Luna expected the palace to be somewhat less hectic than the protests at the railway. On her way through the city, once she was a few streets away from the protests, business seemed completely normal. A few guards were posted at the corners of the street as markers to warn the other citizens about what was happening, but all in all most of the crystal ponies seemed happy going about their business.
“I want answers!”
But it was not so within the palace.
The Nightmare Knights were all waiting for her in the foyer of the palace, but even from the entrance, Cadence could be heard arguing with another voice.
“So, how did it go with the protesters?” Lightning Dust asked Luna.
She sighed. “Both sides do not trust me. The dragons see me as just another pony princess. And I think the ponies expect I stand back and let them drive out the unwanted dragons. They’ll only listen if what I say is what they want to do.”
“And that surprises you?” Svengallop snickered. “Most ponies think in herds. No way one princess is going to change the minds of a whole crowd. What did you do, go up and just ask them to stop?”
“I’d rather not answer that right now,” Luna said and headed into the castle to find Cadence.
Svengallop followed, dumbfounded. “No way, you really tried that?”
The rest of the Knights did the same, keeping close to their lead singer until they entered the palace library. Inside, at the single largest table, the Dragonlord and Crystal Princess traded blows. Not physical ones, no. But the ones that cut the deepest. Verbal attacks.
“I bet it’s easy for you to sit here and talk about doing things,” Ember said through gritted teeth. “My people moved here to do business. The Dragonlands have a trade agreement with Equestria that you can’t overrule with just a signature.”
“Technically I can,” Cadence shot back, “the Crystal Empire is a Dominion State, deferring to Equestrian foreign policy only when it does not conflict with our own laws. If the ponies in my Empire want to limit dragons, it’ll be hard to say no to them, not if I want to keep them happy.”
“For the love of lava!” Ember threw her arms up. “Just tell them to deal with it. Aren’t you the leader for a reason?”
“Ahem,” Svengallop coughed, echoing his voice through the empty walls of the library. Both world leaders stopped their discussion and turned to Luna and her band.
“I didn’t realize you had guests,” Ember crossed her arms. “Is that Princess Luna?”
“No longer princess,” she replied, “I’m now only Luna.”
“So I heard,” Ember gestured with one claw to her and her friends. “Is this a social visit? Because we’re kind of in the middle of something.”
Cadence gave a sharp look to the Dragonlord. “She may have retired from her office, but I respect her experience and wisdom. Perhaps Luna has come to us with a solution.” She looked over Luna’s shoulder and saw Starlight. “And I’m sure the Headmare of the School of Friendship would have some input as well.”
“Oh, haha,” Starlight combed back her mane with her hoof, “actually I think this one’s a bit above my pay grade.” Luna, however, wound her head around and gave her a pleading look through the eyes.
“Oh alright,” she gave in, “I guess I can stay.”
Aside from Starlight, the rest of the Knights left the library. Glitter Drops and Tempest returned to their post in the Northern Wastes as quickly as they could. According to Cadence, dozens of ponies have been fighting back the shadow creatures, baiting them into crevices or caves to trap them inside.
Of course, they always seemed to return, but it was the only way that seemed to actually slow down the threat.
Poppin left with Lightning and Svengallop to the dining hall. Cadence had been taking her meals in the library ever since tensions started to rise, so the palace cooks were eager to serve any guest of the palace.
“Now, can we please get back to the problem?”
Luna understood where her frustration was coming from and quickly agreed. “I too would like to know more details. I only know the hearsay from the protesters, plus some details from Shining Armor.”
“Is he doing alright?” Cadence asked instantly.
“I don’t know, but he seemed confident that he could control the crowds.”
Those words seemed enough to lift a weight off of Cadence’s shoulders. Luna admitted, she didn’t know how it felt to worry as a wife, but she imagined it was not an easy feeling to work with.
“This group, the CNP, what do they want?”
Ember waved her claw. “To blame us for everything. I mean, how can dragons be burning down buildings when everything is made of crystals?”
“Well, a lot of shops and restaurants have gas lines for heating,” Cadence answered bluntly, “and we have heard of plants, you know. We grow normal trees and bushes here just like everywhere else in Equestria.”
“Fine,” Ember huffed, “but that doesn’t mean their demands aren’t ridiculous.”
“I can’t say I disagree on that front,” Cadence said, pushing a stack of letters across the table to Luna and Starlight. “They’ve made three basic demands. One, to add a fifteen per cent fire-hazard tax on dragons. Second, they want to deny residency to most dragons coming into the Crystal Empire for business. And finally, they want to make it mandatory for dragons to wear fireproof muzzles that restrict the accidental discharge of smoke or fire.”
