//------------------------------// // Power and Privilege // Story: Truth and Reconciliation // by Jest //------------------------------// Luna gasped and lurched upward, her limbs flailing and magic sparking. She looked around in a blind panic, searching for whatever or whoever had hit her. Yet there was no one there, just dense woodland in every possible direction. “Wait, where am I?” Luna muttered. Far from the cozy beachfront property she shared with her sister in the faraway retirement village of Shadowvale, Luna currently looked to be in a forest of some kind. Though no threat presented itself she recalled that something had triggered her flight or flight response right before she had woken up here. She tried to recall what exactly she had seen or detected but couldn't bring up anything save for a weird sense of unease which unsettled her deeply. “Hmmm,” Luna murmured. Letting her magic dissipate, Luna began to inspect her surroundings a little closer, no longer searching only for threats. What she saw was remarkably normal, and notable only for the fact that it was not a sunny beach illuminated by the mid-afternoon sun. Here it was morning, with the first rays of the risen sun lighting up the cloud-filled sky above her head. Extending a hoof, Luna felt the cool wind caress her limb, the sensation annoying her slightly but leaving her mostly unbothered. She had felt far colder temperatures then what she was currently experiencing, though it did indicate to her that she was either far north or it was closer to winter. “How long have I been out?” Luna asked no one in particular. Looking down, she noticed that the ground around where she had awakened was smoking slightly. She peered closer and saw that several small violet fires burned around her hooves in isolated, heatless pockets. Clearly not started by mundane means, Luna quickly surmised that whatever spell had brought her here had sparked them at the same time. “Strange,” Luna remarked aloud. The forest held no further clues either, as it seemed arboreal, and completely normal. Relatively dense, the trees were fairly sparse but undergrowth was everywhere, with large bushes cropping up all over the place. The space she stood in was one of the very few clear spots that Luna could see, though she couldn't know that for certain as the area was quite hilly, limiting her vision. “Let us see where we are,” Luna thought to herself. Taking wing, the alicorn launched into the air, quickly ascending above the treetops, and going further still. She stopped only when her head threatened to brush against the numerous low-hanging dark grey clouds. There she hovered, scanning her surroundings as best as she was capable of given the thick mist that hung over everything. She hadn't noticed it at first but the atmosphere was oppressive, and visibility was low. Small water droplets clung to her feathers and dribbled down her fur in tiny rivers. Though inconveniencing to most winged individuals, Luna need only cast a quick spell to make herself immune to the unpleasant weather. “Someone isn't doing a very good job managing this area,” Luna murmured to herself, only to pause and narrow her eyes. “Though there doesn't seem to be anywhere around to begin with.” Her assessment seemed true, as no matter where she looked she saw no signs of habitation. Not even an out-of-the-way cabin, ill-used road, or crumpled mound of rubble that had once been a building. There was only pure, untouched nature as far as she was able to see. “Wait a moment,” Luna muttered. “I think I see something.” Peering off in what she assumed was a northern direction, Luna glimpsed the very edge of a small settlement or village. The only sign of civilization was a few better-managed fields but that was enough to assume that at least someone was nearby. Setting off in that direction, Luna glided on the misty breeze, allowing the cool air to calm her unsettled thoughts. As she drew closer she noticed that her first assessment was true, though her assumptions weren't quite correct. She had indeed found someone, but they appeared far poorer than anticipated with not one of the smattering of hovels having a fully wooden roof. Thatched rooves were common across Equestria, but what was not as common was a complete lack of windows. There were openings but Luna couldn't see any glass panes within them, and stranger still there were no true roads. Sure there were ruddy mud-covered paths that likely served the same function but they paled in comparison to the real thing. Luna remembered Celestia boasting about how she had connected every single town and settlement with paved and maintained roads centuries ago. Yet here here there lay a farming village that although isolated, was home to nearly two dozen houses. Had Celestia simply missed them? That was possible but didn't seem likely given just how confident Celestia was that she had connected all of Equestria. Thankfully ponies were coming into view, and with them, Luna assumed were answers. Only, when she looked down on the small motley assortment of quadrupeds walking around the village she