18
“This isn’t where I would expect a senator to spend her evenings,” Starlight said as she stepped onto the terrace of Canterlot’s westernmost parks.
The senator in question rounded at the newcomer, surprised, but instantly relieved.
“Oh! It’s you, Starlight,” Senator Mare smiled softly, “I just needed some time away from politics. Everything’s gone to heck in a handbasket since the vote was revealed. Congratulations, by the way.”
“Yeah, it’s an honor,” Starlight said, sarcastically, “Actually, that’s kind of why I’m here… I wanted to ask you if you were interested in being my Chancellor?”
“Chancellor?” Senator Mare asked, vaguely familiar with the title from her studies, “I’m not sure…”
“Mare – can I call you Mare?” Starlight asked. Senator Mare tilted her head, curious, but smiled and nodded. “Alright, well, I didn’t want to be President, but they kind of hoisted it on me. I’m not allowed to appoint anyone else from my political class because they’re ‘too young’. The only pony I know who fits the bill, then, is you.”
“Me?” the senator prompted.
“You have years of political experience and know how to run a government,” Starlight explained, “and you’re well-known and liked by ponies. I also have a sneaking suspicion you support the Republic, at least on some level. Otherwise, why would you run in elections? You must have a soft spot for democracy, right?”
“Well, all of these things are true,” Senator Mare chuckled, then looked back west, “but my loyalties lie first and foremost with my constituents in Ponyville. I can’t simply just abandon them for the Lunar Republic.”
Starlight mulled that over, quietly looking at the very faint light that was Ponyville in the distance. At night, in the city, it was invisible amidst the light and splendor of Canterlot, but this far out it could still be seen.
“You wouldn’t be abandoning them,” the unicorn said, softly, “I’ve heard through word of mouth that Ponyville is divided on the Republic, with roughly half the town favoring it. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t your constituents the ones who voted you in?”
“Obviously,” Senator Mare giggled, not seeing the point.
“How many ponies in Ponyville actually participated in the elections?” Starlight asked, “Out of the total voting population, I mean?”
“I’d say only about… half…” the senator’s eyes widened as she made the connection. She turned to face the President of the newborn nation, “You are assuming that the voters who put me in office all support the Republic.”
“They support democracy,” Starlight explained, “and they trust you to do what is best for them. Also, don’t pretend they voted to appoint you Senator of Ponyville. I’m fairly certain many of the ponies back home are quite upset they had no say in the matter.”
“Even so, I was given this job by Princess Twilight…” Senator Mare didn’t sound convinced by her own argument.
“And that is a great honor,” the unicorn nodded, “but I know Twilight, and she will not fault you for turning it down or following the path that you think is best.”
Senator Mare frowned, looking genuinely indecisive as her eyes shifted around, physically searching for some sort of decisive factor she hadn’t considered. Starlight knew she had to say something to help make the decision easier. She smiled, recognizing Senator Mare’s heart lay with her city-state.
“Ponyville isn’t part of the Republic, as you probably know,” she said, “but that’s because many of the ponies were frightened off from voting by threats that secession meant destroying Equestria. Every pony thinks the Republic is going to fall apart, that it can’t be run seriously – that democracy is folly because it puts decision making into the hooves of regular ponies like us.”
“Is this supposed to reassure me?”
“I’m getting there,” Starlight snapped, “They fear all of this, but if they see the Republic thrive, if they see it survive and grow stronger, then all the city-states who backed out will rejoin, and we’ll grow stronger. Seeing that, the rest of Equestria will follow,” Starlight grew serious and looked the former mayor dead in the eyes, “but it will require exceptional leadership in the beginning to pull it off, and only you can help me with that.”
“Surely there are others more suited-” the senator began.
“There is no one else,” Starlight assured her, then smiled, “You are the Lunar Republic’s – all of ponykind’s – greatest hope, right now.”
Senator Mare blinked, feeling a little heady at the idea of being the savior of her entire race, but she shook off her delusions of grandeur with practiced ease. Nobody became a successful politician by overestimating themselves so drastically. Looking back at Ponyville one more time, Senator Mare looked at Starlight and nodded.
“In less than a week I have gone from being Ponyville’s longest running mayor, to being its first senator,” she noted, “and now I shall be the first chancellor of a new nation. This has been an interesting chapter in my life.”
