Lyra Heartstrings v. Republic of Terra

by PegasusKlondike

Res Publica

Lyra happily hummed as she toted a pair of heavy saddlebags on her back, her eyes resting easily on the bouncing candy adorned flank only a foot in front of her face. Another of the reasons why she latched onto Bonbon, she had withers that could stun stallions, and she knew it!

"OH!" Bonbon squealed, coming to a very abrupt stop. "Sweet potatoes, in late spring for only eight dollars a bushel! How do they do it?" Bonbon had very quickly picked up the exchange rate for Equestrian bits and Terran dollars, in her profession she sometimes had to deal with more outlandish forms of currency, and knowing the exchange rates for her imports was always a necessity.

Lyra rolled her eyes at the prospect of carrying an entire bushel on her back. "I dunno, must be those huge friggin' greenhouses on the other side of the city."

Bonbon completely ignored her, bolting over to the stand to start haggling for an even lower price. Groaning, Lyra followed close behind.

The custard mare started haggling with the salesman, who seemed adamant that the price was non-negotiable. Lyra's thoughts began to stray as she stood there in boredom. Her amber-gold eyes began to drift across the market, skipping over the boring stores for fabrics, foodstuffs, carpentry workshops, and even a few older style smithies for small metal work. And as the small arguement raged between her lover and the shopkeep, she spotted something familiar across the street. An establishment with dingy windows and a portrait of an exceptionally ugly human man swinging over the door.

Mmm, human beer, Lyra daydreamed, staring through the window at several human men beating the minor heat of day with a frosty glass of amber heaven. She ran her tongue over her lips, her mind begging for a mug of stout right about now.

Lyra's tongue suddenly seemed to become as dry as the deserts around Las Pegasus, and her thirst begged for only one thing to quench it. "Hey, uh, hon? You look a little tied up right now, I'm gonna go grab a drink."

Bonbon waved her off with a hoof, still glowering at the shopkeeper who refused to haggle. "Yeah yeah, fine. Just don't spend too much. Now back to you buster! I think that-"

With liberty granted to her from the hellish nightmare that she endured with Bonbon known as 'shopping', Lyra dumped her heavy saddlebags, keeping a small wallet of bits and Terran dollars she had acquired from the man boarding her at his house. Looking both ways for careening carts or wagons, Lyra proudly trotted across the street towards Abraham's Pub.

It looked so welcoming and inviting; the mirthful and boisterous laughter of men sharing a joke could be heard across the street. And even from outside the door she could smell a hint of beer and distilled spirits begging to be in their rightful place, her stomach.

She swung open the door and went inside, her head held high as she trotted over to the bar. She eyed the tall barstool meant for humans oddly, but with some difficulty she managed to climb atop, sitting like a human and facing the bar. Only when she became settled did she realize that the entire establishment had gone completely silent.

Peering over her shoulder, her gaze met the glares of at least a dozen men shooting daggers with their eyes at her. "Friendly crowd," she muttered to herself, turning back to the bar. Tapping her hoof on the long, carved walnut bar top, she waited to be served. "Excuse me, can I get some service here?" she asked.

A hefty, jovial looking bartender walked in from the backroom, carrying an armload of whiskey bottles. Seeing the pony on the stool, he set his whiskey bottles down, his normally friendly look turning sour. "You lost?" he spat to her.

Lyra glanced around just to make sure this was indeed Abraham's Pub. "Nnnnope. I'm right where I want to be. Can I get a beer? What do you guys have on tap?"

Instead of reaching into his icebox to retrieve a frosted beer glass and filling it with heavenly brew, the bartender folded his arms and glared at the minty unicorn. "Nothing for you."

The unicorn laughed, thinking he underestimated her. "I'm not that much of a light weight! Come on, I can handle a little bit of booze at lunch time. What do have on tap?"

"I repeat," the bartender growled, "Nothing for you." He jabbed a stubby, meaty finger at a sign hanging over the inside of the doorway. A black silhouette of a pony stood on a white background. It could have been anypony, but it distinctly lacked horns or wings. But what defined the sign was the red circle and the slash that covered the silhouette. "We don't serve your kind here, so just head out that door and take your business elsewhere."

Her eyes grew wide, and her jaw fell slack. But instead of breaking down like the bartender expected her to, a little flame of rage appeared in her eyes. "You're kicking me out ... BECAUSE I'M A PONY?!" Lyra resisted the urge to simply leap over the bar and whale on this jerk, but her years of being married to Bonbon called forth a more logical solution. "I'd like to speak to your manager, sir," she said with pure venom dripping from her voice.

The bartender laughed at her, his jowls shaking. "Look you freakin' farm animal, you either walk out that door in thirty seconds or we get the MPs involved. What's it gonna be?"

Several chairs behind her shifted, and Lyra could feel several pairs of eyes bearing down on her menacingly. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lyra looked the bartender in the eye. "Fine, I'll leave." Sliding down from the barstool, she turned to walk out the door. But she couldn't just let them win, she couldn't just leave with injured pride.

Magic flared up the length of her horn, and she whisked away a bowl of pretzels from the bar as the husky bartender reached for them. "Oops," she said sweetly and innocently. "My magic slipped." Lyra smirked at the red faced bartender, stuffing pretzels in her mouth as she trotted out.

And she almost instantly regretted it. Humans apparently loved their bar fare salty, and her bone dry tongue felt like a strip of leather in her mouth. But Lyra's discomfort was worth it to see that bigoted jerk's face turn a plum shade of purple in rage.

Lyra trotted sullenly across the street to where Bonbon sat in disappointment. Apparently, humans were dead serious when they set a price, and only a quarter bushel of her desired sweet potatoes sat ready to be born by Lyra. Bonbon tapped a hoof in impatience, narrowing her eyes as she spied the curled lip on Lyra's mouth.

"That didn't take very long. Did they short you on a pint?"

"No," Lyra growled. "They kicked me out."

"Oh Celestia! What did you do this time? Get in another fight? Break a bottle over some guy's head?" Bonbon moaned to herself, slapping a hoof to her face.

Lyra shook her head, levitating the bulging saddlebags onto her back once more. "No, I haven't done any of that fun stuff for a few years, not since I stopped going drinking with Berry. Apparently I was just born the wrong species to be served there."

"What? Wrong species? What are you talking about?"

Lyra shook her head, taking up a canter towards the residential district. "They don't allow ponies in that building. Come to think of it, they don't allow ponies in the Undercity unless they're escorted. And what's the deal here?" She waved a hoof to all the storefronts, stores owned and run exclusively by humans even though pony shopkeepers were in apparent abundance. "All the pony owned shops are on some secluded street, away from the rest of the market! I haven't seen a single non-human creature doing anything more than stocking shelves or sweeping the street!"

"I don't know Lyra. It's the human's city, so it's their rules about how things work. Who are we to question their rules? I mean, Dr Whooves said that their civilization is at least three times older than ours, so they must have figured things out to where they would work with everypony fairly rewarded, right?"

Lyra sighed, desperately thirsty for something more than just beer or even water right now. "I guess you're right. Let's get back to the house, I have to practice the music the government gave me for tonight."

**********************************************************************

"Is my tie straight?"

"Darling, for the last time, it's fine."

Aaron fidgeted with the bowtie once more, wondering if he should trade it out for a bolo or even a business tie. "Be honest with me Rarity, I'm McGoff's lifeline tonight. If I don't look as sharp as a whip crack, it'll be an affront to the Republic. If I don't look completely professional, it could mean the difference between an alliance and a potential war in the future!"

The white unicorn chuckled quietly to herself, magically hemming one of his pant legs. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were nervous about something else. Or should I say, someone else. Do you really have such trouble with females of your own species?"

The man sighed, resisting the urge to run his fingers through his hair. "You could say that. I've never really been a Casanova. Can I ask you something?"

Rarity plucked a pin from her mouth, hiding it in the seam of his collar. "Of course. Arms out please."

"What do you like on a first date? What works? If I get nervous, do I imagine myself somewhere else or something like that?"

