//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Eclipse // by Hiver //------------------------------// I looked at the pair of ponies before me with a small frown. Neither of them would look at me, both of the pegasi looking down and away from each other. The one on the left had a white coat and blue mane with a cloud cutiemark. The one on the right had a light grey coat and a pale green mane with a fish cutiemark. Both were bruised, both mares were in an absolutely horrible state, bent quills and all. It was rare that ponies got into physical fights. But for some reason Zephyria and River Mist just absolutely hated each other. So far, I have been unable to figure out why. No stallion or mare, no love history between them. No history between their families or anything like it that anybody could find out.. Zephyria moved to Nocturnis with her bat sister last year. River Mist arrived alone a couple of months later and from everything I have been able to find out, they just ran into each other one day and it was hate at first sight. This was the second time they were before me. The first, and smaller, half dozen times dealt with by the guard on the spot. Last time they broke some expensive bottles in the local bar. They had paid for the damages and promised to stay away from each other. But here they were again. And this time it was more damage. I glanced at the scroll laying on the throne next to my foreleg for a second before I spoke up, “Two wrecked market stalls. Approximately eight hundred bits worth of lost produce,” I said and looked at them, “You’re lucky you didn’t knock over the stand next to it. It was full of spices, not grains,” I said and returned to reading, “And three ponies were injured, not including you two. Orange Slice broke a rear leg when she fell to a lower platform,” I continued before I raised my head to look at them again, “That could very easily have been her neck.” Both of them flinched, not meeting my eyes. “I don’t know,” I said quietly, “What is between you two. And quite frankly, at the moment I do not care. But it ends. Now.” “You’re majesty, I-” River Mist said before trailing off into silence as I met her eyes. She swallowed and took half a step backwards. I looked at her for another couple of seconds before I turned my gaze to Zephyria as well before I sighed softly, “You two had a chance last time. In fact, as I understood it, you had half a dozen chances to clear this out between yourselves before I even heard of any of them. I have already been involved in this once. Now you have dragged me into this a second time. There will not be a third.” I sighed softly and shook my head, “We do not have a prison. We have a small jail for when a pony gets too drunk and needs to sleep it off. So you will not be incarcerated. Orange Slice will be given reparations for three hundred bits for her injuries. One hundred to each of the other injured ponies. The damages of the two merchants will be reimbursed with twenty percent markup. You will pay a fine to the crown of five hundred bits. In total, you owe a total of 1960 bits. Split evenly between the both of you, thats nine hundred and eighty bits each.” Both flinched. I doubted either of them had anywhere near that amount of money. “In addition,” I continued, “You are each to do six months of community service with the Nocturnis Guard. Basic training followed by whichever duties suit you.” That got sounds of protests from both of them, “Your majest-” Zephyria exclaimed, breaking off as I met her eyes.. “You will both do this,” I told them quietly, “And you will do it side by side. You will share a room. You will train side by side. You will help each other, support each other. And you will do it peacefully. Because if I hear anything more has happened between you other than raised voices… I do not care who started it… because trust me, ladies. You will not like the results.” Both glanced at each other before they bowed, “Yes your majesty,” they said quietly. “Sergeant,” I said and looked at the guard that brought them inside, “Please show them to their new quarters and get them geared up.” He saluted and turned to them, “You heard the Prince! Move it!” They almost scrambled to stand up and leave the throneroom. I looked after them as the doors closed before I sighed and rubbed my eyes with my forehoof, “Ah buck.” Sunset walked up next to my throne, “I’m not sure that’s going to work,” she said, putting a hoof on it, looking up at me. “No,” I admitted, “It might not. For all I know, they’re back here tomorrow and I have to do what I really don’t want to.” “Banishment?” Sunset asked with a frown, glancing towards the closed doors. “Banishment,” I said quietly, “Because what choice do we have? We don’t have a prison here. We… even now we can’t afford ponies sitting around in cells. What’s the alternative here? Forced labor?” Sunset frowned, “Isn’t that what we just did?” “...If you look at it like that,” I admitted, “Calling it conscription is just a nicer term. But… yes. But the alternative is banishment. Even if it is back to Equestria. Hopefully this will let them work out whatever is going on.” “Deep breaths and try to calm down, you’re close to shimmering, Wingboy,” Sunset said and jumped up onto the throne next to me and nosing up beneath my chin as her side pressed against mine. I closed my eyes for a second, taking a deep breath before slowly letting it back out again. If I was that close, I must have been angrier than I thought. Sunset settled down and looked up at me, “I know. I don’t like it, but… I know.” Sighing, I rested a wing across her back as I nosed on her ear, “It won’t be the last one either,” I said quietly, “Will it? Ponies are generally peaceful, but… things happen. Tempers flare. Ponies and creatures get hurt.” “Greed exists here,” Sunset said quietly, resting her nose against my neck, “Jealousy. Other things as well. And we don’t only have ponies either anymore.” “Mhmm,” I agreed with a small sigh. We were big enough now to need a justice system. The one in Equestria wouldn’t work in this environment I think either. Not as a one to one continuation anyway. What I said was true. We just didn’t have the resources to lock ponies away. Nor did I want to go that way if at all possible. Being locked away didn’t help anypony. At best it kept them away from everypony else for public safety. At worst, it made things worse. I believed, I had to believe, that… at their core, ponies were ponies. Creatures were creatures. Nopony woke up in the morning and wanted to hurt the ponies around them without something being seriously wrong. And often the fault was with the society around them, not with them. Or they were sick and needed help. I wanted a society where that didn’t happen. Celestia had mostly managed that. I wanted to keep it going. I shifted my hooves on my throne and bared my fangs for a second as I shifted my wings before once more feeling Sunsets nose touch against my chin, once again causing my fury of the actions of those two to dissipate. Letting a sigh out, I rested my head against the top of hers, my nose against the base of her horn. Maybe I should have let Twilight handle this. It was more her thing. But it was my town. My ponies. My responsibility.