The Republic

by Mediocre Morsov

The Flag

It had been only a few days since Luna's visit into Apple Bloom's dreams, but they made it a daily affair. Luna would come in and read from various works and slowly, in measures, the tortured dreamscape would improve. With Republic, Apple Bloom's spirits began to steadily rise. She had never known that there were alternative ways to run Equestria, never known that one was to elect leaders and put them in charge. She had always just assumed that only the Princesses could lead, and the knowledge that even an insignificant earth pony like her could have a say in important decisions stirred something in her.

When Luna read Don't Trot on Me!, Apple Bloom felt a fiery passion as the arid desert, drenched in the lifeblood of the heavens, began to bloom with grasses and saplings. After she had woken up from that dream, she got to work on her history project, the words spilling from her pen with every ounce of literary skill she could muster. She would put all of her constructive ability into this report, a report that would remind her classmates of something that had been forgotten for centuries.

When Luna read the short, but moving Maneifesto, Apple Bloom had woken up with an urge to design banners. She made many designs and patterns, even piecing together the simple red cloth of Scarlet Banner's namesake, but abandoning the design for lack of decoration. It had to be truly emotional, something that called out to everypony like her, everypony that felt like an underdog. That night, before she went to bed, she looked up at the starry sky and the moon, and she was struck with such inspiration that she got to work immediately, completing the drafting sketch and setting down the layers of fabric. With a dexterity that belied her age, she crafted a finely woven flag with fringe and hung it over her bed. She admired her work before collapsing into a deep slumber.

Yet again, Princess Luna visited her, excited to have someone to share her guilty pleasure with. She could try to discuss it with her older sister, but odds were that Celestia would lock the texts up and scold Luna for reading them. Alternatively, Luna could share her findings with Discord, but how he would react was anyone's guess, and none of the possibilities appealed to the younger alicorn. But Apple Bloom was a perfect confidante. She had an innocence about her, and was intelligent enough to understand the messages the ponies were trying to share. She was a perfect student, and Luna was proud of her.

"Are you ready for another lesson, my dear Apple Bloom?" Luna asked, "This one is called Ten Days That Bucked the World, and is about one of the revolts during the Reign of Terror."

"Sounds great!" the filly beamed, "But first, Ah made ya somethin'!"

"A gift?" Luna smiled, touched by the gesture.

"Ah don't know how dreams work, so Ah don't really know how ta give it ta ya, but Ah can show it ta ya at least." Apple Bloom explained, a folded midnight blue cloth appearing in her forelegs, silver fringes appearing at several edges.

In one motion, the filly unfolded the banner she had been making right before her sleep and Luna gasped at the elegancy of it. It was a field of the midnight blue material with a silver emblem emblazoned upon its surface. The emblem was very unique, and Luna could tell at once that she had been the inspiration: a sideways, stylized moon crescent formed the base of the emblem, a distinct, hornlike shape jutted from the middle of the moon and went through the centerpiece, a star. The entire thing was flanked by two alicorn wings, forming up almost like a wreath. Luna levitated it before her, unsure what to say.

"It's beautiful." she finally found the words, "But why?"

"Ah don't know." Apple Bloom confessed, "Ah wanted ta make a flag fer all these harmonious ideals, fer what that Equites fella called a "republic", but Ah couldn't think a' any good ones. Then Ah saw yer night sky an' it hit me! It's only fittin' it's inspired by ya; yer the one who introduced me to this radical literature, anyway."

"I suppose so." Luna said, feeling guilty at having exposed the youth to borderline forbidden politics.

"Luna..." the filly began, nervous. They had dispensed with titles awhile ago, now on close terms with one another. "Will we be free ta choose our leaders, one day?"

"Why would you want to?" Luna seemed surprised, "Isn't Celestia a good leader?"

"She is, but..." Apple Bloom cringed, "Ah mean, she turned Discord inta stone, banished ya ta the moon an' did the whole Reign a' Terror thing, an' while that all happened a long time ago, Ah'm scared ta think what'll happen if she still has all the power in Equestria."

