Oak Wreath knocked a second time on the door to the royal guest suite.
“I said enter!” came the voice of his sovereign, or rather one of his sovereigns. The scarier one. He obeyed the order and bowed down deeply as he did so.
Princess Luna was donning her barding. It wasn’t as easy as she remembered and she swore under her breath while attempting to telekinetically strap on the croupiere to her behind she was swearing under her breath. She had the peytral hanging down her breast and the criniere around her neck already. She had tried to put on the champron but found it uncomfortable to have it on her head while she was struggling with the straps. Now it hovered within her magical aura.
“It was so long ago...” she thought, and then: “I had Twilight Sparkle practice this, and now she isn’t here...” She felt a harsh sting of longing and shame.
“You there!” she said harshly to Oak Wreath, then she softened her voice. “Oak Wreath, isn’t it?”
“Yes, your highness,” said the prostrated unicorn.
“Ha! I remembered!” said a triumphant Luna. “Attend to me, sir, and help me with these Wheel-forsaken straps!”
“Me?” said Oak Wreath and stood up in shock.
“Well, my hoofmaiden is missing and gone, and the castle’s maidens aren’t here,” she said. “I haven’t done this myself in over a millennium and the creator of this was known for overly complex designs!”
“Is it... really proper?” said Oak Wreath carefully.
“In my time, it was,” said Luna. “It was even an honor. Do you wish for honor, Sir Oak Wreath?”
He stepped up and started to fiddle with the straps, first tentatively, then methodically. He understood the point the Princess had made about overcomplicating things, but Oak Wreath was a pony with a mind for detail, and he thought he had the hang of it. The barding looked like nothing worn today, being bulkier and with strange protrusions. It was made out of incredibly rare moonsilver and hence much lighter than it looked like, but it was still too thick for modern aesthetics. Large pieces of obsidian were set into it, and Oak Wreath almost cut himself on their sharp edges. The fabric of the straps and padding was soft yet fibrous and shimmered like the Princess’ own hair.
“It is my own hair,” said Luna, somehow reading his thoughts. He shied back a bit.
“I take it that Your Highness thinks donning armor is a good way to show support for the troops,” he said.
“Yes,” said Luna. “It always leaves a good impression. I won’t spend all day inspecting troops, but when I’m not I can still present an image of courageous action, and hope the press notices it.”
“As you say, Your Highness,” Oak Wreath said as he started to put on the flanchards and the caparison. The latter was a wondrous, thick fabric that seemed luminous and transparent. “Beg your pardon, Your Highness, what is this woven from?”
“It is not woven at all - that is from the hide of a star-bear,” said Luna.
“Ah,” he said and continued with his work.
“You’re not bothered by the use of animal products in crafting, Sir Oak Wreath?” Luna said, mildly amused.
“It was another time, Your Highness, and here in Tarandroland it is another place,” he said.
“So, you strive to find the best in ponies - people,” Luna said, this time mildly mocking.
“I’m a diplomat, that’s what we do,” said Oak Wreath and finished with the flanchards, just checking to see whether they lay flat against Luna’s sides and whether the caparison hung the right way around her body.
“Aye, that’s also a way you can see it,” said Luna and looked as if she was suddenly lost in memory.
“Your... caparison, isn’t it, Your Highness?” said Oak Wreath and held up it to her.
“Very good sir,” she said. “Most would just have said helmet. Put it on!”
As he carefully did so, Oak Wreath mumbled: “One picks things up.”
“What did you say?” said Luna watching in her mirror as her face was covered with cold hard lunargentum. Obsidian lenses turned her view of the world into a shadowed battlefield, and her hearing became somewhat impaired. “Speak up!”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” said Oak Wreath. “Things. Facts. One picks them up. Such as what you call an ancient mask-helmet like that.”
He turned to look at his sovereign in the mirror.
“I... am no handmaiden, Your Highness, but if I might make a suggestion regarding fashion...” he said cautiously.
“You have our leave to speak your mind, sir,” said Luna, turning to and fro in the mirror.
“Don’t wear the helmet while addressing and inspecting any troops,” he said. “Carry it with you, openly, as officers do for comfort in hot weather or the like on protected ground. Levitating it by your side, I mean.”
She lifted off her helmet and did so.
“Yes, like that, Your Highness,” he said. “See, it is more than a mite intimidating, and you needn’t intimidate either the Equestrian citizens or the Tarandrolanders. You need to make them trust you. But... not removing the helmet until you speak to them might be a good idea. That will show them you trust them, by not being fully protected when approaching them.”
Luna looked at him curiously.
“You’ve given this a great deal of thought aforehand?” she said.
“Not really, Your Highness,” he said and shrugged. “I just deal... deal with ponies, it’s what a diplomat does, and it seems reasonable.”
