Dio

Oktoberfest brews at a local pub, but really not much else. It's a Monday and it will be coming up on crunch time for school projects, so we really can't afford to party too hard. However, there is a zombie walk scheduled, and my friends in the political science department wanted to go as zombie social scientists. Wrap your prion-eaten brain around that...

Most of you probably don't like rap, much less Kanye, but... I thought it fitting for the God-Empress.

The night rolled in calm, softening the jagged edges of the mountains separating the Badlands from Greater Equestria, sweeping swiftly across the rolling fields of the Saddleveil Plains, draping its velvety blackness across the mountains of Roughrider Ridge, chilling the rocky expanse of the Painted Pinto Desert, and finally finishing its arc far across the sea somewhere west of Aquellia. Pallid phosphorescence from a million twinkling points of light bathed the Foothills in unearthly luminescence, from the cozy cottages of Solstice Heights up mountain roads and winding thoroughfares to the magnificent alabaster spires of the Equestrian capital. Atop a single gold-trimmed tower, guarded by concentric walls topped by steely-eyed sentries, something stirred. A lone equine stood at the apex deck of the tower, her mane flowing with otherworldly grace, wings folded neatly at her sides, and eyes fixed upon the glittering firmament above. The alicorn nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgement, smiling broadly as the stars danced above her. “You have done well, sister.” Celestia spoke softly, more for herself than anypony else. Surely Luna was out frolicking in the night by now, far out of earshot. Gently stepping down the stairs back to her private chambers, Princess Celestia stifled a yawn. It had been a trying day, filled with meetings, public appearances, and the busy trappings of royal life. As she entered, her horn glowed soft lavender, gently shutting her chamber doors behind her with flowing tendrils of aether. Faintly glowing wisps of lavender continued to float around her, weaving in and out of her mane, gently brushing her coat, and finally lifting her crown and mantle away, setting them upon the chamber’s dresser. Another flick of her horn and twist of the aether and the fireplace on the far wall burst to life, providing both dim illumination and subtly warming the cushion lying before it. Celestia stretched her great wings, moving them to their full extension before folding them back to her sides and gingerly laying down upon the cushion. As the fire warmed her flanks, the Sun Princess went about her familiar routine, brushing her mane and tail, preening her feathers, and finally floating over a bottle of her own private stock of Solstice Winery dandelion wine. Celestia hummed softly to herself as she uncorked the bottle and gently poured out a glass, careful not to spill it. Her evening routine complete, Celestia raised the glass to her lips and gingerly sipped, allowing the edgy, mildly bitter taste to roll over her tongue before swallowing. “Slightly sharper than before and the pollen is definitely there, but as always an excellent finish...” Celestia closed her eyes for a moment, reviewing the day’s events, but quickly decided them not worth dwelling upon. The alicorn tapped a hoof on her chin. A tiny thought at the edge of memory continued to nag at her. Whatever could it be? A smile crossed her face as she recalled exactly what she had been meaning to do all day. The aether tendrils reached out again, this time bringing back to Celestia a quill, ink, and stationery. Delicately lifting the quill on wisps of aether, the Sun Princess began to write. -------------------------------------- OOC: this thread is open to all players of the “Mane 6,” though I may occasionally pull in other characters to shake things up. The post format is as follows: a short exposition or anecdote from your character describing their day or their general mood as they write the letter followed by the letter itself. As this thread is freeform, you can be as meta as you want (even pony-fying events from your life to use) so long as the post itself is in character. That said, this is not an “ask Princess Celestia” tumblr. It’s more of a “dear Princess Celestia, my day went…” thread. Try to remember to be candid! It’s a letter, not homework! I will respond as I see fit and will occasionally introduce additional prompts to continue the thread. Ready? Set… WRITE.

I'm normally one to appreciate characters who have had it rough, clawing their way up through the dregs of society for a shot at the big leagues. I'm even lenient when it comes to characters with violent pasts or militant professions. But something about the lynching incident rubs me the wrong way. Harming another for misguided ideology or personal gain is one thing, but racially motivated murder treads too far into grimdark territory to be acceptable for Mane RP. A fight of some sort would still be acceptable, perhaps a foiled mugging or other random crime that happened before local law enforcement intervened. The end result would still be the same, but it avoids the trappings of hate crime. I'm also interested in seeing if Boxer has some sort of long-term plan, something that will get both him and Arrow out of trouble and on the straight and narrow path.

