Shadows of the Sun
By theamberfox
Chapter 4
Goldenroot glared at the clock in his living room. It was almost nine forty-five in the morning. It had taken some persuasion, but he had organized a meeting with Wind Dancer at ten o'clock. Wind Dancer had very little interest in the law that Goldenroot was proposing and she made it very clear that she was going to be voting against it. It was only after Goldenroot convinced her that she might be overlooking an important side-effect of the law that she had agreed to meet with him. But Goldenroot had rather foolishly asked Vortex to tag along and now he was paying for the consequences.
“We were supposed to be leaving now.” Goldenrood said to himself quietly, making his annoyance with Vortex's tardiness obvious. “Why did I ask her to come?”
He paced back and forth in the room, impatiently looking at the clock on the wall beside him. Goldenroot placed a high value on the concept of time. Everything always had to go according to schedule and, as a result, he tended to be early for everything.
“Forget it. I need to go.” he said as the clock's large hand moved to indicate that a minute had passed.
He walked quickly to the door and swung it open. In front of him, sitting on the step, was Vortex. Her head was resting on her hoof and her face displayed a look of utter boredom.
“Hey! Good morning, sunshine!” Vortex said, lifting her head up as a bright smile formed on her lips.
“What are you doing here!?” Goldenroot yelled, more surprised than angry that she was on his doorstep.
“You said to be here by nine forty-five. I was here...” she paused, looking towards the sky as she tried to calculate the time. “...roughly ten minutes ago.”
Goldenroot was flabbergasted. She had arrived ten minutes ago and she hadn't bothered to knock or do anything to notify him of her arrival. He had spent probably an equal amount of time worrying about her for no reason and now he was just standing speechless, looking at her as she smiled radiantly. It wasn't the kind of smile that led him to believe that she was playing a trick on him, but a kind of genuinely happy smile. She was happy to see him and just plain happy to be there.
“Why didn't you knock?” Goldenroot said, bringing a hoof to his face and rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“Because I knew you would come out here at nine...” she paused and looked at the sky again. “...forty-seven is it now?”
Goldenroot placed his hoof back on the floor and turned his head to look at the clock down the hallway. It was almost exactly nine forty-seven.
“How do you do that?” he asked in surprise.
Vortex’s smile disappeared and was replaced by a look of complete sincerity.
“Oh come now, Goldenroot. I don't have time to explain that right now, we've got a meeting to attend. We have to leave right now if we’re going to be there at ten.” Vortex said, a smile quickly returning to her face.
Goldenroot simply started walking down the path and out onto the street with Vortex following close behind. As they entered the busy street, filled with ponies moving in every direction, Vortex moved up close beside him. Her mane and tail were perfectly groomed, just as they had been last night. Goldenroot wasn't exactly sure who she was trying to impress, him or Wind Dancer, but he was still flattered that she had made the effort.
“Are you nervous?” she asked.
“The decisions we make today could change everything. The butterflies in my stomach are practically a requirement.” Goldenroot joked, turning his head to glance at Vortex as she moved along the cobbled road.
“I am too.” Vortex said hesitantly.
“You're nervous?” Goldenroot asked, giving her a strange look. “I don't believe you.”
“It's true. It’s the first time since I was in the Wonderbolts.”
“What about the election. You weren't nervous about that?”
“I didn't have to be. At the time, I was a famous celebrity. The celebrities always get elected. Just look at Wind Dancer. She didn't know anything about politics and, to be totally honest with you, neither did I. The only real difference is that I actually tried to learn. I don't know how you plan on convincing her to vote for this thing, but you're going to have to come up with something good.”
“I have a plan.” Goldenroot grinned. “I always do.”
