//------------------------------// // 7 // Story: When Heavens Divide // by Mediocre Morsov //------------------------------// 7 Twilight felt uncomfortable in the audience. The last time she had gone to one of Trixie’s shows, it hadn’t ended well for any pony. Now, though, she was obligated to attend. Starlight had invited her since she was Trixie’s assistant, and the Princess wasn’t about to deny them so soon after mending their friendship. Besides, Spike was already going and returning to the castle just to avoid Trixie was insanely petty. It also would mean she’d be stuck inside, alone, on a Friday evening, while nearly every pony in town was at the show. Sighing, Twilight took her seat of honor beside her friends. Only once she sat down did she realize how Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack were sitting on the other side of Spike, using him as a buffer from Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and herself. She suppressed a groan. How had she forgotten to resolve the overall friendship crisis? She was so focused on fixing her personal quarrel, she had neglected her responsibility to help repair all their quarrels. Why were ponies so contentious when it came to politics? This problem needed to be solved quickly; her friends being sulky was one thing, but two days with no sign of relief was getting ridiculous. Before she could begin, however, every pony (and Spike) began applauding. Returning her vision to the stage, the Princess saw the show was beginning. A single spotlight was illuminating the center curtains, and in a puff of smoke, Starlight Glimmer appeared. The unicorn wore the same outfit she had been wearing when Discord had teleported her into the castle two nights earlier: a black singlet with a red bowtie, white cuffs around her foreleg hooves, and fishnet stockings leading to black shoes on her hind legs. The audience was briefly stunned, most of the stallions’ mouths gaping open. Twilight noticed Spike snort a plume of green-tinged smoke before covering his snout, blushing. The Princess couldn’t help but crack a wry grin in amusement at her assistant’s behavior. “Fillies and gentlecolts!” Starlight announced, managing to keep her embarrassment under check, “Prepare to be astounded by the one…” Lights turned on behind the curtains, displaying a larger-than-life outline of Trixie upon them. “…the only…” Music began playing out of nowhere. Fluttershy seemed immensely pleased at this, something Twilight only noticed because a moment before she had been sulking. “…the Great…” Several fireworks shot up. “…and Powerful…” Starlight’s voice echoed with the firework detonations as they spelled out the name on her lips, “Trrrrrrixie!” The curtains were swept aside as smoke billowed out and dissipated. Every pony cheered, then stopped in confusion as the smoke cleared and revealed an empty stage. The audience began murmuring to one another. “TA-DA!” Trixie announced from behind Twilight, standing atop the back wall of Twilight’s VIP box, eliciting a startled yelp from the Princess. That yelp was drowned out in renewed applause. “Trixie, how did you…?” Twilight began to ask. “Ah-ah,” Trixie smirked, jumping over her head to get back to the stage, “a magician never tells her secrets!” “Okay,” the Princess allowed a smile to cross her lips, “now I’m interested.” “Uh-oh,” Spike mumbled, “Twi has that ‘analytical’ look on her face, again.” Despite the tension, her friends giggled and allowed themselves to look at the other half without scowling. They watched the show with a mix of fascination and intrigue. Some of the tricks were old, and Twilight and her friends knew how they worked, but with Starlight’s help Trixie had made her equipment look brand new. Every now and then, something they thought was an easily-explained trick turned into something unexplainable – like when Trixie sawed Starlight in half, but the lower half got up and tap-danced. Only Fluttershy seemed not to question, but they all enjoyed the show. “You’ve all been a wonderful audience!” Trixie said, “but we have one, final act before the night is over!” “Are you going to be eaten by a manticore again?” a figure in the audience asked, earning a glare from Trixie. “No…” the magician regained her composure, “Tonight, the Great and Powerful Trixie will perform the greatest magic of all!” “Well don’t leave us in suspense,” the same figure said. “Cranky Doodle, is that you?!” Trixie