“I’ll follow your advice, Oak Wreath,” she said smiling into the mirror as she put on her caparison herself. “Let’s get going. I am always fashionably late, but to do so correctly requires us to be on time. Bring my notes.”
Oak Wreath nodded and followed his Princess, the notes she had referred to hanging in his magic field. He found he had to walk pretty quickly to keep up with her as she kept talking. This was not very like the Princess he had, admittedly, mostly glimpsed.
Is she nervous? Eager? he thought.
"Now, this first Equestrian regiment I'm about to inspect: what can I expect of them?" she said.
“Uhm, Your Highness, I assume it was all in the dossier you received, and...” he began.
“The Third Newborn Franklin Regiment, yes,” she said as she was dodged by reindeer servants. “Six hundred and twenty hooves strong, so a regiment is much smaller than when I was... younger.”
“No, no, they don’t have to be four thousand hooves anymore...” said Oak Wreath dodging reindder who were too busy gaping and the armored alicorn to notice him.
“The point is, I have no idea who they are. The dossier assumed knowledge of their history and modern terminology. I hoped you could explain,” she said. “A franklin means a pony who is not a serf, but there aren’t any serfs anymore.”
“I... look, this isn’t my subject, but...” Oak Wreath began as they descended a set of stairs. “Seven centuries ago, or so, your revered sister abolished slavery of non-equines. She distributed land amongst the freed slaves.”
“And that has what to do with this regiment?” Luna said.
“Well, since they were now free landowners, they were technically yeomanry, and had to defend the realm when called upon,” Oak Wreath said. “They wanted nothing more but... old habits died hard, and the old regiments of earth ponies and pegasi refused to have them. So they formed their own.”
“You mean they’re not ponies?” said Luna as she stopped.
“Mostly cattle, I guess, but some swine, sheep, goats...” Oak Wreath. “During the years other breeds joined... mostly donkeys and mules but also some of the tribal herds... deer, antelope, buffalo... Though they still call themselves ‘The Barnyarders’ if I’m correctly informed. Of course, nowadays there is no problem with a non-pony seeking admission to a normal yeoman regiment, but...”
“So the first Equestrians to help here aren’t ponies?” said Luna.
“Your Highness, the soldiers you’re about to meet would be horribly offended if you suggested they were less Equestrian for not being ponies,” Oak Wreath said sternly.
“My apologies, sir, that came out wrong,” said Luna and sighed. “I mostly meant it reflects badly upon the majority back home in Equestria.”
“Well, I suspect there are... more selfish reasons,” said Oak Wreath as they started to walk again. “The plight of the urox among the cattle at home, as well as sympathy for the reindeer among the northern tribal protectorates, have surely affected them more than others. I’m sure support for the Tarandrian cause has spread among the equine majority as well, only slower.”
Luna said nothing, but grimaced with disappointment within her helmet.
“Later this day, I’m reconvening with the urox for some sort of demonstration. I should let them meet each other as soon as possible,” she said. “Yes. See to it that the... Barnyarders stay on the exercise field, and the urox representatives can come there. Yes. Make it so.”
“Well, as soon as I can find a courier, Your Highness,” said Oak Wreath.
They were outside the main building now. The field where they were going was outside the castle walls, so they turned onto the.main path towards the castle gates.
“Can you tell me anything more about the Barnyarders?” said Luna. “I mean, what am I supposed to use them for, besides a meatshield?”
“Your Highness!” Oak Wreath burst out.
Luna chuckled.
“Oh, that’s less grim than it sounds,” she said. “Large groups of people scare monsters like the nidhogg which means they can be herded to their death in some trap, and if those wretched pirates see whole regiments of soldiers they’ll probably surrender or flee since there aren’t many of them. But we will need actual soldiers who have seen actual war as well, and the one drawback of my sister’s blessed long peace is that those are rare. So: why should I use the Barnyarders as other than cannon fodder?”
“Erh, well... it even says here in the dossier you were given, Your Highness,” said Oak Wreath and tried to read as he walked, “that they specialize in the removal of mines and in combat engineering, like demolitions, for example. Probably because of their civilian jobs, and so on. Seems to be a lot of farming and construction. Pioneers.”
“Theoretical training, I suppose?” said Luna.
“They have done some work in disaster areas, Your Highness,” said Oak Wreath almost protectively.
“Together with their civilian jobs, it seems they could have done a lot to help the reindeers after the war,” Luna grumbled. “Meanwhile, it is not like the forces of Winter will put up barbed wire and mines. Why are the people who volunteer first the people I need last?”
“Your Highness, if I might make a suggestion...” Oak Wreath said. They were getting closer to the castle gates.
“Yes, go on,” said Luna, grinning wickedly. “You seem to have a strange insight into military matters, sir.”
