where to go."
He closed the door and continued onward through the castle. Doorway after doorway, hall after hall, painting after painting.
The colt paused. Getting a better look at the paintings, he noticed that something about them was wrong. The detail on them alone would've been enough to give somepony a medal! The colors, the lack of a single brush stroke... the texture?
"What in Tartarus?" Bone Marrow blinked at the painting on the wall as if it would answer him. When it didn't he shook his head. "This 'thousand years' thing is creepy..."
Finally, joyously, he found a room resembling a kitchen. It felt like he had been wandering for hours, but the unending demands of hunger made time pass far more slowly in his mind's eye. In reality, it had been little more than fifteen minutes since his encounter with the detailed paintings on the wall, and now he was staring at the glorious sight of a head of lettuce on the table.
Just sitting there, waiting to be sliced up or taken. Bone Marrow paused. Was this one of Twilight's tests? To see if he was a thief? He shook his head. Twilight had told Bone to make himself at home, so why did he feel like he was being watched all of a sudden?
Bone jumped when another door to the kitchen opened with a bang. Spike had wandered through, looking as casual as ever. Maybe he could ask the dragon for some help?
The necromancer cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Spike?"
"Aah!" The dragon yelped. "Whoa! Bone Marrow? You startled me there!"
Bone held up a hoof and smiled apologetically, "I didn't mean to! Sorry."
After Spike recovered, he walked over to Bone. "Do you need something?"
He nodded, "Yes... eh, I haven't eaten in a long while. Would you mind if I ate that head of lettuce over there?"
Spike's brow raised as he looked over to the vegetable. "You just wanna eat a whole lettuce? No bread or flowers or anything?"
"Eh..." Bone didn't really know how to reply to that. Was it strange of him to simply eat some lettuce?
"Tell you what. I'll make you something to eat, and you go relax over in one of the reading rooms. Deal?" Spike was smiling.
Bone's ears folded down. "Where would that be? I've been wandering through the castle completely lost for what feels like ages now."
"Second door on your left when you leave the kitchen."
The stallion-sized colt nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Spike."
Bone found a chair that was sized correctly for him, for once. Then again, everything in this strange 'future' was scaled down. It was all foal-sized! That meant that ponies mistook him for a stallion, which he didn't mind for now.
He rested his chin on his hoof. Would he keep growing? Probably, considering that ponies now a days were different than he was. Bone paused, did he really just think that? 'Ponies now a days'? He let out a huff of amusement. He was an old pony while still being twelve years old.
"Back in my day, the paintings on the wall didn't used to look so good!" Bone told himself in the mock-accent of an old pony. "An ponies didn't used to be so small!" He giggled. Maybe this was going to be better than he thought? Nopony had tried to kill him for days now, which was a welcome break from what he was used to. No bandits, no thieves, no guards every three steps...
Though, another thought crept into his mind. Starlight Glimmer. She had given him a look that he had seen far too often a thousand years ago. One of terror and an intense desire to run. He sighed and rested his head on the table in front of him. Maybe he could have a talk with her?
He could always see what Starlight was up to, but then she would know what he was doing. The skulls that were a part of his eyes would appear in Starlight's, and she would feel terribly cold until his sight returned to his own body. If she had been reading about the past, she would know the signs.
No, it would be a terrible idea. He had done it once before on a whim to Princess Celestia, and that resulted in him being frozen in a statue for a thousand years.
With all of these thoughts, Bone Marrow was becoming impatient. Was Spike preparing a feast or something? Bone had only wanted a snack, something small, but if it was taking this long it must be something big.
Another anxious minute passed before Spike entered the reading area with a massive silver platter held on one claw above his head. There was an equally shiny silver dome over the top of the platter, but Bone Marrow could smell something that sent him back. A smell that reminded him of Canterlot and Obscenely Rich's manor.
The smell of cooked flesh.