demanded, satisfied when it was silent, “First, Trixie will need a volunteer from the audience!” After giving a pathetic attempt at scanning, Trixie gasped and pointed at Twilight. “It seems we have a Princess here tonight!” the magician exclaimed, “Surely the Princess of Friendship could accomplish any task set to her by one so humble as Trixie!” All eyes turned toward Twilight, who only sighed in resignation. Her friends were smiling at her and Starlight was almost pleading with her eyes to do it. The Princess trotted to the stage, a little hesitant but ultimately giddy to be part of the act. She took her place beside Trixie, smiling nervously at the applause. “Okay Trixie, so what do you need me to do?” she asked, quiet enough that only the two of them could be heard. “All Trixie requires of you is to stand still and look pretty,” the magician smirked, “Think you can handle that?” “Shouldn’t be too hard, since that’s all you do,” Twilight said. “W-what?” Trixie was wide-eyed. “The standing around, I meant!” Twilight winced, “Not the… look, I was try to use a witty retort; I’m really bad at those!” “O-okay then,” Trixie cleared her throat and resumed her show-pony-ship, “Tonight, the Great and Powerful Trixie will perform the greatest trick ever yet performed! She shall become…” A drum roll played out of nowhere as Trixie built up suspense. Twilight found herself leaning in along with the audience. “…a Princess!” The crowd gasped, exploding into muttering questions about how such a thing could be done. Twilight only knitted her brow. Hypothetically, a non-Princess could become a Princess; she was proof of that. Still, how in Equestria did Trixie figure it out? “It will be all the easier,” Starlight said as she trotted over, her and Trixie’s horns glowing and levitating a startled Twilight above them as the crux of an impromptu pyramid, “with a Princess volunteer!” Before Twilight could question what was happening, a bright flash blinded her. When she opened her eyes, Trixie had a pair of long, blue wings in addition to her horn. Stunned, Twilight tried to fly out of the magic levitating her only to discover her own wings were missing. Panic gripped her as the audience exploded into astonished cheers. Even Cranky Doodle was impressed. “Behold!” the newly-raised alicorn laughed with delight, “Trrrrixie, the Great and Powerful Princess of… uh… Magic Shows!” With her newfound alicorn magic, Trixie spawned a stupendous display of fireworks that briefly illuminated the sky in a colored portrait of herself in the most ostentatious of royal jewelry and silk clothing. The audience continued to cheer as she created even more fabulous images. Twilight felt herself beginning to hyperventilate and Starlight, seeing this, approached Trixie and whispered in her ear. “Aww…” the magician pouted, “Already?” Seeing Twilight’s panic, she sighed, “Okay, fine… Now, the Great and Powerful Princess Trixie will return this gift back to its volunteer.” Although a little sulky, Trixie kept her word and they reformed the triangle. In another flash, Twilight became an alicorn once more as Trixie reverted to her unicorn self. Although a little upset at being normal again, the sheer volume of the applause more than made up for it. Trixie smiled and made a grand bow, gesturing for Starlight and Twilight to join her. Twilight only did so with a numbness that comes after feeling violated. “Trixie realizes a magician isn’t supposed to reveal her tricks,” the unicorn announced, “but it would be poor form if she did not give credit where credit is due. Starlight Glimmer is not my only assistant this evening; fillies and gentlecolts, please put your hooves together for the God of Chaos himself!” In a whoosh of dramatic flame and whirling demons that had not been part of Trixie’s plan, Discord strolled out of a rip in space-time wearing his suit and top-hat, chaos-star-topped cane in his hand. “Thank you, thank you!” he bowed to the applause. Fluttershy was cheering louder than any pony, and Twilight finally put the pieces together that she knew he was involved from the beginning. “I-I don’t know what to say! I haven’t a thing prepared!” the draconequus pulled out and unrolled a large scroll, fixing his monocle, “Let’s see… I’d like to start by thanking a Mr. Gene Roddenberry…” “That’s great, Discord!” Trixie interrupted, “But Trixie is sure the audience would rather like to go home in wonder! Not boredom…” “Oh, fine! Have