"Getting rather personal, aren't we? Listen, if you need to imagine yourself somewhere else, then you shouldn't be there in the first place. Let it flow naturally, just be who you are and if she respects that, she's a good one." The fashionista pinched a seam, drawing it straight. "There! All done. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to do something about Pinkie's mane in the next hour. I'll need my strongest brushes," she murmured to herself, levitating a travel bag filled to the brim with her trademark fashion supplies. Rarity stopped herself before leaving Aaron's room. "If you do get nervous, just think about our little gift."

"Course, thanks Rarity." Making sure not to ruffle his tux, Aaron walked very stiffly over to a chest by the window. Running a hand along a set of runes meant to only open to his touch, the lid slowly hinged open, revealing his mysterious bundle wrapped in velvet. "It's not the date I'm worried about, it's you," he murmured to the foot long cylinder that hummed with magic. He caressed the bundle, and even through the velvet wrap he could feel a gentle and comforting warmth.

People are still too paranoid about magic, are we jumping the gun by giving them this so soon? he projected through his thoughts.

They have to learn to live with it eventually, this will simply allow them to come to terms with magic on their own. Besides, they're as ready as they'll ever be, his constant ethereal companion replied.

"If you say so," he said aloud. Gently taking the bundle out of its most recent resting place, he cradled it in his arms carefully. "Okay, let's go pick up my date. Oops, can't forget my notes." He grabbed a small notebook from his bureau, stuffing it into his pocket. "Alright, showtime!"

He walked with a bounce in his step out of his room, and as he turned the corner to head downstairs, he bumped into a certain mint green unicorn toting her harp in its case. Both beings lost their grips on their precious packages, fumbling them around in the air before grabbing them firmly.

"Sorry Mrs Heartstrings, wasn't really paying attention."

"Neither was I," Lyra replied, a very dejected look adorning her face underneath her layered makeup.

Lifting an eyebrow, Aaron couldn't help but be curious. "You alright? You look a little down."

"It's nothing," Lyra sighed. "Some guys in the market just gave me a hard time today, and I just can't get it out of my mind!"

"Hard time? What do you mean?"

"Well," Lyra started. "They...it's no big deal. I have to get going, gotta be there early."

Aaron grinned. "Yeah, me too. Good luck with the ambiance." And with that, he neatly and stiffly walked down the stairs and out the door, dead set on keeping his very rigorous and tight schedule.

The man whistled as he walked down the street towards the residential district's Undercity lift, toting the velvet wrapped bundle under one arm, his open hand weaving a stream of magic into a corsage made of dewdrops and gossamer.

Meanwhile, Lyra toted her harp in her magic aura along with her provided sheets of music and a stand. Trotting easily down the street with Bonbon at her side, the unicorn noticed how many houses seemed packed with people, all of them cheerily shouting, drinking, laughing and just having a boisterous good time. The sun was still a few hours from setting, yet a few people clambered around on their rooftops setting up fireworks displays for their celebration.

And it came to her, one full year ago these people had earned a second chance at life. One full year ago the Elements of Harmony had wrested control of humanity's souls away from fear and chaos, and brought them back from the deathly sleep of stasis. Four seasons since the Royal Army of Equestria and the remnants of the United States Army had stood face to face across a field of battle, ready to shed blood in the name of their races. And one year since Aaron and Princess Luna had stood together, ancient enemies standing as one between their armies, begging to their leaders to broker peace between their peoples. With the power of harmony having healed the flaw within mankind's souls, they chose to live without bloodshed. Now, a year later, they chose to celebrate this momentous occasion in the newest chapter of their history, whether it was through silent contemplation, loud parties or by attending the elite gala in the park.

Both mares came to the pathway leading into the park, guarded by a pair of Terran soldiers in dress uniform, not their combat gear as usual. "Invitation?" one asked. Lyra pulled both hers and Bonbon's out of the bosom of her dress, presenting them for inspection. "Oh, you're part of the entertainment. Stage is just over there, speak to the coordinator for the music schedule and your play list."

"Thank you sir," Bonbon replied as both trotted by. And as they went down the pathway to the great fields in the center of the park, they couldn't help but notice that the humans had gone all out on the decorations. Delicate paper lanterns decorated the trees like fireflies, flowers had been cultivated months in advance at the base of every tree. Even a new statue stood ready to be praised by generations to come. A fitting piece, one of President McGoff and Princess Celestia both holding a golden apple above their heads, the shards of a broken arrow lying at their feet. Inscribed at the base were the eloquently carved words: The Peace of Terra.

The pathway led the mares into the heart of the Park, and into the large field which had been converted rather quickly into a ballroom in nature. Hundreds of tables stood ready with silverware and empty wine glasses, each table stocked with either chairs or cushioned pillows for races not accustomed to chairs. At the north end of the park, a sizable stage already had a few pony and human musicians tuning their instruments, preparing for the arrival of the guests.

A human man with an ascot tied around his neck and a wispy mustache rushed around to each musician, giving each musician a time set. "Alright Ms Davis, you'll be doing Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 starting at precisely 7:13! And for once honey, try not to milk it! Mr Flume, you give Ms Davis a three second cool down, then you start up with Mozart's Rondo in D. Remember Jerry, it's a violin, not a FIDDLE! So none of that Charlie Daniels screeching that I heard yesterday! Where is my harpist!? Oh lord, McGoff said I had a professional harpist here tonight!"

"Right here," Lyra said, taking her cushion on the stage and setting up.

"Oh thank heavens. What's your name sweetie?"

"Lyra," she responded to the effeminate maestro.

"Fitting. Alright sweetie, do you have your sheet music?" Lyra levitated her provided music onto her stand and nodded. "Good, after our cello section finishes their second song, you give them a four second break moment then jump straight into Debussy's Clair de Lune. It's a good romantic dance song that we'll play right before dinner to relax everyone, got it?"

"Righto, boss."

The coordinator fumbled around in his pockets, fishing out a cigarette and lighting it. "And if it goes for more than two hours, do whatever you feel like, I didn't plan this for more than two hours anyways. And knowing politicians, they'll just want to race their little lips all night long!"

Human men and women rushed around the Park, making last minute adjustments and decorations, setting tables and preparing a huge barrel of wine imported from Prance. The human guests began to arrive, gathering in groups and chatting mildly while awaiting the arrival of the more important guests.

Over by the pathway, Aaron promenaded his date into the large clearing in the Park. "You look lovely tonight," he commented to her. Though she wore a fairly plain black dress with pearl earrings, Anita was simply stunning to him, and he proudly escorted her to the gala.

"Stop that," she giggled. "You've been goggle eyeing me since you saw me in my apartment."

"But it's true! I cannot tell a lie, thou art a delicate orchid that has blessed this lowly clod with thine presence," he said in his most Shakespearean tone.

The social worker giggled. "Who fed you that line, one of your friends?" she asked.

Aaron's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, and he sheepishly smiled. "Maybe." Spying his post ahead, he turned to his date. "Okay Ann, I have to do a little meet and greet with McGoff for all the guests. So I'm gonna have to fly for a few minutes."

"Okay," she replied. She gave a seductive smile, twining a lock of her platinum hair around a finger. "Just remember, save me a spot at the head table." She pirouetted on her heels, intermingling with a conversing crowd as though she had been there for the entire conversation.

"Righto," Aaron murmured, walking over to the entryway to join the trio of men already standing there.

Centermost stood the leader of the Republic and the one time Commanding General of the United States Army, President Tyler McGoff. Dressed in a tuxedo, he looked approachable and he wore a smile that both welcomed and intimidated. To his immediate left stood General Jean Pilotte, dressed in his military dress uniform and wearing bombardier shades. Pilotte was possibly one of the most solidly built men in the Republic, standing a head taller than his companions and having more muscle under that officer's jacket than some minotaurs had in their bodies. And finally, a few steps to McGoff's right stood Vice President Edgar Smitts, presiding officer and liaison to the Terran Senate. Smitts was considered by most to have a face like a weasel with the scheming and cunning of a fox. Smitts had a few state senate tenures under his belt, and his charisma and silver tongue made him an asset. But Terra be damned if there was a man who could get a bill floored and passed through the Senate with as little debate as possible like Smitts.