Next time give me more warning so I can get in on this action!

I'm more impressed with the amount of effort put into it than I am with the production values. The voice of Celestia needs serious work. Not only does she fail to sound like Nicole Oliver, she formalizes the conversation too much, attempting to use words entirely to convey meaning instead of her inflection. Part of the fault also falls upon the writer for Celestia's lines. Luna's performance was much better from a voice acting standpoint. Editing and camerawork could also have used a lot of work. Some of the cuts and transitions were way too fast or were very awkwardly framed. Basically there is no reason to say this piece is "awesome," save for one: the bronies at bronytoons took the time and effort to even bother MAKING a short complete with music, full animation, and voice acting. The motivation to do good work is clearly there. This wasn't damaged by laziness, rather they need some good people to guide them. They clearly have the resources and desire to make something awesome.

Finalized and ready for evaluation.

I'm really hating on the server browser and join system. I hate the fact that you need a web browser AND Origin open just to search for and join a game. Why can't the system be handled from Origin or with an in-game server browser? Also, party join is broken and there's no way to form squads while in game, which makes it really hard to party up with your friends and play on PC. That said, the game itself is great. Infantry combat is fast, fluid, and brutal. I quickly found that the AK-74+PSO1+Heavy Barrel+Grip is a devastatingly effective counter-sniper platform, especially when firing on single-shot mode. The M16 is better close up because of its higher rate of fire and lower recoil. I'll keep trying to find the Caspian Border servers so I can get some vehicle gameplay in, but they're always full. Because of the way recoil is handled in the game and because of lag, it's not uncommon to spend at least a mag per kill. That's why the support class is so important. It's really underutilized at this point since everyone just wants to kill stuff or get medic points as Assault. I can't tell you how many times I've run out of ammo at an inopportune time just because of the prodigious rate of ammo consumption in that game. But now I'm just rambling. If any of you guys play on PC, PM me for my Battlelog name. I normally play with my clanmates, but I'd be willing to pop in for a few rounds with the bronies if my usual crew is busy

Pirates of the Caribbean Hey you made it! Looking forward to more escapades in Canterlot with you and Kuda! Tales already covered the technical stuff, so I won't rehash it unnecessarily. Anyways, welcome and enjoy your stay!

My school is paying me to attend class, do office work, and web maintenance. I defeated all other applicants in spite of my lack of qualifications because I knew English and could actually socialize with the office staff. I am the Element of Office.

I originally thought the issues could be related to Espernet itself or LightIRC, which is why I posted. That being said, the issue seems to have resolved itself. Apparently it was a local geographic problem.

Updated flash player for Firefox and rebooted windows. Same results for all clients.

Name: IRC bubble. My connection to IRC is stopped by a bubble that seems to let everything else through. Section: Flash chat, IRC clients Browser: Firefox, Windows 7 x64 Description Reproduction steps Open up IRC client (tried with YChat, Quassel, AndroIRC, and Chatzilla) or Canterlot.com Flash chat. Select EsperNet from list or /attach irc.esper.net:5555. Wait while client cycles through connection attempts. Errors Expected result: Connection to irc.esper.net Actual result: Connection errors classified by client. YChat * Looking up irc.esper.net * Unknown host. Maybe you misspelled it? Cycling to next server in Espernet... * Disconnected (). AndroIRC (Error) Unable to resolve irc.esper.net (#1/5) - irc.esper.net Canterlot.com webchat Flash policy problem. If you are the server owner, please read [url="http://redmine.lightirc.com/projects/lightirc/wiki/Flash_Policy_setup_instructions"]http://redmine.lightirc.com/projects/lightirc/wiki/Flash_Policy_setup_instructions[/url]. You need to install a flash policy daemon at apocalypse.esper.net (port 843). Quassel Connection failure: Host not found[/size][/font] [font=Calibri][size=2] Connection failed. Cycling to next Server It seems that Mibbit is the only way I can access IRC. While this is workable in a roundabout way, it is highly inconvenient and limits what I can do with logs, autoidentify, and OP commands. As a final note, I can access other non-Espernet IRC servers using my clients.