it your way,” Discord sighed, snapping the list away. They performed a few more bows and headed back stage, choosing to wait out the dispersal of the crowd. Starlight and Trixie spared a worried look at Twilight, who looked absolutely distraught. Before they could inquire tactfully, Discord took note. “Gee, Princess, you’re not looking too hot,” he noted in his usual dry sarcasm, “Don’t tell me being a unicorn for two minutes was too much for you.” “Discord!” Starlight hissed. “Discord!” Fluttershy cheered as she fluttered through the curtains, the rest of their friends close on her heels, “You were amazing tonight!” “I knew you had to have something to do with this,” Applejack chuckled, but her bravado faltered, “Though, uh… how much did you contribute?” “Ah-ah,” Discord mimicked the magician as he hugged Fluttershy, “magicians never reveal their secrets.” “I have to say that was pretty awesome,” Rainbow Dash admitted to Trixie, “I’d even go so far as to say the Wonderbolts could learn a thing or two on show-pony-ship from you.” “It was marvelous!” Rarity agreed, then noticed Twilight, “I say, Twilight, are you feeling alright?” Immediately all eyes turned towards her. “I feel… wrong,” she said, simply. “Did you mess up the trick?” Trixie asked Discord, “You assured Trixie that no pony would be harmed!” “I did not mess up!” Discord scoffed, “I am a god, remember?!” “I never gave you permission to take my-my princess-ship away from me!” Twilight snapped, silencing the bickering magicians. “I’m not sure ‘princess-ship’ is a word,” Starlight joked, trying to defuse the situation, “but, you are the librarian…” “This isn’t funny, Starlight!” Twilight huffed, “You stole my powers and gave them to a pony with a history of abusing magic!” “Twilight…” Fluttershy warned as she saw the hurt in Trixie’s eyes, the hardening of Starlight and Discord’s features. “I would have thought that, after saving Equestria, Trixie would have earned your trust,” Starlight said, steadily, “I thought we all would have earned your trust by now. Especially me.” “Well,” Twilight spluttered, “Trust rescinded! You can’t just take my powers without telling me! That was really, really freaky!” “Don’t be mad at Starlight, Princess,” Trixie stepped up, “It was Trixie’s idea, and she apologizes.” The magician used one of her flourished bows, startling everyone with her humility. Twilight felt confusion. Her mind was still racing with panic at how easily she had lost her powers, at how quickly she had been returned to a regular unicorn. It brought up her hidden fears that she wasn’t a real alicorn – that her position as a Princess was a sham. She always viewed Trixie with mistrust, always frustrated at the unicorn’s disrespect towards her, and now – when Twilight had a right to be angry – here was that same unicorn humbling herself and apologizing. Combined with all the other messes the last few days had produced, she lost her cool. “I don’t want an apology!” she snapped, “I want a promise – an oath! – that you will never put my right to rule in question again!” “Twilight, where is this coming from?” Starlight gasped as her friends recoiled. “Princess Twilight!” the alicorn was more than a little manic, but slowly reigned herself in, standing with all the poise and grace of Celestia. For an instant, her friends recognized her near-divinity, forgetting for a moment that Twilight was exclusively their friend. “Do I not have the right to defend what is mine? It’s not fair for any pony to simply take the power of an alicorn for themselves. It is a birthright, or in my case, it is earned.” Starlight helped Trixie off of the floor where her curtsy had become a cower. “Well, you might be an alicorn princess,” Starlight said, “but you’re not behaving like a Princess of Friendship, right now. Come on, Trixie, let’s go!” “T-Trixie apologized…” the magician muttered, numbly following her best friend, “What about the oath…?” “Forget the oath!” Starlight said, “If Her Majesty is so worried about her right to rule, then maybe she should get a Royal Guard to protect her from her friends!” Twilight shuddered with a mixture of rage and sorrow, screaming at herself for blowing things out of proportion – again! Seriously, what was up with that? She usually handled these situations so well, but with so many stacked on top of each other at the same time… how did Celestia put up with it so well, by herself, for a thousand years?! “Well, that was uncalled for,” Rarity stomped a hoof in reserved indignation. “Yeah… I guess I was out of line, again…” Twilight admitted, her composure slipping. “Oh, no!” Rarity assured her, “You were well within your rights! They had no right to perform such a trick on you without your permission! They completely disrespected your status as a Princess.” “What?!