"You're late," McGoff said to the ambassador to Equestria.

Aaron took the space between McGoff and Smitts. "'Scuse me Eddie. Sorry I'm late boss, had to pick up my date."

"Date huh? Finally gettin' out there?"

"Yes sir, figured I needed to stop being selfish and contribute to the gene pool. You see her over there?" He pointed out Anita in a crowd, the platinum blonde politely laughing at some story told by a senator. Each of the three men craned their necks to take a look while staying in their spot.

"The blonde?" asked Pilotte, his deep voice edged with mild French accent.

"Yup."

"Could we focus please?" Smitts said, eager to cast his lot in with the monarchial dignitaries that would soon arrive. "This is too big of a deal to be sitting here ogling some pretty girl. Alright Patterson, start spilling the beans, what are we up against here?"

"Oh you won't be disappointed, Eddie boy. We've got dignitaries coming from Africa, Europe, South America, and a ton from here in North America. Notables include a few higher ups in the gryphon nobility including Prince Alanon; if any of you get stuck with him, just listen while he regales you with his hunting stories. Then there's our good buddies, the Equestrians. Both of the Princesses will be in attendance; light conversation is suitable as they are very busy mares and will be moving through the crowd at a certain pace. Under no circumstance are you to allow Princess Luna more than four glasses of champagne." Aaron said by rote, reading off the list of dignitaries from memory. "I don't know the rest personally, but I can give you advice so we don't flop on the proper introduction."

A chariot born by pegasi passed overhead, casting a shadow over the gala before landing in a zone cleared for airborne guests.

"Alright boys, showtime," McGoff said to his compatriots. A human server dressed very smartly rushed to the chariot, getting the names from one of the pegasi soldiers.

Turning about, he cleared his throat before announcing loudly, "Announcing her Royal Majesty, Princess Celestia, Sovereign Ruler of the Realm of Equestria. Announcing Princess Luna, Sovereign Ruler of the Realm of Equestria."

Both regal alicorns gracefully stepped down from the chariot, and for once they had shed their royal regalia in favor of elaborate and eye catching dresses. Celestia bore a gown of white interlaced with gold filigree and her mane lie in tamed curls. Luna wore a dress with night blue that almost seemed woven onto her body like spider silk. Stopping before the four human representatives, the diarchs bowed before the men who led the nation they were guests in.

"Your Excellency," Princess Celestia directed to President McGoff. "It is good seeing you after so many seasons of separation."

"I feel the same way, Princess. Please, you and your sister make yourselves at home. Tonight, our home is yours."

"I thank you for the warm welcome, Mr President. Mr Ambassador," Celestia nodded to Aaron, leaning down her horn for a far less formal welcoming that could only be done through magic. Encompassing a single finger with his magic, he touched the tip of the alicorn's horn. A moment later, Celestia smiled and said, "That is wonderful to hear, it is always a treat knowing friends are doing well."

"Ah, it's good seeing you too Celestia. And Luna, you look positively lovely tonight."

The lunar diarch bowed before her former ancient nemesis. "I accept your compliment, dear friend. Now if I may so curt, where may I find a glass of fine wine?" Aaron stifled a laugh as he pointed out a waiter with a tray of glasses. Both alicorns left to mingle, leaving the four representatives with the next arrival.

"Announcing Lady Redwood, Lord Regent of the Crystal Empire!" A sparkling pony with a coat of shining silver and a mane like rubies promenaded down the pathway, her entourage of courtiers glancing around carefully at their strange surroundings.

"Woah, what's with her?" McGoff hissed to Aaron.

"She's a crystal pony. Don't point it out though, when among other ponies they get very self conscious about their sparkling coat. They're from around central Canada, near the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Militarily they're no threat at all, the Crystal Empire is smaller than us, if you can believe that."

"Then how are they an empire?" McGoff cleared his throat before bowing to the silvery mare. "Your Grace, I am President Tyler McGoff, may I be the first to welcome you and your people to our nation."

Lady Redwood gave a polite curtsy to the imposing President of the Republic. "Your Excellency, my people are grateful for your invitation, and we wish to extend an apology for the absence of our beloved Princess Cadence. The trials of motherhood have taken their toll on her, and she was in no safe condition to travel."

"I understand, my people are also dearly endowed with so much new life as of late."

"As are mine, one thousand years of absence have left us in the wake of many nations where we once stood proud and mighty."

General Pilotte chuckled. "Little sister, you have no idea how much we have in common right now."

Vice President Smitts jumped in quickly, hoping to curtail such crudeness. "What he means to say is that our peoples are so alike in history that we might find a compassionate bond in one another that other races may lack. Please, enjoy yourself tonight as one of our guests of honor." As the crystal mare and her courtiers passed by to mingle and talk, Smitts shot Pilotte a death glare. "Little sister?! Have you no sense of manners?"

"More than you, amerloque. I'm French, we're nursed on passive-aggressive social mannerisms along with wine soaked baguettes and those foolish berets. Mon dieu, how I hate your stereotypes."

Aaron raised an eyebrow at McGoff. "Since when did his inner Frenchie start coming out?"

McGoff rolled his eyes and sighed. "There's a reason he's wearing those damn stupid sunglasses. Jean absolutely hates parties of any sort, so he 'fortifies' himself beforehand to make himself more sociable."

"You mean he's drunk right now?"

McGoff shrugged and looked on to the next dignitary. "He's very good at holding his liquor. Besides, as long as he doesn't go overboard it keeps him behaved."

"Announcing Prince Alanon, Lord of the Wind Isle and heir to the Throne of Kali'Gryph!"

Aaron leaned over to McGoff, whispering to his ear. "He's the Duke of Prince Edward Island. Kali'Gryph takes up most of old Newfoundland, Labrador, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Ontario. Now when he approaches you, he might do something a bit odd. We may dodge a bullet and he may pass up on the rite, but Prince Alanon is one for tradition like his father, King Osgul. Do not ask Alanon about his father's health. Alanon is next up for the throne of Kali'Gryph, and Osgul could croak at any time. It's his son we want to impress. So unless there's a civil war in Kali'Gryph, we want to buddy up with this guy as much as possible."

A mustachioed gryphon bedecked in shining ceremonial armor approached, a pair of gryphon soldiers by his sides, carefully watching for danger in this foreign land. Underneath all that unnecessary steel, his fur was a rusty red, and his head feathers white with speckles of black. He had an overall sense of arrogance, and he lifted his beak at the simple settings of the Park. Regardless, he bowed before McGoff.

"Your Imminence, I am President Tyler McGoff, leader of the Republic and of the human people."

Alanon nodded. "I am Alanon Khardan, son of Osgul Khardan, King of all the Aeries of Kali'Gryph."

The gryphon prince reared back on his hind legs, puffing out his chest and spreading his wings. McGoff took a step back in concern. Aaron grabbed his shoulder, pulling McGoff close. "Crap, he actually wants to do it! Okay, what you need to do is hit him!" Aaron whispered in a hiss.

"Hit him?! What do you mean 'hit him'?!"

"Ball up your best fist and knock the living daylights outta that gryphon! As hard as you can!"

"If you say so." McGoff took no further delay, swinging a fist with his entire body weight behind it straight at Alanon's chin. Both Aaron and Vice President Smitts winced when they heard the undeniable sound of bone on bone impact, and Alanon flew back into the arms of his soldiers, his head shaking in a dazed cloud.

McGoff rubbed his knuckles, and Alanon stumbled back to his hind legs, staring McGoff in the face. Pilotte's hand moved discreetly over to his side, lest this come to a violent confrontation. Instead, the gryphon's scowl turned into a broad smile, and Alanon started to laugh.

"It has been far too many years since I have received such honors from a host! A fine show of strength, my good sir! Equestrians always refuse such a right."

McGoff managed a grin. "Well, you and your boys can go ahead and make yourselves at home. Welcome to the Republic of Terra." Prince Alanon and his pair of retainers marched past and into the crowd, Alanon showing off his swelling bruise like a medal or trophy. "What in the name of polite society was that about?"