His throat became tight as he remembered the mages that, in the panic of self preservation, had torched entire rows of their own ponies to get away from the silent charge of his many skeletal minotaur. Of the bat ponies that dropped flasks of lighted oil onto the battlements of Canterlot's walls. He remembered the Bright Moon running for their lives as a mage lost control of their own magic, exploding in a fireball that illuminated the night for the briefest of flashes and left ponies fused to their metal armor, their faces contorted and warped around the metal that was meant to protect them as scorched flesh melted from their bones.
Spike set the platter down in front of the necromancer and lifted the lid with an innocent smile. "I heard that you liked meat, so I tried to make something up for you. I spend a lot of time with griffons and other dragons lately, so I've picked up a few new skills here and there that I've been dying to try out."
There was a flower-leaf sandwich, an apple, a half-loaf of sourdough bread, and a steak that had been cooked to a bloody medium-rare.
Bone Marrow could only nod in thanks with a strained smile.
"Is something wrong?" Spike hopped up onto one of the chairs opposite Bone Marrow. "I could cook the steak more if you want."
He held up a hoof, "N-no, it's fine. Sorry." His hoof fell to the table with a clack. "Memories, is all."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Spike pulled his chair closer to the table, intending to sit down for the long haul. "I've got time."
Bone shook his head. "This isn't the kind of story you'd want to hear, Spike. I don't think anything like it happens anymore in Equestria, at least from what I've seen."
Spike looked from the food to Bone Marrow and made a connection. Bone was staring at the steak like it would come to life at any minute. "Eh... do you want me to take the steak away?"
"No!" Bone unintentionally shouted, his voice panicked. "I-I mean, no, sorry. The steak can stay, thank you." He closed his eyes and took a breath. "Better to just consume it and get rid of the smell."
The young dragon watched with wonder as the steak became ash under the icy-blue flame that dissolved it.
Bone Marrow felt slightly better now that the source of the scent of cooked flesh was gone, but his meal still sat in front of him. He was hungry as ever and rested a hoof on the top of his sandwich.
Spike patiently waited for Bone to collect himself, but he noticed that the necromancer had stopped moving. "Something wrong?"
"I'm... trying to remember the last time I ate something." He slightly shook his head at the insanity of it. "Before I was frozen in stone, I mean. Was it weeks? Months?"
The little dragon was concerned even moreso. "How are you not starving, then?"
"Maybe it was my magic, maybe it was the void?" Bone blinked and grabbed the sandwich between his hooves. "I don't know. The last thing I remember eating was an oatmeal raisin cookie before the attack on Rich's manor."
The same look of momentary confusion that was on Twilight's face had crossed Spikes. "You don't mean Filthy Rich, do you?"
"No, Obscenely Rich." He took a bite of the sandwich and had to pause. It tasted exquisite. He wanted to simply pass out and dream of a taste this good for a solid week.
"I'll give you a minute there, Bone Marrow." Spike hopped down from his chair and backpedaled out of the room. "Good luck with your sandwich!"
That pony was strange, thought Spike. He had never seen anypony react so... approvingly to a sandwich he had made.
For once in his life, Bone Marrow felt full. No hunger, no need to devour meat and bone, no endless need for more. He was sated. Stuffed, even. The horrid memories of a thousand year's past had left his mind for now, replaced with the ache of fullness that he didn't realize how much he had missed.
It was nice, Bone Marrow concluded. Nice to finally be able to have a break. To rest for once without the thought that a guard might walk through a doorway and spot him. To have a moment to himself without the threat of Celestia looming over his head like a sword held with string.
He decided it was time for another nap. Bone moved his silver platter back to the kitchen in search of a bucket to wash, but instead found some kind of... well. He didn't know what it was. It was like a bucket but it was built into the kitchen's table on the side. Where normally he would think to put ingredients or something for easy access, he found the crystal bucket. There was some kind of thin crystal pipe that jutted out from the wall and it moved on a swivel. There was a lever as well.
Having no better ideas, he pushed upwards on the lever. To his astonishment, water began rushing out of the pipe. Was it magical? It would have to be! He had never thought of using a spell to make water like this, but where did it all end up? He noticed that there was a drain beneath the water pipe but had no idea where it would lead. The cupboards below the buckets revealed that there were more crystalline pipes that lead further away from the device and out of sight.