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “Trixie, Starlight, and Discord only played a little trick on her! It wasn’t even a prank, and they’re all friends! And she volunteered for it! No offense, Twilight, but you did overreact!” “Look Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash interjected, “I thought it was a cool trick, too, but I’ve already told you that you can’t play certain pranks on certain ponies! This obviously upset Twilight, like, a lot.” “And it was rather rude, when you think about it,” Rarity continued, “Would they have even considered pulling that on Princess Celestia or Luna?” “I would in a heartbeat,” Discord laughed, “Oh, the look on Tia’s face!” “Supernatural immortals aside…” Rarity murmured, “The point is, Trixie wouldn’t have performed her sleight of hand on the other Princesses, but she chose to ignore Twilight’s own status as a Princess. It’s disrespectful. Twilight is a Princess, and one should respect such titles.” “Respect the status, you mean,” Applejack grunted, “After all, wouldn’t want the Princesses being treated like us rabble.” “Oh, don’t start that up again!” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t you remember, darling?” Pinkie Pie asked Applejack in an exaggerated posh accent, “You aren’t rabble because you own land!” “Hey, cut it out, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash scowled, “Why don’t you guys just let it go?” “Because Rarity still believes it,” Fluttershy said, “Don’t you, Rarity?” “Why am I suddenly the villain for appreciating the wisdom of the system that has kept Equestria stable for more than a thousand years?” Rarity asked, “Only ponies with a vested interest in the government should be allowed to participate, and even that is needless clutter. The nobility act in the interests of their regions and have provided prosperity for their subjects under Celestia’s guidance, so why should we muddy things up by letting any pony interfere whenever they feel like it?” “What about non-ponies with vested interests?” Spike asked, suddenly, startling the unicorn. “Well, no offense Spikey,” Rarity’s giggle was like tinkling glass from a chandelier, “but Equestria’s name comes from Old Ponish for horse…” “Oh, so it’s just a land for ponies?” Spike asked, bristling. “I didn’t say that,” Rarity snorted, derisively, unaware that Twilight was practically shrinking back, “It’s just that, well, there’s nothing in our laws that says we have to include non-ponies in government. It’s a land for ponies, by ponies, but not exclusive to ponies. Why, you have an ambassador’s position and you’re not a pony!” “So I’m involved in the government,” Spike smoothed his features, “I suppose that means I have a vested interest in the government?” “Look,” Rarity sighed in agitation, “I’m saying that nobility should run things, not ponies with no experience.” “What about dragons with experience?” Spike pressed. Rarity racked her mind for a way to say no without starting some debacle. Some ponies – well, dragons too, apparently – couldn’t handle the truth very well. What was with her friends’ sudden interest in fiddling with the government? Would having every pony vote on issues really improve anything? No! In fact, it might make it worse. Bureaucracy was a dreadfully droll affair that ultimately bogged down and ruined governing, and it was made all the worse by the fact it was managed by those not of the Blood. “I’m sorry, Spike, but no,” Rarity shook her head, “Perhaps if you formed a committee of non-ponies as us crafts-ponies would form a guild… That way, you can voice your concerns to the government?” Spike was about to rage, then suddenly calmed. He tapped his chin. “Form a committee…” he mused, “Huh… That might help… I’ll catch up with you guys later, I’ve got some work to do.” Before Twilight could ask, the dragon sprinted off. “I say, I’ve never seen Spikey-wikey act quite so rude to me, before,” Rarity blinked, “Twilight, do dragons go through… oh, there’s no polite way to ask this, I apologize, but do they go through puberty?” Twilight