“Their resume suggests they could do well in the creation of defensive obstacles and the laying of mines and similar explosive devices,” said Oak Wreath. “If you only know where to utilize them, I imagine such things could be very useful fighting huge, mindless beasts.”
Luna stopped and looked at him.
“And, well, before that, they could presumably create defenses for, say, Sarvvik,” he said. “I know the purpose of the campaign is to save the forests, Your Highness, but you have to admit it can’t be wrong to keep the capital safe, if nothing else for the inevitable refugees.”
“You... you are onto something, Oak Wreath,” said Luna.
“This only makes it better that they arrived so early, that they can get on with the work at once, especially as they need to meet with local experts of the terrain and the enemy,” he said. “Which makes you look really good for... erh, arranging it, in an incredibly subtle way, so that they were that early. Their importance will also be excellent for their pride and hence, morale.”
“You are right,” said Luna. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Your Highness, you are unused to modern warfare,” he said.
“And you are well used to it, then?” she said and raised an eyebrow.
“I just played wargames at the university and own a set of war documentaries,” he said modestly. “The rest is mostly common sense.”
Luna raised her eyebrow even further.
“We diplomats are often sent as third parts to all kind of conflict, ostensibly to spread the Equestrian brand of friendship, but mostly to protect Equestrians who get involved, such as traders, colonists and tourists,” he said with a sigh. “I have learnt a lot from both Guards assigned to peacekeeping missions and the local military leaders, but this is still only a... hobby I have.”
“No, you have a real talent for warcraft, Oak Wreath,” Luna said seriously. “Fitting, since an oak wreath was how ancient pegasi rewarded a victorious general. Why are you in the civil service?”
He snorted.
“Because the military of a pacifist nation isn’t the place for a noble unicorn to make a career,” he said.
“I see,” said Luna crassly, “that’s why you are the defacto leader of a uncertain mission to an unimportant nation, pushed into your position by colleagues because you had the misfortune to be so responsible as to actually act.”
Oak Wreath snorted again, this time with more mirth.
“I’ve really bucked this one up, haven’t I. If you’ll pardon my language, Your Highness?” he said but he didn’t look at Luna.
“I’m sure your career points straight upwards, sir,” said the Princess. “Let’s get ready for the inspection.”
“Yes, ma’am!” said Oak Wreath with a grin and made a sharp salute.
Vigg lay with his head on his desk, chin resting on the textbooks, paper untouched, quill dry. His heart was beating slowly, the heartbeats echoing inside his head as if it was an empty stone cell, as if no sound could pass through his ears into his brain. He couldn’t concentrate on the textbook. Every word either somehow reminded him of his complete lack of worth or it didn’t, which meant it was meaningless and not worth reading. Everything but his current state of hopelessness seemed completely unimportant.
There was a rapping on the door.
“Go away!” he shouted. “I’m studying!”
“Dear...” his mother said. “You have visitors.”
“I don’t want to see them!” said Vigg. “I don’t want to see anydeer!” He sniffed, suddenly overcome with an urge to cry again, but he resisted it. “Besides, I’m not allowed visitors! You said so yourself!”
“I... this is a special visitor...” said his mother nervously.
“I forced my way in,” said a voice he has never heard before. It was matronly and melodious, and while not loud, in some way it nevertheless managed to penetrate his skull and drowned out his echoing heartbeats.
“Who?” he said and actually sat up.
“It’s -” his mother began before she was interrupted.
“Let me come in and you’ll know, Prince Vigg,” said the visitor. “If you don’t want to talk to me I’ll leave you to your homework at once!”
“...okay,” he said, his voice worried.
The door opened and his mother entered. She was very jittery, her eyes darting about his room as if looking for imperfections, then back to their visitor biting her lip while trying to smile. The reason was obvious, for in her footsteps trotted Princess Celestia of Equestria, Maiden of Dawn, Ruler of the Day Court, etc etc. She cast a casual gaze around the room with genuine curiosity. She had to bend her neck low when entering through the door, but raised herself high once she was in.
“Vigg, this is -” his mother began.
“I know who she is, mom!” Vigg snapped.
“Are you sure?” said Celestia gently. Vigg stared at her.
“Your Highness, this is my son, Prince Vigg...” said Princess Ljufa.
“I think I have seen him before, but not in the flesh,” said Princess Celestia and offered a hoof. “Hi, Vigg. Nice to meet you. Do you have time to talk for a moment?”
Vigg stared again in confusion, and didn’t take the offered hoof..
“Is this about... what I did, Your Highness?” he said. His voice was tinged with despair.
“Not really,” said Celestia, “but I guess it will come up, given how I suspect you feel right now. And please say Celestia, if we carry on yourhighnessing each other I’ll go quite mad. Anyway, please let me talk a while, and whenever you don’t want to carry on the conversation, I’ll stop, walk out that door and never come back.”