Starlight smiled and placed a comforting hoof on the Chancellor’s shoulder.
“It’s not over yet,” she pointed out.
…
They avoided looking at each other, eyes downcast to their silverware, faces heated in embarrassment. Spike had begun twiddling his thumbs while Apple Bloom shifted her silverware around, trying to determine which forks she was supposed to use for which dishes. Both of them furrowed their brows in consternation. This was getting ridiculous! They were on a date, for crying out loud; there was absolutely no reason to be wasting their time in awkward silence, especially when they had the added bonus that the government they helped create was off to a successful start. Both opened their mouths to talk and their words cancelled each other’s out, prompting them to simultaneously click their jaws shut, faces flushing in newfound embarrassment. Realizing they had been unconsciously mirroring each other the entire night, the two youths burst into laughter, ignoring the glares of the soft-spoken elite around them.
“We’re being silly,” Apple Bloom said after regaining control of her breathing, “How are things with you?”
“Really, that’s your best opener?” Spike smirked.
“Alright then, let’s see yours,” Apple Bloom laughed.
“Okay, uh…” the dragon scratched his chin, “What’s going on?”
“That’s exactly what I asked-” the farm filly rolled her eyes, “Never mind. I’m doing pretty good, but…”
“But?”
“It’s nothing,” Apple Bloom shook her head, not wanting to kill the mood, “Applejack’s letters come in often. She and Granny Smith are writing me every day, I guess, and it’s getting a little annoying.”
“I could see why that might get annoying,” Spike chuckled, but Apple Bloom saw the dragon had saddened some.
“Did I say something wrong?” she asked.
“Oh, no.”
“Spike…”
“Okay, okay!” the dragon held his hands up, “Well, I still haven’t gotten a letter back from Twilight… Neither has Starlight, or Trixie.”
“Oh,” Apple Bloom frowned. Spike winced at the look of pity she gave him, trying to remind himself it was one of sympathy. “I’m sure she’s safe.”
“I hope so, but that’s not what has me worried,” Spike sighed, “I… said some things to her before I left – things that might be… awkward. The letter I sent her asked about them; I’m worried that’s why she isn’t responding.”
“I see,” Apple Bloom tapped her hooves on the table. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Remember when I said ‘it’s nothing’?”
“Considering it happened less than a minute ago, yes.”
“Don’t get lippy,” the filly snorted, “Well, what I was gonna say was that everything’s great except that my brother is going to move to Appleloosia.”
“What?” Spike looked shocked, “W-why?”
“To be with the Republic,” Apple Bloom explained, “Ponyville didn’t join, so that’s where he has to go.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Spike sighed, “I’ll miss him, but I can only imagine what-”
“Excuse me, but did you say your brother is part of that Republic nonsense every pony keeps going on about?” a unicorn asked, one Spike recognized as Fleur de Lis. Other unicorns were also gathered.
“Yeah…?” Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes, uncomfortable with the hoity-toity appearances of the restaurant since entering. Now with a bunch of elites sneering down at her in condescension, she’d lost her appetite before even getting their overpriced appetizers.
“Is he aware how many of us suffered at the hands of those democratic trapes in the past?” the unicorn asked, icily. Another unicorn, one Spike recognized as Fancy Pants, moved towards her side, looking down on her with sympathy.
“Suffered?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Suffered!” Fleur snapped before the filly had finished speaking, “My family came from Prance and was thrown out by those treacherous curs! Prance used to be the grandest and most majestic city-state in the world, and now it lacks splendor and glory. My family was evicted for no other reason than that they were born!”
“That all seems pretty one-sided…” the filly frowned, then smirked, “Wait, was your family the noble family that ran Prance?”
“Indeed it was,” Fleur said, pleased that someone recognized her pedigree.
“The same noble family that unfairly taxed the poor to line their palaces with gold?” Apple Bloom asked, “Then told the towns-ponies to go eat grass when they couldn’t get any hay?”
“Those are greatly exaggerated accounts!” Fleur blushed, “My family used to rule Prance! We elevated it from a backwater into a world power, and those, those… those insolent nobodies betrayed my cousins and drove us out because they had to pay a little extra! A city-state as great as Prance is maintained with wealth, driven by the vision of its rulers under the guidance of Empress Celestia; not dictated to by street urchins and bumbling farmers who know nothing about the greater world!”
