Chapter Seven
“YOU WHAT?”
Blue Star winced. “Firefly, please. Lower your voice. You’re startling Posey.” Posey, for her part, had nearly dropped the teapot at Firefly’s yell. The three of them were gathered in Blue Star’s room for a bit of tea; conversation had wandered to the events of yesterday, and what Blue Star had done with Surprise’s little ‘gift’.
Firefly looked ready to yell again, but she took a deep breath. “Please,” she said in a slow, calm voice. “Please tell me you did not actually prank the only pony in this entire castle who could beat you in a fight.”
“I’m flattered you think so highly of me,” Blue Star said, as Posey filled her cup. “Ah, thank you, Posey.” She took a sip; no pepper this time. “Aaah... this is excellent tea, Posey. Thank whoever made it for me, would you?”
“O-of course, Lady Star,” Posey replied with a small smile.
“Forget the tea!” Firefly slammed a hoof against the table.
“Firefly! Shouting!” Blue Star admonished, sounding vaguely aggravated. “And if it makes you feel any better, I’m pretty sure she pranked me first. With a spiked cup of tea, no less.”
Firefly gaped. “You’ve got to be joking! The Princess wouldn’t-” She was cut off by a sudden gasp from Posey, who’d gone wide-eyed. “What’s with you?”
“I-I just r-realized,” Posey mumbled. “B-before I came up h-here yesterday, the P-P-Princess visited me in the k-kitchens to assign m-me to Lady Star.” Her eyes went even wider. “She even l-levitated the teapot onto my b-back for me!” She set the teapot down, a little unsteadily, before she dropped it. “I said she d-didn’t have to, b-but...”
Blue Star nodded. “There, you see? The Princess must’ve slipped the pepper into my tea while she was helping Posey.”
“Seems awfully shaky to me,” Firefly mumbled.
“Don’t worry!” Blue Star said cheerfully. “The Princess has a good sense of humor. She won’t mind.”
“How would you know? You only met her once,” Firefly challenged.
Blue Star was saved from having to answer that by a knock at her door. Posey immediately trotted over and opened it, revealing a pair of intimidatingly large Royal Guards in full golden armor. “O-oh m-m-my...” Posey gasped, before remembering herself. “C-can I help y-you?”
One of the guards spoke in clipped, professional tones, without directly looking at Posey. “Her Majesty Princess Celestia requests the presence of Lady Blue Star in her chambers, immediately. She apologizes for the inconvenience.”
Firefly buried her head in her hooves. “I knew it,” she muttered. “My first ever assignment, and she commits suicide by Princess. Just my luck.”
“Don’t be silly, Firefly,” Blue Star said reassuringly. “I’m sure the Princess just wants to talk. We’ve barely met, after all; she probably just wants to get to know me better.” She got up from her cushion and trotted over to the door. “I’ll try and come back soon, if only to stop you from panicking.”
“I won’t hold my breath,” the pegasus muttered.
Blue Star joined the two guards, smiling cheerfully. “Lead the way, sirs.”
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It was a bit of a walk to Celestia’s quarters from Blue Star’s room. It wasn’t in the same location as it was in Twilight’s time, she noticed. In the future, Celestia’s room was in the same part of the castle as the rest of the living quarters. In this time, however, they were set apart, in a secluded section of the castle that contained little else. Blue Star was familiar enough with the castle to note it was directly over the throne room.
The guards weren’t exactly big on small talk, so Blue Star found herself with time to think during the walk. Unfortunately, they weren’t good thoughts. Ponies could change a lot over the years, and a thousand years was an awfully long time to change. What if this Princess Celestia was different from the one she knew as Twilight? What if she hadn’t yet developed that playful streak, that great sense of humor that she’d come to expect from her? The Celestia she’d seen in the town square was not the Celestia she was accustomed to; even when angered, like the incident with the Want-It-Need-It spell or the fight with Queen Chrysalis, she’d never appeared to be so... imposing.
Blue Star started to sweat. What if Firefly was right? What if her tea had been spiked by some completely different pony, and now the Princess was furious with her for her prank flowers? Oh dear, she was in so much trouble, wasn’t she? The old (new?) Princess might have just sent her back to Magic Kindergarten, but this Princess would probably just boil her on the spot with solar magic, then call some ponies in to replace the rug!
The Blue Star who arrived at Celestia’s massive double doors was noticeably less confident than the one who’d left her room five minutes ago. She was practically shaking in her horseshoes as the guards took up their posts on either side of the door. “Her Majesty is waiting inside,” proclaimed one of the guards, staring straight ahead.
“Right...” Blue Star swallowed quietly, before pushing open one of the doors. “Here I go then.”
The best words Blue Star could think of to describe Princess Celestia’s room were ‘huge’ and ‘opulent’. Blue Star had thought her room was fancy, but this blew away even the Princess’ chambers from Twilight’s time. The place was decorated with the finest silks, expensive furniture, breath-taking tapestries... if it was impressive and could be placed in a bedroom, it was here. It was somewhat overwhelming.
At the very center of this dizzying vortex of wealth and color was Princess Celestia herself, calmly laying on a large cushion that had been placed on a raised dais, with smaller cushions arrayed below it. She was still wearing her royal jewelry, which was another oddity; the Princess Twilight had known never wore her regalia when entertaining guests in private.