The two continued to follow the path to Wind Dancer's mansion. She lived in an outrageously large house that, despite resembling a castle, was really quite unspectacular. It was a simple stone box with a tower on one corner and only a few small windows. Instead, the focus was put on the surrounding garden. Several fountains, flowerbeds and hedge sculptures were meticulously arranged around the courtyard. The left and right sides of the pathway leading to the single wooden door at the entrance were almost perfect mirrors of each other. It was a reminder of how much importance Wind Dancer placed on such a fickle thing. She was an artist and appearance meant everything to her.
“These ponies are making me look bad.” Vortex said, admiring the garden. “Everything’s flawless. It’s like the rainstorm never even happened.”
“It's a result of having too much time and money.” Goldenroot said as they approached the door. “She probably had everything replaced after the storm. Something like that would cost thousands of bits and a hundred workers toiling for hours on end.”
Like Crescendo, Wind Dancer had a large bronze plate at the base of her door. It was much more extravagant; however, and several expensive jewels were attached to the corners in an attractive pattern.
“Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?” Vortex mocked, pointing to the plate.
Goldenroot ignored her remark and kicked the plate twice. The door opened immediately and they were greeted by a tall, aggressive looking brown pony. His black mane was combed to the side and he wore a scarlet suit jacket and tie.
“Can I help you?” he exclaimed rather boorishly.
“We're here to see Lady Wind Dancer.” Goldenroot replied, taking a step back from the intimidating butler.
“Right.” the butler continued. “Wipe your hooves and follow me.”
Vortex and Goldenroot did as they were told and stepped through the doorway. With the butler leading the way, the three ponies traversed the narrow corridors of the mansion. Its stone walls were decorated with potted plants and paintings at regular intervals, more indicators of Wind Dancer's wealth and the value she placed on aesthetics.
At the end of the hallway were a set of doors, which the butler opened to reveal a large room with several deep violet sofas and an enormous window overlooking part of the garden. The sound of classical music filled the air as it played softly from a traditional record player in the corner. The room was very similar to the one in Crescendo's manor, but it lacked many of the intellectual components. Where Crescendo had shelves stacked with books of all subjects, Wind Dancer had instead large plants with wide leaves and delicate flowers. Where he had lanterns, she had expensive, magically infused jewels that glowed with a faint blue. Where he had a large desk filled with notes and documents, she had a wide table with an assortment of cutlery, dishes, and food. The room was used purely for relaxation and it all perfectly described the kind of interesting pony that Wind Dancer had become.
The pegasus was lying on the largest of the violet sofas. Like everything else in the house, her appearance cost a fortune. Her long, light blue mane and tail were crafted in exquisite detail, flowing down from the white coat on her body and resting peacefully against the violet fabric.
“Hello dears. Wonderful day we're having, isn't it?” Wind Dancer sang, shifting herself gradually from her relaxed position.
Her voice was soft and soothing. The words seemed to slide off her tongue and float through the air like a gentle breeze. It was no wonder that she became a singer following her career as a dancer.
“Indeed, but we have serious matters to discuss right now.” Goldenroot replied, staring at the beautiful mare on the sofa.
“Ah yes, you said you had something important to talk about, didn't you? For the life of me, I can't seem to remember what that was...”
“It's about the council.” Vortex snapped, slightly annoyed that she hadn't even remembered what they had come to talk about.
“But of course! No need to get snippy now, Lady Vortex.” Wind Dancer said as she glared at her. “A proper mare mustn’t act that way in good company.”
Vortex rolled her eyes, “Right.”
“We want you to vote in favour of the law today. I know you don't really like the idea, but I thought I might be able to interest you in a certain side-effect that will take place if it goes through.” Goldenroot said, trying to change the subject.
Wind Dancer’s deep blue eyes sparkled in the dim light offered by the jewels. She leaned back and relaxed in the sofa, her luscious hair falling to the side and dangling onto the floor. The music on the record player changed and started to play a lighter, supple melody.
“And what might that be, dear?” Wind Dancer asked, intrigued by Goldenroot's words. “You know I'm not going to vote for this unless it's really very good... for me, that is.”
“You selfish pig.” Vortex whispered.