was too stunned to answer; considering she wasn’t entirely sure how dragon physiology or aging worked, she didn’t have one anyway. Fluttershy replied instead. “Rarity!” the pegasus came as close to snapping as she ever did, “You were the one being rude!” “Whatever did I do?” Rarity was flabbergasted. “You told Spike he couldn’t have a voice in government!” Applejack pointed out. “Ah, but I also said I didn’t believe any pony outside of nobility should manage it,” Rarity corrected, “and I suggested he organize a committee to voice the concerns to said nobles.” “But,” Fluttershy stepped forward, “you also told him that – if non-nobles were to run the government – he still shouldn’t have a say because he’s not a pony.” “Did I say that?” Rarity furrowed her brow, trying to recall. “And you told him Equestria was basically for ponies!” Pinkie Pie added. “Well, to be fair, that was what its founders intended,” Rarity held her chin up, mane bobbing, “and as I explained to Spike, non-ponies are just as welcome; it’s just the laws were written with ponies in mind. Really now, I don’t remember being as crass as you paint it!” “Oh, you weren’t,” Applejack scowled, “You gussied your words up and spun them around to sound like you were preaching scripture! Trouble is, we understood what you were really saying!” “AJ, back off!” Rainbow Dash got between Rarity and the others, “Why are you all attacking her?” “Why are you defending her?” Fluttershy asked. “Rarity’s the one at fault here,” the farm-pony agreed. “I beg to differ!” Rainbow scoffed, “Look, I don’t really care for the whole voting thing, and I really don’t understand politics – it’s boring! Leave it to those stuffy nobles! Rarity also has a point about Equestria being founded by ponies, and why should we change it? Ponies and non-ponies are free to come and go as they please, and they can even settle here! Writing new laws would be pointless!” “I can’t believe you’re being this short-sighted!” Applejack hoof-palmed, “Oh wait, yes I can!” “And that right there is why I’m defending Rarity!” Rainbow growled, “You three are being way too aggressive! Coming from me, that’s saying something!” “She implied non-ponies don’t belong in Equestria,” Fluttershy said, “Even if that’s not what she said, it’s how she said it.” “Oh, so what?” the cyan pegasus rolled her eyes, “Technically they don’t. I mean, look at our government! Look at the Wonderbolts! All ponies. The vast majority of Equestria is made up of ponies. Heck, almost every non-pony I’ve met came here from somewhere else! Why should Rarity or I be sorry for standing by the truth?” “One, I ain’t certain it is the truth,” Applejack asserted, “and I think being the Element of Honesty gives me some authority on the matter.” “And two, it matters because it shows how you two really feel about Spike,” Fluttershy added. “What?” Rainbow shook her head, “Wait, no! That stuff… I didn’t mean Spike! I meant, like, other non-ponies. I keep forgetting Spike isn’t a pony.” “Oh, but it’s totally okay that all non-ponies be treated like outsiders?” Pinkie asked, “I mean, that is what you implied.” “You three are projecting your outlandish interpretations onto us!” Rarity sniffed, “We never said such vulgar things!” “Not exactly, no,” Applejack said, “but beneath all your dodging, that’s what you’ve been throwing out there.” “Yeah, well, it looks like you’re the one who’s throwing stuff out there,” the sporty pegasus retorted, “Come on, Rares, we don’t have to put up with this!” “Perhaps we can enjoy each other’s company somewhere less brutish,” Rarity snipped as she followed Rainbow Dash. “So now we’re brutes, huh?” Applejack called after them as they disappeared into the night. “I can’t believe this!” Pinkie clutched her head, “Everything’s been going super crazy lately! Twilight, how could you just stand there while they told Spike he wasn’t a real pony? I mean, obviously he’s not a real pony, but he’s just as important as the rest of us!” “I…” the Princess sighed, “I shouldn’t have freaked out!” She rocketed into the sky, fighting back tears before her friends could stop her. Fluttershy was tempted to follow, but the Princess moved too fast and the night sky was too dark; it’d be a fruitless endeavor. Slowly, the friends fell into a guilty silence. “Maybe we were too harsh…” the yellow pegasus said at last. “Don’t be foolish, my dear,” Discord chided, “I was actually quite moved by what you did