had only more questions. For one, she wondered why they were all earth ponies, and secondly, why they all had a darker coloration. Thirdly, and perhaps most strangely of all, was the fact that there were adults who were without cutie marks. “Reminds me of the old times,” Luna mused. “Back when the magic of harmony had yet to extend across the land.” The idle musing was brushed aside the moment her gaze fell upon what she assumed were a married couple. The stallion and mare stood near a covered well, two tin cups freshly filled with water drawn from the earth. Both were brown, though the lighter of the two had a mane the color of wheat while the male had a short cut mane of dark red. Only one, the female, Luna noticed, had a cutie mark, and it was of a simple rolling pin atop what looked to be dough. Luna glided to a stop a dozen or so meters away, the mare making no effort to mute the clop of her hooves. “Greetings, citizens,” Luna opened. “How far thee today?” As Luna cursed her rather archaic manner of speech that cropped up whenever she was nervous, the pair before her stared in wide-eyed horror. It was like they had seen a ghost, though that expression soon vanished and the pair buried their muzzles in the dirt. “We great thou, esteemed sovereign, Mistress of the eight realms, and high ruler of the Equestrian kingdom,” declared the stallion, with his presumed wife stuttering out the same declaration in far less confident words. “Was that old equish?” Luna muttered. “Pardon me my lady but I do not know the unicornian tongue,” the stallion replied. “I don't know what kind of reenactment village this is but you can cut the act and speak normally,” Luna demanded. The stallion pushed his nose further into the dirt. “I do not know what thine words mean but I sense thine anger. If you wish to take it out on anyone I beg you choose me and not mine darling wife,” he professed. Luna blinked, only now aware of the fact that his wife seemed on the verge of tears and the stallion himself was barely holding himself together. The alicorn had to think back to the distant past, before clearing her throat and using a tongue that she had not needed since her return from banishment. “Raise thy heads. You have naught to fear from me,” Luna softly exclaimed. “I have had a recent encounter that has left me dazed and forgetful.” That seemed to calm the pair, though they dared not raise their heads from the ground. “Is it not customary to offer water to a visitor?” Luna offered. “Right away, my lady!” exclaimed the male who took one look at their tin cups before racing off back towards his house. “I uh, think my betrothed is fetching the um, good goblet,” muttered the wife. “I see that. Now please, raise thine head and sit with me. I am in need of your assistance,” Luna exclaimed, tinging the declaration with a small hint of authority. The mare scrambled into a stand and all but sprinted the three or so feet so she could stand next to the well. “Yes, my lady. How may I be of assistance?” She offered a little too earnestly. “First, thy name, and the name of thine husband,” Luna replied. “I am Brunhild, and my husband is called Albert, we are of the earth tribe and the Bauer family,” she replied. Luna nodded slowly, hiding the confusion that threatened to reach her face through great effort. They were still using the old style of earth pony names from before the unifications. Though they recognized her, they were terrified, indicating to her that they were every bit as isolated as they seemed to be. “Apologies, sweet Brunhild Bauer, but I was the recent victim of an enemy attack and have forgotten several things. Would you help me?” Luna inquired. That seemed to shake the mare, and she bobbed her head eagerly. “You need only ask, my lady,” Brunhild replied. “What is the date. Month, year, and so on,” Luna pressed. “It is the thirtieth year of the diarchy, and twenty second of october, your grace,” Brunhild answered. “You may dispense with the formalities for the moment,” Luna exclaimed, the alicorn resisting the urge to add, ‘Because it's annoying’. “Thank you, your uh… Luna,” Brunhild muttered in confusion. Luna rolled her eyes. “And where exactly am I?” Luna asked, gesturing around them. “We are-” Brunhild’s response was cut short by the sound of hooves approaching, more hooves than what Luna had expected to hear. Glancing in the direction of where Albert had disappeared, she noticed that the stallion had returned, alongside a mare. Or at least Luna assumed they were a she, as they wore voluminous red robes that went all the way down to their fetlocks. The hood she wore was so deep that the only thing Luna could be certain of was the fact that they too were an earth pony. Their clothing was strange, that much was obvious, but it was made odder still by the thick white cord about their waist and the skull pendant that hung about their neck. “The order of our martyred lady,” Luna whispered to herself. “Now I know for sure these are not incredibly committed actors. Celestia has wiped the order from history.” “Greetings, your grace,” offered the approaching