“Okay,” he said, a bit sullenly. “Sure.”
“Wonderful!” said Celestia. “Please leave us, Ljufa,” she added and turned to Vigg’s mother. “This is between Vigg and me. Remember what I told you?”
“Oh... yes,” Ljufa said nervously. “Of course, Your High - Celestia! Bye, dear. Please, behave and...”
“Vigg will do fine,” said Celestia, lifted her unceremoniously with her magic and deposited her outside the door. She closed the door and turned to Vigg.
“Now,” she said, “lets begin. Vigg, I need you to do something for me and for your country. It is something only can do and -”
“Stop!” said Vigg. “Don’t. If that’s what you come to talk about you can just leave.”
“Why? You don’t even know what I want you to do?” Celestia said.
“It doesn’t matter what it is, because I can’t do it and won’t do it because I’ll just buck everything up and destroy everything because I can’t do anything right and nothing ever works out and...” he stopped to catch his breath.
“So this is about what you did at that club,” said Celestia. It was a statement, not a question.
“Of course it is, stupid!” he said. “You said it yourself it was about that!”
“Actually I didn’t,” Celestia began.
I think you are the first who have called my stupid in centuries, besides Lulu, she thought.
“I’m a complete idiot!”he shouted. “I’m a selfish, worthless moron! Everything I do hurts people and no one will ever love me because I treat them like manure, and I can never do what everydeer expects of me because I can never, ever become a King because a King doesn’t do stupid manure like that! I ruined my life!”
“Well,” Celestia began carefully, “that’s how you see it, but...”
“No,” said Vigg and showed that he shared a talent with Celestia and her sister, that of seeming to be speaking louder without actually raising his voice. “Never. Ever. Say. That!”
“Sorry, say what?” said Celestia, the only sign of anger a slightly raised eyebrow.
“‘That’s how you see it’,” he said with a high-pitched silly voice. “Or ‘Well, that’s your opinion!’ The only time ever ever ever a grownup says that, is when they mean that they are not going to listen to you, but it would be bad form to ever say that somedeer else is wrong, because that’s conflict and that means discussion and maybe even a quarrel and we cannot have that, so let’s pretend we are tolerant and understanding and admit somedeer can have another opinion, oh yes, an opinion I’m going to completely ignore because it is not my opinion.”
Let’s guess, Princess Ljufa is very passive-aggressive as the modern psychiatrists call it, Celestia thought.
Vigg had to come back for breath again. His eyes glistened and he was burning red under his white coat.
“And remember,” he said, “I can see your soul and know when you lie!”
You do, don’t you? she thought, pity tinged with wonder.
“Alright,” said Celestia with a calm voice, “you’re wrong, Vigg.”
“Thanks,” he said bitterly. “Except it’s you who’re wrong!”
Celestia allowed herself a smile.
“You haven’t ruined your life,” she continued. “You have merely... messed it up beyond all belief.”
“What’s the difference?!” he said bitterly.
“Well, in the first case, you’re done for,” she said. “Over. You might as well kill yourself, except you will feel bad about that too, feel that you are running away, that you are a failure.”
Celestia looked solemnly at Vigg, who stared in shock.
Better be negative than whitewash it, she thought. Sight or no, he won’t listen otherwise.
“In the other case, though, which is what we have here, you can try to repair your mistakes, try to make it up to those you’ve hurt, and try to make your messed-up life less messy,” she said. “Who knows, you might even succeed.”
“I can’t... it’s impossible!” Vigg said, his gaze on the floor. “I can never undo what I did!”
“Of course not!” Celestia said. “I never said you could. I said you could try to clear up the mess.”
“How?” he grumbled.
“My experiences have taught me that there are three ways,” she said. “First, to try to repair the damage you caused. You can never undo the damage, but you can try repair it. Second, you avoid the same mistake, not increasing your burden. Third, you can search out success, and do good.”
“What do you mean, search out success?” Vigg said and looked up.
“Quite beside the damage you caused to others, you harmed yourself, inside yourself, inside your heart,” she said. “You lost your faith in yourself, your determination, your courage.”
She noticed he was about to speak up and stopped him with a gesture.
“I’m not saying this is trivial, Vigg,” she said, “Your faith in yourself might be an immaterial thing, yet losing it can mean losing it all. Self-loathing is as much a disease as the pony pox. However, if you try to do other things, try to be a success and to do what you think is right, you can rebuild your faith in yourself just like somedeer who has been long sick can rebuild his lost strength with good food and exercise.”
“It’s not that easy,” he grumbled.
“No it isn’t,” Celestia said. “But it is possible, and I think you can do it.”