"Gryphons base a dynasty's strength on the strength of their potential foes," Aaron explained. "If a person is weak, they ignore that person as a potential ally or even see that as a reason to pick a fight with them. If a potential ally shows great strength, like you did by ceremonially knocking him flat out, that means you are someone worthy of fighting and therefore worthy of fighting alongside. That shiner you just gave him is a badge of honor, a trophy that says he allowed a stronger force to get a courtesy blow, and he survived it with pride. So by punching him as hard as you could, you reinforced his status as being someone strong. I wouldn't be surprised if Alanon thinks you're his best friend now. Shit, he might even ask you to join him on a hunt."

The dignitaries continued to arrive in droves, at some points every member of the four man welcoming party was tied up with some non-human ambassador or leader. The gentleman announcing the arrival of each leader soon shouted himself hoarse and had to be replaced for a few minutes. Representatives from the Zebrican Tribal Confederation walked in right behind a few chiefs from the neighboring bison chiefdoms. An ostentatiously garbed burro from Mexicolt came representing his race, slipping a bottle of tequila to Pilotte as he walked by, much to the General's delight. More rich pony nobles promenaded in, holding their heads high. And finally, with the greatest fanfare of any representative yet came the Elements of Harmony.

They walked proudly as a group, Twilight taking the center and the lead. Each wore a dress that was fitting for a princess or a queen tailored by the skilled magic of none other than Lady Rarity herself. And around their necks lay the Element jewels, sparkling in the fading daylight.

The gentleman announcing the arrivals stuttered at their awe inspiring presence, clearing his throat and trying again. "Announcing...announcing their ladyships, Lady Twilight Sparkle, Lady Fluttershy, Lady Rarity, Lady Rainbow Dash, Lady Applejack and Lady Pinkamena Pie, of Equestria. Bearers of the Elements of Harmony and heroes of Equestria."

The Embodiements approached the four man greeting party. Twilight smiled at her friend Aaron, turning to McGoff before kneeling down.

"No," Tyler said to the mare. Kneeling down to see eye to eye, he helped the unicorn back to her hooves. "For what you have done for us, you will never kneel before a person of this nation." McGoff placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder, escorting her and her friends into the gala. Grabbing a glass of champagne from a waiter, the President of the Republic stepped onto the stage, holding up a hand to silence the entertainment.

"If I could have your attention please!" he said, his voice booming out across the field and reaching every person in the crowd. Silence came over the assembled creatures, and McGoff continued. "I would like to welcome you all to what I hope to be the first of many meetings of our peoples. As most of you know, I am Tyler McGoff, President of the Republic of Terra. Tonight, we honor the bonds of peace that have been offered so generously to us by those we once called our foes, and we honor those bonds yet to be made. But, we must never forget the sacrifices of those who gave their lives and their freedom so that we might be here tonight." McGoff raised his glass. "To friendships made, and friendships yet to be made. To friends both absent and in company. To the next generation, and to the honored fallen." McGoff sipped from his glass, the rest of the crowd doing the same.

******************************************************

The gala was in full swing. The musical entertainment was mostly ignored by the crowd at large, but a few people, mainly foreign dignitaries, stuck around the stage with an odd curiosity for the eloquent and stirring human music. Even Lyra herself was in awe as she plucked the delicate strings of her harp. Their ancient songs just seemed to carry so much heart and soul in every note, and she could almost feel the magical bond between the composer and his music. The toil of sweat, tears and long nights without sleep to create these masterworks that would survive even the end of humanity's time on this world.

"Alright, Lyra was it? You can take thirty minutes off," the entertainment planner told her.

The unicorn did not respond, merely shifting her harp off to the side and stepping down from the stage, stretching her legs out from the aching stiffness from sitting still so long. Trotting towards the table where Bonbon had waited patiently for her to get off from her duties, she flopped down on the soft pillow provided for ponies.

"Finally," she said, resisting the urge to rub her hooves. "Can we take a few before we go dancing?"

"Sure," her wife replied, using a fork and knife clenched in her fetlocks with some difficulty to carefully slice a stuffed mushroom that had been on the menu.

Lyra looked at the delicious entree with envy, her tongue flicking out to moisten her lips. "Ssssooooo, save some for moi?"

Bonbon rolled her eyes, and she slid over the plate to Lyra. Eh, it wasn't that good anyways, humans seemed to have this nearly disturbing addiction to cheese and other dairy products. Why, that mushroom alone had three types layered throughout it. Besides, Bonbon had mostly filled up on free bread. Humans may have had a strange obsession with cheese, but they knew how to make a damn good rye bread with butter.

Lyra levitated the entire course with her magic, chomping down on the fancy fare with a rather unladylike gusto. "So, di oo see meh shreddin' up der?" Lyra said, small crumbs flying out of her mouth.

"Honey, swallow," Bonbon ordered.

Lyra obliged, gulping down the rather delicious entree and washing it down with a chugged glass of wine. "So, how do you think I did? Were you entranced, enthralled, bedazzled by my music?"

Bonbon shrugged. "It was okay. I rather liked the woman with the cello, maybe she and Tavi should do a little get together sometime, trade secrets and what not."

Lyra sat dumbfounded, her body absolutely stiff with shock. With a spastic twitch, something snapped inside of her. "Just...OKAY?!? Not heart wrenching or soul twirling?! Tear jerkingly beautiful?! Standing ovation worthy?!" Bonbon shook her head, barely containing a laugh. "Well, I guess some ponies just have no taste in music!"

Bonbon smirked at her. "Gotcha! I have to admit, you did pretty gosh darn good with that harp. Heck, the number of people actually listening doubled when you played. But double one and you get two."

Lyra melted into a puddle of pitifully criticized musician. "Why would you do that to me? You know how sensitive I am about my music!"

Bonbon pulled the plate back to herself, taking a bite out of their shared dinner. "That was for stealing my dinner. Oh, and for not taking the trash out last week. And I guess I can't forget about the pile of dirty socks you left in the corner."

"Anything else you want to add now so I can get cleared of it?"

"Hmm, nope. Not right now."

The soft rustle of a dress and the clop of hooves came from behind Lyra. "Excuse me," a vaguely familiar mare's voice said. "Is this seat taken? I must say my hooves are rather sore and I need to sit down for a spell."

"Knock yourself out lady." Lyra waved to the empty pillow next to her without even glancing over her shoulder at the mare. Bonbon took a sip of her wine, spitting it out when she recognized the new pony at the table.

"Your Majesty!" Bonbon squeaked, leaping from her pillow and prostrating herself on the grass.

Lyra froze, wondering which 'Majesty' she had just rudely called 'lady'. Turning slowly in her seat, her amber eyes caught the soft, billowing blue mane and night blue coat of one of Equestria's fair and wise alicorn rulers. A block of ice dropped into her stomach, and the unicorn's jaw trembled.

"Your Majesty! Please forgive my rudeness. I-I didn't know, and...and..." Without further ado she leapt out of her seat, kneeling in the grass for Princess Luna.

Luna giggled, a touch of a smile coming to her mouth. "Oh please, it's a party! We're all guests here, there's no 'your Majesty' or 'loyal subject' tonight. I actually enjoyed the lack of formality in your response, Miss...?"

Lyra looked up from the ground, seeing the unexpectedly friendly face of her diarch. "Um, Heartstrings, your Grace. Lyra Heartstrings. And this is my wife, Bonbon."

"Hi," Bonbon said meekly, waving a hoof weakly and sliding uneasily back to her pillow.

Princess Luna sat gracefully yet comfortably on her pillow, at ease yet displaying the power she wielded with both the quill and with magic. "It is a pleasure to meet someone here who is not jockeying for favor or trying to form some under the table alliance. I must say, the dalliances are getting too out of control! The political web is thicker here than arachne silk in the Spiderwood. I can only hope you Terran ponies do not suffer from the kind of politics the nobility forces upon us."