It's... complicated. Check out Fletcher's character application for additional details.

There is currently little established show canon for any sort of military in Equestria. The bronies here, however, have taken the liberty of writing up additional lore to flesh out what a theoretical military for Equestria might be like. You can find information about the Royal Equestrian Army and the special forces (Her Majesty's Honor Guard) in my signature under the REA link. A parallel civilian institution called the Destriers also exists in the context of the board. From these we draw our knight-themed ponies. The REA and the Destriers have an intense ongoing rivalry, as while they both strive to protect Equestria from threats both within and without, they have very different means and end goals. The REA leans more towards pragmatism while the Destriers lean more towards altruism. There is also a link to the Destriers document in my signature. While these organizations are not yet fully accepted as board canon, they serve as a guidelines for most of the players looking to make military ponies. Hope this helps.

Welcome to Canterlot, Captain MacTavish! I see that you've already ventured into the IRC chat and have seen us with our manes down. You'll find the Canterlot community quite accommodating. Again, welcome and please enjoy your stay!

I've always viewed My Little Pony in the light of a fantasy world skinned with pastel ponies and fantastical magic. I guess this explains why I'm so readily willing to introduce concepts more familiar to us like the military, the knightly virtues, unscrupulous characters, and the clashes between good and evil. I like juggling those concepts in the stories I weave and the worlds I build. It's hardwired into my writing style and I don't think I'll be getting rid of it anytime soon. Still, for the record, I don't aim on creating a grimdark world of corrupted childhood wishes and dead ponies. That's the last thing I want to do. FiM is my own little internet haven against a decidedly grimdark real world steeped in conflict, prejudice, and tears. I've been fascinated with the character of Celestia ever since I first saw Friendship is Magic. Here was this being with godlike power and dictatorial executive authority who ruled benevolently and did everything in her power to protect her people. I could draw countless Warhammer analogies and pen endless amounts of fanfiction from that concept alone. The one defining trait, however, was Celestia's benevolence. Somehow, the ponies were able to exist in peace with each other and whatever races came from the surrounding lands under Celestia's guidance. This is in stark contrast with the way our human world works. So here I am, applying for Celestia Invictus as an RP character. I have mixed feelings about doing so. I see so much story potential for her. She has lived countless lifetimes, experienced the range of emotions from joy to despair, and conquered life and death as monarch and goddess. Somewhere in the experience must be great stories. This depth of the character is a double-edged sword. It is not the darkness I fear. I am sure that somewhere deep in Celestia's history, she has been forced to do some awful things. I am ready to write for that. As always, my issue seems to be balance. Celestia is a complex character with many facets. She is conqueror, empress, teacher, judicator, and executor, but also pony. She has a corporeal form just like every other pony and is subject to the same constraints of time and space. She feels emotion, is troubled by hard decisions, and experiences joy when things go wonderfully. I want to be able to convey this depth while still keeping within the spirit of the show. I love my serious Celestia, but she can't be "srs bizniss" all the time. I'll continue to work on the application all week as I get time and inspiration. There's so much I want to say, but not all of it is relevant to the application. If the staff gives me the time, I would like to see the Discord arc resolved so I can add that to my rendition. Unless I'm prodded to hurry up, I'm going to take my time on this. Celestia deserves it.