“What was that dear? I didn't quite hear you.” Wind Dancer asked innocently.
“Uh, I was wondering if I could have some of the delicious looking appetizers that you have in the corner.” Vortex said, turning her attention to the table on the side of the room.
“Help yourself dear, but don't eat too much. It's nearly time for lunch.”
Vortex nodded politely and walked over to the table. She picked up an apple and took a large bite, staring curiously at Goldenroot as he gawked at Wind Dancer.
“Bringing us back to the point, I'm talking about a previous law that we have written in regard to council reform. It states that any time the number of council members changes, a general election must take place.” Goldenroot said, blinking as Wind Dancer batted at her hair.
“And..?” Wind Dancer questioned, unable to grasp Goldenroot's hint.
“And that means the four year term is going to end at one.”
Vortex swallowed hard. “What!?”
Goldenroot had spent most of the night searching for a way to convince Wind Dancer. After a few hours of flipping through dusty books and documents, he found an interesting law that stated the following: ‘If the number of council members is permanently increased or decreased for any reason, an election must be held.’ To Goldenroot, the justification was obvious. It prevented the council from making any potentially unethical decisions, like decreasing the number of council members in order to kick out anyone they didn’t agree with.
“So I won't have to be a part of this dreaded council business anymore?” Wind Dancer continued, ignoring Vortex’s comment.
“Exactly.” Goldenroot said in conclusion.
“Interesting.”
“Does that mean you'll vote for the law?” Vortex asked in surprise.
“I will consider it.” Wind Dancer replied while looking out the window. “I still don't like the idea of those filthy commoners being a part of our government.”
Vortex frowned, clearly displeased by her response.
“That's all I can ask for, Wind Dancer.” Goldenroot said, finally taking his eyes away from her position on the sofa. “Have a nice day.”
He turned and started to leave the room with Vortex close behind. As they approached the door, Wind Dancer got up from her sofa and flew gracefully over to the record player, turning a knob slightly to increase the volume.
“Ta ta.” Wind Dancer sang, turning to smile happily at them as they left the room.
They had expected the aggressive butler to be outside, but he was nowhere to be seen, so the two ponies navigated the hallways back to the main entrance alone and in silence. Vortex was eager to talk to Goldenroot about the meeting, but a combination of the apple that she held in her mouth and her unwillingness to speak about Wind Dancer while they were still in her home restrained her thoughts.
As they reached the front door, the butler rounded a corner and swung the door open, watching them carefully as they exited. The moment the door closed behind them Vortex twisted her neck and sent the apple flying into the pristine flowerbed nearby, crushing some of the flowers and leaving chunks of apple strewn about the dirt.
“I hate that pony.” Vortex said, spinning her head back to face Goldenroot.
“Wind Dancer?” Goldenroot asked as he looked at Vortex, his eyes wide with surprise.
“She's obnoxious, arrogant, uptight... I can't believe she's actually considering voting for this thing just so she can get out of the council.”
“She just got caught up in something that she regrets. She wasn't like that before she joined the council.”
Vortex stopped when they reached the cobbled road and turned to face Goldenroot.
“I've got some things that I need to take care of.” she said abruptly. “I'll see you at one, Goldenroot.”
Before he could respond, Vortex shot into the air and disappeared. She may have quit the Wonderbolts to become a politician, but she hadn't lost her skill as a flier.
She just wanted to get away from him. She was jealous of Wind Dancer, the pony that seemed to have everything that she didn’t, but more than anything, she was angry at Goldenroot for supporting her. She was furious that he was so impressed with her appearance and overlooked all of her negative features, waving them off with feeble excuses. Was he really that shallow?
~
After treating Twilight’s injuries, for what she hoped would be the last time, Celestia decided to spend the remainder of the day dealing with the politics that she had been burdening Luna with over the past few days. The first item on the agenda was to go out and survey the damage caused by the storm. She would walk around the city to determine where help was needed most. Canterlot was split into quarters, with each quarter serving a different, vital purpose.