"Terran ponies? What do you mean, Princess?"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "You are not citizens of the Republic? Hm, I merely figured that since you were not nobles from Canterlot or the Crystal Empire that I know of that you were important denizens of this fair city. I apologize for my miscalculations."

Lyra was intrigued now, and she pressed the issue just a question further. "I didn't know ponies could become citizens here."

"Why, of course they can, fair Mrs Heartstrings! It was all in the fine print of the Peace of Terra armistice. Ponies may become contributing members of human society so long as Equestria extends a reciprocal right to any humans that wish to emigrate away from their heartland."

A human man bustled over, practically wringing his hands to get a chance at schmoozing up to the Princess of Equestria. "Ah, dear Princess, I have been looking forward to meeting you! I am Alvin Brownstone, a Senator of some importance here in the Republic. As you may have heard-"

Luna did her best to look completely disinterested, which was not very difficult to accomplish. "A thousand pardons, dear Senator, but I am in no mood to discuss dalliances at the moment. I have just reunited with a very dear friend of mine and we simply must catch up."

"I understand, Princess." The Terran Senator turned his predatory gaze elsewhere, seeming to rest upon one of Prince Alanon's retainers.

"Hmph, you would think these humans would try moderating how much politics they can engage themselves in. Unfortunately, many of them seem to thrive off of it," the Princess commented to Lyra and Bonbon.

"What was so political about that?" Bonbon asked the Princess, gaining confidence that the lunar diarch was taking a break from being a paragon or demigod.

"Everything, madam. Look over there, let us gaze upon the political process in action." Luna carefully pointed her hoof towards Senator Brownstone as he lightly chatted with the lesser gryphon lord. "Right now he is introducing himself and telling our gryphon friend what he does. And now our gryphon begins to respond with his title and his family's occupation. Oh, so we are a lesser family of nobles that produces many bales of shellfish for the throne. Well, even that can be worked with. You see, Senator Brownstone, though he is an elected member of his government, still seeks to expand his influence and power. He is starting small, allying himself with lesser nobles that are still integrated with the populace of gryphon society, enough so that he can indirectly influence gryphon society as a whole if he so desires. But the knife cuts both ways, and our gryphon noble seeks to expand his power by establishing a toe hold in Republic soil. The humans are desperate for resources, enough so that they will dally with just about anyone who controls what they want. And if a noble is allied with Terran politicians, he can be trusted to provide over other sources."

Senator Brownstone and Prince Alanon's retainer laughed at some joke that only they heard, and the Senator slipped an envelope to the gryphon, who slid it under his breastplate. "And what do we have here? The deal is made, our Senator has gained himself a 'friend' in the royal court of Kali'Gryph, and our noble has gained a potential customer and a 'friend' in the Terran Senate. You scratch my back, and I shall scratch yours."

"Wow, you sure know a lot about politics," Lyra said. She immediately regretted it, given the age of the Princess, it was likely that politics were her bread and butter for centuries.

"Not as much as they do, that is for certain. During the later years of the War, Celestia and I traveled the world seeking to end the source of what they called the Chaos Plague. We came upon a place that the humans held reverent as a cultural and religious center, a place they once called the 'Vatican'. In there I found a manuscript from their Renaissance Era called 'The Prince'. It was, and still is, the complete handbook for political maneuvering. The humans invented politics, perfected it, burned it down, built it back from the ground up and perfected it again. Everything they do contains some form of political elements, all for one and one for all. Even the most innocent and mundane of activities here are some form of either hierarchical or social politics."

Lyra glanced around, looking for the telltale signs of social politics in action. "I'm not quite seeing it."

"That is because you are looking too hard. Look at President McGoff over there." The President of the Republic was not entertaining courtiers nor seeking to expand his under-the-table network. Rather, he merely danced with a woman his own age, a strangely familiar lady with graying blonde hair that made Lyra smile.

"He's dancing with Dr Mcentyre," Lyra said. "But she works in research and development, what's she doing dancing with the President?"

"An apt question, Mrs Heartstrings, I'll make a politico of you yet. Resources are tight for the Republic, and because of that, the budget for government expenses is constantly shifting to try and curtail economic and social degradation. Now, research requires a mountain of expenses and materials that are rather hard to come by." Dr Mcentyre allowed herself to get dipped low by McGoff, and she took the opportunity to whisper something sweet into his ear. "See, she is securing her desired resource by twining the highest authority in the land around her finger."

"Clever," Bonbon whispered. Wanting to get in on this game of 'spot the politic', Bonbon spied Dr Patterson slowly doing the steps to a romantic song with his date. Try as she might, she could find no reason as to why the Ambassdor would be promenading with a simple government worker. "But what about him? There's no reason why Mr Patterson should be courting her."

Luna chuckled. "He's not looking to expand his network of alliances and enemies. Aaron is about as innocent as they get when it comes to politics. I think he is truly just looking for a mate. Trust me, he has spent many a day as a courtier in Canterlot, he is completely averse to taking sides or delving into schemes. In fact, the only ally he truly needs is constantly with him, keeping an eye out and using him to accomplish her mundane goals. In fact, Aaron really serves as light entertainment in Canterlot, I've been trying to teach him badminton. The key word: trying."

Bonbon had a realization, and her eyes grew wide. "Then it's her who's doing the politics. She's climbing the social ladder in leaps and bounds by dating a dignitary."

Luna smiled and nodded. "Precisely. Though I hope for his sake that she truly cares for him. I do not wish to see such a once tortured soul have his heart broken. Did you know that he actually saw my memories from the War? And that we made amends and apologized after Celestia tricked us both into playing a game of chess with one another? Truly, reality is stranger than fiction!"

Lyra kept seeking the hidden motes of schemes and politics, and the more she looked, the more she found. In fact, she was so surrounded by the political process that she might as well be on the floor of the Terran Senate! Caught up in this interesting discussion with Princess Luna, she had a realization. "Oh shoot, it's about time for me to go back up on stage. Sorry we didn't dance, Bonnie."

Princess Luna also had a realization, and she sought out her sister in the crowd. The tall alicorn towered above the humans, and Celestia nodded to her once their eyes met. "Mrs Heartstrings, do not be so quick to take the stage once more. My sister and I will have to interrupt for a few moments."

Standing from her pillow, Luna joined Celestia and moved towards the stage. Finishing his dance with Anita, Aaron caught their nod, joining the alicorns. Soon, the six bearers of the Elements joined the trio, and as one group they took the stage.

"If we may have your attention!" Luna shouted in the traditional Royal Canterlot Voice. "My sister and I wish to make an announcement. President McGoff, will you please join us?"

Tyler shrugged to all the people around him, telling everyone that this was just as surprising to him. Taking the stage, he stood before the diarchs of Equestria. Princess Celestia began, "My dearest friend, humanity is a race that has endured more than any other in this world. Your trials have been great, and your hardships many. But always you sought to overcome those trials, and in doing so you have become stronger. Today, the people of Equestria offer you respite and rest from your eternal hardships. Come with us."

The party of ponies walked through the crowd; the alicorns and the human representative leading the way. The attendees of the gala looked around, wondering what to do. As a mob they followed a respectful distance behind the party of ponies. Celestia and Luna led them deeper into the Park, somehow knowing the pathway by heart. Deeper into the ancient forest they led the humans, until they passed under a pair of carved statues and came to a perfectly round clearing.

The pale light of the moon shone down and cloaked the gazebo in a shroud of even deeper mystery. But to the alicorns, they knew the true purpose of this place, and the true magic that it held. Stepping under the eaves with Celestia, Luna and Aaron, McGoff saw something that had never been there before. In the center of the gazebo sat a tall pedestal shrouded with a cloth.

Turning back to him, Princess Celestia smiled. "Throughout time, Equestria has had the Elements of Harmony to stand guard and serve as a beacon of hope. The Crystal Empire has had the Crystal Heart to banish away darkness and spread love. And now, it had been decided that you too deserve a beacon of your own."