So there's a new monthly drawfriend theme? Awesome! But Dio, what about those of us who can't draw? Fear not, for those of you who choose to wield the proverbial digital pen as your weapon of choice, there is a writefriend! Here's how it's going to work. Since we don't have a gallery for text, we're going to use the board tools to give us a helping hoof. Post your work to your personal blog on Canterlot (everyone gets at least one) and then link the blog entry to this thread. This month's theme is coffee shops. Anything to do with 'em, just ponify it and you're good to go! Ideally your entry should be short (under 1000 words), though I'm not going to discourage anyone who wants to go longer! You have your orders, now get to it! This one is mine: Autumn Leaves

Autumn. Crisp air, falling leaves, bountiful colors, blue skies, and cold breeze all wafted together in a slowly swirling cornucopia of sensation. Cobbles. Cold, hard stone held to cold, wet mud with cold, grey concrete and slowly crumbling mortar. Clip-Clop. Pedestrian traffic traversed the cobbles, ticking out a steady rhythm of hoof beats punctuated with the jingles of harness hardware and the burbling of cart wheels on hewn stone. Leaves. Brown and gold and ruddy red fluttered about, borne on chill winds funneled through the streets and alleyways of Canterlot by capricious zephyrs, flung from the cobbles of the street onto the patios of a local coffee shop. A single golden leaf flitted up as if given wings, borne by a sudden updraft against the curb. Around and around it went, perambulating about the concrete patio, brushing up against canvas umbrellas perched on glass and iron tables. It danced, it floated, it dangled, and finally lingered for just a moment, caught on an updraft, before lazily spiraling to the table. The leaf split a single wisp of steam from the heated mug on the table as it drifted down on an imminent collision course with the glossy chartreuse surface of the liquid inside. Lower and lower it drifted, now just inches away. Suddenly, the leaf stopped, as if frozen in time. The wind continued to blow around it, the wisps of steam flitted and flowed below it, but the leaf itself was held fast, isolated from the material world by the flickering, sparkling azure glow of the immaterium. The aetheric field shifted with practiced precision, spinning the leaf about its axes, as if it were having its every nuance scanned and memorized by some arcane cogitator. But just as quickly as it had come, the field vanished, releasing the leaf to float off once more to wherever it pleased. Captain Fletcher multitasked, simultaneously releasing the leaf and taking a sip of his steaming mug of gunpowder tea while methodically penning in the numbers in Equestria Daily’s number grid puzzle. As he set his mug down on the table, he stifled a yawn. Before the newspaper had even touched the tabletop, the number puzzle was complete—flawlessly so. There are only a finite number of patterns from the printers, all from finite combinations and finite solutions, packaged in an easy to calculate format. The Captain thought. The strikingly blue unicorn idly fiddled with his scarf and saddlebag buckles as he half-heartedly scanned the newspaper headlines for anything of interest. As usual, there was very little. Open source intel just doesn’t cut it anymore, he mused. But why bring work with me on my day off? As he sipped his tea, Fletcher closed his eyes, hearing the faint resonant strains of jazz music flowing through the open doors of the café. When he opened his eyes, it was dark outside. The streets of Canterlot were alive. Ponies shuffled to and fro, many in uniform and quite a few of those with fillies at their side. The fairie-lanterns above were aglow in all their aetheric splendor, casting dancing golden lights across the cobbles and patios in that little corner of the Equestrian capital. Picking up his stein of Hoofington Pale Ale, Fletcher ambled into the café proper, which at night converted into a bar. Between the clumps of multicolored ponies he weaved, his gait never faltering and his magic holding the pewter stein steady. A corner of the bar had been cleared as a makeshift dance floor with a wooden riser erected behind to support a multi-piece band. Jazz music continued to flow, titillating the ears and softening the soul. “I was wondering when you would show,” a sultry voice called from behind. Without looking, Fletcher stepped backwards, taking a seat at a seemingly unoccupied table. “I was giving you some space,” the blue unicorn chuckled, unfazed. “After all, what’s the fun in the chase if there’s no threat of losing your quarry?” “You seem confident of my intent to pursue you, Fletcher...” A cream-colored unicorn mare slid around the table to Fletcher’s side, finally revealing her face as she leaned into the dim light of the venue, giggling as she spoke. The lady unicorn settled into the seat next to Fletcher, subtly brushing his leg with her tail as she did. A drink smelling strongly of gin floated lazily next to her head, sparkling in the dull fluorescence of her aetheric glow. She’s a piece of work herself. Fletcher remarked. Cadenza feigned disinterest, but Fletcher could read her like an open book. That ever so faint blush, the lazy circles she traced with her hoof on the table, the furtive glances up and down his uniform— they