“Princess Celestia, are you leaving the castle?” one of the guards asked as Celestia approached the gate.
“Yes, but I’m only going to wander around the different parts of the city. I don’t need an escort.” she said, smiling at the stone-faced guard standing to the right of the gate.
“With all due respect, your Highness, the sergeant has ordered us to accompany you.” the other, female guard, replied. “Some of the city’s inhabitants are unhappy with how you handled the drought situation and it could be dangerous.”
“I’ve realized that some of my actions were…” Celestia paused, turning to look past the guards and out into the streets. “…inappropriate, but I can’t believe that anyone would want to hurt me.”
The female pony nodded, “The very thought is resentful indeed, but it’s our duty to keep you safe and even the smallest threat must be taken seriously.”
“Very well. I’m inspecting the damages from the storm. I expect you to follow quickly and take notes for me.” Celestia said, sighing as she floated a quill and paper in front of the female guard.
She walked out through the gate and into the first quarter of the city, the two guards following close behind and occasionally glancing from side to side as they moved. The government quarter, which they now occupied, mostly consisted of the castle and the royal army’s headquarters. It was here that all the important political decisions were made and the royal army was trained. Apart from the castle, the structures in the government quarter were very ordinary. Solid brick, they were built to be functional and stand the test of time. Any embellishments to their design would be impractical and unnecessary. The results of their sturdy construction were impressive and the buildings had taken very minor damage from the storm. A few shingles were missing, windows were cracked or broken, and plants were uprooted and drying in the hot sun, but it was nothing a couple hours of work couldn’t fix.
“Please take a note.” Celestia said, glancing back at the guards. “The government quarter is mostly undamaged. It would be unwise to allocate our resources to its minor reconstruction at this time.”
The guard quickly jotted down the note and rushed forward to keep up with Celestia as she continued down the path towards the nobility quarter. The nobility quarter was where all the most prestigious citizens had built their homes. The houses were architectural marvels, huge, magnificent buildings that were worth incomprehensible amounts of money. Even the smaller structures, which stood like rocks among mountains, were impressive. Made of only the most expensive materials, they stood on large plots of land with extravagant gardens. It was usually a serene, peaceful place, but amongst the buildings was a flurry of activity. Ponies hammered on rooftops, dug in gardens, and pulled carts filled with wreckage. The residents of the nobility quarter had their own incentives for working. They lived in a society that placed a high value on appearance and anyone who failed to meet the expectations quickly became an outcast. Most of the nobility was more than willing to dig out of their own pockets to maintain their worth in the eyes of their neighbours.
“Please take another note.” Celestia said, calmly looking around at the extensive construction. “The nobility quarter is damaged, but most of the citizens have already started on the repairs. They should be offered compensation for the damages, but government organized reconstruction will not be necessary.”
The male guard intervened. “Princess Celestia, if I may.”
Celestia turned and nodded at the pony.
“The nobility would never accept handouts. I think we may even be insulting them by offering.” he continued.
“If even one pony accepts our offer, then it is worth offending thousands of others.” Celestia replied, smiling kindly at the guard.
Celestia turned back and walked towards the next quarter of the city. With her head turned, the two guards beamed at each other, both proud to serve under such a noble and dignified ruler. It was a cruel fate that such a caring pony had to endure such a difficult life, but perhaps that was the only reason she had the courage to do so.
The three ponies carried on into Canterlot’s center of trade and business. Ponies from all over Equestria would arrive in the market quarter to sell their goods and, as a result, the market quarter had the largest variety of commodities in the entire country. Everything from simple apples and bread to ancient artefacts and luxurious dresses could be found in the hundreds of shops and stalls. But the market was not quite as Celestia had remembered. It was now barren and empty with many of the shops closed and the stalls missing. What little that remained was poorly supplied and maintained, selling inferior produce or substandard clothing and wares. Shocked by the unsettling condition, Celestia approached one of the stands selling small, weathered vegetables.
