The buzzing of my timepiece pulls me from a pleasant dream.
I'd been relaxing on a small ranch sitting back in a chair and watching the sun set.
So comfy.
Fucking clocks, why did Celestia get up so early? How could she do this for so long?
With sleep caked eyes, I stared at the offending machine before remembering why I’d wanted to be awake an hour before dawn dared to peek over the horizon.
I dressed myself in a set of dark, formal clothes that Rarity had made for me when she had heard I was taking a job in Canterlot.
'You can't be seen as a shabbily dressed ape! I won't allow it.' She had said.
She wasn't really the worst pony.
After a bit of reminiscing, I steal myself away into the dark corridors of the palace.
Some time later I had finally reached my goal and entered the throne room as quietly as I could.
As expected, Luna is perched atop the throne she shared with her sister, eyes wide and empty.
A dead giveaway that she's dreamwalking tonight.
I chose to wait patiently, this was why I chose to awake so early after all.
Finally, she stirs and her gaze fixed fixed firmly on me.
“Anonymous.”
I gave her give a short bow and said “Luna, you had a productive night I trust?”
She gives me a cold smile and snorted in amusement. ”We are always productive, whether you believe it or not.”
Years earlier, I had expressed that dreamwalking may not be the best use of her time.
Neither of the sisters had let me live it down since then, even after I realized that it was actually helpful for the ponies.
Luna especially tended to approach me with a cold distance after the incident.
“I'm not here to bicker, Luna. I came to ask something of you.”
Again she snorted and walked to the veranda of the room, and I followed behind her as she speaks.
“Having trouble with my dear Celestia's station already? I'm surprised she could possibly pick someone with so little resolve for the role.”
I chose to stay silent and grit my teeth, before taking a deep breath to calm myself before responding.
I wouldn't let any of her barbs get to me, not tonight.
“We both know the reason for her passing over you, Luna. It has nothing to do with you, or with me.”
She turns and gave me a disbelieving look, and said ”Oh no, I'm certain my sister passed up her own flesh and blood for someone that's not even a pony out of the goodness of her heart.”
With a heavy sigh, I stepped forward to the railing of the balcony.
This was as much a test of my resolve as it was of hers.
“Luna, if you were suddenly the sole ruler of Equestria, there would be riots in the streets. The rebel princess, exiled for a thousand years and now on the throne she betrayed her sister for not a decade after coming back? They would believe you had forged the documents and taken the throne by force.”
The princess of the night looked away, the steel of her gaze buckling at my words.
“But it wouldn't be true, I'd never do such a thing again.”
The protest is weak, sounding petulant and childish despite the ancient being it had came from.
I gave her an understanding gaze, and my face softens before I spoke again. “I know that Luna, the fact that you haven't shoved me off the balcony is good enough reason for me to trust your word. But the ponies outside Canterlot, even outside the palace, haven't let go of the past yet.”
She stared up at me, the fire in her gaze returning, but flickering weakly.
”But I visit their dreams every night! I help them, guide them, and ask nothing in return.”
I nodded solemnly and continued. “Yes, but even you have your limit to how many you can see a night. And for whatever reason, both Celestia and the government as a whole have neglected to even attempt to right ponies' outlook on you.”
Luna opened her mouth, but quickly shuts it, looking down at the stone cobbles of the floor
I knelt down to be at the same level as her and rest a hand gently on her withers.
Her wings twitched, but she remained staring at the ground.
She was deep in thought, I don’t think she even noticed me anymore.
After a moment of silence, I chose to tell her why I had come here. “Listen, I'm starting a tour of the country today, something to bring this sudden change down to earth for ponies to understand. And I want you to come with me.”
Luna looked up suddenly, her eyes full of suspicion for my motives.
”And why is that? You want to show the country that my sister picked you over me?”
My face twitched in annoyance. For a several thousand year old being, Luna, and for that matter Celestia, could be astonishingly childish.
“No, because I want to show that, despite an unfamiliar face as the head of state, there is unity in the capital. Celestia neglected to show ponies the cooperation of the throne and the ministry, and that's something that I feel must be corrected.”
I stood and returned my gaze to the horizon, light beginning to appear over the mountains in the East.
“I also feel the record needs to be set straight about you. I want ponies to realize as I do that you're trustworthy once more and have their best interests at heart.”
I heard Luna plod up beside me. For a moment, there's nothing but the sound of birds chirping and a gentle breeze rustling the leaves.
Luna broke the silence. ”This is something that you truly feel strongly about, isn't it Anonymous?”
I turned my head and saw her gazing up at me, a new emotion on her face.
There's caution, but she is distinctly excited about the prospect of being trusted by her people once again.
“It is. Now more than ever, Equestria must be united. Not only under the royalty, but by every stallion, mare, and colt. Pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies, alicorns, must all become Equestrians first. And as leaders, we must set the example for them. And besides, you’ve been dealt a rotten hand, and I aim to turn that around. So what do you say, Princess Luna?”
At the saying of her title, a spark of confidence returned to her, and she stands tall, with her chest thrust out.