“I think they get the point, dear…” Fancy Pants muttered, clearly uncomfortable with this side of his companion.
“Forgive me, I-” Fleur began, trying to visibly calm herself, but Apple Bloom stood up, staring defiantly into her face.
“I will not forgive you!” she declared, “I came here to enjoy a date with my drake-friend, and you decide to waltz over and pry into my personal business, criticize my whole family, and moan about the fact that your family got exactly what they deserved? And you want me to forgive you?! I most certainly will not! Now, if’n you don’t mind, this bumbling farmer is going to go somewhere where the atmosphere is a little less stuffy.”
The filly trotted past the stunned socialites, leaving an equally stunned Spike in her wake. She stopped near the exit.
“Spike! You coming?”
“Uh, yes,” the dragon mumbled, awkwardly making his way past the indignant unicorns that were slowly recovering and shooting venomous glares at them.
“Good day!” the filly declared, leaving with Spike. The bus colt at the door gave a sly nod of approval towards the working class filly, pleased to see a ‘little guy’ standing up to his clientele.
Spike followed his date for several minutes, wondering where exactly she thought she was going but knowing she needed time to cool her head. Finally, the filly stopped, obviously lost in the unfamiliar city and emotional from a combination of outrage and embarrassment for losing her temper.
“That was-” the dragon began.
“Ugh, don’t say it!” the filly screwed her eyes shut, “That was so embarrassing!”
“I was going to say that was pretty cool, actually,” Spike chuckled, startling his date, “The way you stood up to those snobs? I’ve never seen any of them get worked up enough to insult the poor, but I’ve always suspected… Anyway, that was awesome how you put her in her place like that.”
“I…” Apple Bloom grimaced, “I don’t know, maybe that was too much. I’ve always tried to think the best of ponies, even the snobby ones. The Crusaders and I gave Diamond Tiara a chance, and now she’s one of our best friends. I know she’s not a bad pony for being rich, but I feel like having all that money does something to ponies, you know?”
“I’m a dragon,” Spike laughed, “If there’s one thing I know all too well, it’s that greed can turn you into a monster. It’s why I don’t have many possessions.”
“I feel bad that you don’t,” the filly frowned, “You deserve nice things.”
“I have a good life, and good friends, and a family that cares about me,” the drake shrugged, “I’m the ambassador to two different races, and practically worshipped by the Crystal Empire… I don’t have a lot of need for wealth.”
Apple Bloom looked around, noticing the street was almost deserted. She thought over what she wanted to ask carefully, knowing it was a touchy subject.
“Out of curiosity,” she began, slowly, “if all that’s true, then why are you so upset about the pony, non-pony thing?”
“What?”
“Well, you’re just so dead-set on the recognition of non-ponies in law for some reason,” Apple Bloom shrugged, nonchalantly, “I mean, you’re a walking success story! You’re practically considered a pony, so why make laws protecting you? No pony actively tries to remove your rights… I just don’t get it.”
Spike sighed. He was actually having a good time, too.
“You’ve heard about the portal to that other dimension, right? That whole adventure?” Spike asked.
“Yeah?” Apple Bloom quirked an eyebrow.
“Well, when ponies go through, they become humans – these weird, hairless ape things that are the dominant species on the planet,” Spike looked away, “Do you know what dragons turn into?”
“I don’t know,” the filly scratched her head, “Lizard humans?”
“No,” Spike chuckled mirthlessly, “We turn into dogs. We’re pets.”
Apple Bloom stayed silent, not sure how to respond.
“It never really bothered me until a few weeks ago when I started considering my place in Equestria,” the dragon continued, “I was taken as an egg and used for an entrance exam for a unicorn magic school, then spent my childhood being trained as her maid and secretary. You call my life a success story or non-ponies living here, but the only reason I’m regarded so highly is because I risked my life on countless occasions to save Equestria and the Crystal Empire, constantly choosing the pony lifestyle over my native lifestyle, and helping to establish peace between the ponies and two of their most aggressive enemies. Even now I’m only tolerated by most ponies, who see me as some kind of amusing oddity rather than an equal.”