“Princess Celestia, your highness! It’s a pleasure to see you in the market again.” The shopkeeper said, bowing his head slightly as she approached.
“What’s going on? Is this from the storm?” Celestia asked, looking around at the pathetic vegetables on the counter.
“The storm was a blessing, your highness. No, what caused this was the drought.” he replied, lifting his head back up to look at the princess. “At first, the drought only hampered our sales and production. But after time passed and the weather worsened, we just lost everything. Nothing would grow in the arid soil and what little we had left was drying up and dying.
“Many ponies have refused to sell their crops, relying on what they have left to survive, but my family won’t sit and watch our friends starve to death. We’ve continued to sell our produce, despite its less than satisfactory condition. Most ponies aren’t picky these days, they’re just happy to have something to eat.”
“And what of the other vendors?” Celestia asked, turning her head to glance around at the empty shops. “The ones that sell clothes and furniture, what happened to them?”
“At the moment, only the nobility is willing to spend their money on non-essential goods and most of what they buy is special order.” the shopkeeper shrugged. “Basically, if you aren’t selling something that can feed your family, no one is going to buy it.”
“I see. Thank you for your time.” Celestia said calmly as she turned and walked away from the stand.
“It is always a pleasure to assist your royal highness.” the shopkeeper said, bowing again as she left.
“Please take a note.” Celestia said, staring off into the distance as the female guard reached for the quill and paper. “The market quarter…”
She drifted off, unable to finish her sentence as she stared into the distance. Tears were welling up in her eyes as memories of the market quarter drifted back into view. Even when she was very young, the market had always been the same. It was a beautiful place that stole away your troubles and sadness, leaving you with only a senseless joy. Young fillies and colts played amongst the bustling crowds, their parents watching them carefully as they wandered around the stores. Colourful banners hung proudly over shops filled with all kinds of interesting knick-knacks and the delicious smells of cooking food. Laughter and excitement filling the air as entertainers from all over the country put on wondrous demonstrations of their talent and theatrics. Firework displays and dancers, clowns and magicians, they were always the focus of attention in a bizarre, almost surreal world and Celestia loved it all.
All of that had changed now. Everything was gone. The empty streets, boarded up shops and foul stench of rotting food sweeping away the memories and bringing her back to the harsh reality. The country wasn’t getting better as she had once believed. Even with the weather returning to normal, the footprint of the drought would never truly vanish until someone did something about it. It would linger in her thoughts like the foul stench of rotting food. It was the disaster that she had failed to prevent and it was the bleak future that lay waiting for them if she refused to change.
“Are you alright, Princess Celestia?” the female guard asked, still waiting behind her with the quill.
Celestia lifted a hoof to her face and wiped away the tears discretely. “I think I want to go back to the castle now. I’ll finish surveying the damage later.”
“Of course, your highness.” she responded empathetically, placing the quill and paper in her bag.
~
“Scribe, you may now start recording the events of today's assembly.” Prairie Star announced, glancing at the young pony in the corner. “It is now one o'clock in the afternoon. The council assembly has now established.”
Her words and actions were identical to what she had done and said yesterday. The whole process had become routine for Prairie Star and now she failed to show any emotion whatsoever.
“Today, we will decide on the law that Goldenroot proposed nearly a week ago.” she continued, looking around the table at the five other members of the council. “The standard voting procedure applies. Every member gets one ballot. When you're ready, make a mark on the ballot to select your choice, fold it in half and place it in the box.”
Prairie Star lifted a large wooden box out from underneath the table and placed it in front of her. The box closely resembled a chest with a golden frame and several elaborate patterns covering the surface. In the very centre of the lid was a small horizontal opening, just barely large enough for a slip of paper.
“As always, there will be no formal debate immediately before the poll.”