tonight.” “Well, that’s reassuring,” Applejack murmured. “I’m serious!” the deity assured them, “Rarity was incredibly rude to Spike, and indeed, rude to the three of you! All you were doing was speaking the truth. Her and Rainbow couldn’t see it, of course, because from their perspective, everything looked and sounded different.” “Well, then their perspective is wrong!” the farm-pony scowled. “On the contrary; both of your perspectives are correct,” the draconequus chuckled, “You’re all interpreting the same evidence from different points of view, you see?” “Oh, like looking at a seven-layer cake from different angles?!” Pinkie Pie hopped, excitedly. “Exactly!” Discord laughed, delighted at her confectionary analogy, “You mortals are stuck in a static view of the cake from one perspective at a time, and that’s shaped by your emotions and personal experiences. Rarely, a being might actually take the time to examine the whole cake, but ultimately, they can only ever see it from a few different angles at one time. I, on the other hand, can see the entire cake at the same instant!” “How in tarnation do you manage that?” Applejack asked. “God of Chaos, remember?” Discord smirked, “If there’s one thing I can understand, it’s a broken picture – and it doesn’t get more broken than millions of ponies debating politics from independent viewpoints. Honestly, I can scarcely imagine something more chaotic!” “So, they were right to act that way, too…?” Fluttershy asked. “Oh, heavens, no!” the draconequus waved a hand, dismissively, “They did exactly as you said, and rather than think about it, they accused you of twisting their words around. All they had to do was think about what they said, how they said it, and why they said it, and they would have realized they are biased! But I’ve rarely met a pony who owns up to their bias. Heck, even I’m biased towards agreeing with Fluttershy! Otherwise, I have no interest in mortal politics.” “You know a lot of ponies besides us?” Applejack asked. “Touché,” Discord chuckled, “Now, I say we do something fun before the night’s through to get our minds off this little debacle. It is Friday the 13th, after all, and that’s my kind of day!” “What about the others?” Fluttershy asked. “Oh, just apologize to them tomorrow or something,” Discord rolled his eyes, “I don’t think you did anything wrong, but ponies like them won’t admit they’re at fault, so you might as well suck it up and make the first gesture. Now, who’s up for some ice skating?” “During October?” Applejack balked, “Winter ain’t for… Oh yeah, I forgot who I was talking to.” “Shall we?” the God Chaos gestured towards the nearest pond. The mares exchanged looks before smiling and nodding in agreement. The night might have been a disaster so far, but that didn’t mean it had to end as such. … Apple Bloom was walking beside Big Macintosh as he pulled the wagon carrying Granny Smith and the stools they’d brought to watch the show on. The youngest of the Apples was too excited to sit still for the walk back to Sweet Apple Acres, and while it was the weekend, it was also after dark and none of her friends were allowed out after dark – including her. So she channeled that energy into skipping around the wagon, gushing about the fireworks. “I wonder what I’d be Princess of if I could get that done to me?” she mused. “Why would you wanna be a Princess?” Granny Smith asked. “I wouldn’t,” Apple Bloom admitted, “I just wanna know what I’d be if I was.” “Cutie Marks,” Big Mac said simply. “Huh,” the filly smirked, “Princess of Cutie Marks. I could live with that.” “Apple Bloom!” they heard a voice cry. Big Mac stopped and all three Apples looked around for the source, finding a young drake rushing towards them, scroll in hand. He stopped, panting and they waited for him to catch his breath. “What is it Spike?” Apple Bloom asked, smiling. She always liked it when Spike talked to her; he was at once similar to and completely different from all the colts she knew. Still catching his breath, Spike handed her a scroll. She blinked, wondering if this was some invitation to hang out. Spike did enjoy making romantic gestures, but never towards her. She felt a blush creep along her cheeks, but took the scroll. Opening it, her eyes widened and all theories of romance were tossed out the window. “Well, I’ll be!” she declared, “It’s a royal summons from Princess Celestia!” “Goodness gracious, Apple Bloom,” Granny Smith