“Lady Blue Star.” Princess Celestia’s tone was formal and cool, though she thankfully forwent the earsplitting volume of the Royal Canterlot Voice. Blue Star supposed she reigned it in while indoors. “Please, join Us.”
Trying desperately not to betray her nervousness, Blue Star slowly made her way across the room. Her hooves sank into the carpet at least an inch; she felt like she was walking through tall grass. She reached one of the smaller cushions, and laid herself down on it. She marveled at how soft and smooth it was; she’d thought the furniture in her room had been nice, but clearly the best had been saved for the Princess.
“We understand We interrupted your tea. We apologize,” Celestia continued. Blue Star didn’t bother asking how Celestia had known what Blue Star had been doing. The Princess knew everything that happened in the castle.
Blue Star swallowed the lump in her throat, finding her voice after a few false starts. “N-not at all, uh, Your Majesty.” The unfamiliar title felt odd in her mouth; she’d always just called her ‘Princess’, but somehow even that felt too informal for this regal creature before her. She felt the certainty she felt yesterday about the tea prank’s culprit drain away. There was no way in Equestria this majestic being would commit such a childish act. She was doomed. “I’m at Your Majesty’s disposal.” There, that was a properly formal thing to say, wasn’t it? Blue Star’s fraying nerves clung desperately to the rules of formality, in the half-serious hope that the Princess wouldn’t vaporize her if she was polite enough. Though maybe ‘disposal’ hadn’t been the right word...
The barest flicker of a smile passed over the Princess’ face, so quickly Blue Star wasn’t sure she saw it. “We understand you enjoyed the tea We sent you.”
Blue Star cringed ever so slightly. “A-ah, yes, Your Majesty. I... like tea.” GAH! Bad brain!
The Princess raised an eyebrow slightly. “Indeed. We rather liked the flowers you sent Us, as well.”
Blue Star made herself relax a little. That was a good sign, right? She liked the flowers. Maybe she didn’t realize the sneezing had been intentional. Maybe it just didn’t affect her; she knew the Princess was immune to poisons... “I’m glad to hear it, Princ- er, Your Majesty.”
Princess Celestia nodded slightly, her eyes taking on a faraway look, as if thinking about something else. “Do you know when this castle was built, Blue Star?”
Blue Star blinked at the sudden, unexpected question. Was this some kind of... test? She latched on to that thought. A test was good. She knew how to handle tests. She closed her eyes, rifling through her internal library of historical facts. “Umm... the year four hundred and sixty... three?”
“Sixty-four, actually,” the Princess reprimanded mildly, and Blue Star cringed. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Celestia didn’t seem terribly upset, though. “But yes. In the nearly two hundred years since, this castle has been the center of Equestrian government, as well as Our home whenever Our work was too great for Us to return to Our usual home, the Castle of Two Sisters, which is often. We spend a great deal of time here, and We’ve become very familiar with every servant, noble, and court member to reside within these walls.” Another slight smile passed over the Princess’ face; it was gone again quickly, but this time it was unmistakable. “And in those two hundred years, not a single pony ever discovered where the minor mischief that beset this castle originated, much less had the nerve to retaliate in kind.” She settled back on her cushion. “We - that is, I am impressed, Blue Star.”
It took Blue Star several long moments to register the Princess’ words. Oddly, the first thing she noticed was that the Princess hadn’t used her title. It took a few seconds before she realized the Princess had actually just admitted to being the one who’d spiked her tea. “So it was you!” she blurted out, before covering her mouth with a hoof.
“Indeed.” If Celestia was perturbed by the outburst, she didn’t show it. “You had doubts? Even after you sent a rebuttal to my room?”
Blue Star considered denying it, but concluded it was pointless now, hanging her head in defeat. “I was so sure at first... but then you sent the guards, and everything was so... so fancy and regal, I... wasn’t as certain.”
“Ah” the Princess nodded her understanding. “Then let me set your mind at ease, young Blue Star. I, Princess Celestia, when not ruling Equestria as wisely and fairly as I can, am a trickster, jokester, mischief-maker and inflicter of harmless but amusing torments. It is my way of combating boredom, the greatest enemy of the long-lived.” The Princess finally gave Blue Star a genuine smile. “Further, I found your flowers to be most amusing.”
Blue Star felt a tremendous relief at the Princess’ proclamation. Not just because she wouldn’t be getting vaporized - though that was certainly good news! - but because it proved that this was the Princess Celestia she knew. She might look, act, and sound different, but beneath the mask the culture of the time required her to wear, she had the same sense of humor. It was the thread that linked Blue Star to Twilight, however thin, and she grasped it eagerly. “I’m... glad to hear you say that, Princess,” Blue Star said with a relieved grin.
The Princess smiled back. “Now then, I feel quite terrible for interrupting your tea. Perhaps you’d accept taking tea with me as an apology?”
Blue Star lit up like a Hearth’s Warming tree. “Oh, that would be excellent, Princess! Thank you!” Her enthusiasm died a little. “Oh, but I can’t stay too long. My bodyguard is convinced you were going to vaporize me for the flowers,” like I was, a few minutes ago, “and I don’t want to worry her.”
“Ah, yes, Miss Firefly, isn’t it? Well, we wouldn’t want her to think her Princess is in the habit of vaporizing her subjects.” The Princess laughed slightly, and it was the same gentle laughter she had (will have?) a thousand years in the future. “We’ll try to be quick.”