inquisitor. “What may I ask is the nature of your business here?” “I believe as though I have been the target of a recent assassination attempt,” Luna replied. “Though I live still, I have been left dazed and thrown across the whole of the nation.” “Is that so, then you would of course be willing to partake in the blood?” The inquisitor replied. Luna paused, temporarily confused by the statement only for a flood of memories to come back. “I am no demon, or shapeshifter if that is what you hope to discover though if it would make you feel better you may perform what tests you feel are necessary,” Luna offered openly. The inquisitor drew forth a small vial from the depths of their robes. They then uncorked the tiny container and threw the crimson contents at Luna while muttering a prayer under their breath. Though annoyed, and now splattered with virgin blood, Luna was unaffected. “Are you satisfied?” Luna asked. The inquisitor’s hood fell back, revealing the awe-struck face of a young mare barely old enough to be an adult. “By the blood. You are indeed the mistress of the night!” She exclaimed before collapsing to the ground and prostrating herself in the mud. “Please forgive mine arrogance! This village has been beset with face stealers, and other entities for years!” Luna lit her horn and cleansed herself with a spell, though the feeling of blood on her fur remained. “Rise, fair inquisitor. My situation is strange, and no doubt worthy of investigation. You need not apologize for doing thine duty,” Luna exclaimed. “But I have spilled blood upon the crown! Such an offense must be punished. I urge you to slay me so that I-” “Silence,” Luna interrupted. “You are guilty only of protecting the people of this village. Your punishment will simply be to answer my questions.” The inquisitor peered up from the mud, her eyes wide and filled with worry. “Do you need a hoof, fair inquisitor?” Luna asked, eyebrow raised. “N-no that won't be necessary!” She exclaimed, before hastily standing up. “Good, and the same goes for you, Albert. You are a brave stallion and I do not intend on impugning you for fetching the local inquisitor,” Luna offered. “I thank you, your grace,” he exclaimed, bowing low. “Now. What village is this? What province- er realm am I?” Luna asked. “Greenvale, of the Westfallen,” She replied. “And the date? It truly is the thirtieth of our reign?” Luna inquired. “The twenty-second day of October to be precise, your grace,” answered the inquisitor. “Then that means tomorrow is…” Luna murmured. “Pardon me, your grace?” Inquired the inquisitor. “Apologies. I must return to the capital at once,” Luna nodded to the small group. “Thank thee all for thine assistance. I wish you well this day.” “The same to you, your grace,” Albert offered. Luna paid the male no mind, as she had already turned and begun to trot away from the trio. Once she had put a bit of distance between them, she launched herself into the air with enough force to crack the ground and send bits of earth flying. She didn't care though, her wings were already pumping, her gaze already focused on the horizon and her mind already churning. “Come on Luna,” whispered the alicorn. “You always dreamt of this moment. Time to make it a reality.” Celestia strode up the winding mountain path which began over three miles behind her at the mouth of a valley and ended only a short distance ahead of her at the edge of a small town that sat atop a hill. The road was wide, and well maintained, allowing her as well as her cadre of nearly fifty soldiers, assistants, and squires to march in a large square formation. The alicorn herself strode out in front of the group, her only company being a single page who walked quietly beside her. Though unarmored and adorned only by a simple three-pointed golden tiara that sat atop her brow, her cadre was armed to the teeth. Their armor, consisting mainly of ring mail over leather was fairly light, but the soldiers were thankful for it when the cold mountain wind occasionally rushed down from on high. Celestia knew there would be complaints and whispers when they finally settled in to rest, but for now, there was stoic quiet. All present knew the importance of what was coming, and none were willing to be the ones to break the silence. Thankfully none had to, as a new arrival glided down from on high before stopping before the group. “Greetings mine sister,” Luna announced, the dark alicorn bowing her silver tiara-clad head to her sibling. Who returned the gesture earnestly. “What news do you bring? Is Lord Ostre guilty?” Celestia inquired. “I have no sign of the demonic corruption your inquisitors so claimed to have located,” Luna answered, her lip curling into a small snarl. “In fact it seems as though he has been the one who has suffered an injustice.” “Preposterous,” Celestia retorted. “The order would not levy so heinous an accusation without any manner of evidence.” “Oh, they have evidence alright. Evidence garnered through torture, and obtained exclusively through force,” Luna spat back. “Not a single individual who spoke out about Lord Ostre did so