frowned, “what in the name of sassafras have you gotten into now?” “A job, apparently,” the filly smirked, “The Princess has requested the other Crusaders and I go to Canterlot to help with a Cutie Mark problem. Says here she’ll pay for everything, even send an escort to carry us to and from the city if transportation’s a problem!” “Let me see that!” the Apple matriarch took the scroll and squinted to read it, “Well, butter my flank and call me a biscuit, it’s true!” “It also says we can bring a chaperone, if it’d make y’all feel better,” Apple Bloom read over Granny Smith’s shoulder, “Wonder why she recommended you, brother.” “Me?” Big Mac raised an eyebrow. “Says something about seeing a…” Apple Bloom smirked, deviously, “seeing an old flame in Canterlot! Big Mac, you sure get around, don’t you?” “I never dated anyone in-” the stallion began, then stopped. His pupils shrunk. He forgot he had gone to the carnival with Princess Luna once. “Uh oh.” “Well, if it’s a mare you ain’t interested in anymore, just tell her you’re seeing Sugar Belle, now,” his sister suggested. “Sugar Belle?” Granny Smith tapped her chin, “Whatever happened to that Marble filly...?” “Wait, Marble Pie?” Spike asked, “Isn’t she your cousin?” “Spike, was there something else?” Apple Bloom asked, suddenly, “I’m not sure how this works. Do we tip you, or…?” “I’m not a telegram service,” Spike deadpanned, “Don’t worry about it. I was on my way to work on a project, but then these letters came… It’s actually too late to do what I wanted to, anyway.” “I’m sorry to hear that,” Apple Bloom frowned, “Is there anything I can do to help?” “Actually, could you give these letters to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle when you see them?” the dragon handed her two more scrolls, “It’s late and I need to get home.” “No problem, Spike,” Apple Bloom smiled, “Will you see me off?” “Sure!” Spike smiled, “Just tell me when, and I’ll be there.” They said their goodbyes and parted ways. Spike felt his mind grow sluggish as he entered the castle and went to his bed, completely unaware that he was the sole occupant. … Starlight’s dream had been an erratic mess. She was dreaming two dreams at once, seeing things from two perspectives. One was her as a little girl, chided for her ideas, sneered at, looked down upon, and persecuted. She couldn’t properly defend her “wishful thinking” as every pony told her, simply, that her beliefs had no value in their society. The other dream was her as a tyrant, bound in chains as certainly as her subjects. Here, her wishful thinking had been gradually whittled down until only a totalitarianism remained. She was forcefully happy, trying to keep up the image that her ideals had improved society when really she had only ruined it. She had forsaken every value she stood for in order to get that far, and once in power she couldn’t seem to make things right again. The tyrant Starlight oppressed and chided the child Starlight; the image of hopeless resignation bearing down on withering optimism. Yet, despite the onslaught, the young Starlight held on like a guttering candle flame that wouldn’t stay extinguished; weak, yet lasting. Finally, Princess Luna came and put the two Starlights back together, bringing the dreamer into conscious thought. “Princess Luna!” Starlight stumbled into a confused curtsy, trying to adjust to having one mind and body. “This has certainly been one of the more bizarre dreams I’ve visited,” Luna looked around at the color choices, the aesthetics, “I’ve never seen a pony dream as separate ponies before… It was very interesting to witness.” “Thank you for getting me out of there!” Starlight inhaled, adjusting to being conscious once more, “That was… that was creepy.” “It is not a problem, my little pony,” Luna smiled, gently, “It is my job, after all, and that job is not finished.” “Oh,” Starlight stood straighter, “Okay, so what’s the other job?” “I must help you process your nightmare,” Luna explained, “Now, would you like to explain it, or should I extrapolate from what I’ve seen?” “I’m curious what you think it was about,” the unicorn confessed, “You’re the dream expert, after all.” “Alright,” Luna smirked at the compliment, “It seemed to me that you were challenging your own beliefs while simultaneously defending them.” “Yeah, that’s right…” Starlight sighed. “The older version of you tried to destroy the beliefs the younger version of you held,” Luna