As if responding to some silent signal, an earth pony maid entered the room, pushing along a tea cart. She carefully set the tea set on the table, pouring both mares a cup. She placed a single cube of sugar into the Princess tea, before turning to Blue Star. “Cream or sugar, My Lady?”
“Ah, no thank you.” Blue Star said, taking her cup.
“Thank you, Fragrance,” the Princess said. “You may go.” The maid curtsied to both mares, then hurried from the room. “I do hope you enjoy the tea. It’s quite a rare blend; I think you’ll enjoy it. I promise, no pepper this time.”
“Thank you, Princess,” Blue Star said, before eagerly tasting the tea. Years of taking lessons with the Princess had imparted to Twilight a strong tea habit, and taking tea with the Princess had always been one of her favorite activities, even over reading historical accounts or studying magical texts.
Her eyes lit up at the familiar taste of the tea. “Rooibos!” she exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. “This is rooibos tea! I didn’t think you could get this in Equestria; it’s my favorite!”
The Princess seemed surprised, and mildly impressed. “Indeed you can’t; it was a gift from a Zebra ambassador. I must say I’m surprised you recognized the taste; I was unaware there was anypony in Equestria who had the opportunity to taste it before.”
“My zebra friend Zecora introduced me to it,” Blue Star explained, unthinkingly. “We took tea together every week.”
“Indeed?” The Princess gave Blue Star an appraising look. “You must have traveled far to have become such close friends with a zebra.”
“Huh?” It took Blue Star a few seconds to realize what the Princess meant. Even in Twilight’s time, zebras were a rare enough sight that some ponies didn’t recognize them. In this time, they’d be nearly unknown inside Equestria. “Oh, uh, yes. I’ve... traveled a great deal.” Well, that was true, wasn’t it? She doubted there was any pony who’d traveled as far as she had; through time, at any rate.
“Fascinating.” Princess Celestia sipped her own tea. “I would very much like to hear stories of your travels, if you have the time.”
Oh, horseapples; she’d backed herself into a corner now. She could make her excuses and leave now, saying she had to get back before Firefly began to worry, but that would only delay the problem, not solve it. There had to be some way to... aha! She found her answer not in her knowledge of history, but in her experience with fiction novels. What sort of Mysterious Advisor would she be without an equally Mysterious Past? “I... don’t like to talk about my past, Your Majesty.” Blue Star faked reluctance and muted sadness as best she could. “There are things a pony is better off not remembering.” Well, that was true enough; a home you couldn’t return to was a good example. Thinking about her old home made her feel vaguely depressed, helping to add to the illusion.
Celestia watched her carefully for a long moment. “I see,” she finally said. “Is that why you disguise yourself with illusion, mane dye, and answer to a false name?”
Blue Star very nearly choked on her tea. She sputtered and coughed for several seconds, while Princess Celestia looked on in mild amusement. After getting her breathing under control, Blue Star practically shouted “You knew?”
“Lady Blue Star, there is very little within my castle I do not know,” the Princess gently admonished. “I sensed your illusion spell the moment we met, and the security scrying spells placed throughout the castle noted your meeting with the Royal Beautician.” She sipped her tea as Blue Star looked on in amazement. “As for your name, aside from ‘Blue Star’ being unusually bland for a pony name, your coat is not truly blue, and you frequently hesitate slightly whenever that name is used, as though you are not yet used to being called by that name.” She glanced up at Blue Star’s horrified expression. “Before you ask, no, I have not attempted to pry into your personal secrets or your past. It is information I could easily obtain, but I wouldn’t dream of invading your privacy without permission. You passed through the castle wards, meaning you have no ill intent and are not a servant of my enemies, and that is good enough for me. Whatever your secrets are, you are free to keep them, so long as you can promise me that they will bring no harm to my nation or my ponies.”
Blue Star swallowed hard, and bowed her head. “I swear, Your Majesty, my only goal here is to help Equestria.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Now please, do drink your tea; it’s getting cold.” Blue Star smiled, and picked up her teacup again. The Princess regarded her for a few moments, before speaking again. “You have an uncommon talent, Lady Blue Star.”
“What do you mean, Princess?” Blue Star asked quizzically. “Do you mean my magic?”
“Your magic is exceptional, yes, but that is not what I meant.” The Princess set her teacup down gently. “I mean your charisma. You have only been here a day, and yet your hoofmaiden dotes on you, your bodyguard hero-worships you, my own beautician has yet to cease speaking of you, and even the wizard Starswirl, whom you so thoroughly defeated in a duel, seems greatly fond of you.”
Blue Star blushed deeply. “I... I don’t know about that... I just try to be friendly.”
“A rare thing indeed, in this society,” the Princess said, with a faraway look in her eyes. “Another unicorn in your place would be unlikely to treat her servants as anything but furniture. They would not forgive an earth pony for reading, or go out of their way to thank the unicorn who taught them. They especially wouldn’t make peace, much less an alliance, with a rival magician.” Celestia’s eyes focused again on Blue Star, and she leaned forward. “Friendliness is, alas, not a quality often found in this world. What’s more, I fear that the one pony who needs that friendship the most is the one who receives it that least.” There was a gleam in her eye Blue Star wasn’t sure she liked. “Blue Star, I have a special favor to ask of you.”
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Nighttime. The time when the world was at its very best. The moon shone gently. The stars twinkled in their intricate patterns. The night sky was a beautiful velvet shade, pierced through by dots of light and intricate shapes of darkness.