She extended a hoof to me, a far warmer smile now gracing her features.
”I'm with you, Anonymous. Let the people see that we ARE united.”
With a grin, I took her hoof and shook it. As the sun rose and we went back inside, a feeling of calm focus descended upon me.
There was no way I would be able to rule a kingdom without help, without someone the ponies could see as a legitimate ruler. And now, I had all the help I could ask for.
With Luna in tow and the sun breaking over the mountains, we both headed towards the foyer of the throne room.
As we approached, Cursive Quill, who was busy writing out something, turned and gasped at us. She widened her eyes at the sight of Luna.
”So you actually managed to convince her? I'm impressed, sir.”
I hunched down to pat Quill's head condescendingly as I passed her by.
“Of course I did, I told you I was a very persuasive person.”
Quill sighed at the contact and turned to follow behind me and the princess.
”Yes you did, sir. I arranged the expanded carriage as you ordered.”
Luna looked up at me indignantly. ”Was I just the subject of a bet, Anonymous?”
I feigned shock and placed a hand on my chest. “Absolutely not, my princess. We would never dream of gambling about royalty!”
Quill hid a smirk at my performance behind a hoof.
Luna sticks her snout up in the air, but the spring in her step makes it clear that she's not actually offended.
As the three of us boarded the carriage and take off, the mood is light. Not long after takeoff, Quill scoots closer to me and takes a sheaf of papers from her bags
”Alright sir, let's go over the schedule. Our visit today will be Ponyville, first step is a meeting with the mayor. After that, you'll have a tour of industry and shops, sampling goods and whatnot. Then visiting farms, a meeting with the Elements of Harmony, a trip to the Castle of the Two Sisters. And finally we'll end with the speech for the town and monument announcement.”
I nodded along with her as she goes over each point.
At the mention of the monument, Luna interjected. ”What sort of monument are you establishing in Ponyville, Anonymous? It's where the Elements were found, but what other momentous events took place in that little town?”
I gave her my best warm smile, as Quill put the schedule away and takes out another bunch of papers.
“Why it was where you returned to us, Luna. Quill, show her the plan.”
Quill turned a piece of draft paper over to Luna. Luna spent long minutes gazing at the sketch, occasionally flicking glances up at me and Quill.
”You designed this?”
I shook my head, and said “I suggested the monument and a possible composition about four months ago, Quill was the one who actually did the work. Apparently she was quite taken with the idea.”
For her part, Quill gave a curt nod in affirmation.
Luna's eyes misted over, and her voice trembled when she speaks once more. “I don't know how...It's wonderful, I cannot thank you enough for this.”
Quill hopped over to the seat Luna is on and sat beside her.
Even as Luna is barely keeping herself together, Quill places a comforting hoof on her withers.
Much of the ride is in solemn silence, as I going over my speech notes, Quill checking and double checking the schedule, and Luna clutching the monument blueprint to her chest.
Before long, we arrived in Ponyville.
I rose first and stretched out my limbs. “Well, time to put on a show. Shall we?”
They both nodded, and the door opens, letting in the light of a beautiful spring day. As we stepped from the carriage and waved to the large crowd of ponies, instead of applause or cheering, I was greeted by a wave of murmuring and whispers.
To be fair, I hadn't expected any sort of ecstatic welcome.
After all, I was known only as the old assistant librarian, and many were still unsure of me. Especially with the rumors of how I handled business as the lead minister of Foreign Affairs. But I knew they would come to appreciate me.
When Luna stepped out of the carriage however, the crowd cheered enthusiastically.
Even with many regarding her poorly in other cities, the ponies here knew that she was reformed.
Quill stepped into my shadow, even as Luna strode beside me with her wings outstretched, greeting the crowd.
The three of us waved to the crowd as we made our way into the town hall and to the mayors office.
When we made our way to the office, I turned to my entourage of Royal Guardsmen.
“Keep post outside this door, and stay put until we return.”
But the Royal guards ignored me, simply following Luna instead.
Luna, upon noticing them disobey my orders, repeated it for me.
“Ah, keep post outside here.”
Faithfully, the Royal Guardsmen went to their positions.
Why hadn’t they listened to me?
Pushing the thought aside, I turned to enter the office.
When the doors click shut behind me, the sounds of the crowd died away. We were escorted to the meeting area and left alone.
It's not long before me and Luna are joined by Mayor Mare and a camera crew. Finally, it was time to get down to business.
“Good morning, Ms. Mare. I trust you're well today?”
The elderly matron bowed to me before taking her seat and responding. ”Quite well indeed, Anonymous. Who would ever have thought that a lowly librarian from Ponyville would one day sit on the throne of Equestria.”
Ah, the politicking had begun already. How nice. I knew that Celestia's decision wouldn't be popular, especially among those in leadership positions.
But that didn't matter, I had to be sure to sway them to my side. Or else my tenure as the ruler wouldn’t be so smooth.