Then with a smile, she quoted "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"Her power is not absolute, dear Apple Bloom." Luna gave a laugh, "I am in control of the night and ruler of the land half the time."

"But doesn't Celestia do all a' the rulin'? Ah thought ya mostly just helped with ponies' problems an' raisin' the night?" the filly asked.

"Well, if Celestia ever made a decree I found immoral, I would step up to challenge it." Luna explained, then smiled softly, "But that will never happen. My sister is a very saintly mare, and whatever she has done in the past is in the past, and it was done with the best intentions."

"Well... Alright." Apple Bloom seemed a little disappointed, but otherwise put at ease, "Are we gonna start readin' that book, now?"

"How about we play some games instead?" the Princess of the Night suggested.

"Boy howdy!" the earth pony exclaimed. Playing games with a Princess? What more could a filly ask for?
*-*

It was the end of the school week again and, as usual, Apple Bloom's presentation was last. Not because of any lack of preparation, but because she had been so adamant about saving hers for last. Cheerilee didn't argue because it was clear how much effort the filly had been putting into her report. Almost everyday she was at the library, much to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's confusion, and at night she indulged in her private lessons with Princess Luna. The report was kept under tight lock and key; not even her family knew about it.

"Do you think she's trying to get her librarian cutie mark without us, or something?" Scootaloo asked, increasingly suspicious of their friend's disappearances. The two of them were waiting patiently for Apple Bloom to show up to class and give her presentation.

"I don't think so." Sweetie shook her head, "We tried that already. Twice, in fact."

"Oh yeah." Scootaloo sighed, "Still, what do you think she does all day? I have no idea what she could be reading that's suddenly more important than finding our special talents!"

"Maybe she's reading about cutie marks?" Sweetie suggested, "I mean, that's actually a pretty good idea, when you think about it."

"Oh yeah, that is!" the pegasus smiled, but suddenly frowned, "But... why doesn't she invite us?"

Before the conversations could continue, Cheerilee trotted in with Apple Bloom by her side, toting her saddlebags. "Settle down, my little ponies!" the teacher hushed her students, "Today Apple Bloom is going to give her presentation!" turning to the yellow filly, she motioned for her to begin.

"Thank ya, Miz Cheerilee." Apple Bloom smiled, giving a respectful nod of her head, "Before Ah begin, Ah have somethin' a made fer the occasion." She pulled out the folded banner she had made for Luna the night before from her saddelbag.

"Ooo, a blanket." Silver Spoon snickered.

"To tuck us in when her report puts us to sleep, no doubt." Diamond Tiara nudged her friend and they broke into a short fit of vicious giggles.

"Girls!" Cheerilee warned before turning back to Apple Bloom, "Continue, please."

"With pleasure."

The filly at the front of the class unfurled the flag in the same deft motion that she had performed for the Princess, tacking it to the chalkboard behind her. She went to the wall and dimmed the class' lights, but rather than obscure the pattern, what little light remained only brought the silver emblem out in deeper, starker contrast to the darkness of the room. It shone like a real star upon the evening sky, dazzling her classmates - Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon included.

"This is a flag Ah made after researchin' some forgotten history an' philosophical works that..." Apple Bloom didn't want to mention Princess Luna's involvement in her education; nopony would believe her, "...a friend a' mine has been tutorin' me on."

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exchanged curious glances. Apple Bloom hadn't told them anything about a friend tutoring her. Apple Bloom cleared her throat, hoof held to her mouth to signal that her prepared speech was about to begin. All eyes were on her, the simulated starlight of the banner reflecting onto her yellow fur and red mane, giving her a dim halo that seemed to echo the burning light in her amber eyes.

"It started a thousand years ago, shortly after Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon for her jealous takeover attempt," she began, the intrigue in her voice literally drawing in her classmates with interest. Even Cheerilee wasn't unaffected. Knowing she had them on the ropes, Apple Bloom smirked. "Many ponies saw Celestia's actions against Discord an' her sister as cruel and corrupt, so they spoke out against her an' wanted to erect a new regime - one where everypony would have a say in how Equestria was run, an' no one pony would hold absolute power."