It was, Princess Luna thought to herself, some of her finest work.
She stood in the castle observatory, a very special room which she had commanded be built specifically for her own personal use. The roof opened, so that the night sky could be seen. Her telescope, an impressive brass structure nearly as large as she was, sat in the very center, mounted on a pedestal. On the walls of the circular room were her paintings and drawings, some of her favorite skies which she had saved, rather than simply discard at the end of her night’s work. Opposite the door stood her easel, and this was where Princess Luna stood now, carefully adding the finishing touches to her masterpiece of a sky. This one, she thought, would receive a place of honor on her wall.
Maddeningly, her artistry was interrupted by a knock on the observatory door. Luna cast a baleful glance at the hateful portal, as if the door itself was somehow responsible for disturbing her. “Enter,” she ordered. She didn’t use the full power of the Royal Canterlot Speaking Voice - not indoors, and certainly not around her paintings and her fragile telescope - but it was important to keep up appearances so she enhanced her voice by several decibels regardless.
The door opened to reveal, not a member of the Night Guard like Luna had assumed, but a young mare with a bright blue coat and the eyes of a scholar. Luna found she could learn a lot from a pony’s eyes, and the mare’s eyes scanned the room she’d just entered as if to record everything she saw. “Princess Luna,” the mare said respectfully, bowing low. Luna accepted her greeting with a curt nod. “I’m sorry to disturb you. I was told the observatory had a magnificent view of the night sky; I was hoping to see it for myself.”
Luna was mildly surprised by this; as far as she was aware, the observatory rarely saw use by anypony but herself, and the occasional pair of young lovers looking for a private space. Still... “Thou art welcome to join Us, if thou wishest. We meet very few with an interest in Our work.”
“That’s a shame, Princess.” The mare stepped into the center of the room, looking up at the sky. “Ever since I was a filly, I’ve been fascinated by the sky, regardless of the time of day. During the day, the sun would shine brighter then anything I’d ever seen; and at night, the moon would glow gently, and the stars would be woven into an intricate pattern so complex I could spend hours trying to understand it.” She let out a small sigh. “It’s very beautiful tonight, Princess,” she remarked. “You did an excellent job with the Minotaur constellation, especially.”
“Thou knoweth the constellations?” Luna asked, genuinely surprised. The constellations were her favored designs; themes that appeared in most every work she created. Very few ponies knew of them. Who was this mare? She could not recall seeing her in the castle before, but then, Luna knew very few of the castle’s residents; only her guards, her sister, and the few members of the nobility who attended the Night Court.
“Oh yes!” the mare replied enthusiastically. “I’ve studied them since I was young! The Minotaur, the Alicorn, the Snake, the Phoenix... the stars have always been a passion of mine.” She turned to the Princess with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Blue Star; I was just recently appointed Magical Advisor to the Royal Court a few days ago.” She made as if to extend a hoof to shake, before remembering herself and bowing again instead.
“Ah, yes. We had heard. Our Sister was most impressed by thee.” Impressed was putting it lightly. Princess Celestia had even raised the topic of the Elements of Harmony; they had not had a proper wielder in a long time, and Celestia seemed to think this mare could fill the position of the Element of Magic. Luna doubted it; it was a rare mortal indeed who could wield the Elements. It took the perfection of a goddess to control. “We are pleased to meet thee, Lady Blue Star. Thou mayst go now.”
Luna took some small pleasure in Blue Star’s surprised, puzzled look. “Go? But I just got here!” Her surprise turned to nervousness. “Have I offended you, Princess?”
“Thou hast offended Our intelligence,” said the Princess, feeling mildly smug. “Everypony in this castle knowest this observatory to be Our domain. If We receive a visitor, it is because they require something of Us. Not because they wish to ‘admire the view’.” Blue Star’s jaw hung open in shock; Luna took this as a sign she was correct. “We appreciate thy interest in Our work, which appears genuine, but We have a strong distaste for games and dishonesty. Good night.” Luna turned away.
There was silence for several long moments. Then Blue Star spoke. “Princess Luna,” she began. “I’m sorry if I offended you. It’s true that I did come here to see you, but not for the reasons you think. I do have a proposal I wish for you to hear, but it’s one that will benefit you greatly, and in any event it has nothing to do with my primary reason for seeing you. Please, let me explain myself.” Princess Luna paused for a moment, before turning back around to face Blue Star again. She said nothing, but inclined her head as a signal to continue. “Earlier today, Princess Celestia invited me to her room for some tea. She said she was impressed with me - not only in my magical abilities, but in my skills at speaking to other ponies. She asked me, personally, to come here to talk with you.”
Luna stared at her, stunned. “Celly asked... I mean, Our Sister asked thee to visit Us?”
Blue Star gave a faint smile. “Yes. She thought you could use the company. I’m sorry if you thought I was trying to deceive you; I was just trying to make small talk.” Her eyes were direct and focused; her scholarly eyes had been replaced with the eyes of a born diplomat, or a religious leader. They were the eyes of an honest pony, one who could lead armies or stop wars with nothing but her words and her compassion.
There was another pause, before Luna lowered her head. “We would... that is, I would like to apologize to thee, Lady Blue Star. Our... my behavior was most inappropriate. I am not a popular leader, as thou mayst know. I receive visitors only rarely, and almost without fail they wish to manipulate me to their own ends. I have developed a lack of patience for such games.”