Luna's horn glowed a deep blue, the shroud over the pedestal vanishing. A simple, waist high column stood, carved with runes, glyphs and etchings of the Element symbols. The flat top of the pedestal was emblazoned with the seal of the Elements of Harmony. But it was inert, and no magic seemed to flow from the pedestal.

Celestia continued the ceremony, turning to the human ambassador. "Aaron, you have protected your charge well, but now it is time it fulfilled its purpose." Aaron nodded, reaching into his coat pocket and withdrawing the mysterious, velvet wrapped bundle. Undoing the drawstrings, he slipped off the covering, revealing the object for the first time. A crystal, easily as long as his forearm and as thick as his wrist lay cradled in his hands. It was clear as spring water, and warm to the touch.

Stepping over to the pedestal, Aaron held the crystal inches over surface of the pedestal, slowly letting go. McGoff expected it to fall and shatter. But the crystal stayed put, defying gravity and hovering about three inches from the top of the pedestal. And even as he watched this defiance of nature, the crystal began to glow from within, a gentle aura of light bathing the gazebo in warmth and a feeling of harmony.

And, to his greatest surprise, he could hear it. Not with his ears, with his mind. The crystal was singing to him, gently inviting him to feel it and know it.

"Go on," Aaron said. "Touch it."

McGoff took an apprehensive step forward, glancing back over his shoulder at the clearing full of people waiting to see what would happen. He lifted a hand slowly, extending a calloused finger. The crystal beckoned to him, singing its song through his mind, reassuring him and offering nothing but light. And then, he touched it. His fingers lay on the warm, smooth surface of the singing crystal, and instantly he could feel the light within the crystal within himself.

A presence greeted his mind; powerful yet kindly. And then, it spoke to him.

Greetings Tyler McGoff, it is good to finally speak after so many years.

McGoff snapped back, gasping after hearing the psionic voice within his own mind, comforting and nonthreatening. Turning to Aaron, he could only say one thing. "That's....that's what you hear. What you see, what you feel. It's....incredible." Aaron only grinned and nodded.

"It is the Singing Crystal," Princess Celestia declared. "It is a teacher, a protector, a light within the dark, and a bridge across the realms. Harvested from the purest hearts of crystal from the Crystal Empire, it was forged in the purest magic of harmony and shaped by the will of a god. And now it shall rest in this shrine built by the spirits, and it will stand as a beacon of friendship, so long as harmony exists in this world."

McGoff was speechless, his gaze drifting from the Princess to the Singing Crystal and back. "It is...perfect. Princess, on behalf of the human race, I accept this symbol of friendship." Turning back to the crowd, he beckoned to someone. "Come here, you have to feel this!"

Dr Mcentyre stepped daintily into the gazebo, looking around apprehensively before laying her hand upon the shining stone. She held her hand upon the crystal, a smile creeping up her face. "Hello again," she said to the familiar presence of the godly Earth Mother, given a voice through the crystal.

Another man emerged from the crowd, a soldier in his ceremonial uniform. Reaching out, he too touched the shining Singing Crystal. "I can hear them," he said quietly. "I can hear my little brother, my sister, my mom. I can hear their voices again." A tear slid down his cheek, and a smile came to his face. "I couldn't remember what they sounded like. I...I couldn't remember. I love you too Jeffy. Take care of Mom and Lana until I get there." He sniffed as he let go, turning to the Princess. "Thank you for this," he said to Celestia.

Melting back into the crowd, people gave the soldier a berth, turning back to the Singing Crystal with wonder and curiosity in their eyes. More people emerged from the crowd, entering the newly created shrine of hope and delicately laying their hands upon the holy relic.

Taking a few steps out of the gazebo to give people room, Aaron grinned. "Guess they like it after all." Within his mind, the mental link to the spirit of the Earth seemed to purr with joy and pleasure. "I guess someone else is happy too."

****************************************************************

The crowd filed back to the gala grounds in the Park, and with the Singing Crystal casting a shining light and guaranteeing a sound rest for mankind, the political atmosphere seemed to dissolve. More stories and jokes drifted in and out between conversers, and the laughter changed from polite to boisterous and more honest.

A few human socialites even snuck off and brought back a barrel of ale. So eager was one of the minotaur merchant guildsmen to taste something other than wine that he punched through the top. The atmosphere lost the uptight strictness of an elite gala, the drink flowed freely and those who really shouldn't have been drinking began the assault on their livers with gusto.

President McGoff even dismissed the musicians, saying they would get paid in full and to just have some fun. Someone had a truly brilliant idea, running back to their house and bringing back a large set of speakers and a stereo. Setting it up on stage, they slid in an old CD and hit the play button, softly playing some of The Beatles' later albums.

Lyra and Bonbon danced for awhile, deciding that a few dances to human rock and roll were more memorable than any classical slow promenade. The two mares danced like it was nopony's business, and eventually they wore themselves out, stumbling back through the Park to their temporary house in the residential district.

It was nearing midnight by the time most of the dignitaries began to leave, promising to come back next year if invited and to strengthen their economic bonds by any means.

About the time the waiters began clearing tables, four men took lazy seats at a table, each with a glass of wine or beer. Aaron looked positively bushed, yet his face bore a contented grin. General Pilotte leaned back in his chair, sipping a glass of water to hopefully ward off the impending hangover. The General of the Terran Army had some other concerns, like all the photos that had been snapped of him with an arm draped over Princess Luna, the pair singing the lyrics to some bawdy song in French/Prench. But like he cared.

Vice President Smitts looked rather proud of himself, despite his tiring duty of shepherding senators all night to make sure nobody made any powerful enemies.

And finally, President McGoff kicked his feet up on the table, pulling a cigar from his jacket pocket and lighting it up. "Well boys, I think we can call tonight a definite success. Three definite signatures of either military truce or alliance, not to mention your lightbulb out there in the gazebo, Aaron."

"Hey, that thing took ten months to make. I had to give up my body so 'the big gal' could use it to make that. And don't forget, both Ambassador Vasquez from Mexicolt and Prince Alanon said they had perfect areas for human settlement; looks like the Mayflower Initiative is a 'go', so long as we can find volunteers."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Smitts muttered, taking a sip. "People want to go out and be a part of the world again, and being in a Mayflower colony might draw those adventure seekers. Besides, even if we can't get colonists, we might just suffice with a military outpost."

McGoff let out a stream of cigar smoke, sighing as he stared up at the stars. "Let's hope the Mayflower Initiative doesn't turn into another Roanoke. Last thing we need is a chunk of the populace disappearing."

"What is 'Roanoke'?" Pilotte asked, his accent becoming very pronounced.

"It was an old British colony in North Carolina during the early Colonial Era. Every single settler vanished without a trace."

"Eugh, we do not want that," Pilotte said.

The table fell silent for a few moments, until Aaron broke it. "Gentlemen, to a better tomorrow." He lifted his glass, draining it in a single gulp. "With the friends we've made, what could possibly go wrong?"

The next morning, Aaron was very likely to find out exactly what could go wrong with the entire delicate balance that was the Republic of Terra, something minty and unicorn shaped.

************************************************************

The sun rose gently over the hilltops around Lazarus, the birds sang their morning songs to the sleeping city as the warm light of the morning star scrubbed away the blanket of dew.

The light shined through the window of the master bedroom, splashing down on the sleeping mares in their borrowed bed. Lyra swung her legs out, climbing out of bed and stretching. Glancing back at her sleeping love, she grinned as she prepared for her morning secret taboo ritual. Carefully stretching out her lower back muscles and the muscles in her hind legs, she reared back, using her tail to balance herself.

Waving her forelegs around to maintain her balance, Lyra lifted one hind hoof, placing it forward. Gaining confidence with her ritual of bipedalism, she very slowly walked over to the window. Peering out at the rising sun, she smiled confidently. "Ah, another day in paradise." Sure her paradise had a few rough moments, but the road of life always had its little bumps. "Wish I could come here every year, just to relax and be me."

The sheets shifted behind her, and Lyra frantically dropped down to all fours. "Morning sweetie."

"Oh don't pretend you're innocent. I know about your little 'biped' escapades. Come back to bed, my little human," Bonbon said sweetly, pulling back the sheets.