"Having fun?"
Bone Marrow narrowly avoided banging his horn on the contraption to get a look at who had just spoken.
"It's called a sink." Starlight Glimmer explained. "You look like you've figured it out for the most part, but you should probably turn it off."
The colt closed the cupboards beneath the sink and turned off the crystalline spigot. His eyes narrowed at Starlight.
"Weren't you scared of me a few moments ago? You bolted away from me like I was going to eat you."
Starlight held out a hoof that wavered from side to side. "Eh... yeah. I've been talking with one of my friends and they convinced me that I was probably over reacting." Her hoof then was held out to be shaken. "Starlight Glimmer. I figured I should properly introduce myself."
Bone cautiously approached and shook her hoof. "Bone Marrow, though I think you already knew that."
She smiled nervously, "Yeah, just a habit of mine is all. I think I picked it up from Twilight, to be honest. I saw how the cutie map was acting and decided to get a better insight to what was going on, and... well." Her hoof dropped and she bit her lip.
"Death, destruction, carnage..." Bone sighed, "At least I'm guessing that's what the records said?"
"Not... entirely?" Starlight got a better look at Bone Marrow. "Though you look pretty tired. Do you remember where your room is? It took me months to figure out my way around this place."
The necromancer shook his head. "I have no idea where I am in this maze of a castle."
"Well come on then, we can walk and talk." She opened the door to the kitchen with her magic, gesturing for Bone to go first.
"So, a Necromancer, huh?" Starlight was more cordial now that the niceties were out of the way. "What's that like?"
Bone's voice was weary. "I've already told Twilight that I'm not going to teach her anything to do with Necromancy. The same goes for anypony, dragon, griffon, or whoever else asks me."
"Okay, okay," Starlight relented, "Just curious is all. You don't have to explain the spells, but maybe the... experience of it?"
"All of that happened a thousand years ago. You've already read some records and books. Maybe some were even written by Celestia. Isn't that enough?"
Starlight rose an eyebrow at that comment. "Not a fan of the princess, huh?"
Bone's expression was deadpan. "She blasted me with rainbows and sealed me in a statue for a thousand years after betraying me. What do you think?"
"I can understand that, I think." Starlight looked ahead as the two conversed on their journey through the halls. "I used to be a 'villain' too, you know."
"A villain?" Bone chuckled, "I was trying to be a hero when I was frozen."
"Well from what I saw, Canterlot wouldn't even exist if you didn't defeat Equestria's army by yourself. The Bright Moon, right? I read that they went around to other countries that bordered Equestria to raze them all to the ground so they couldn't fight us. You, however, fought an army of veterans and the combined armies of all the nations that survived the Bright Moon's attacks. In one night."
"I would've let them go if they didn't attack, but..." He held a hoof to the pocket watch around his neck. "After one point... I didn't have much mercy left in me. I think of all the Bright Moon I encountered during that night, I let one bat pony escape. One."
"Hey, I'm not here to judge you, Bone Marrow." Starlight gestured with her horn to the necromancer's room. "I'm just trying to say that I'm not your enemy or anything. I can sympathize with what you went through, even if I don't really understand all of it. If you want to talk about it, or if you just want somepony to vent to, I'm here."
Bone Marrow's eyes narrowed. "Why the sudden kindness?"
"Well, after what I did in my village... let's just say I'm trying to work out a few of my own problems. I figured it would help if you had someone to help you with yours?" Starlight smiled nervously, hoping that Bone would agree.
The necromancer colt grumbled. He had a policy about trusting strangers. Too many sweetened words and intentions that had come back to bite him, or in one case, trap him in stone.
"I'll think about it, Starlight." Bone pushed the door to his room open. "I think I need some sleep. It's been a long day or three."
"Of course!" Starlight backed away a few steps. "Have a nice rest, okay? We can talk more if you want in the morning."
Bone nodded. "Maybe. See you then."