Blue Star nodded, smiling again. “It’s quite alright, Princess Luna. I understand. In fact, your popularity is what I wanted to talk to you about. It’s actually the basis of the proposal I mentioned.”
Luna raised an eyebrow in interest. “Very well,” she said, returning to her more formal mode of speech. Her horn lit up, and a pair of seating cushions appeared on the floor near her easel. She settled down on the larger one, and gestured for Blue Star to join her. “We shall hear thy proposal. If Our sister trusts your good intentions, so shall We.”
Blue Star smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Princess.” She took a seat. “Ever since Princess Celestia asked me to talk to you, I’ve been thinking about your... popularity problems. Why do you think you’re so unpopular, Princess?”
The Princess blinked at the unexpected question. “We rule the night. Ponies sleep through it; they take no notice of Our sky. If they speak of the night at all, it is in fear and distaste. To them, the night is a time of danger, and time of dark deeds and mistrust. We are a representation of this fear. It is Our unfortunate nature to be disliked and mistrusted.”
“Princess, I don’t wish to contradict you, but I’m not sure that’s true anymore.” Princess Luna raised her eyebrow again. “Maybe a couple hundred or so years ago, but times have changed. It’s probably hard to notice change when a decade feels like minutes to you, but not everypony fears the dark, not anymore.” Blue Star leaned forward earnestly. “Did you know, the moon is considered a symbol of romance, mystery, dreams, and fantasy by many ponies, especially poets and writers? Your night is still a frightening thing to some, but to others, it is much more than that. Scholars study the stars; philosophers search them for meaning. Sailors and travelers use them to find their way. Poets, artists, musicians and writers all draw inspiration from the moon and night sky; the famous poet Blank Verse wrote a very stirring poem called Moonlight Sonata in your honor. Lovers sneak out at night and...” Here she blushed brightly like a schoolfilly. “Well, I’m sure I don’t need to spell it out for you, Princess. So, you see, more ponies appreciate the night than you think.”
Luna did not answer immediately, processing the information. She took a deep breath, before replying “We understand thy intention, Blue Star. We are aware there are some ponies who appreciate Us. But these enlightened ponies are few and far between; there simply are not enough philosophers and poets in Equestria. Such jobs are rare choices, and their opinions of Our work even more so. Equestrians simply have no appreciation for the arts or intellectual pursuits, save for a wise few, such as yourself and our other magicians.”
Blue Star grinned, and Luna had the oddest sensation that she was trotting into a sort of trap. “Why do you think that is, Princess?” Blue Star asked eagerly. “Why do you think so few ponies study art or literature or things like that?”
Princess Luna furrowed her brow in confusion. “I... We confess We do not know. Most ponies simply do not have the education to-”
“Exactly!” Blue Star interrupted, startling Princess Luna. How dare she interrupt a Princess! Such impertinent... Luna smothered her anger. Blue Star was merely excited; it was understandable. “I’ve already made some friends here, Princess, so I’ve asked around a bit. My friend Sparkler tells me even the nobility only receive minimal education, from tutors and their parents. The only way for a pony to acquire any real knowledge is to apprentice themselves to a scholar, philosopher, or magician and learn from them, and it’s practically impossible to find one who will agree to it. Even then, the apprenticeship tends to be hard and unpleasant; many ponies who might otherwise go on to be great poets or scholars instead never even learn to read. And if you’re an earth pony, or a pegasus? You may as well forget about even being allowed in a library.”
“What art thou driving at, Blue Star?”
Blue Star leaned forward again, her voice intense. “The first friend I made in Canterlot is a pegasus courier. She delivers messages for a living, but because neither she nor her customers can read or write she has to memorize every message herself, and every time she forgets one she loses money. My hoofmaiden, an earth pony, is terrified of anypony learning she knows how to read, and her unicorn friend is equally terrified that somepony will learn she was the one who taught her. When I went to the library earlier, my bodyguard was required to wait outside, because she was a pegasus.” Blue Stars voice was tight, almost angry. “I went to the farms just outside Canterlot, and saw ponies breaking their backs to farm fields barely large enough to support their families, when a little applied science could improve their production while reducing their cost and effort - and even then, they have to hire a unicorn to draw up contracts and assist with finances at an exorbitant cost. Equestria is an uneducated nation, especially the pegasi and earth ponies, and it is suffering because of it.” Princess Luna was taken slightly aback by the passion in the younger pony’s voice. “When I see suffering, Princess, I want to end it. I’m sure you feel the same. Knowledge is a right, not a privilege, and it belongs to all ponies. It’s meant to be shared, and when it isn’t, ponies are lesser for it.”
Princess Luna recovered from her surprise quickly. “It is the way of things. Knowledge can be dangerous in the wrong hooves.”
“Princess, no offense but as a patron of the arts and a scholar yourself, you should know that accepting ‘the way of things’ is the enemy of progress and invention.” Princess Luna was growing more and more impressed with this mare with each word she spoke. Blue Star’s convictions were strong and well argued, even if Luna wasn’t quite convinced. “And who decides whose hooves are the wrong ones? Who has that authority? You? Princess Celestia?” Princess Luna remained silent. “You said it yourself, Princess. One of the primary obstacles to ponies appreciating you is that they lack the means and knowledge to do so. Of course, if you had more of a public presence and interacted more with your subjects on a friendly or benevolent basis, it would certainly help matters.” Blue Star smiled the smile of a pony whose plan is coming together. “Fortunately, I have a plan that will not only accomplish that, but promote education throughout Canterlot, and eventually all of Equestria. It will turn you from the mysterious Princess who lurks in the night into a revolutionary figure who brought enlightenment and reform to Equestria. You will be a patron of arts and education to every single pony within Equestrian borders.”