all screamed attraction. “If I wasn’t aware, I wouldn’t be any good at my job, Cadenza,” Fletcher said, nonchalantly sipping at his ale. “And I’m very good at my job.” “I don’t give horse apples about your job,” Cadenza said candidly, idly putting a displaced shock of her auburn mane back in place with a hoof. Striking. The Captain thought, idly sipping his ale. Cadenza had a girlish charm about her, but the way she moved, conversed, and carried herself marked her as anything but a naïve, foolish school filly. She handled her liquor and she handled her stallions. Cadenza was a walking conundrum, a single fish swimming through a pool of sharks without a care in the world. “If all you are is Captain, you’re not worth the uniform you’re wearing,” she continued. For the last bit, she leaned close, whispering straight into Fletcher’s ear. “I’m far more interested in Fletcher.” Fletcher laughed a hearty laugh, slamming his bierstein onto the table hard enough to shake the legs and draw irritated glances from the other patrons at neighboring tables. “Well then! If it’s Fletcher you want, then it’s Fletcher you shall have!” The Captain stood up, extending a hoof to Cadenza. The unicorn mare giggled at his straightforwardness and lightly touched it as she stood up before settling down on all fours for the walk to the dance floor. As she passed, Cadenza floated her gin glass to a nearby table, casually sliding it across the polished cherry to another patron, much to their surprise. The band kicked into a lively bop tune, giving them ample reason to cut loose on the dance floor. In spite of her refinement as a conservatory filly, Cadenza moved with grace, passion, and aplomb, daring Fletcher to keep up with her. The REA soldier smiled as he kept up just fine. The race was on and he intended on coming out the victor. Alternating between shuffling his own hooves and matching hooves with Cadenza, Fletcher stepped, slid, and swung the mare around him, both of them laughing with glee. One song ran into another, and soon they found themselves locked cheek to cheek, dancing to a slow song. “So what do you think will come of this?” Cadenza whispered. “Something more, I hope,” Fletcher said. “And I don’t mean that in the way you probably think I do.” “You misjudge me, Captain,” Cadenza smiled. “Of all the other eligible stallions in this joint, why do you think I chose you?” “I don’t know,” Fletcher chuckled. “Because I’m better-looking and infinitely more charming?” “Oh it’s a bit more complex than that.” “Many things are complex, Cadenza,” Fletcher said with uncharacteristic candor. The captain paused for a moment before adding, “Though I must say, I very much enjoyed tonight.” “As did I,” the lady unicorn whispered, gently nuzzling his cheek. As if on cue, the rhythm section segued into yet another slow song, allowing the two unicorns to linger in their embrace a bit longer. Though he was far from intoxicated, Fletcher gradually felt his awareness wane as the song went on. The background noise of patrons faded to muted babbling, the slow strobe of the ceiling fan blades against the café lights blurred to mottled watercolors, and the once sharp clip-clops of his hooves on hardwood flooring echoed against the aether around them. As the song came to a close, Cadenza was the first to speak. “I would hate for this to be our last night together.” “Not one to drag your hooves, I see,” Fletcher chuckled. “Perhaps, but I’m just a needy Conservatory filly if it’s unrequited,” Cadenza shrugged, replying with her trademark candor. “Would it hurt too much to say I feel the same?” “Ask yourself that question.” “Cadenza,” Fletcher said, stopping them both in mid-step. “I’d love to see where this goes.” “That’s all I needed to hear,” Cadenza replied, quickly pecking him on the lips. “Come now, the night is still young! We have places to be!” “… some place to be?” The gruff masculine voice snapped Fletcher out of his reverie. “I’m sorry?” he replied, simultaneously irritated and slightly embarrassed at his lapse of awareness. “You’ve been standing there for a good twenty minutes,” the barista said. “I was beginning to wonder if something was wrong.” “No, nothing’s wrong,” Fletcher replied, looking at the bottom of his now-empty mug. He floated the mug back to the bussing bin and pulled enough bits out of his saddlebag to leave a generous tip. As he did, he retrieved a velvet pouch stowed within. The REA soldier stepped back outside onto the patio, tightening his scarf against the frosty breeze. Borne by aether, the pouch untied itself, producing a ring of white metal, cold to the touch, exceptionally light, and shining like polished silver. Fletcher gently gripped it with the aether, spinning the ring about its axes and admiring every square inch of it. “Still as strong as the day you were forged,” he whispered, a twinge of sadness creeping into his voice. The blue unicorn quietly slipped the ring back into its pouch and reverently replaced it in his saddlebag. Fletcher looked up to the sky, an open blue sky dotted only by a few puffy cotton-ball clouds and broken by the ruddy colors of dried leaves flowing between the alabaster spires of the greatest of Equestrian cities. He took a deep breath of the crisp air, murmuring softly as he stepped off the patio and onto the cobbled thoroughfare. “Happy anniversary, Cadenza.”

