A fell power has risen on Equus, and many refugees have fled its clutches across the ocean to Aris, which now stands as the last beacon of Harmony in a world beset by war. Amidst this chaos, a reporter comes to the Royal Palace in Mount Aris to meet one of these exiles, and tell her story to the world.
You can see this as a sequel to Turning Over A New Loaf, since it takes place in the same timeline, but these stories can be read separately.
Important: this takes place in the Equestria At War universe. Equestria At War is a mod for the grand strategy game Hearts of Iron IV, be sure to check out their Discord and Reddit if you're not familiar with it. They also have a group on this site: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212917/equestria-at-war
Cover art: https://derpibooru.org/images/2979193 (resized and cropped)
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Glad you liked the Beacon of Harmony content. This really brought the vibe to life.
11553884
What's the Beacon of Harmony?
11553889
Mini-arc that can happen in Equestria At War if Hippogriffia is still harmonist but Equestroa has fallen either to outside aggression or to daybreaker. Hippogriffia takes up the torch.
I'd make a funny about how this is pretty ironic, but I'll leave that for everyone to figure out why I'm saying it. wink wink nudge nudge
11553884
I tried my best to echo a similar style as that event. Good to know that it worked
This was an amazing sequel fic! It feels right at home as another interview from our favorite reporter!
Something I particularly enjoy about this fic in tandem with its prequel is that sometimes Coral Ridge gets really important and prestigious assignments like this and sometimes he's interviewing real salt of the earth people! It's a very clear demonstration that Coral cares about doing sincere journalism, whether it's telling the stories of regular citizens or the very rulers of countries in the midst of great and terrible conflict. And on that, that is precisely where the bulk of my praise will come from: The conflict in Equestria.
There's something really fascinating about seeing the actual interviewer themselves conduct the interview, and not simply read their article after the fact. It doesn't feel disconnected, rather, it feels very personal. We're in the room with Coral as he talks with Princess Luna, a monarch in exile in his home country of Hippogriffia. And to that end, before we as the audience even get in the room, there's some deal of tension built up as to who the subject of the interview is. This is all to say, that this particular kind of story could have been done in several ways, but the way that you decided to go about it provided the best perspective.
Ok I know I know, I'm rambling on, so allow me to get to the crux of my admiration. The way you indirectly wrote Daybreaker was a really refined and gentle approach to an otherwise maniacal and totalizing character and I really enjoyed that contrast! We saw the damage she's done to Princess Luna, we hear about what she's doing in Equestria, but we never refer to her as directly as Coral refers to Luna. Moreover, the way Princess Luna responds to how Coral asks about her sister is equally as tactful. It felt, as the previous fic did, like a window into the world, and the particular view waiting for us outside of the glass is dismal, but not hopeless.
Once again, a wonderful fic! I'm very happy I read it!
11553889
If equestria fall to crysalid or equestria become solar empire/lunar empire, they can become the last bastion of harmony