freely and openly.” “You have been lied to, dear sister,” Celestia exclaimed, the words dear and sister being spat with all the venom of the cruelest of insults. “The order is under express command to not use such means or methods.” “It is as I’ve been telling you for years. The order is corrupt,” Luna proclaimed, stomping her hoof in emphasis. “It may have been necessary thirty years ago when Discord threw open the gates of Tartarus out of spite but the worst offense I’ve seen truly validated has been the reading of banned books.” “A demonic grimoire is not just a book, Luna. You should know this by now,” Celestia spat back. “I know that very well dear sister of mine. No one here has even managed to prove that much,” Luna shouted, gesturing back to the town behind her. “All I’ve found are honest folk terrified of the inquisition and willing to say anything to avoid censure or any of the far, far worse punishments your ponies wield so blatantly.” “When I sent you here I did not think for a moment you would succumb to honeyed words so easily. Perhaps it would be better if you were to return to the capital and allow me to take over,” Celestia declared. “I do not take orders from you, Sister!” Luna shouted, pointing an angry hoof at her sibling. “I left of my own volition as your presence is stifling, and your court as toxic as those foul plants you put into your morning water.” “I-” Whatever Celestia’s retort would have been was cut off by the sudden arrival of a second Luna flying in from the east. Landing amongst them, the slightly taller alicorn sported a flowing starry mane unlike her doppelganger or her sibling who had only monochromatic manes. She also had a pure coat of the deepest blue while the other alicorns had dappled snouts, and fetlocks a shade or two lighter than the rest of their coat. “Face stealer!” Someone shouted from amongst Celestia’s retinue. The newly arrived Luna ignored the shout and tossed the pony she had been carrying on her back to the ground before her. Immediately the shock of her arrival was replaced with confusion, as the group stared down at the strange pony. Bound in chains, and with his mouth secured by a large gag, there was still no mistaking the teal coated, and navy blue maned stallion. “Lord Ostre,” past Luna gasped. “Hold, good stallions, and mares,” future Luna proclaimed. “Your leaders and I have much to discuss.” “Like what you’ve done with my real sister!” Celestia spat. “I am your real sister you idiot!” Exclaimed past Luna. “This one doesn't even have my dappled nose, and she is taller than me!” “Silence, you quarrelsome morons!” Future Luna shouted. “I am Luna, but from the future and I will prove as much if you would give me a moment of your time.” Past Luna, and Celestia both looked to one another, neither quite sure what to do. “If you grant me that much I will tell you exactly what Lord Ostre was planning for you both,” future Luna declared. “I will give you a hint, it wasn't good.” The bound pony writhed and yelled, twisting about on the ground angrily but getting no closer to being free of his chains. “You have thirty seconds,” Celestia proclaimed. Past Luna sneered but said nothing. “Good. Now, there is a waterfall back in Oakridge where we grew up. It was hidden away in the south valley nearly an hour’s trot from our family cottage,” future Luna began, much to the confusion, and slowly dawning shock of the other two alicorns. “We played there a few times before, swimming in the small pool at its base, but it only truly became important to us when we heard the news of our father’s death at the hands of Discord.” The soldiers looked on in confusion as their leader’s jaws hung open, and the carefully guarded expression of neutrality was wiped away. “I ran away, and you found me there, huddled in the small alcove at the base of the waterfall,” future Luna continued. “You held me as I cried, and in turn, I did the same for you. We stayed there for hours, shivering and soaking until the sounds of our mother’s terrified voice could be heard over the roar of the water. Before we left, we promised that we would get revenge on that bastard for what he’d done.” The road was quiet, save for the awkward shuffling of the soldiers, and the continued grunts of the earth pony stallion bound before them. “You… you’re really me,” past Luna exclaimed. “How is this possible?” “I don't know,” future Luna admitted. “The last thing I remember is being attacked by something and then I woke up yesterday in a forest near Greenvale.” “Why come here, why… all this?” Celestia asked, gesturing to the stallion bound at their hooves. “Because you both were about to make the worst mistake of your entire lives,” future Luna declared. “Impossible, he was innocent,” past Luna asserted, though there was no fire in her voice or certainty in her words. “He is guilty,” future Luna declared. “You will find his secret study under his library. Simply pull the bust of his great grandfather forward and a passageway will open nearby.” The stallion fell still and stared up at the future Luna in a mixture of shock as well as