Princess Celestia I have seen many things in these thousand years. I have seen birth and I have seen death. I have seen kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall. I have felt boundless joy and pitiless despair. I have seen many things, but in the end I know that my kingdom stands because of the love of its people for this land and for each other. This I vow to protect, to guide, and to prosper. Name: Celestia Sex: Female Age: Adult, though ageless. Species: Alicorn Coat Color: A pearly pink color, very nearly white (#FFF9FD) Mane/Tail Color & Style: Mane and tail of many colors kept aloft by her own innate magic. Streaks of aquamarine (#5CB5D5), jade (#58CEAC), sapphire (#92AEEF), spinel (#E0A7F8) Eye Color: Amethyst (#553B6B) Cutie Mark: Emblem of the Equestrian Sun Art by BlackGryph0n on DA. Fair use under Creative Commons. Physique: Towers above the general population of Great Equestria in stature. Leggy, fit, and dexterous. Carries herself with grace and presence. Residence: Currently residing in the seat of government in Canterlot. Occupation: Ruler of Equestria, shepherdess of the Sun and Moon Unique Traits Celestia is nigh immortal, her body ageless and her mind sharp despite the passage of years. Living for lifetimes longer than the average pony has given her a unique perspective on the nature of life, the world, and the whims of the aether. She understands that social structures and personal preferences cannot change instantaneously and that ponies often learn best by example. Wise and dutiful, the Sun Princess prefers subtle teaching methods, gently nudging events along rather than ruling by executive authority and arcane might. Still, when the wrath of the sun falls, it falls in full measure. Those who dare threaten Equestria know full well that as an ancient alicorn, Celestia wields truly terrifying and awesome power. Celestia has borne all of the Elements of Harmony in combination during the war against Nightmare Moon solo, a feat that has yet to be replicated since. She has banished a godlike entity from the Earth, imprisoning Nightmare in the Moon. Finally, she has personally fought wild beasts, bandits, and villains in the lawless time before the establishment of the Equestrian nation. Suffice to say that Celestia is not a combatant to be trifled with and very few are willing to challenge her full unbridled wrath. Character Summary Mentioning the city of Canterlot immediately evokes images of towering alabaster spires trimmed with gold and appointed with finery both arcane and mundane. Inevitably, any conversation about Canterlot turns to the monarch and chief occupant, Celestia, the Princess of Ponykind. Like the seat of her government, Celestia is shrouded in finery and steeped in arcane mysticism. The debate over the origin of the Celestial sisters is a perennial topic of Equestrian history conferences and a subject of intense study at Canterlot University’s History and Arcana departments. The only agreed-upon point of discussion is that the arrival of Celestia and Luna in Equestria substantially predates recorded history. Celestia herself has said little on the subject, preferring instead to focus on her current duties both as monarch and shepherdess of the sun and moon. What is known is that she was crowned the sole Princess of Ponykind shortly after using the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon and abruptly end the War of Night. In the years since the end of the War, Celestia has continued to shepherd the Equestrian sun and moon, maintaining balance both in nature and the aether. Under her guidance, Equestria has prospered, building great cities, taming the weather, and making the land bloom. Celestia has taken steps to build relations with neighboring Aquellia realms and to foster communication between all species. Recent days have seen their shares of ups and downs. Equestria is at peace with its neighbors, but trouble can come from within as well as from without. The return of Nightmare Moon was heralded in the books of prophecy for centuries; even Celestia knew that the spell of banishment would not be able to hold the entity forever. When the seal was broken, Nightmare Moon would return only with vengeance in mind. Celestia knew that she could not fight Nightmare Moon directly. Though she wielded enough arcane might to destroy the construct outright, the battle would likely destroy half of Equestria and in the end, her sister as well. Instead, the Sun Princess elected to be clever. Celestia allowed herself to be captured by Nightmare Moon and through subtle conversation, manipulated her into challenging Twilight and company with tests of their wits and their friendships rather than outright killing them. The rest, as they say, is history. Nightmare Moon was defeated, Equestria was restored to balance, and Luna was given a chance for redemption. Discord’s reign predates the War of Night by potentially centuries. Historical documents indicate that he was defeated by the combined effort of both Celestial sisters wielding the Elements of Harmony. As merciful as she was, Celestia did not outright destroy him, instead trapping his essence in a prison of stone. His most recent escape and the trials of Twilight Sparkle and company have reopened old wounds and serve as a reminder to Celestia that her decisions sometimes have unintended consequences. The Sun Princess knows that despite her powers, she is still far from perfect. Her age also gives her a firm sense of accountability and responsibility. As sorrowful as she was after defeating Nightmare Moon, Celestia knew that the consequences of Luna's actions justified her sentence. Perhaps in time, the ponies would learn to forgive Luna for her prior transgressions. In a thousand years, the hate and fear would have had time to fade, giving Luna the chance to start anew. Though she occasionally indulges those who ask her about her history and the years before the War of Night, she politely declines to go into great detail. Her memory of those events is perfect, but old wounds do not close easily and history is easily twisted by those who do not have the clarity of countless eons of existence. The Sun Princess firmly believes that her place is in the present and that her visions should be set upon the future, rather than reliving the sins of Equestria’s past. There are times when Celestia wishes she were merely a normal pony. In spite of the passage of time, the tumultuous events of the past thousand years still weigh heavily on her mind. Still, Celestia believes firmly in the strength of her people and knows that their connection with both the land and each other will allow them to persevere. As a result, Celestia demonstrates a very down-to-earth attitude in spite of her godlike powers and a warm and friendly demeanor in spite of her executive authority. Despite—or perhaps because of— the heavy responsibility of her occupation and the incredible power she wields, Celestia still finds time to have a little fun. Her playful candor manifests readily in less formal settings, such as when spending time with her sister Luna or her protégé, Twilight Sparkle, and at times when addressing members of the general public in a more intimate setting. She is known to play pranks on the palace staff from time to time, though they are always on the silly side rather than the malicious side. Portrait Art by Egophiliac on DA. Fair use under Creative Commons.