"What is she, a dictationary?" Scootaloo asked Sweetie Belle, wondering where a filly could pick up these words.

"Frightened over the sudden distrust from her subjects, an' worried over what they might do if they got rid a' her title as Princess a' Equestria, Celestia did the only thing she could think ta do in such a time." Apple Bloom could practically feel the anticipation from the class, the quiet so tense that one could hear a pin drop and it would sound like thunder. Immediately, the mood darkened and Apple Bloom leaned forward, her next words drawn out in a dark muttering, almost as if it were a curse to plague the hearts of ponies everywhere. "She began a Reign a' Terror."
*-*

The rest of the speech had been a masterstroke of stagecraft. Apple Bloom wouldn't have been surprised if she had earned an orator cutie mark for her efforts, but in all honesty the speech had been an endeavor of days of work, hours of research and repeating key phrases she had picked up from various authors Luna had taught her about. By the end of it, the class was dead silent and Apple Bloom was actual pleased that they were so struck by the lesson of her presentation. Even Cheerilee was stunned, almost horrified.

"Apple Bloom..." Cheerilee breathed out at last, "Where did you hear such... lies?!"

"Lies?!" the filly turned on her teacher, equally offended and surprised, "Everythin' Ah said was one hundred percent honest!"

"Celestia never censored publications or imprisoned ponies on unfounded suspicions!" Cheerilee was angrier than anypony had ever seen her, and the schoolponies already unnerved by Apple Bloom's presentation shrank back in their growing fear, "Celestia is an honest, open, goodhearted ruler and I refuse to accept your ridiculous stories! How could you even imagine these things?!"

"Ah swear ta ya, Miz Cheerilee, everythin' Ah said has a reliable source!" Apple Bloom said through gritted teeth, "Why, ya could look up half a' these authors yerself, if'n ya wanted."

"Oh?" Cheerilee scoffed, "Where would I find their works? In the fiction aisle?"

"The only book you'll find in-town that even mentions them is The City a' Light." Apple Bloom pressed, "Almost all a' their remainin' works are locked away in a secluded part a' the Canterlot Royal Library where nopony would bother ta look."

"Then how did you manage to read them?" Cheerilee challenged.

"Ah-" Apple Bloom began, but stopped, "Mah friend that tutors me has been tellin' me about 'em. She found them one day and started readin' them to me to help cheer me up."

"Why in Equestria would any book about Celestia being a corrupt dictator cheer you up?" the fuschia teacher was aghast.

"It ain't that part that cheers me up!" Apple Bloom growled, "It's the other stuff! They have a way a' writin' that just... just stirs somethin' in a pony. It makes me feel like, fer the first time in a long time, that there's hope fer us. They talk about harmony an' takin' control a' our lives, instead a' lettin' our lives control us! They write about freedom, an' choice, an' workin' towards the greater good a' all a' Equestria - no - the entire world! Their words are like nothin' Ah ever heard, Miz Cheerilee, nothin' anyone's heard in a long, long time."

"Who are these authors?" Sweetie Belle asked the question at least half their class had been thinking.

"Star Spangled an' Scarlet Banner are two that keep comin' up." Apple Bloom said, but even Cheerilee didn't recognize either of them, "But the first one that was read to me, an' the first one that mah tutor friend read, was a real famous fella named Equites."

"I know Equites." Cheerilee said, "He wrote many works that influenced Celestia's harmonious ideals and helped shape Equestrian law and government, as well as early science and magic. Not as much as Starswirl, but still..."

"Well, he wrote a couple a' books that Celestia didn't like, an' that inspired a whole mess a' other ones."

"What was this book called, Apple Bloom?" Cheerilee asked, her previous misgivings about the presentation forgotten by her newfound curiosity.

"It was called Republic." Apple Bloom said in a low voice that carried over the silent class, then added with a large smile, "An' I can get ya a copy."

Author's Note:

In case it wasn't clear, this is sort of my own take on the whole "Lunar Republic/Solar Empire" theme.