horror. Celestia pointed to a few of her aides, then pointed up the hill. As they neared the other blue alicorn, past Luna stepped aside to let them by. “He was consorting with what few demons are left who have not been slain or returned to Tartarus. You will find that although the creature he imprisoned is a mere imp, it is far stronger than its kin,” future Luna warned. “You, you, you and you, go as well,” Celestia ordered, pointing out a smattering of soldiers. Who all nodded, and hastily trotted after their companions. “So he was guilty…” Past Luna muttered in defeat. “But why? He had everything a pony could want. Status, wealth, power, and prestige. He is beloved by the ponies of the town.” “He wanted the same thing everyone who makes such deals desires,” future Luna muttered, kneeling down next to the now still and silent stallion. “And this one was so arrogant he believed he would get what no others, save us, have acquired.” “He wanted to be an alicorn?” Celestia asked. “He cared not what flavor it came in, but he desired one thing and one thing only. Immortality,” future Luna continued. “You see he may be young, but he was born with a weak heart, and he has but a few short years to live before it will give out, and he will die.” “Wait. I remember him saying something about that the other night,” past Luna offered. “He mentioned he was born with a defect, but he refused to say what, and jokingly implied that it was an overabundance of kindness.” “Or in other words, a big heart,” Celestia added. Future Luna nodded and rose back to her full height. “In my timeline, he does not succeed in becoming immortal, but he does unleash a plague of undead abominations that will require centuries to clean up and hunt down,” Luna concluded. “A shame really. His medical discoveries will eventually revolutionize our understanding of pony physiology but his work will be so marred by suffering that none will even consider it.” “Wait,” Celestia declared. “Then that means I was right all along. He was guilty, my inquisitors have done their job.” “I thought you said they were not your inquisitors,” past Luna accused. “Quit sniping one another you two,” future Luna admonished. “And no they did not do their jobs, at least not properly.” “Explain,” Celestia demanded. “They accused him out of spite. The local order magus was envious of his wealth and power and hoped that after he was censured, he could claim the Lord’s home as Order property,” future Luna explained. “When it was discovered that Lord Ostre had made a personal plea to Luna herself and that the princess had responded, he scrambled for a response.” “So he did torture those ponies, just like I discovered,” past Luna prompted. “Exactly,” future Luna replied. “He probed them with leading questions and torture until he had created a body of evidence he’d used to convince Celestia of the voracity of his claims.” “Wait, so we were both wrong?” Celestia muttered in disbelief. “That can't be true. The inquisition has been pivotal in the kingdom’s stability.” “It has, in the past,” future Luna stated firmly. “But since then they have done their job too well. There are only a handful of demons left and the changelings have been beaten so badly they will not make a return for some years.” “Then they just made all this up, and tortured those innocent ponies for what, no reason?” Celestia exclaimed. “No, not for nothing, for power,” future Luna retorted. “They were nearing the end of their natural life span, and rather than simply give up the authority accrued they had to find demons, or if necessary, make their own up.” “They grapple to power, just as Ostre did,” past Luna muttered, her lip curling into a snarl. “It would almost be poetic if I was not so disgusted by this entire ordeal.” “To think the order has been led so far astray of their mission. I can scarcely believe it,” Celestia murmured. “I told you about this years ago Celestia. If you had just listened to me instead of shunning me then none of this would have happened,” past Luna accused. “Oh don't take that holier then though tone. You hate it when she does it but you do it the moment you are given the opportunity,” future Luna exclaimed, turning on her doppelganger. “And don't think so highly of yourself either. Ostre plied you with cheap wine and cheaper praise.” Past Luna straightened her spine and snorted. “Yes well, at least what he said about the inquisition and Celestia’s tax collectors was true,” past Luna offered. “Wait, what?” Celestia muttered. Future Luna groaned and ran a hoof down her face. “No, no he wasn't. He mixed truth with lies so that it may be easier to swallow,” future Luna retorted. “I’m sorry, I’m terribly lost here. What is this about tax collectors?” Celestia pressed. “This idiot,” future Luna began, giving Ostre a good kick in the spine for emphasis. “Sought to sow discord between you two by painting all the problems of the kingdom as Celestia’s fault in some way or another but I’ll get to that in a moment.” “What's really important here is that both of you are easily plied with fawning praise, and ego boosts because you