Luna was speechless. What Blue Star was promising was... beyond her power to imagine. The idea of stepping from the shadows, of becoming a public figure like her sister... “What is it thou proposest?”
Blue Star grinned. “A school.”
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Jonathan Apple was a pony used to hardship. Apple farming was a difficult life, where the nobility bleed you dry with taxes and you barely had enough of your own product to eat at the end of the day. A sudden disaster like a drought, a heat wave, cold front, blight or any number of other problems could suddenly arise and decimate his fields in the space of a day, and he couldn’t afford a pegasus squad to protect his crop.
Almost more than hardship, however, Jonathan Apple was used to bad news. Jonathan was once a cheerful pony, but a long, hard life had made him a pessimist. It was his learned opinion that if a pony visited his farm, for any reason, it was bound to be bad news for him and his kin.
So, when his youngest daughter Applejack came barreling through the orchard, shouting something about a stranger at the gate, Jonathan Apple felt his heart sink. It had been a hard season; if his family was to survive the winter they might have to sell the farm. He wasn’t certain he could withstand any more bad news.
“Woah there, haystack.” Jonathan caught Applejack as she stumbled to a stop in front of him. “Take it easy, AJ. Now, take ah deep breath, and tell me what’s goin’ on.”
Applejack was a excitable young filly, though she was hardly as young as she acted anymore. She never outgrew her earnest enthusiasm, though, or her childish clumsiness. Still, Jonathan thought proudly, she was a hard, honest worker who never hesitated to help those in need. She was a fine Apple; now if only she could manage to use all four legs at once without tripping over herself.
The bright orange filly took a long, deep breath, just like her father had taught her. “There’s a unicorn at the gate, papa,” she informed him. “She says it’s really really important she talks to you. And...” Here Applejack leaned close to whisper. “Ah think she’s from the palace!” Applejack might be nearly an adult, but she still held the filly-like belief that the palace was a wonderful place of gingerbread and princesses.
Jonathan, however, felt cold dread grip his heart. Nothing good came from the palace, not for an earth pony. A visit from a noblemare, if indeed that’s who this pony was, could only bode ill. “Show me.”
Applejack, innocent and cheerful, led her father to the front gate of their farm, where a trio of strangers awaited them. Jonathan saw immediately why his daughter had assumed they were from the palace. While the blue unicorn who was evidently the leader of the group wore no clothes or finery, hovering only a short distance behind her was a armored pegasus guard, dressed in the uniform of the Royal Canterlot Guards. There was also a young earth pony standing several respectful paces behind the unicorn, but Jonathan disregarded her quickly. There were more pressing matters at hoof than the servant.
Like, for example, how this noblemare was casually eating one of his apples.
He stormed towards the gate, full of righteous fury. “That apple is Apple Family property, my lady,” he said with a not-quite-a-snarl. “Unless th’ property laws in Canterlot have changed, that means it’s mine.” Talking to a noblemare that way was suicidal, he knew, but at the moment, he was too angry to care. He was a big stallion, nearly twice the size of the noblemare, and a giant red stallion like him could be awfully intimidating when angry. Perhaps he could intimidate her right off his farm - not likely, though.
Rather then the smug retort he expected, however, the mare only gave him a puzzled and slightly hurt look. “Your daughter gave me this apple as a gift, Mr. Apple. I offered to pay, but she said I should speak to you about it. Apparently she didn’t remember how much it cost. She was very kind when I mentioned I hadn’t eaten today.”
Jonathan blinked in surprise, feeling the anger drain from him. That sounded exactly like Applejack, actually. He glanced over to his daughter, who stared at him with confused dismay. She nodded slowly. He turned back to the noblemare. “...I’m sorry, my lady. Times have been hard.”
“I absolutely understand,” the noblemare said kindly, sounding so sincere Jonathan almost believed she did. “How much do I owe you for the apple?”
Jonathan considered this for a minute. It actually only cost two bits, but she was a noblemare. It wasn’t like she’d miss the bits... “Ten bits, my lady.”
The pegasus bodyguard let out a low groan, which elicited a confused look from Jonathan and a smile from the noblemare. “Posey?” At her mistress’ bidding, the earth pony stepped forward, digging into her saddlebag. She paused before pulling out the money, glancing at the noblemare nervously. At the unicorn’s nod, the servant pulled out a hoofful of coins and gave them to Jonathan.
Jonathan counted the coins quickly, and his brow furrowed in confusion. “There’s twenty bits here.” He glanced at the servant, assuming she’d made a mistake, but she avoided his gaze and scampered back to her place behind the noblemare.
“Yes, there is,” said the unicorn. “Though to be fair, ten of those bits are actually my bodyguard Firefly’s.” She gestured to the pegasus. “She bet me ten bits you’d overcharge me by at least ten times, but the market price for a Jonagold apple at the moment is a depressingly low two bits. Even ones as high-quality as these, sadly. That means you only overcharged by five times.” She noted Jonathan’s shocked look with a bit of amusement. “Don’t worry, Mr. Apple, I’m not angry. I have more bits than I know what to do with these days; I don’t mind helping out a struggling farmer here and there.”