continued, making Starlight perk up, “but she was unsuccessful. Why do you think that is?” “Because I can’t let go of the past?” the unicorn guessed. “I think it’s because you genuinely believe you’re right,” Luna explained, “and the only reason your older self even formed was to represent the views held by every pony else. She was you as a tyrant, not you as you are, nor you as a youthful idealist. I believe she was your doubts about your beliefs, reinforced by years of ponies telling you they’d never work.” “Are… are you saying my ideas could work?” Starlight asked, brightening at the prospect. “Some of them, certainly,” Luna smiled, then leaned in conspiratorially, “I’ve actually read a good deal of ‘new age’ politics since I returned from my banishment. The Constitution of the Republic of Marexico, the Rights of Ponies from Prance, and your manifesto…” “I had no idea you were a student of politics,” Starlight said, then realized how stupid that sounded, “Wait, you’re a Princess. Of course you’d study politics!” “You’d be surprised how little my sister knows on the subject,” Luna stated, dryly, “She has been operating by the same politics for more than a thousand years – she just dresses it up with moral lessons taught to her students, several of whom went off to become villains!” “I thought Sunset Shimmer was pretty nice,” Starlight chuckled, “I see what you mean, though. It takes more than lessons and trust to change some ponies…” “Exactly, but no pony is really clamoring for reform anymore,” Luna noted, “Outside of Equestria, there are republics, and some city-states desperately want republics, but within our borders, no pony seemed to care. Except you.” “Don’t remind me…” Starlight muttered. “No, I think this is a good thing,” Luna smiled, “I worried I was the only one. I… I have a proposition for you.” “I’m listening…” “Ever since I’ve seen the mare Twilight has grown into in just two short years, I’ve wanted to take on a student of my own,” Luna said, blushing a little at how foolish it sounded, “Celestia and I were supposed to be working on amending Equestrian law to protect non-ponies, but she’s taken on two more students, on top of her usual duties, and we barely see each other as it is. I was hoping that you might be interested in coming to Canterlot to study with me. Frankly, it would be a learning experience for me, too.” “Y-you want me to study with you?” Starlight grinned, then frowned, “I don’t know… I studied politics all the time growing up… What more could I learn?” “You’re an adult now, with world experiences,” Luna said, “the texts will mean something different. Additionally, how many republican and radical texts did you have access to?” “Well, they were mostly a few abridged compendiums,” Starlight noted, knitting her brow, “Hey, now that you mention it, they were all compiled by authors in Equestria!” “And they likely twisted the translations, cutting things out, to make the ideologies seem less palatable,” Luna sighed, “If Tia knew about these kinds of tricks, she’d never have allowed it! My sister and I detest censorship. If you come to study in Canterlot, you will have access to our library; we have the original works in the original languages, as well as direct – unabridged – translations.” “Wow!” the unicorn hopped in place, as excited as Pinkie Pie, then stopped, blushing, “I mean, that sounds great and all, but I can’t just up and leave…” “What if I give you until next Friday to think about it and prepare?” Luna asked, letting a little eagerness show through; she regained composure, “You could, um, talk it over with Twilight. If you wanted, you could bring along a friend or two who might be interested in studying.” “I’m not sure if she’d be interested in studying,” Starlight tapped her chin, “but Trixie might be interested in accompanying me in Canterlot. It’d also give us some breathing space from Twilight while things cool down. You know what? Yeah! I will study with you! Just give me a week to get everything squared away.” “Oh, that’s wonderful!” Luna beamed, “A student of my own! Tia will so impressed. Until then, Starlight Glimmer.” “See you then, Princess Luna,” the unicorn curtsied as Luna faded from the dream. The rest of her sleep was filled with something she had been afraid to feel for some time: a passionate vision. Finally, she had a chance to put her ideas into words again, without being condemned. She wasn’t going to ruin it this time.