“Spike…” Apple Bloom teared up, “You’re more important than that. You know we don’t think of you like that.”
“And I appreciate that,” Spike gave a genuine smile that disappeared quickly, “but these other ponies… They will turn on me. This Orduud business isn’t going to end well for non-ponies in Equestria. Zecora, Matilda, Cranky Doodle, Discord, the buffaloes… me. If something goes wrong, most of the ponies will turn on us, whether we’re in the Empire or the Republic.”
“I think you’re overreacting,” the filly tried to laugh.
“I can’t explain it, but I feel… something building…” Spike sighed, flexing and un-flexing his claws, “I’ve been having these dreams, and they’re not pleasant. I know bad things are going to happen soon, but the picture isn’t clear. Then there’s that legend…”
“What legend?” Apple Bloom asked, hoping to shift the topic from whatever brooding omens had her drake-friend depressed.
“This Thurdojun thing in Cinder Crisp’s journal,” Spike ran his claws through his spines, “It’s some old dragon legend about a dragon savior who unites the dragons against pony invaders.”
“That’s weird,” Apple Bloom giggled at the idea, unintentionally irritating her date, “Ponies invade? That’s ridiculous!”
“Tell that to the buffaloes,” Spike murmured, then continued before she could retort, “The weirdest part is that there’s so many variations of the legend. Sometimes the dragon is a female, sometimes it’s the Dragon Lord, sometimes they’re an orphan, sometimes they’re a foreigner, sometimes they have wings, sometimes they don’t, but here’s the weirdest part… Sometimes, in the legend, the Thurdojun unites the dragons and the non-ponies against ponies.”
“Wait, so you think that…” Apple Bloom blinked in surprise, “You think Ember is this thurdo-something?”
“She could be,” Spike shrugged, “if the prophecy is true. Or she could be trying to fulfill it, or someone else could be forcing her to fulfill it… I’m worried the legend will inspire a war, whether it’s true or not.”
“Self-fulfilling prophecy…” Apple Bloom murmured, remembering the concept from one of her classes.
“Yeah,” the dragon sighed, “Only this one results in a world war...”
“I’m sure it won’t come to that,” Apple Bloom assured him, “Nothing like that has ever happened before, and I doubt it will ever happen. The Orduud will stay peaceful, and this business with the Republic will go smoothly. You just gotta have faith.”
“You’re probably right,” Spike nodded, slowly, “Ember doesn’t strike me as the world-conquering type. I’ve learned from misjudging my friends once already; I don’t want to repeat that awkward lesson.”
Apple Bloom eyed him for several moments which made the dragon shift in discomfort before she snapped out of it.
“Sorry about that,” she blushed, “I was just thinking about how much you’ve grown…”
“Not that these innuendos aren’t flattering,” the dragon chuckled, “but they’re getting a little old.”
“Not like that!” the filly scoffed, blush deepening, “I meant… you’re a lot more mature now, too.”
“Or maybe this is the first time you’re noticing,” Spike suggested, though he was joking, smirking smugly, just like the little drake she remembered of old.
“Or maybe it’s just a fluke,” she snorted, sharing in his joviality as they walked back to the castle, their laughter fading into the darkening sky.
…
Luna looked at Big Mac from across the table, eyebrow raised in challenge, a playful smirk on her face. The stallion for his part looked for all the world like a colt caught with his hoof in the cookie jar. It took supreme effort on the alicorn not to burst into laughter or blush. With a personal, midnight game of Ogres and Oubliettes with cider, she should have expected more than a few slips of the tongue.
“Are you quite sure you wish to… seduce the alicorn princess, ‘Sir McBiggen’?” she asked, coyly.
“…Only if she wants to, I suppose…” Big Mac drawled out, slowly, looking her steadily in the eyes.
Luna nodded in approval. She could appreciate a stallion who didn’t back away, fearful of his own decisions. She felt an unintended shudder down her back that made her wings ‘pomf!’ for a brief instant. This time she couldn’t contain a blush.
“Er…” she murmured, “Do a charisma roll.”
Big Mac rolled the die, noticing a brief flash of dark blue magic ensure the tiny object landed with the number ‘20’ facing upwards. His eyes flashed over to the alicorn and he flinched back when he realized she had moved beside him.