both have incredibly low self-esteem,” future Luna proclaimed. “I do not, I am a princess for crying out loud!” Celestia stated. “Y-yeah!” Past Luna added. “That does not exempt you from suffering such a thing you two dolts,” future Luna shot back. “You both have incredible imposter syndrome, and you both worry endlessly about this new kingdom you find yourself at the head of. You want to be reassured that you are doing a good job, that you are taking the correct actions and so it leads you to the wrong people.” Future Luna gestured from Celestia to her previous self. “You are easily convinced of the order’s loyalty because they support your reforms, and heap praise at your hooves at every chance they get,” future Luna continued. “While Luna has little support amongst these power brokers she is more personable, and thus seen as the champion of the people. This dynamic will breed a conflict that will tear Equestria apart and destroy your relationship for over a thousand years to come.” “A thousand years?” Celestia muttered. “I knew we would live long, but to think it would be that long.” “There is a lot Starswirl didn't tell you, partially because he didn't know, partially because he's an ass,” future Luna remarked with a snort. “What does his donkey ancestor have to do with any of this?” Past Luna retorted. “That's not the point. The point is that you must view those who are most eager to pander to your egos with the highest level of suspicion,” future Luna imparted. “And you must seek comfort in one another during these trying times, not others.” “You mean like the Platinums?” Celestia asked, her tone filled with disgust. “Augh, no. I didn't mean keeping it in the family like that. I mean just talk to each other, you know? The moment you two met you were trading barbs in under a minute. That's not healthy!” Future Luna exclaimed, the mare throwing her hooves up in disgust. “Perhaps we were a bit… quick to anger,” past Luna reluctantly admitted. “It's worse than that. You two have barely spoken to one another outside of an official capacity for several years at this point. How do you expect to maintain a healthy relationship when the only time you see each other is when you are assuming the role of the leader of the nation?” Future Luna concluded. The two sisters exchanged a tired look and in the other’s eyes, they saw a deep well of guilt. “I suppose you are right,” Celestia murmured. “Indeed. I have not thought about it like that,” past Luna added. “Just make a concerted effort to share a meal, and chat. Maybe indulge in some of that foreign leaf water Celestia likes. It's not as bad as you think. Just add a bit of sugar,” Luna exclaimed, turning her gaze to her doppelganger. “I guess,” past Luna muttered. “Right, well that's settled. Now, I should be off before I accidentally ruin something and really mess up the timeline,” Lun declared. “Wait!” Celestia called. “Starswirl said that returning to a timeline that may not exist would cause the individual’s death.” “Or at the bare minimum the erasing of their memories, and absorption of their consciousness by the past slash current self,” past Luna added. “I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, I have one final piece of advice,” future Luna began. “Celestia, you have extraordinary foresight, but our memory is perfect, the past to us is preserved forever in amber. So although you may be able to see what is coming, your plans are imperfect without our addition. We were meant to rule together for a reason, and not just because putting all this power into one pony is a bad idea.” “I… thank you,” Celestia exclaimed, bowing her head slightly. “I as well. It is heartening to know that I become such an intelligent and strong-willed individual. Or at least would have… I’m not sure how this is going to work,” past Luna stated, her confidence waning with every word she spoke. “Eh, you’ll figure it out,” future Luna muttered. She then lit her horn and began attempting to cast the spell which would return her back to her own time. Though travel backward in time had only ever been theoretical, Luna had memorized Starswirl’s return spell intimately. It too was theoretical, though it was theoretical due to the possibility of it ever being needed and not because it was so power-intensive that it was impossible to cast like its twin. With power burning bright about her horn, Luna finished the last of her calculations but did not release the spell. Her focus was drawn by the two sisters, and the way they stood next to one another without a hint of distrust. There would be growing pains and trouble in their future, but knowing that Luna had helped them avoid the worst mistake of their life was empowering. So with the possibility of ego death or just regular death looming, she concluded the ritual. There was a pop, and a bright flash of light, though when it dissipated, Luna remained. Now confused, she cast the spell a second time to the same effect. “Huh,” future Luna muttered, turning to her doppelganger and her sibling. “Don't suppose you two have a couch I could crash on for a while eh?”