Lyra grinned, bouncing her eyebrows. "Oh yeah baby, talk dirty to me. Call me a filthy human mare!"

"Someone's excited," Bonbon purred, patting the bed with her hoof. "Come and tame me, my human mistress."

Lyra slid back in the sheets, locking lips with Bonbon. Wake up sex was always the absolute best sex, both parties were rejuvenated and could still remember the naughty dreams of last night.

And just as Bonbon began to move down between Lyra's legs, the door to the bedroom swung open.

"Mornin' Heartstr-OH MY GOD! Get a room you two!" Dr Patterson yelled, shielding his eyes.

Bonbon emerged from down below, her face flushing crimson. "We are in a room!"

"I meant someone else's room! That's my mattress you two are violating! Okay, new rule, no hanky-panky in my house!" He spun around, slamming the door behind him.

Bonbon slid back up to the headboard, crossing her hooves in frustration. "The nerve of that man, saying I can't make love to my own wife!" A bead of sweat trickled down her brow, and she bit her lip. "I'm so hot right now."

"Me too."

"Sexy shower?" Bonbon suggested.

"You know it." Both mares sped off to the master bathroom, locking the door behind them and cranking the water all the way up.

A half hour and all the hot water later, Lyra and Bonbon walked downstairs with a contented look adorning their faces. They had trouble untangling their intertwined tails so as not to raise suspicions, but they managed to look innocent enough. "Gooooood morning everypony!" Bonbon sang to the residents of the rather crowded breakfast table.

"Good morning Bonbon, good morning Lyra. Did you sleep good?" Twilight Sparkle greeted, slathering some jam onto her toast.

"I know I did," Lyra declared proudly.

Pinkie swallowed a whole pancake in one bite, pouring syrup in her mouth to wash it down. "Oh my gosh! That was such a good party last night! At first it was all 'bluh' and boring with the chit chat, but then it was all 'whee!' when they brought out the music! Not to be mean and say that your music was all boring and stuff Lyra, but it was Grand Galloping Gala-y, and I haven't had so much fun at the Grand Galloping Gala in the past."

"Um, no offense taken?" Lyra said. Twilight magically pulled another pair of stools from another room, setting them out for the additional mares. "So, where's our host?" Lyra asked, taking a stool and levitating a few pieces of toast.

"In the den eating his breakfast. He didn't want to freak us out with his more...omnivorous tendencies. I really don't mind so long as he doesn't do it in front of us. But it must be really important to them, he was tearing up and saying 'I missed you' to a pile of charred pig strips."

Rarity shuddered in her seat. "Barbaric if you ask me, eating another living creature like some kind of common beast. And a pig no less!"

The table fell fairly silent, the only sound being the clink of cutlery on plates and the rustle of paper as Twilight read the news. "Hm, the radio station hired a new host, paper says she's a pony. I might have to try listening to it again."

Lyra and Bonbon finished their breakfast, helping out with cleaning up the kitchen and wash the dishes. Afterwards, Lyra led Bonbon back upstairs to their room to talk for a few minutes.

The unicorn sat the earth pony down on the bed, holding her hoof consolingly. Bonbon smiled at her lover, drawing her hair back behind her ear. "Lyra, what is it? You've got that look again."

Lyra bit her lip, not wanting to engage in anything right now but conversation. "I wanna talk Bonnie."

"About what?"

Lyra sighed, glancing out the window and out to the sprawling town of Lazarus. "I've been thinking. You know, about our problem."

Bonbon sighed, again with the talk of children and babies. "Lyra, we can't conceive. It's just a fact of life, you know we agreed to adopt a child in need back in Equestria when we returned home. What is there to think about?"

"I never said I was against us adopting. And I do want to adopt a child in need. But you're my partner, and I want you to be happy above anything else in this world. So I won't commit to this unless your heart is behind it as well."

"What are you talking about?" Bonbon asked, becoming more and more concerned with each cryptic statement.

"Well, we should adopt a child in need, that's what we both agree on. But I was thinking, are we sure we want to go all the way back to Equestria to adopt? I mean, there's a child that needs parents right here in Lazarus."

Bonbon raised her eyebrow, withdrawing her hoof from Lyra's grasp. "I'm...I'm not sure I understand. I haven't seen many pony foals at all in this city."

Lyra gazed deep into her sea blue eyes, and Bonbon had never seen her look more determined. "I'm not talking about a pony."

Bonbon gasped, her eyes becoming wide. "You...you can't mean....you want to adopt that human baby! Lyra, we're ponies! As much as you like humans, I don't know if it's possible for us to raise one as our own! We're two different species, we don't even eat the same things! Humans have to eat meat to survive, do you really want to do that? What would our friends say, what would all of Ponyville say!"

"I don't care what they would say. And I don't care that we're different species, that child needs a mother, and I'm the only person in this city who is willing to be that mother. And so what if they eat meat? They can survive without it, I read an article in one of those old magazines downstairs that says that being vegetarian isn't just an option, it's healthier for them!" Lyra cupped Bonbon's cheek with her hoof. "Honey, I know that you want to stick to tradition, that you want to adopt a foal and be as normal of a family as possible. But if you had felt what I felt when our magics touched, when I comforted her and peered within her mind, you wouldn't think twice about it. Lots of families aren't all the same species. Look at Twilight and Spike; a pony and a dragon, as different as day and night. But they're happy together, and they love each other like a mother and son."

Bonbon seemed to relax, her look becoming more curious than anything else. "But, how would we do that? I mean, we'd have to go through the human government and I just don't know if they'd allow two foreigners to adopt."

Lyra smiled, knowing that she was getting through Bonbon's formidable defenses. "Don't you remember last night? Princess Luna herself said that ponies can become citizens of the Republic. They won't like two foreigners trying to adopt one of their children, but I'll bet my bottom bit they won't mind if two citizens filled out the papers."

"Citizens of the Republic? I don't know Lyra, I don't want to leave Equestria behind. It's our home, the home of our people, it's where our businesses are based and where we need to be."

"That's why we apply for dual citizenship, we can be both citizens of Equestria and the Republic! Sure, we'll have to pay a few extra taxes to the Republic each year, but think about the benefits. No foreign import tariff if you're a citizen, access to the most complete archive of information in all the world, and the absolute best medical technology in all history. That, and we get to adopt."

Bonbon sighed, rubbing her neck with a hoof. There were so many things that she couldn't plan for, things that she would have to change if they actually adopted that little girl. But seeing Lyra sitting here, her eyes sparkling with more expectant happiness than she could ever recall, and her will began to crumble. Besides, who ever really planned on becoming a family, knowing everything they needed to know about motherhood?

"Since you are as unshakable as Canterlot Mountain," Bonbon started, a smile spreading across her mouth, "Let's go become a family." Lyra's smile glowed with so much love that it warmed her heart, and her forelegs clasped around Bonbon's neck, hugging her with all her might.

***************************************************************

Stealing Aaron for a few hours, they went down to the Undercity with him as their escort. Once in the massive underground Vault, they sought out the offices of the bureaucracy near the government offices.

A single human man worked the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, and behind his desk sat a stack of papers only a few pages high. Though pony immigrants still came in droves, he was efficient enough to deal with them in a few hours.

"So," he said, looking up from a logbook and pushing his glasses back up his thin nose. "You wish to become naturalized citizens of the Republic of Terra. Is there any particular reason I should grant you a visa, even a temporary one, Miss...?"

"Heartstrings, sir. My partner and I want to apply for dual citizenship between Equestria and the Republic. Mainly for ease, though. I'm a musician, and I performed last night at the gala. Some of the people there liked my performance so well that they considered hiring me as a musician for their own events. So, being a citizen would allow me to pay proper taxes for my performances, and make it easier to travel from my home in Equestria to here."

At the mention of becoming taxpayers, the clerk visibly brightened. "Okay. Just sign here, and then we can move on to the civics test." He pushed a form to both mares, laying a pen down on the desk.

"Wait, civics test?" Bonbon asked, a touch of panic in her voice.