An uneasy stamp of a hoof, a flick of a tail, a ruffling of feathered wings on muscled flank… Dio nervously glanced around as his knocks on the door seemed to reverberate into void. She did say ten o’clock, right? Maybe he was early? Or maybe he was too late! Dio shook his head to clear the static. He was overthinking this, WAY overthinking it. Dio recoiled at the door opening, though he was quick to right himself. “Hey you!” Star Chaser said playfully. “Ready to go?” Dio couldn’t help but gawk. The lady Pegasus stepped onto the stoop, her powder blue mane falling neatly to the side and her trademark winning smile illuminating the doorway. Her ebony feathers fluttered gently back to her sides, finally free from their prior restraints. Star Chaser looked just as good without the Wonderbolt regalia, even better sans splints. This was the jet black lady flier at her best. “Uh…” Dio trailed off, wanting to say something clever, but instead realizing that his jaw was already open and hanging loosely from its hinges. He snapped it shut with a hoof and managed a sheepish grin, a vain attempt to offset his awkwardness. “I’m… ready when you are!” "... I mean to Solstice Heights it is!" He said, forcing confidence back into his voice. "I found a great little spot just below Canterlot proper. You'll love it, I promise!" With that, he unfurled his massive wings and launched skyward, maintaining a hover at rooftop level, pausing for a moment to ensure Star Chaser had time to catch up before he got up to full speed.