Leaning forward, she opened the chest and removed the contents, placing five identical slips of paper in the middle of the table. Each slip of paper had two words, ‘support’ and ‘oppose’, spaced equally apart from each other and next to a small box. The ponies around the table each took a ballot, sliding it across the table into their immediate vicinity.
Goldenroot, who had made his decision long before anyone else, was the first to vote. After marking a small 'x' next to the word 'support', he folded the ballot and placed it in the box. Leaning back in his seat, he quietly observed the other ponies as they followed a similar procedure. Thunderhorn was the next pony to insert his ballot, lifting the paper with his magic and navigating it through the opening. As the light shining from his horn disappeared, he turned his head and confidently smirked at Goldenroot.
Goldenroot frowned slightly and thought to himself as he predicted the outcome. One to support, one to oppose.
Vortex followed closely after. She slid the ballot through the opening and leaned back, winking at Goldenroot from her position across the table. Her light blue hair had resumed its untamed appearance. It was fascinating and beautiful at the same time. It flowed like the trees in a forest, each individual strand bending and twisting as she moved.
Noticing, Goldenroot smiled back. Two to support, one to oppose.
Wind Dancer was next. She carefully folded the ballot, leaned forward and pushed it through the opening. As the ballot fell to the bottom of the box, she relaxed in her chair and flashed a smile at Goldenroot. His mind raced as he tried to figure out what she was thinking. The smile was cryptic and it masked her true intentions. Is she smiling at me because she knows it’s going to fail, or because she knows it’s going to pass?
Lost in thought and unaware of his surroundings, Goldenroot completely missed Crescendo quickly mark his ballot, fold it and place it in the box. As the paper quietly hit the bottom of the chest, Goldenroot snapped back to reality. Everyone had voted and it was now merely an issue of counting the ballots.
“I will now open the box and reveal the contents.” Prairie Star said, describing her actions as she leaned forward and threw open the lid.
“One ballot, support.” She announced, placing the piece of paper on the table so the rest of the council members could see. “One ballot, oppose.”
Goldenroot’s face turned pale. If the count was so close, so early on, then it would still be close. It was entirely possible that he hadn’t convinced either Crescendo or Wind Dancer.
“Two ballots, support.”
Goldenroot’s expression changed immediately to a bright smile. Only one more vote.
“Three ballots, support.” Prairie Star continued.
Goldenroot’s smile spread across his entire face now. Raising a hoof to conceal his grin, he desperately tried to restrain himself from jumping out of his seat and shouting in triumph. Looking across at Vortex, he noticed that she also had a bright smile on her face. In fact, everyone in the room, including the director, was smiling to some degree except Thunderhorn, who was displaying a rather furious frown on his wrinkled face.
“And just for the record,” Prairie Star said, taking note of the expressions around the table. “Four ballots support.”
Thunderhorn had been the only pony in the room to vote against the law. Whether Goldenroot had managed to persuade them, or if they had made the decision on their own terms was a mystery, but one that he didn’t care to solve. It didn’t matter now. The law would be passed on to Celestia for review and was out of their control.
“The law has been approved and a formal declaration will be written tomorrow to be passed on to Celestia. I think some of you want to celebrate, so we’re done for today. Scribe, you may stop recording now. We will resume tomorrow at one o’clock.”
Goldenroot jumped from his seat and bolted out of the room. Vortex quickly gathered her things and flew out after him, barely making it through the door before it closed. When she got outside, Goldenroot was just staring up into the sky. A light wind was blowing through the air and the sun was shining. There were some dark clouds in the distance, but they wouldn't disturb the weather until tomorrow.
“Are you alright, hotshot?” she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly as she approached him from behind.
“This is monumental! Everything is going to change now. Everyone will have a voice in the government, not just the rich and famous." Goldenroot turned towards her with a huge grin on his face. "Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.”
“Okay, but only if you promise to not spend the whole time eyeballing Wind Dancer.” She joked.
Goldenroot blushed, “Well it worked, didn’t it?”
Vortex shook her head slowly, grinning at Goldenroot. “Yeah, nice try.”