The door closed behind Bone Marrow and he was once again alone in the room of pure extravagance. A soft bed, softer sheets and blankets. A pillow made from pegasus down that had been donated to Celes-- to Twilight.
Bone sighed and lifted the corner of the bed's sheets with his magic. It was too much. He crawled underneath the bed's frame and pulled the sheets with him. Better to sleep on the floor with a feeling that he knew well rather than give in to too much comfort. It didn't feel right. He had slept on a bed of straw as a... well, he was still a colt. Why did it feel like a different lifetime ago? Technically it was, Bone conceded.
All of this would take a lot of getting used to. One step at a time, though. For now, he would sleep underneath the bed in the comfort of darkness. Just as he had in done Celestia's castle. Just as he had done with Scenic Sights...
*Sees chapter title*
On the contrary, this is definitely not enough. Chapters, that is.
Rest well Bone, sweet dreams. What he did back then, is quite an accomplishment.
Was reading the last chapter. When I finished, there was not another chapter. So I go to the home screen and HUZZAH! Another chapter. This story is great. Keep up da gudz workz.
You are a writing machine! And I have to say I think the story is improving with every chapter and it feels like we're really starting to get on a roll!
I'm loving this!
Love the deadpan.
Also seems that his sleeping habits don't die easy. No pun intended.
I feel like Starlight has an ulterior motive, but it's too hard to tell right now I think. As soon as I saw this new chapter I was like, "Right! Stop everything, must read immediately". I think that hints at the excitement I have for this story. Eager for more as always.
Can't wait to see the confrontation with Celestia
9183108
I just hope that as he talks to her he doesn't ever call her Celestia, or Princess, but simply "Liar".
Would serve her right and would make those around her question both Sun-Butt herself, as well as the sanitized version of history.
I love this Author, he can spin an interesting tale.
The Monk
"And in a far corner of the town, a pink monster plans...."
It's good to see that he still doesn't trust strangers. Throughout the chapter I was getting vibes he suddenly finds Spike and Starlight trustworthy out of thin air. Glad to see nothing has changed.
Also, as mentioned by others, 1000 likes on a story in a week is impressive.
9183123
Celestia's sanitizing the history books is also working to Bone Marrow's advantage here, and i think that was intentional on her part. Celestia has buried the stories and myths about Necromancers, so Bone Marrow is not being shunned or feared on sight as he was a thousand years before.
... I'll be honest, I just shouted "Oh fuck you!" when I read that to Starlight (yes I don't like Starlight)
9183141
I think it's more the fact that he doesn't trust Starlight because 1. Her first reactions and 2. The fact that she knows his past. He's probably more comfortable about "strangers" because nobody remembers who he is, so he has no need to fear about being betrayed
We have all been talking about the upcoming encounter between Celestia and Bone, but what is Twilight going to think of her teacher after she learns Celestia turned Bone to stone after he saver not only her city but very possibly her own plot as well.
9183172
Also an option. I know that's a paranoid thought, but he might assume that other just pretend not to know about his past. From his eyes, I don't think he can trust anyone just yet - and should be cautious about his surroundings equally. I think this makes sense from his point of view. Author might see it differently, I'm just adding my two bits.
... So I want to see Marrow's reaction just after it's explained to him what indoor plumbing means beyond just a self-filling bucket.
9183123
I think he'd say 'Betrayer' more, as it wasn't so much a lie, as it was betrayal that got him.
Great chapter as always! Really enjoyed myself.
Yeah, Twilight's lack of guards could bite her in the butt, and did for the Season Five finale. Perhaps Bone could sort that out for her?
9183156
There's definitely some sanitizing going on. It wasn't the Bright Moon who attacked nations bordering Equestria. The border nations were working with the Bright Moon because of past Equestrian aggression.
I'm a little curious how Twilight will react to finding out how, um, inaccurate recorded history really is.
9183258
The Bright Moon where Equestria's standing offensive army prior to Luna's coup attempt; when Luna became Nightmare Moon, her troops followed her into the rebellion, which was when they took on the name of the Bright Moon.