“Would you look at that,” she said, quietly, eyeing him with a hunger in her eyes, “a natural crit.”
“Ee-eeyup…” the stallion gulped as she moved in, tantalizingly slow.
As if by design, the door to her study swung inwards and slammed into the wall, startling the two ponies apart. Celestia strode in, a smirk on her face. For an instant it was one of sisterly amusement, but it quickly shifted to something more condescending.
“Sister…” Luna sighed, feeling the warmth of cider’s liquid courage flee her blood. Naturally her elder sibling would barge in when Luna was finally taking her advice…
“Am I interrupting anything?” Celestia asked, smugly, as she levitated an empty mug to her muzzle and inhaled, cringing at the smell, “Is this how the leadership of the Lunar Republic behaves?”
“I am not the leader of the Republic,” Luna explained, embarrassed, “and please do not call it by that name.”
“I see,” the Empress of the Day sneered, “First you deny your imperial title, and now you deny your republican one. You shirk your responsibilities, young one.”
Before Luna could retort, Big Mac spoke up.
“Hold on here,” he drawled, “Luna rejected leadership of the Republic because she trusts ponies to lead themselves, and she rejected that Empress title because it’s a symbol of tyranny!”
The alicorns were equally stunned, and Big Mac too once he realized what he had said. Celestia recovered first, her eyes glittering darkly.
“Watch your tongue, serf,” she said slowly, “I am a goddess compared to the likes of you…”
“Sister!” Luna did a double-take, “You have never spoken like this before! I do not recall a day that has passed where you have not rejected claims of divinity, and now…”
“Alicorns are divine beings, Lulu,” Celestia replied matter-of-factly, an edge of disdain to her voice, “You’ve put things into motion with your silly political games, forcing many ponies to reevaluate and rethink the course of our history, to rethink all that we have ever known. I am no different. I’ve come to accept that alicorns are a breed apart from the regular ponies we rule over. We are immortal, powerful creatures who reign over nature itself! If that snake Discord can claim godhood, why can’t we?”
“Sister, what has happened to you?” Luna narrowed her eyes in suspicion, seeing something almost familiar lurking beneath the surface of the other alicorn’s psyche, but it was buried deep, festering.
“Enlightenment,” the older alicorn gave an ugly, feral smile, “I will leave you two foals to your games. Unlike some alicorn rulers, I have a nation to lead.”
Celestia departed, leaving a petrified Big Mac and concerned Luna behind. Luna immediately recovered once the Empress of the Day disappeared, turning to face her would-be lover.
“I’m afraid I must cut this rendezvous short, my love,” she said, quickly.
“…’My love’?” Big Mac repeated, eyes lightening up with returned affection even as the rest of him tried to recover from the shock Celestia had put him through.
“No time for that, now, Big Macintosh,” Luna sighed, displeased with the overall situation, “I must convene with my fellow leaders – alicorn and regular pony alike. I fear Equestria, perhaps the entire world, is in grave danger…”
“Figures,” Big Mac sighed, returning to his usual, quiet stoicism, “If it ain’t the end of the world dragging my family and friends away, it’s the end of the world dragging my filly-friend away.”
“Filly-friend?” Luna smirked, “It seems so… dainty. I rather like the irony of it,” she grew somber once more, “Unfortunately there is no time for that. Find your sister and her friends; keep them safe. The castle may not be the safest place for them in the next few days.”
“You don’t think Celestia is a threat, do you?” the stallion asked, narrowing his eyes. He burst into deep chuckles for a moment, “That’d be ridiculous. Celestia is… well, she’s Celestia! She can’t be turned evil, or whatever.”
“If not for my past as Nightmare Moon, would you believe I could have turned?” Luna asked, silencing his laughter, “I fear some foul influence has taken hold of my sister, though I cannot fathom how… I must convene with my peers in this matter.”
Big Mac nodded and the two departed, Luna rushing for her most private sanctum, hidden deep within her wing of the castle, locked away where even Celestia had never tread. In her youth, she had gone there only for privacy, but now she used it for protection she prayed she didn’t need. If Celestia was tainted by some force, then Luna felt she was not safe. If it were the entity she feared it was, then matters were even more dire, for the entity was tied to Luna in a fashion and would detect her efforts if nearby.
But surely it could not be that demon.