~
“Sister, I have the council summary report. Would you like to see it now?” Luna asked as she walked towards Celestia.
Celestia was sitting in the throne room, her multi-coloured mane flowing around her like a river. It was early in the afternoon and the sun shone through the windows at a steep angle, illuminating small patches of the marble floor. The guards at the entrance were like statues, with only their eyes moving to follow Luna as she approached her sister’s throne.
“Yes, I would.” Celestia said. “Thank you Luna. I really appreciate your help with all of this.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” Luna smiled as she passed the documents to her sister.
The two quietly smiled at each other in silence. Celestia took the documents and set them down next to her throne, refusing to take her eyes of her sister. As the documents settled on the floor and the light from her horn vanished, Celestia’s smile disappeared.
“Do you remember when we used to go to the market with mom and dad?” she asked, her eyes sparkling as tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
Luna’s smile fell and she nodded slowly.
“We used to go together and eat at that one restaurant.” Celestia continued softly. “The Purple Turnip.”
Luna stared at the marble floor below, the small grey discolorations snaking through the brilliant, reflective white.
“And we would always have their famous turnip soup.” Celestia said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she remembered her parents.
Luna smiled weakly. Their parents had passed away only a few years before she turned into the vicious Nightmare Moon.
“I hated turnips.” Celestia chuckled, shaking the tears from her cheeks onto the red carpet resting on the marble floor beneath her. “But it wasn’t about the soup or the restaurant. It was about spending time with the ponies we loved.”
Luna sobbed quietly, “I miss them, Celestia. I miss them so much.”
“I went to the market quarter today.” Celestia said, looking away from her sister and outside the window. “There’s nothing there. The ponies, the shops, the food, they’re all gone. Everything’s gone.”
“I know. I was there too…” Luna said. “I just didn’t want to tell you… It’s hard, sister.”
“It’s my fault, Luna. I’m sorry.” Celestia replied. “I didn’t want any of this to happen.”
Luna leaped forward and held onto her big sister tightly, closing her eyes and nuzzling against her neck. Her warm tears soaked the side of Celestia’s neck and she wrapped her great wings around Luna, pulling her closer. After some time, Celestia slowly unfolded her wings and pushed away. She smiled and wiped the tears away from her face.
“I’m going to fix my mistakes, Luna.” Celestia said. “And when I do, I want you to come with me to the market again.”
Luna looked up and smiled hopefully. “I’d like that.”
Luna turned around slowly and walked out of the room. As the doors closed, Celestia lifted the documents by her throne into full view. Trying to pry her thoughts away from her sister, Celestia flipped through the documents. They detailed the events of the assembly, describing every word and action of each member for the past two days. Beside each line was a note by the Scribe. It was intended to be purely factual, but occasionally hinted at his personal opinion.
Director Prairie Star: “It is now one o'clock in the afternoon. The council assembly has now convened.” Current date and time is as follows: Third day of the ninth month, thirteenth hour and first minute. Assembly started one minute later than planned.
Director Prairie Star: “As of yesterday, there are three articles up for discussion.” The articles in question are as follows: food allocation among the noble classes, taxation and reimbursement during times of economic hardship, and council reconstruction to accommodate the non-noble inhabitants.
Celestia repeated the notes quietly to herself. “Council reconstruction to accommodate non-noble inhabitants?”
She turned her head to look outside the window. Dark clouds were just barely visible in the distance, swirling madly as they approached the castle.
They want to change the council so that it includes the commoners, she thought, raising a hoof to her face as she contemplated the idea. Why would they want to do that?
She continued to read through the notes, flipping quickly past the pages that described Goldenroot's speech in support of the law. The scribe had labelled many of the lines with evidence to support or deny the claims made and a certain line caught her attention.