“You flatter me, Ms. Mare. In truth, Princess Luna is the sole occupier of the throne at the moment. My duty is merely to keep the ministers from killing each other to secure their own power in Princess Celestia's absence.”
Mayor Mare smiled politely at the joke, and the camera crew shared a quiet chuckle. Good, humor builds trust, and I need them to trust me.
The mayor continued after I spoke. ”I see you brought her along as well. How are you doing today, Princess Luna?”
Luna gave the mayor a pleasant, if chilly, smile. “We are most pleased to once more return to the place of our redemption. It carries mixed feelings, but we appreciate the efforts of Ponyville's great citizens to a degree we can hardly express.”
The mayor bowed her head to Luna, before turning her attention back to me. ”So what can the citizens of Ponyville do for the rulers of the nation?”
I glanced at Luna, before turning back to the mayor. “Well Ms. Mayor, we have plans to meet with some of the ponies that provide Ponyville with services, bakery workers, store owners, farmers. We plan to speak with the Elements of Harmony as well, visit a couple landmarks, and conclude the day with a special announcement.”
The mayor's gaze narrowed at me. “And that is all? A bunch of meetings and an announcement? Please pardon me if I have the opinion that there is something else you want.”
I shook my head as a sad smile touched my face. “We're here to make connections with the ponies of Equestria. I have no doubt that such a sudden change in leadership after a thousand years under one monarch is jarring. I hope that with this tour, I can ease the transition through and ensure peace and unity in uncertain times.”
Both Luna and Mayor Mare nodded approvingly at these words. This was going well, too well. Something was up, I don’t think Mayor Mare trusted me.
The mayor paused for a moment, as though gathering her thoughts. “Fine words, but words come cheap. I sincerely pray that you follow through on your desire.”
The camera crew signals that they've cut filming, and I sighed as I leaned back slightly in my chair. It was a damn comfortable chair.
Mayor Mare's face hardened the moment the camera cuts. ”Let me be perfectly clear, Anonymous. I do not agree with Princess Celestia's decision in the slightest. You are utterly unqualified, have no values that you share with other ponies, and aren't even a pony yourself. I don't know what sort of wool you're trying to spin, but I want no part of it.”
My easy smile cooled at her sharp words. “Ms. Mayor, in my world I served for eight years valiantly in my home nations army, and in my world I also studied politics at a credible college for three years. I've been a part of the Foreign Ministry for three more years here, and I've done a fine job in that regard. Not once has a crisis occurred when I was the one dealing with the case. I get that you may not trust me, but just listen to me. What I am trying to do with this trip is get a grasp on the state of the nation.”
Mayor Mare opened her mouth to respond, but I cut her off quickly. “Furthermore, I'm attempting to do something that neither Celestia, nor anypony else in the government has even made an attempt to do. I am going to show Equestria that Princess Luna is no longer Nightmare Moon, that she is trustworthy and an equal to her sister.”
The mayor scoffed at my words. ”Ponies already understand this, it is merely a matter of time before trust in her returns.”
I leaned forward in my chair, the smile completely wiped from my face, and replaced with a cold glare. “If that were the case, Ms. Mayor, then Nightmare Night would have been abolished years ago. You may believe that everyone has forgotten the past because many in this singular town have. But elsewhere? Well, I believe the princess can tell you better than I.”
Mayor Mare looked to Luna sympathetically, but the princess betrayed no emotion on her face before speaking.
“It is no lie, Ms. Mare. When We dreamwalk, ponies react with fear when they see us. Their dreams twist and distort the first time We enter in. Certainly, after some time they calm down and understand that We are there to help, but there are hundreds of thousands of ponies in Equestria, and We cannot visit so many in a single night. Anonymous is right in his intention, and his execution is sound.”
The mayor's face softens at Luna's words, and the fight leaves her body.
I took the monument blueprint from my coat and handed it to her. “I suppose I can spoil the surprise for you; this is what I intend to announce at the end of our day here. It is a monument to Luna's return and redemption, an expression of the new found unity and wholeness of Equestria with the return of their lost princess. Of course, we need your approval for zoning the land, but it is my hope that you can appreciate the importance of such a memorial.”
The mayor gazed silently at the piece for some time, then turned to look at me with a warmer look on her face.
”I still don't believe you're the right being to take Celestia's place, Anonymous. But I wholeheartedly agree with this. If nothing else, this action will be seen as one that benefits Equestria. I will be watching closely to see what else you can do as ruler.”
With my smile returned, I leaned back once more and took the picture when she offered it back.
“As I said, Ms. Mare, I have no intent to keep this position. I am where I am in order to provide a stern voice to the ministers and keep the nation from ruin. When Celestia returns to us in good health, I will immediately abdicate my position and return to the Foreign Ministry. In this, you have my word.”
The mayor nodded, and the three of us rose from our seats, heading back towards the entry of the hall.
Mayor Mare stayed silent a moment, then said ”Rest assured that I will hold you to that promise, Anonymous.”
At the door, I gave her a short bow and turned to exit. “I have no doubt you will, Ms. Mare. Have a pleasant day.