“See what I said? Crazy!” Ember’s claws dug into the crystal table.
“I do see,” Luna nodded, “but the Crystal Empire was a fair and loving place less than a year ago. How do they justify their stance against dragons exclusively? The yaks come here as well.”
“Yaks don’t come to become residents. Yakyakistan is so near that they can stay for as long as their business or travel permits allow, return home, and then just come back again. They basically come and go for a few months at a time, so they’re okay with not being permanent residents.”
“Which isn’t an option for my people,” Ember reminded both alicorns. “The Dragonlands is on the opposite side of Equestria. Since dragons have stopped raiding ponies for gems, we rely on the Crystal Empire’s exports. My people are because we have to be.”
Starlight raised a brow. “So if dragons are kicked out of the Crystal Empire, they’d return to raiding?”
“Maybe,” Ember shrugged. “Dragons need gemstones to keep our scales healthy. Without our scales, we get skin infections, sun burns, and a bunch of other health problems. Losing a source of gems would be enough for the dragons to rebel against my right to rule.”
“You can add that to the list of reasons why we can’t give in to these demands,” Cadence nervously chewed on the end of her mane.
“Sounds like you have a short list if you’re even considering those demands,” Ember hissed.
Cadence stopped her hoof. “I do not want to be unfair to your dragons, Dragonlord! But these are my people, and I have to listen to them. Instead of blaming me, why don’t you tell your dragons to learn to live with ponies? Because I do not enjoy having to see burned buildings and trees on a weekly basis.”
Ember huffed a cloud of smoke. “Dragons can’t control their fire all the time. Laugh fire and sneezing are things that just happen.”
“Okay enough!” Starlight raised her horn and formed two bubbles of silence around the Dragonlord and the Princess. “You two are at each other’s throats even when you’re on the same side. The way I see it, we all want to stop the riots, get rid of the CNP’s demands, and make the ponies agree that dragons have a place in Equestria.”
She turned to Luna. “Why don’t we listen to some pony with a little more experience with resolving the unresolvable?”
“Heh,” Luna chortled back, “All I have learned is that when I was at my lowest points, I had friends to help me. And my relationship with my sister, well, you’ve seen it for yourself. It can be tenuous sometimes. I don’t know that I’ve resolved any unresolvable problems yet.”
“Well, this is the Crystal Empire’s lowest point,” Starlight said, “now might be your chance. Whatever your friends have done for you, maybe that’s what we can do for the city.”
Luna thought on Starlight’s words. Though their bubbles of silence had dissipated, both Ember and Cadence listened intently to what Luna said, and waited for her decision.
As tough as it had been, despair and fear and doubt had always been a part of Luna’s life. Even now, she knew a deep part of her looked up to, and at the same time resented, her sister for how easily she resolved these problems. What would Celestia do right now? A simple show of power with raising the sun would send the protests away. And then…
And then…
Luna paused. As of late, it seemed her sister’s only solution was just to send Princess Twilight into the problem. But the ponies of the Empire explicitly wanted to break away from Equestria’s policies. They likely wouldn’t fully accept the verdict of an Equestrian ruler.
She paced the library, looking at the backs of the thousands of books on the shelves behind her, just idly passing her eyes around as she thought about her own past. Fear and jealousy and loathing once clouded her mind. Was there anything to learn from it, looking back on it now?
Luna laughed at herself and shook her head. She knew she had an insecure personality. Nightmare Moon or the Tantibus, either way, she used to lash out, at others or herself, just to feel in control. She was saved because her friends and allies made her feel safe and secure.
That was right. She may have been responsible for her actions, but her own sister had part of the blame to share. At her lowest point, Celestia chose to exile her instead of meeting her halfway. A swelling in Luna’s heart took her breath away for a moment, and then she refocused.
At once, she turned back to Cadence and Ember. “I know how we’re going to do it. We need to change the hearts of both sides to make the Crystal Empire place for all creatures.”
“Both sides?” Ember growled.
Luna let the Dragonlord’s irritation wash over her. “Yes. Accidents may be blameless, but they still can cause damage and harm. The ponies are to blame for their harsh and unfair demands, but the dragons also need to be more careful with what they can do. Who else knows the power of a dragon better than a dragon?”
“What are you proposing?” Cadence asked.
“We are going,” Luna took a deep breath, “to throw a party.”