Jonathan hesitated, then relaxed slightly. If nothing else, this particular mare didn’t seem to be adversarial at the moment. Of course, nobles could be notoriously fickle, so he planned to reserve judgement. “Thank ya kindly, my lady,” He said finally, bowing his head slightly. “If you’ll pardon mah asking, what exactly brings ya’ll ‘round here? We don’t get many visitors, ‘specially from the castle.”
“Finally! Somepony with some directness.” The noblemare gave a relieved sigh. “Too many ponies at the castle like to dance around the issue for ten minutes before getting to the heart of things.” She smiled a seemingly genuine smile at the farmpony. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blue Star, Magical Advisor to the Royal Court.”
Icy fear gripped Jonathan’s heart again. A member of the Court. Here. On his farm. This was beyond just some run-of-the-mill noblemare complaining about rotten apples. Court members spoke to the Princesses, regularly. This was... big.
He forced himself to take a calming breath. This Blue Star had been perfectly civil throughout their whole conversation, despite his hostility and deceit. He could at least hear her out before panicking. “Jonathan Apple,” he introduced himself. “Mighty fine to meet you, my lady.”
Blue Star’s looked like she’d just bit into a very sour apple. “Please. I hate being called ‘my lady’. Lady Star will do, if you absolutely must use my title.”
Now Jonathan was just confused, but there was no profit in insulting a member of the court. “Lady Star, then. What can th’ Apple Family do fer you?”
“Wrong question!” Lady Star proclaimed with a smile. “The correct question is, what can I do for you?” She gave Jonathan an expectant look.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Jonathan took the bait. “Alright, then. What can you do fer me?”
“I’m glad you asked!” Blue Star said cheerfully. She finished her apple, casually tossing the core aside. “May I come in?”
“...Ah suppose.” He unlocked the front gate, and held it open as Lady Star and her entourage stepped onto Apple land.
“Now, Mr. Apple-”
“Jonathan,” he interrupted, firmly. She gave him a surprised look, and he felt a bit of smugness at finally managing to surprise this strange mare, instead of the other way around. “If Ah’m calling you Lady Star, ya’ll c’n call me Jonathan.”
Lady Star smiled at this. “Jonathan, then. I’ve been told you’re the colt to talk to if you want to gain the support of the earth pony community. Would that be accurate?”
Jonathan raised an eyebrow at this. “Ah suppose ya’ll could say that. I like to think ponies ‘preciate mah thoughts. Ponies listen to me, y’see.” He shrugged. “Dunno why a unicorn would care ‘bout that, though. Beggin’ yer pardon, Lady Star, but a member of the Royal Court don’t need ‘support’ from the likes of us. Ya’ll want us to do something, it gets done. ‘S how it works.”
Lady Star’s face went hard for a minute. “Well, that’s not how this will work, Jonathan. I don’t work that way, and I think less of anypony who does.” Her face softened. “I have a plan, you see, and it’ll only work if everypony involved wants to be a part of it. If I can get you on-board, you can help me convince the rest of the earth ponies.”
“And if Ah say no?” Jonathan asked suspiciously. Nobles never really gave you a choice.
Lady Star bit her lip nervously. “Then my plan fails, probably. This is something I can’t force you to do - well, I probably could, but it would ruin the whole point if I did. And if you’re against it, I probably won’t be able to convince any of the other earth ponies either. In that case, the whole plan falls apart.” She smiled nervously at the dumbstruck Jonathan. “I’m really hoping you don’t say no. Will you at least hear me out?”
Jonathan managed to marshal his thoughts. A noble was actually asking for his opinion. She wanted - no, needed his cooperation. Half of him wanted to just flat out say no, before even hearing her proposal, just to ruin her day. Thankfully, the other half of him recognized this for the petty act it was, and stopped him. “Ah’ll listen. No promises.”
“Of course,” said Lady Star with a relieved smile. “Let me start at the beginning.” She gestured to her earth pony servant, who dug out a scroll from her saddlebag and held it out to the Lady. Grabbing it telekinetically, Lady Star unrolled it and held it in front of her. Jonathan glanced at it, but other than the numbers he couldn’t make heads or tails of it. “This is your farm’s financial record - your taxes, how much you make for your apples, how much you pay for services like reading and writing out contracts, stuff like that. It took forever to dig out, but thankfully somepony in the castle believes in accurate record-keeping.” Lady Star sounded aggravated, as though the shoddy record-keeping in the castle was a personal affront. “What I’ve noticed is that you’re dramatically overpaying for taxes, services, repairs, bookkeeping; you’ve been overcharged for every service you need to keep your farm running.” She cast a wry glance at the large stallion. “Much like how you overcharged me for that apple, but on a much larger scale.”
Jonathan shrugged at this depressing news. “Ah figgered as much. Nobles overcharge fer everything.” He forgot for a moment that he was in fact talking to a noble, but she didn’t seem to mind.
“Yes, indeed,” Blue Star agreed, closing the scroll and returning it to her servant’s saddlebag. “Why do you think that is?”
“Because’a greed,” Jonathan said, in the voice of a pony who knew the world was unfair and had resigned himself to it. “The nobles have all the power and they use it to trot all over us.”