9183156
I doubt that Celestia was being kind. Remember that SunButt never trusted or liked Bone. She considered him the lesser of two evils and only let him live because his death would allow the birth of a potentially worse necromancer. There is an old saying her in the US. "Better the evil you know." Meaning its better to deal with a problem you understand and are familiar with, rather than a problem whose responses you can't anticipate.
It may just be all the fan fictions that I have read, but if I ever met a merchant and became displaced, I would be very very leery of Celestia and her mother Teresa mask of divinity. There are plenty of clues and warning flags, even in the canon show itself, implying that the safety, prosperity, and utopia that is Equestria only applies to ponies themselves.
SunButt placed her ponies ahead of her own sisters life when she banished her, I firmly believe nothing has changed in her outlook since then. She sent a recluse bookworm, a baker, a seamstress, a farm hand, an amateur athlete, and an wildlife rehab nurse up against a trained and fully armed battle mage with centuries of battle experiance. She doesn't care who she hurts as long as her ponies are safe in the end and the status quo is maintained.
My personal opinion.
The Monk
9183281
It is still a very important distinction to make. One version has the Bright Moon as vile oppressors intent on murder and destruction. The other has them as a product of deep rooted and prolonged Equestrian mismanagement.
9183322
True, i never said Celestia wasn't mainly covering her own ass; but doing so is also making things easier for Bone Marrow. He's no longer being shunned in the street, or hunted by the army.
9183288
There is a difference, between doing something to be kind; and changing tactics, because you finally realized the old methods were just making more enemies out of potential allies. Prior to Bone Marrow proving otherwise to her, Celestia had assumed that all Born Necromancers where automatically predisposed to being evil; towards the end of the original story it finally dawned on her that she had been driving Bone's predecessors to be evil, and then had compounded her fuck ups to monumental proportions, through what was essentially state supported propaganda, and an entire specialized military unit who would make certain to back each and every Necromancer into a corner until they lashed out.
Also, i find the Mother Teresa analogy hilariously appropriate; because any sober analysis of her life's work shows, she was nowhere near as saintly as she tends to be portrayed.
9183281
Yeah, they were the strike force. But if you recall "Anvil" specifically said that Luna was against the purges, but was following Celestia's orders. And was summarily ignored. It was in part due to all she had to do in the name of Equestria that she flipped her lid. Well, that and the fact that all the ponies she interacted with on a day to day basis were a bunch of noble snobs who considered her the lesser of the two sisters.
Also, hmm, Spike apparantly makes REALLY good sandwiches... now I'm hungry.
And yeah, I'm as curious as others regarding what Twilight and the others will think of Bone's unfiltered and unedited version of history?
Lastly, a typo: Just as he had in done Celestia's castle. - Just as he had in Celestia's castle. - or - Just as he had done in Celestia's castle.
Soon comes the inevtibale luna dreamscape chapter
I think I enjoyed this chapter more than the others for one reason. Up until now, it has thuroughly felt like the casual "My awesome amazing super powerful OC meets all the MCs and becomes friends and shit". But this chapter was a nice little deveation. Personally, I'm looking forward to more interactions that revolve around fear. All too often, we see stories where the main cast loves the OC, but the charm of the previous story largely relied on none of the characters we loved liking the Protaginist.
Just a thought I had. Keep on trucking on, we're rooting for you!
Another nice chapter, love the Story a lot and check back everyday for new chapters. Also unimportant side note, I think the last thing Bone Marrow ate was ice cream with his friend.
9183243
"So you mean to tell me that shit just goes away when I pull this lever? ... THE FUCK!?"
Excellent work my friend keep it up this story is very entertaining.
I have finally caught up with this fic, and I only started reading the 1st one when the sequel landed in the featured. Had it in my Read Later for who knows how long. That was a crazy week or so. Definitely a fantastic read.
Now onto one thing that I was wondering how it will be handled and I guess we get a hand wave as is often done with this sort of thing. Language evolves. Constantly. Even today we would have trouble understanding people living mere 100 or 200 years ago. 500 years is another language entirely. And we have a gap of a 1000 years here to work with.