Sir Goldenroot: "We have suffered a devastating plague for nearly half a year and only when things start to return to normal, do we seek to confront the issue. Why have we waited so long? Is it because of our structure, our lack of ability to realize our true problems?" Officially, no law was suggested by the council to Princess Celestia to make any effort to improve the critical situation caused by the drought.
It's all just nonsense, she thought, slightly taken aback by what she read. They did nothing. After all the time that's passed and everything that's happened, they did nothing. They only claim to be thinking about the drought, but they instead spend all their time on council reform.
Trying to calm herself, Celestia skipped to Vortex's very brief opinion on the issue.
Lady Vortex: “I already know I'm not going to sway any opinions in my direction, so I'm not going to tell any of you how I feel about the whole thing until we vote on it.” This stance is common for Lady Vortex. She has refused to share her opinion on many of the issues presented in the council.
They don't even seem to work together, Celestia thought. How can anything ever be accomplished if they won't open up and share their opinions about the issues? Is this why nothing was done about the drought?
Celestia was enraged by the council summary report, shaking with a seemingly overwhelming anger that dispelled her immense sorrow from only moments before. Everything they did seemed either inefficient or just plain pointless. Trying to contain her anger, she noticed Thunderhorn's openly aggressive rebuttal.
Lord Thunderhorn: “I don’t quite understand where you’re getting this Goldenroot. Why are you so certain that they will help us and not just create unnecessary conflicts within our society? Everyone is greedy in some sense and I don’t believe you could ever convince me otherwise. If we give them the right to participate in the council now, they won’t fix the problem of the drought. They won’t even think about the drought.” Lord Thunderhorn places a strong value on traditions. Anything that goes against tradition is usually met with harsh disapproval from him.
And when they try to change things, they're shut down immediately like this? It's not that they can't change, it's that they don't want to, Celestia thought. How could I let this go on for so long?
Celestia closed her eyes, trying to forget about the council. Breathing slowly and relaxing, her thought's wandered to the conversation she had with Twilight.
“But in the end, was it the right thing to do? Do you think the world is a better place now? Were the decisions made in everyone’s best interests?”
No Twilight. The answer to your questions, all of them, is no, Celestia thought as she lowered her head, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. I was a fool to let you leave for Prance on your own. I was a fool to keep Luna, my own sister, imprisoned in the moon for a thousand years. It wasn't the right thing to do, the world isn't a better place and the decisions were only made in the best interests of the ignorant council I created.
It was like a waterfall of sorrow and regret, washing over her in a single moment she was reminded of all her failures over the years. The council had only ever been a crutch. She had tried to let them take the responsibility, her responsibility, for all the decisions made. It was a mistake to think that she could share the burden given to her at birth. She was an alicorn, a member of the royal family, and she alone was responsible for the well-being of everyone in Equestria.
Celestia's tears began to fall toward the ground. Her concentration on her magic failed and the pile of documents being held in front of her was released. Like leaves falling from a tree, they separated and scattered across the room, coating the floor beneath in a thin layer of paper.
“Princess Celestia! Are you alright!?” One of the guards asked as he rushed to her side.
“I’ve hurt the ones closest to me and betrayed my family’s trust. I’ve made some serious mistakes,” Celestia said, turning her head slowly to look up at the guard standing attentively by her side. “But it’s okay. I know how to fix them.”
________________________________________________________________________
Author’s notes:
Hello everyone. I hope you’re still enjoying the story.
This chapter was a lot of fun to write. I finally have an editor, (Thank you, Specter Von Baren.) so I was able to catch and change certain aspects of the story that needed improvement. (I must have rewritten the section where the council votes on the law about ten times.) It also means that I’m working harder on the chapters than before, so the turnaround is a little longer, but I can assure you it’s well worth it.
As always, if you have any questions or comments about the story, you can reach me at my email: admin@theamberfox.ca I’ll also be keeping a close eye on the comments below the story.
________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer:
“My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” and its derivatives are the sole intellectual property of Hasbro©. I do not have, nor claim to have, the rights to the intellectual property that this story is based on.