“Well, yes, partially.” Blue Star nodded agreeably. “But do you think they’d tax you quite as much if you actually knew how much tax you owed? Do you think you could make more money on contracts if you could write them yourselves, or at least check them over before signing away a year’s profits? Mr. Apple... Jonathan. I have a plan that could save your farm from bankruptcy. Not only will it give you the knowledge to be on more equal terms with the nobility, it will arm you with the tools you need to more efficiently run your farm, and assign better prices to your produce. It won’t be immediate; it might takes months, even years. It might not even happen within your lifetime. But what I’m offering could save your farm, and your family.”
“What are you offerin’, Lady Star?” Jonathan asked, bluntly. “So far, ya’ll’ve made pretty speeches and said how much you need me, how much this’ll ‘change mah life’, but you ain’t told me what ‘this’ is.” He gave the smaller mare a stern glare. “Ah don’t need no snake-oil given’ mah family false hope. Ah know better then to hope for miracles.”
Rather than be upset or dismayed by his proclamation, Blue Star seemded positively gleeful. “I had a feeling you’d be a good candidate. Don’t worry, Jonathan. I’m not selling miracles. I’m offering - completely free of charge, I should add - something a practical stallion like yourself should appreciate. Education.”
Jonathan furrowed his brow in confusion. “Pardon?”
“Education, Mr. Apple.” Blue Star was grinning ear to ear. “I am opening Equestria’s first public school, available to all ponies regardless of race, occupation, or wealth. At first it will only cover Canterlot, but I hope to soon have one open in every major city in Equestria. Princess Luna is directing the project personally, and has appointed me Headmaster of Princess Luna’s First Center of Education. Princess Celestia has even lent her full support to the project. I intend to ask all young fillies and colts under fifteen years old to attend. Your daughter Applejack should fall into that range, I think.” Upon hearing her name, Applejack, who’d wandered off a short ways, perked up and came running back to listen in. “While there, she’ll be able to learn reading, writing, math, law, science, magic-”
“Magic?” Jonathan narrowed his gaze, and wrapped a protective hoof around his daughter. “Mah daughter’s no unicorn.”
“All ponies have magic, Jonathan, to a degree. My good friend and colleague Starswirl has proven this conclusively; his treatise on the Magic of the Three Races will actually be a part of the curriculum at the school. Knowledge of how her natural earth pony magic functions will allow her to train and harness it consciously, which I believe will enhance its natural ability to physically strengthen her and enhance her ability to encourage proper plant growth. It’s a talent all earth ponies possess, but depressingly few are aware of and consciously harness.”
Jonathan Apple very, very nearly called her out then and there. Earth ponies having magic? Preposterous! Only unicorns had magic, everypony knew that. For a split second, he was convinced that this mare was indeed just selling snake-oil, and that he should kick her off his farm.
But he hesitated.
Earth ponies were strong. Everypony knew that. And earth ponies grew crops better than anypony. Everypony knew that, too. What nopony knew was why - except this mare seemed to know. Was it really that far-fetched? And more importantly, did it matter? The rest of what this mare was talking about sounded promising. He thought of all the times he’d had to hire a unicorn to read, or write, or handle his money. If his daughter could do all that, free of charge...
Lady Star, apparently worried by Jonathan’s silence, nervously continued. “There’s more than just the academics, of course. The children will be given break times to eat and play between work; it helps keep the mind active. There will also be an exercise class, which will help them stay in shape and physically develop - something I’m sure you’ll appreciate.” She smiled at Applejack. “She’ll also get to meet and interact with ponies her own age on a regular basis. Not just earth ponies, either - she’ll be able to meet pegasi and unicorns, as well, though I intend to keep the classes separate to start with, if only to avoid problems with the parents.”
Applejack’s eyes went wide as saucers. “Um... Miss... I mean, Lady Blue Star, ma’am?”
Blue Star bent down, bringing herself level with Applejack. “You can call me, Miss Star if you want, Applejack. What is it?”
Applejack nodded slowly. “Will you teach us to build castles, Miss Star?” Her eyes shone with all the enthusiasm of a filly with a dream.
Blue Star seemed slightly taken by surprise at this, which gave Jonathan a brief surge of enjoyment. “Um, that’s a bit of an advanced topic...” Seeing the enthusiasm drain out of the little filly, Blue Star hurriedly continued. “Buuuut, if you study hard to learn things like math and physics, in a few years, you can study structural eng- I mean, we can teach you to build anything you like.”
Applejack lit up like a candle, smiling like only a filly could. “Papa! Can Ah go? Can Ah? Please?”
Seeing his daughter so enthusiastic was the deciding factor for Jonathan. Still, he maintained a guarded expression, pretending to think it over. Finally, he said “Ah won’t abide any bullyin’ or teasin’. Ah don’t want mah daughter treated different on account of her being an earth pony.”
Blue Star smiled widely, and nodded. “You have my word, Jonathan. As long as I’m in charge of the school, everypony will be treated equally and fairly.” If Jonathan had enough energy to be surprised yet again, he would’ve been shocked at what Lady Star did next. Though she winced slightly when she did it, she spat into her hoof and held it out to shake. “Do we have a deal?”
Jonathan looked down at the offered hoof. “Ya’ll are a strange, strange unicorn.” Then he smiled, and spat in his own hoof. “But Ah like your style.” He shook her hoof; she had a surprisingly strong grip for a unicorn. “Take care’a mah daughter now. You teach her good.”
“I will. I promise.
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