In the show Luna has no problems in communication except her later added "old speak". This could at least be explained by her still being able to walk the dreamscape and learning the language as it evolved, though that makes the old speak quirk completely pointless. Pillars of harmony have no problems whatsoever, and I see no reliable explanation of that one. Finally, Bone also seems to be perfectly fine speaking and understanding language that had a millennium of evolution behind it. Oh well. Then again, it's a potential barrier that would be hard to breach. The only way I can imagine is Twilight brushing up her knowledge of Old Equestrian or smth, and basically be the only communication bridge for Bone till he learned the new ways, which could take years. Probably not good for general story building.
I was on one hand hoping for something more original than a hand wave, but on the other I didn't really expect anything unusual. Oh, and about the "what did you say" from an earlier chapter. Bone already did some weird speak during his soul jar spell casting in the 1st fic, so I assume that only his spells are actually different, and they are just innate to him as a born necromancer. So much so that he possibly doesn't even realise that he's speaking / thinking something else than "die" or "consume". Therefore I wouldn't count that as him having some old speak.
A bit disappointed that language isn't a problem brought up in here, but I guess it's maybe for the best.
P.S. Also I totally just read last 2 chapters of the 1st fic and all the chapters of this one in a single sitting.
9183404
I can see where your coming from. Most of the generic, cookie cutter stories on this site have that feel to it. One of the worst that comes to mind was a human in Equestria story with Spike rule 63'd as Barb. That story seriously creeped me the hell out. The OC (and the mane 6) just felt wrong, and I don't mean it irritated me. It seriously creeped me the fuck out. I sat there truly thinking, WTF did I just read?!.
So I get where your coming from in general, But I have to disagree with you on this one. I don't see that "Barney the Dinosaur/lets be friends" thing here. Yes, its Ponyville, so everyone is numb to strange and the bizarre, so the lack of fearful reaction to simple skull eyes is reasonable. Remember this is a place that gets attacked by Ursas, vampire bats, rapist hentai vines, and Hydras at least once a week. so a Iack of reaction is understandable over all. However, not everyone kissed his hooves on first meeting. It makes sense why. Sunset Shimmer researched Necromancers which is a extremely rare group of ponies. She would know what the signs and histories actually mean, while most would only see odd eyes and not be able to connect the dots. Lyra, Granny and Bon Bon are the only three who would have a chance of knowing the signs of necromancy. (in my opinion) Had he shown up in Appaloosa or Canterlot, the reaction might have been worse.
The Monk
Granny - First hand encounter with Necromancy
Lyra - Human/cryptid conspiracy theorest (show canon)
Bon Bon- Retired licensed monster hunter for the crown. (show canon)
9183562
The reason I didn't bother with language barriers is because the show itself didn't bother with it.
Starswirl the Bearded comes back along with his buddies after a thousand years of being locked in some spell, and they all speak the exact same language as Twilight and her friends.
Besides, linguistics and absolute adherence to realism isn't the main point of this story.
yo have you noticed your story is hotter than all the mlp porn on R34 (I meant to make that porn joke I meant it and not taking it back)
Omg he still sleeps under the bed
9183436
... I was thinking 'hot shower' and 'no more bathing in a stream' but that also works.
Im waiting for his fillyfriend
9183288
It's definitely all the fanfiction you read because canon Celestia is nothing like that.
Because Fanfic writers love tearing Celestia down for whatever reason.
And canon Celestia actually tried to reason with her sister before using the Element of Harmony.
9183288
It also makes a great plot twister when the main bad guys trick Celestia into taking care of their obstacles for them. It almost always comes back to hurt her in some way.
9183579
Yea, figured as much. Such a barrier just creates too much trouble, and breaching it would be a story focus in and of itself. Just to make it clear, I do not see the story as any worse due to lack of language barriers between characters that lived a millennium apart. I was more curious if it would be a thing to any extent.
As for why the show doesn't bother, I like to entertain a certain thought, that *explains everything* if one wants to write a HiE fic where the show exists in our world. Some theory time here, not really related to the fic in question, but do enjoy if any of you like this sort of "figuring stuff out". I apparently have an affinity for making long comments on Fimfiction when it's already past midnight and I should be going to bed. Here we go...