I’m certain he can, but he will just hear that as me trying to be overly nice out of pity, she thought.
He looked at her with disdain.
“I have messed up my own life beyond all belief and, well, I have done my best to rebuild it,” she said.
He looked at her in the same way. She looked away, then back.
This, I expected, she thought and grimaced inwards.
“Vigg, I know that any sane teenager immediately dismisses any anecdote a grownup tells them about their own hardships,” she said, “but please listen! After all, as you said, you can see my soul. Please try to see how what I’m telling you affected me. Please try to understand how we are similar, and how you can learn from it.”
“Okay,” said Vigg. He blinked a couple of times, and then he Looked at Celestia. He shut his eyes, then he squinted a bit.
“What?” said Celestia.
“Don’t take this... literally, or something, but Looking straight at you probably requires a sooted glass,” he said. “Like... when looking at a solar eclipse. But I’ll do my best.”
“Okay,” said Celestia and smiled. “It’s been a long time since I talked about this, in this way, with anypony - or anydeer. Long long ago, my sister and I demeaned ourselves to descend to the earth, to be flesh and walk among mortal ponies. We did so to fight a dreadful threat to not just our little ponies but all the world...”
She looked at the posters of sportstars and sleigh brands on the walls of the young prince’s room, as she made a pause. They were placed between the beams holding up the roofs, carved into reindeer heads and decorated with runes.
“When we had won, we stayed with them as their rulers,” she said. “Historians will tell you we were princesses because our absent mother was the Queen, but truth is it was because we thought there could only be one Queen of a country. It wouldn’t have been fair for one of us to be Queen and the other not. We wanted it to be fair, like a playground game... we were so much like children, back then.”
Vigg blinked, and for a second imagined he saw a courtyard with flowers and butterflies, courtiers in bright clothes and knights in shining armor.
“We divided our duties very carefully, so we both would get to do all the things we enjoyed, and so that any chores of rulership were equally distributed,” Celestia said. “Just as with our cosmic duties. Luna handled the moon and the black silk of night and the myriad stars and the dreams of ponies. I handled the sun and the bright blue sky and the warmth of day and the wakefulness that begins at dawn.”
Celestia looked at Vigg with wistfulness in her eyes, as if remembering a happier time, yet one she was ashamed of.
“In the same way, I held power of the workings of justice, and the wealth of the realm, and the diplomats and couriers, of scholarship and healing,” she continued. “Luna’s sphere included the keeping of the peace and the waging of war, spies and agents, sorcery and secrets of state.”
Vigg thought he saw it again, how soldiers flew and marched, and traders and diplomats travelled, and how laws and bylaws were like literal cogs in a machine, spitting out rewards and punishments.
“I was so certain we had made it fair, that we both had tasks we loved, and that we shared equal power,” Celestia said. “Alas, I was wrong. Because when I walked among our little ponies, they bowed with respect and in their hearts was love. But when Luna walked among them, they bowed with respect and in their hearts was only fear.”
Celestia sighed sadly.
“I didn’t notice it,” she said quietly. “I was too obsessed with my own tasks, with my own power. Luna tried to tell me, but I only noticed her nagging about how nopony truly appreciated the beauty of her night. I didn’t register it... I found it a silly complaint. That was... that was not the problem.”
“They... did like the night?” said Vigg, interested in the story despite himself.
“Most ponies never looked at the night sky with their brains turned on,” Celestia said. “Luna’s complaint was correct. Had it been only that, there would been no problem but Luna never received any love from any sane pony for any of her work. I just never noticed it, I just brushed her off and thought it was just her complaint about the sky. Because honestly, most ponies never looked at a sunrise with their brains turned on either.”
“What do you mean, ‘sane pony’?” said Vigg.
Celestia chuckled mirthlessly.
There you go again Celestia, always thinking of evil as some kind of condition, as if ponies couldn’t make a malicious decision with their minds in order, she thought. Wheels should know you have done so yourself.
“Pegasi knights who relished the smell of blood and of enemies soiling themselves on the battlefield,” she said. “Unicorn wizards pursuing studies in the dark voids of magic. Earth pony slave traders who associated the clinking of fetters with the jingling of bits .”
Vigg grimaced.
“Our realm was a most happy one for most citizens... if you were a pony,” said Celestia. “We had extended out borders as far as we could, until our elder relatives interfered, and protected their clients with the full force of the elements. The Equestria of today is a mere vestige of our Empire. Gaining that kind of power requires ruthlessness, and that allowed the sort of ponies I spoke of to grow in power. Though while both of us relished extending our temporal power, we did not relish the weeds we had sown while doing so. With few exceptions, the only ponies who loved Luna loved her for those sides she didn’t like and even was ashamed of. That happened to me as well, but I had so many other loving followers that it didn’t affect me in the same way.”