Soon Luna was in the realm of dreams, hoping she could find the leaders she needed. Her dream walking was a great boon for long-range communication, but it only worked if the recipients were in deep sleep. It was late, but she knew that mattered little to many ponies. Twilight could have stayed up all night studying; Cadence could be up for days attending to Flurry Heart. And Starlight? Luna had begun to wonder if she were still a teenager with how upturned that mare’s sleep schedule had become.
Fortunately, though, Princess Cadence and Starlight were both dreaming. Luna summoned Cadence easily enough, rescuing her from a mundane dream where she was attending to no less than a dozen Flurry Hearts suffering different problems. Starlight was a little more awkward to rescue, as Luna had to pry her from the arms of a certain dragon, though thankfully that was the worst of their situation. With two of three pony leaders summoned, Luna began.
“I fear for my sister’s wellbeing,” she confessed.
“Something is wrong with Aunt Tia?!” Cadence asked, immediately worried.
“Yes,” Luna nodded, “Or at least, I suspect. She has not been herself lately.”
“I’ve noticed,” Starlight agreed, “though I’ve only met her a few times.”
“What are you two talking about?” Cadence asked.
“Celestia has become arrogant,” Luna explained, “She acts condescending, dismissive, and even hurtful lately. Worse, she has begun to let her authority as Empress of the Day get to her head all while neglecting her royal duties!”
Cadence remained silent for a time, measuring Luna with her eyes.
“Are you sure you are not over-analyzing the situation?” she asked at last.
“What?” Luna and Starlight blurted as one.
“I’ve gotten word of some of your recent behaviors as well,” Cadence’s eyes shifted towards Starlight momentarily, “through Sunburst.”
Starlight blushed as Luna gaped at her with shocked betrayal.
“The point I’m trying to make is that maybe Aunt Tia is acting like this to cope with everything that’s been happening,” Cadence suggested, evenly, “Both of you have gotten pretty worked up over the politics at play in Equestria.”
“It’s more than that!” Luna snapped, her patience fraying with fear, “She has changed in a way I cannot describe! We’ve had disagreements before, but she has never been so… cruel before. And just an hour ago I heard her claim to be a goddess!”
“That’s…” Cadence blinked, “…surprising, to say the least. Are you sure she meant it that way?”
“I do not exaggerate on such matters,” Luna sniffed, “I am convinced she is under the influence of some dark magic. Perhaps Sombra…?”
“Sombra is still contained,” Cadence grimaced, “though I confess his magic is growing. This disunity is feeding him, it appears. I believe you are simply facing a sibling spat.”
“I don’t know, Princess…” Starlight frowned, “I’ve seen their sibling spats, and they’ve never been this bad. Luna doesn’t lie about these things, and Celestia has never been so petty before. Maybe you should come down and visit?”
“Even if I am wrong, which I pray that I am,” Luna calmed her breathing, “seeing her favorite niece once more would likely do Tia a world of good.”
“I suppose I should come for a visit,” Cadence smiled, “for diplomatic purposes, naturally. After all, I must reaffirm my loyalty to the Empire while simultaneously sharing my congratulations with a newly born nation.”
“You… don’t hate us?” Starlight raised an eyebrow.
“Of course not,” Cadence seemed aghast, “I am the Princess of Love, not Hate. Besides, I find your views admirable and I wish you the best of luck making the Republic work. However, I’m not quite ready to relinquish my authority, and I can’t leave Aunt Tia’s vision for a better future. If she converted to your ideology, well… maybe. Until then, the best I can do is wish you luck.”
“I can respect that,” Starlight nodded, soberly, “Luna, was there anything else?”
The former Princess of the Night thought about that, unsure how to proceed. She had been hoping to convince the other leaders to unite and confront Celestia over her change in personality, but perhaps she was overreacting. With a sigh she shook her head. After saying their goodbyes, Luna dismissed them back to their respective dreams before returning to the waking world. She grimaced, wondering if she were the one who had changed for the worse.
She looked through the one window of her hidden sanctum at the moon, preparing to re-enter the dream world for her nightly duties. She had sensed a wave of new nightmares borne from anxiety at the uncertain future. She braced herself before entering, smirking despite the situation.
It seemed the dawn of a new age was further off than she thought.