This is with an assumption that we're making a HiE story of some sort, though I am personally more leaning towards human mind in a pony body (forced adaptive transformation like in EqG sort of thing) and all the problems associated with adjusting to a new body and society rather than a flat out alien in Equestria.
So, how does one explain the show existing in our world, and existing for "real" also? The idea I came up with, and which maybe is used by some authors (didn't see it myself though) is that both realities are close together and blend just slightly, so that one influences another in subtle ways. Like, let's say that someone on one side can glimpse the other side in a dream or with a seemingly random thought they think was their own.
This way the language, place names, and many other things nearly co-evolve. The show's creator would simply be one of rare people who could glimpse more than usual, and thus created the world that in her mind she came up with. And because of that and the fact that it was to be made into a show for kids - certain alterations and simplifications were made. Not to mention author's own interpretation of what they dreamed / "came up with" and making everything more familiar through the prism of what we know of our world.
This opens us up for wide modifications of what the "real" Equestria could actually be once the protagonist arrives. Maybe it's not as happy candy friendly and peaceful, but more sucky in places just like Earth? Intermission: Why so many authors insist of calling the planet Equus when it's a world of dozens of intelligent species? We have one specie here and we decided to call it something neutral. Earth. I somehow very doubt that Equestria as a nation would manage to force such a pro-pony name for the entire planet to be widely accepted, nor that its "benevolent" ruler would be so narcissistic, supremacist, and undiplomatic about it. Intermission ends. Maybe the events played out similarly, but not exactly the same? Maybe everything past season 1 is made up / substantially different as the original author and their connection left the show's creative stuff? The possibilities are endless.
And so the protagonist lands in a place that is kinda familiar, but also kinda isn't. Some things are slightly off, others are just flat out different. Maybe some aspects of the show were just plain made up, and do not exist in the Equestria's real version. The most important thing here form my perspective is that this gives the fic author an opportunity to "fix" everything that in the show has little to no reasonable explanation or just seems plain strange or unfitting. The probably most glaring one is the whole controlling of a FREAKIN' STAR and a FREAKIN' NATURAL SATELLITE, even though some fics came up with half decent explanations of at least some aspects of this phenomenon (e.g. Arrow 18). The difference in mass and gravity well of a star and a planet still makes no sense to me, not to mention the part where the princesses seem to only be needed in the morning and evening to move the things, and for the rest of the day / night everything seems to be happening on its own.
If anyone bothered to read this rambling of mine, do let me know what you think or if maybe there are indeed some fics out there that go more into the possible realism of one being turned into a different creature and tossed into a not so familiar world. And please no Anons. :P
As for this very fic here, I cannot wait for another chapter, and cannot decide if I should be happy because those come out more often than most or should lament that they are so short that I blitz through them in a breeze. :c Side note: Anyone noticed how the Romance tag disappeared between the 1st fic and the sequel? Dunno if tags are added as the story progresses or not, though this missing tag got me wondering...
P.S. Sorry about the absolute wall of text.
9183562
You are absolutely correct, the language barrier would be a massive issue in real life, however a story has a narrative, and that narrative has to change when the Author includes something as profound an obstacle as language barrier. There are very very few main stream movies made with no dialog at all. This is because dialog is fundamental to good story telling. While movies like Pixars Wall-e prove beyond a doubt that great stories can be told without dialog, that dialog when well written, massively enriches the experience. Language barrier stories can be tricky to write, and they also change in a very fundamental way, how the Author is able to present his story. It also greatly changes the fundamental story dynamics. Many writers use artistic license to bypass this so that they can tell their stories in the way that they feel best bonds their readers to their main cast of characters. I for one would rather have an emotionally satisfying and gripping tail in exchange for the loss of some historical accuracy. Rather than an accurate story that was boring because the Author was unable to bond with his readers.