Vigg again thought he Saw a bright white and gold princess standing in sunshine, surrounded by laughing courtiers, and a shadowed black and blue princess standing in the darkness, alone but for giant vermin crawling around her.
“I think I’ve heard this story before,” he said quietly.
“Then you know that my sister’s jealousy and loneliness grew, until she became determined to overthrow me,” Celestia said. “Oh, and create everlasting night, but that wasn’t her main goal, no matter what the fairy tales tell you. She wanted to have everything that was mine, and what she couldn’t have she would destroy. For when nothing was left but her, then everypony would have to love her. Night... was just a side-effect of no day.”
“Then you banished her to the moon with the Elements of Harmony,” Vigg said.
“That’s an oversimplification of how the process works, but yes, in essence, I did,” Celestia said. “Luna had found, deep in dreams beyond where you dare to go in your sleep, a power, the power of Nightmare, which she used to make herself strong enough to defeat me. Against that power, I was helpless, and it had corrupted her so that she was impossible to bargain or reason with. It was too late for that. So I had to use the Elements... to preserve the world.”
They were both silent, Vigg as he Watched a desperate battle between a crying white filly and dark, shadowy mockery of her sister.
“That’s when you... messed up your life beyond all belief?” Vigg said.
“It would be wrong to say that I have never regretted banishing Nightmare Moon, even if the banishment was a half-measure because I lacked the necessary purity to handle the Elements of Harmony,” said Celestia. “Yet I have very rarely done so. I did what I have to do, even if it pained me horribly.”
“Then how did you mess up?” said Vigg, doubt in his voice.
“By creating Nightmare Moon in the first place,” said Celestia, her voice raised without actually being louder. “I ignored my own sister’s loneliness, pain and sorrow. I only thought of myself and didn’t listen to her. I just stood idly by while she got lost in the Nightmare, like a drunkard is lost to his drink. I just told you I was impure and still am. That’s why I couldn’t and cannot use the Elements of Harmony correctly. If I hadn’t been such a selfish, horrible, egocentric brat, my sister wouldn’t have become a monster who threatened the world. Oh, how I wished I could have solved our conflict by banishing me, but as she had been corrupted by the Nightmare I couldn’t just abdicate. The whole affair was my fault and only my fault.Not only did I doom my only sibling to a punishment she didn’t deserve, but the disaster struck the whole world with pain and sorrow.”
“How do you mean?” said Vigg.
“I am, for instance, pretty certain the winter told about in your stories about Sampo was caused by the disastrous years after our battle,” Celestia said. “I barricaded myself in our castle and tried to get drunk in vain, for such potent wine is hard to find. I wailed and screamed and destroyed most of the interior of the castle. The Sun hardly rose at all.”
Vigg’s eyes widened, then he looked around him.
“See, you are taking your big mistakes better than I did,” Celestia said and winked. “The furniture is still here, and you are at least trying to do your homework.”
“How did you snap out of it?” said Vigg.
“One of my ministers dared to go in and talk to me, about my duties,” Celestia said. “He... ended up just holding me...”
Vigg Looked at her and continued her sentence as he watched the memory unfold.
“You burned... like the sun,” he said his eyes glazed over. “He held you without talking while you called for your mother and your father and sister. You cried fire and singed off his coat, and you heard his left eye broil in its socket.”
That Sight... is getting stronger, she thought. If I had tried to block him or put up a facade, I would get trouble now.
She nodded. Vigg was sweating heavily and looked like he was about to throw up.
“Then he went out from the castle,” Celestia continued, “out into the courtyard where the other ministers were gathered, from all the three tribes. He told them my first clear order as the sole princess of Equestria: that the Empire was to be dissolved.”
“Why did you...?” Vigg began.
“My reasons were mostly selfish.I couldn’t hope to hold on to it anyway” Celestia said, “and I had realised that the power of Empire had infected me and was one of the reasons Luna had grown jealous and corrupted. I didn’t want it anymore.”
“And the minister... guy?” said Vigg.
“He ruled until I had calmed down enough to get back into action,” Celestia said. “From his bed, due to his wounds which never healed.”
“Why did they listen...?” Vigg said.
“Well, Luna... I mean Nightmare Moon had followers, taken from among the ponies who did love her,” said Celestia. “The citizens had taken their revenge on those they could find, and it wasn’t... pretty. The minister knew that among his colleagues were such followers, and that they and their families would suffer horribly if anypony ever got to know. He just told them he knew. That, and the impression he made, was enough for them to obey him. The troops were withdrawn. The forts were abandoned. Hostages were released. Colonists... some of them, returned home.”
She was silent.
“Despite what he means to me, I have forgotten his name,” she whispered and tears appeared in her eyes. “I just know he was the fourth Duke Blueblood. He was... my great great grandson. We still freely mated with mortals in these days...”
Vigg suddenly felt an urge to hug the old, so old equine but didn’t.
“After that I decided to do the things I told you,” Celestia said. “It was of course hard to repeat that specific mistake, but I at least tried to listen to others, to dedicate myself to Equestria and not the other way around. I still fail. I recently almost got myself killed and the capital destroyed by not listening to Twilight Sparkle. I try, though. I strived to better myself and seek success. I tried to remove want and injustice from Equestria and make it to an utopia not just for ponies, but for other sapients and even... well, you know how we ponies handle plants and animals these days?”
“Yeah,” said Vigg. “You’re insane, do you know that?”
Celestia stared at him.
“Thanks,” she said, and then she chuckled. “Anyway, I most of all tried to repair my mistake... to bring back Luna from her banishment and free her from the Nightmare. I read prophecies, and planted prophecies, and pushed ponies in the prophecies’ direction. Sometimes I made mistakes, sometimes I advanced my goal... sometimes I fell into despair that I would never succeed. Succeeding in making the stars free her, in such a manner at she could be truly treated by the Elements of Harmony.”
“You freed Nightmare Moon?” Vigg said incredulously.
“My little deer, I and only I commanded the stars for a thousand years,” Celestia smiled. “I only did so when it would be possible for somepony more worthy than me to wield the Elements and exorcise the Nightmare. It was a matter of thaumic currents and ebbs, of waiting for the right changes in the way. Mostly, however, as the day of her escape became clear and drew nearer, it was a matter of seeing to that the Bearers of the Elements turned up and met each other.”
She made a pause to let her speech sink in.
“Like... how?” Vigg said.
“Like I know certain things would happen in the flying city of Cloudsdale at a certain date, and I knew it had to be visible from four other places,” said Celestia. “I didn’t know exactly what, but I started a century before to plan so that Cloudsdale would be in that position. Or that our old palace would be important, so I didn’t want it interfered with by ponies. So when we went along and ‘tamed’ the whole land, I didn’t let them touch the ruins, and ignored all claims of chaotic spiritual energies emanating there. Hence, all such energies in the country gathered there and made it into a deathtrap, protecting the castle ruins. It made life harder for the nearby farmers and wildtenders, but...”
“You succeeded,” said Vigg.
“Yes,” said Celestia. “I did. I still haven’t undone my faults, but I have tried to repair them. Luna being here is part of the repair, of making her my equal co-ruler, not my...”
“Mental sibling who lives with you and hides in the attic?” said Vigg.
“Yes, there are too many ponies who view her like that,” said Celestia. “But do you now understand what I mean? That you can get out of a mess, but you have to try to get out?”
Vigg didn’t look down, he looked right at Celestia.
“Yeah,” he said, “I suppose I look really childish now thinking my mistakes meant anything...”
“Oh, they do for you and those near to you!” said Celestia. “Remember, my big mistake was not paying attentions to people’s feelings? No, I only mean that you have a chance to come out of despair if you act to do so. I wanted to give you a personal example.”
“Alright,” said Vigg, “sure. But why should I do what you tell me, try to find the Sampo? How do you know I could manage that?”
“Because I know prophets when I see one, and I have seen them before among deer-kind,” said Celestia. “And you should do it because it could possibly the only way to save Tarandroland. I call that working towards success. You should also do it because it will entail repairing your mistakes.”
“How does that fix anything?” Vigg said, his mouth back to a sneer.
“Well, it would restore the faith in you that your family and their retainers lost, because you accomplish a great deed to help the land,” Celestia said. “Also, it would prove to Saga that she is right about an important thing, that she is a true prophetess like her ancestors, and that her Sight is no laughing matter. I have talked enough to the deer in my sister’s temple to know how important this is to her. Thus, you make up for letting your... ex down.”
“I... Twilight Sparkle.. “ he said.
“Vigg, I have to tell you something that is a state secret,” said Celestia. “You must swear to me to never reveal this to anydeer.”
Vigg hesitated.
“I... swear,” he said. “I swear by my herd and my hide and my antlers.”
“Good, no cupcakes for once,” said Celestia and smiled.
“What?” said Vigg.
“Nevermind, Equestrian joke,” said Celestia. “Vigg, Twilight was abducted willingly.”
“Why would she do that?” he said.
“What do you think she was doing there?” said Celestia. “Despite of the mess you caused, you seem really smart, so I think you know.”
“She was talking with the Pretender, Jarl Ahto,” he said, head down. “But that doesn’t make sense since she isn’t an enemy of us reindeer... Mustikka told me she was on a secret mission...”
He looked up.