That being said, There are great stories where language issues are done right. For example, "Cultural Artifacts by Dan_s Comments", " What I've Become by Knight Breeze", "A Voice Among the Strangers by Tystarra" these are fantastic HIE stories found on this site where the OC can't understand a single word, and all done fantastically well
The Monk
Looks like Bone is alive again. Wonder how much would this affect his death magic? I mean since he is not dead anymore?
9183692
I think the main reason why writers like depicting Celestia is such a fashion is because of how the show protrays her. She's supposed to be seen as this kind of paragon, a benevolent ruler that's kinda and wise, with very few flaws besides the ones the show gives her. Just due to the skepticism of human nature, people probably write her the way they do cause it just doesn't seem right that she's such a benevolent person and rule a peaceful country the way she does. So they change her to make it fit for a narrative, or how they percieve what might be really going on in her mind. Of course, I don't really have a good way to prove it, but I'm pretty sure that's why Celestia gets that kind of treatment.
Please tell me that that last line was foreshadowing Scenic Sights' return in the a near future chapter. Poor colt could probably use some emotional support from his fillyfriend right about now.
9183692
she stilled sent untrained ponies to fight her sister in the hope that the elements would activate and help them, all to have her sister back
she also has no Monster Hunter Force directly protecting ponyville, she also hasn't made it mandatory for schools to teach Fillies about the monsters of the everfree, or else Fluttershy and all the other mane six (aside Pinkie would have known about Parasprites
She hasn't put any effort into maintaining a competent army and has instead promoted SHining armor to captain because of reasons other than his competence as a commander
she uses a vast array of tests on Twilight, many that, if she were to ever fail could spell disaster for any number of ponies, such as with the crystal empire, Twilight could have fucked up big time and doomed the empire to death, all because Celestia would rather test twilight then go directly to the empire and defeat Sombra alongside her sister as she had done in the past, she know nows Sombra would take the empire with him and can plan around that, she could likely even stop him from doing it now that she knows about it, instead she risked the empire being lost again and even the lives of her student, Cadence, and shining armor, all to test twilight
she has not been teaching twilight how to be a princess, instead of teaching how to alocate funds, how to be a just ruler, and all the important things, she has instead left twilight to figure it all out on her own, which I'm guessing is another test
I'm sure if I rewatch the show I could think of more but these are just a few of my reasons why you should be wary of Celestia, she doesn't value the lives of others if she thinks she can teach Twilight a lesson she will put your life in danger
and her monster hunter organization is a secret one, if that doesn't tell you something then i'm not sure anything will
9183954
1) She didn't send a bunch of untrained people to fight Nightmare Moon. At most she sent Twilight Sparkle. The other five girls chose to tag along with Twilight even though she initially told them she was going alone.
2) This just looks like your grasping at straws to complain about about Celestia. Especially considering the EEA is in control of school curriculum. Not Celestia.
3) Did you forget this is Friendship is Magic? Not Military is Magic. And how do you know why she chose to promote Shining Armor? Considering it's never been said.
4) The Crystal Empire is one of the few times I'll accept that Celestia has screwed up.
5) Once again grasping at straws. This is not a reason to be wary of Celestia at all. Especially considering that stuff would be boring to watch and would cut into her life with her friends in Ponyville which I'm sure Twilight enjoys more. That and Twilight has come into Princess-hood just fine on her own.
Yeah. Having a Secret Monster Organization says absolutely nothing actually.
9183729
9183579
9183579
He was sealed away by the Elements of Harmony. HARMONY. The spell would last a thousand years, so, to maintain HARMONY, why wouldn't the spell ensure that he "woke-up" with all the language knowledge he would need? It wouldn't be very harmonious if he ended up fighting those who might become his friends simply because they didn't understand one another at first.
GAH! How long until Scenic Sights returns? I've been dying to see them be cute together again!
...
Hehehe, dying to see them be cute together again. Good one, me.
So is he just too weak to bring Scenic back?
9184245
Probably a combination of that and the fact that he doesn't have enough time to even work out how it would be done, as I'm sure he wouldn't want to just raise a skeleton with her soul and actually want to make a real body.