“She was pretending that Equestria supported Ahto, or wanted to support Ahto!” he said. “So she could spy on them! That must be why she’s been so weird! She was pretending to be a bad pony, that’s why my Sight was all bollixed up! Deer normally only lie about being good!”
Celestia nodded.
“Her main goal, according to my sister, was to find out where the pirate camp is and how many there are of them,” she said. “When your little stunt stopped her before she got her answer, she somehow got the pirates to make a show of abducting her. We have had messages through Spike. She is fine, is treated well, and will return soon. She cannot send any vital information because they know what’s in the letter, but... She isn’t safe, but it isn’t as bad as the public thought.”
“Why... why d-didn’t you tell me?” Vigg said with trembling voice, tears about to flow. “I thought... I thought she was dead and...”
“My sister and Sir Mustikka denied you this information because the last time you had vital information like this, the meeting at Klub Niffelhel, you didn’t treat that information responsibly,” said Celestia sternly, but the look she gave him was warm. “I think you can handle this better this time, can’t you?”
He sniffed.
“Yeah, yes I could,” said Vigg and wiped his face. “I promise, I promise I will never mess up again!”
He swallowed.
“When do you want me to start finding the Sampo?” he said.
“As soon as you feel up to it,” said Celestia. “Your mother will let you leave, though I know she will worry, so treat her well.”
“You sure?” said Vigg.
“Little deer, your mother worships me as a goddess,” said Celestia. “That’s a great foolishness that I have to put up with, so I might as well use it. Besides, I think she was very proud of you when I declared you my champion.”
“What?!” Vigg said.
“I had to say something,” Celestia shrugged, “and it is basically true. Your father’s name happens to mean ‘sun-born’ so I came up with a little illogical prophecy she can tell her friends.”
Vigg groaned.
“I’ll count that as part of my punishment,” he said. “Will you be coming with me?”
“After Sampo? Unfortunately not,” Celestia said. “My court barely allows me to follow my sister into this war, I cannot go on adventures as well. In addition, we don’t want to wake Auntie.”
Vigg nodded sadly.
“You won’t be going alone,” Celestia said. “ I expect Saga to follow you, or rather to lead you,” said Celestia. “After all, she knows where you should go and what you need to do. Oh, don’t look at that. You will need to talk to each other, but if she is resistant I’ll have Luna talk to her first.”
“I just hope she doesn’t hate me,” mumbled Vigg. “She... doesn’t have to love me, if I only can make her not hate me.”
“She’d better not, because you will need to cooperate. Anyway, not only the reindeer want the summer back,” said Celestia, “and when I tried to make enquiries at Luna’s temple I had to promise the moose caretaker to go with you. He seems to have an axe to grind against Winter, and I think you can need some adult supervision and twelve hundred pounds of levitating muscle.”
“Oh,” said Vigg. “Oh! Kvalhissir.”
“Also, I expect Twilight Sparkle and dear Spike back soon,” said Celestia. “Her poor brother, who is all spit-and-polish military, was furious with us for having the gall to let his little sister do something as dishonorable as intelligence work. Shining Armour exaggerates because of his background, but he has a point. She deserves a vacation from such, and she should have gathered all the facts we need by then, so I can borrow her back for your quest. I’m sure Luna sees my point.”
“Are you really sure?” said Vigg. “Hrimf... I mean Princess Luna didn’t like the idea of searching for Sampo. At all.”
Celestia sighed.
I can tell him my secrets, but not my sister’s, she thought.
“The whole story is connected to very painful memories, so she might have dismissed it too quickly because of that,” she said.
“What kind of memories?” said Vigg, suspicious.
“Little deer, do you remember how I told you about bad ponies who willingly followed my sister when she fell to darkness?” Celestia said.
“Yes,” said Vigg. “And?”
“Those were not only ponies,” said Celestia. “I’m positive one of them was the reindeer Wiglek the Wicked, the one who really found the Sampo and father of Sampo the hero.”
“What does that mean,” said Vigg, “for us? Will it be more dangerous?”
Celestia was silent.
“This is really only speculation, but when Twilight reported on your little... seance, she said you had talked about the ‘lich’, but how that wasn’t possible and Twilight was trying to figure out what it could be otherwise,” said Celestia.
“Yeah, I remember that,” said Vigg. “Saga talked a lot about liches afterwards... she liked, I mean likes that sort of thing...”
“Did she say what was needed for a sorcerer to make himself a lich?” said Celestia.
“Yeah, but I didn’t pay much attention, it was something about an infusion of... nightmares...” Vigg looked at Celestia.
“An infusion of the Nightmare,” said Celestia. “The only one who could possibly make somepony - or somedeer - a lich would be Nightmare Moon.”
Thanks, as always, to my proofreaders, LadyMoondancer and Wheelwright!