"Yes ma'am, you are required to pass a simple civics test and submit yourself for fingerprinting, or in this case hoofprinting before we can confidently assess your eligibility. I can perform that test now if you would prefer."

"Okay," Lyra said, sweating at the thought of having to take a test. Bonbon stared at her in horror, wanting to choke her for not allowing them to study up beforehand.

"Alright then," the TCIS worker pulled out a clipboard and a pen. "Question one: What are the primary colors of the Terran flag?"

That's it? Colors of the flag? This test was going to be easier than she thought! "Red and blue," she said with confidence.

"Correct. Question two: Who is the current president of the Republic?"

"Tyler McGoff," she answered with ease.

"Correct. Question three: Who is the current vice president of the Republic?"

"Edgar Smitts," she said, remembering the weasel faced man at the gala.

"Correct. Question four: How many branches are there of the Terran government?"

Lyra froze, now that was a tough one. In Equestria, there were two branches of government, the diarchy and the legislation. She had no idea how many it took to run something like a human government. But Bonbon was right, human civilization was far older than pony civilization, and they knew how to do things better. And as the old saying went, more was always better.

"Three?" she guessed.

The clerk stared for a moment, sensing her indecision. "Correct. Question five: What are the three branches of the Terran government?"

She would have sighed with relief, but that question was even more difficult than the previous one! Lyra combed through her mind, trying to seek out a possible third branch that she hadn't heard of yet.

"Executive, legislative, and judicial," an angelic voice said beside her. Turning to Bonbon, she noticed that her wife sat rather comfortably in her seat, not showing any anxiety whatsoever.

The clerk also wore a mild facade of shock, but that quickly wore off. "Correct. Question six: What is the Constitution?"

"The body of federal law and supreme law of the land," Bonbon said calmly.

"Correct. Question seven: What is a change to the Constitution called?"

"An amendment."

The questioning continued for nearly half an hour, and Lyra's wide eyed look and jaw only got lower as Bonbon answered question after question without so much as a breath in between. The TCIS clerk read off his questions and Bonbon answered them without fail. Never once did the clerk even get the opportunity to say 'incorrect'. Finally, after thirty solid minutes of civics questions, the TCIS clerk lay down his clipboard.

"Congratulations Mrs Heartstrings, you've done something that most humans would fail at. You've passed the civics test without even a single wrong answer. Now if I could get your hoofprints, I can print you both out a temporary visa until we can get your civilian IDs mailed. Congratulations, and welcome new citizens." He extended a hand to shake, and Lyra gladly took it with her hoof.

After pressing a hoof in ink and stamping it down on paper, Lyra and Bonbon left the Immigration office, and only then could Lyra ask, "How on Celestia's green earth did you do that?!"

"Easy-peasy," Bonbon said. "Most of it was in this pamphlet I read up on when we first got here. Picked it up at the train station to learn as much as I could about the Republic. It's almost like they were making it really easy for ponies and other creatures to immigrate and become taxpaying citizens. He didn't even ask the hard questions. The rest of it I logically figured out by piecing together the other parts."

"And with these visas in tow, we can finally go and become a family! Wake up, Aaron! Take us to the hospital!" The unicorn gave a light kick to the man's leg. The boredom of waiting for them had lulled him soundly to sleep, and he woke with a grunt.

"Hospital, yeah, sure. Just for this you have to make dinner tonight."

**********************************************************

The Dean of Medicine sat behind her desk comfortably. Dr Ellen Whit wished she had a window behind her to let in some light, perhaps to open and let the fresh breeze come in, listen to birds and such. But, being the Dean of Medicine of Lazarus's government run hospital meant she had to spend most of the day several stories under bedrock. Sometimes she managed to forget what sunlight felt like, and the buzz of fluorescent lights trying to emulate it was getting on her nerves.

But today a ray of sunshine had managed to beam down through two hundred feet of rock and brighten up her day. Only a minute ago, her secretary had bustled in, saying that a young lady had come to adopt the orphan in the nursery. Happy day! The little mage girl had been in there for three weeks, and her increasing appetite was becoming a strain on their nursery resources. Besides, three quarters of the nursing staff were too superstitious or frightened of her to properly care for the little mage, so any person willing to be a loving parent would have to do for her.

Pressing the mic button on her desk she called to her secretary. "Ms Johnson, is the young lady ready to see me?"

"Yes ma'am," the secretary replied, "But we're still waiting for a member of Republic Social Services to get over here and fill out all the paperwork."

"Just go ahead and send her in." She let off the button, folding her fingers to hopefully appear less annoyed by her surroundings. "I wonder if she's fine with the baby being a mage. Who the heck knows, that might be the reason she is adopting her."

The door to her office swung open, and at first Dr Whit was certain the fluorescent lights were addling her brain, or at least damaging her eyesight so badly that she was seeing things. Because at first, she could have sworn a pair of ponies just walked in, instead of an eager young woman coming to relieve them of their charge.

Blinking several times, Dr Whit rubbed her palms on her temples to dispel this odd apparition. Peering at the young ladies again, their forms remained that of pony mares. "Are you the ones looking to adopt our orphan?"

The green unicorn nodded heartily. "That would be us."

Dr Whit pressed the button on her mic again. "Ms Johnson, what's the status on that Social Services guy?"

"No sign of him yet Dr Whit."

"Crap." She let off the mic, biting her lip before starting. "Um, have a seat please." She indicated a pair of chairs in front of her desk. Both mares glanced at each other with raised eyebrows before awkwardly clambering into them. "Now, just to be absolutely sure we are on the same page, you two are here about adopting the young girl in the maternity ward."

"Mhm, brown hair, I'm assuming brown eyes, oldest one in there. Also she has a little silver tattoo on her head of a spiral, one that produces magic."

Dr Whit groaned to herself. "It seems we are on the same page after all. Ladies, if I may call you that, I don't know how to say this, but I'm not sure that's allowed."

The expression on the unicorn's face began to fall. "W-what? What do you mean 'not allowed'? Look, we have citizenship papers and everything! See, we're Republic citizens!" The unicorn whipped out the pair of temporary ID cards, presenting them to the woman behind her desk.

Dr Whit took the IDs, looking them over for any sign of forgery or fraud. Everything seemed to be in order, even the watermark of the phoenix showed up perfectly. "Look Mrs," she peeked down at the ID for a split second. "Heartstrings, your request is completely unprecedented. And I mean completely. In the entire history of the human race, no non-human species has ever actually made a request such as yours. Much less had the capability."

"Really?" Lyra replied, somewhat in surprise. "Well, there's a first time for everything."

"We'll see about that," the Dean of Medicine replied calmly. Just then, the social worker decided to make an appearance. The door creaked open, and a young man bustled in, briefcase handy and a smile on his pale, freckled face.

"Good afternoon ladies, I'm Alex Sanders with Republic Social Services. Sorry to interrupt your little triage here Ms Whit, but I heard someone was here to adopt the Appleton girl."

"You didn't interrupt anything Mr Sanders. Please, have a seat." She indicated another chair by the wall. Dragging it over to the desk, he popped open his briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers.

"Now, where is the woman who said she was here to adopt?" the social worker asked cheerily. "Normally, the adoption process is a very long and tedious one, but thank god for small populations making for streamlined government!"

Dr Whit shook her head, sighing before pointing to the two pony mares seated before her.

Mr Sanders raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking at Dr Whit, then the mares, then back. "Um, them? They're the ones who made the request?"

"Mhm," Dr Whit grunted.

"But...but they're ponies! They can't adopt a human child! It would ludicrous to put something as delicate as an infant into the hooves of some animal!"

Lyra ground her teeth at all the insults being flung at her. "Excuse me sir, but I happen to be IN THE ROOM! And who says I can't adopt a human child just because I'm a pony!"

Mr Sanders scoffed, reaching into his briefcase once again. "The Terran Constitution, for one. Article Five, Section 3, "As the defense of human life and happiness is of the utmost importance to the state, any and all measures must be taken to insure its sanctity." In layman's terms, we won't give you the child because you pose a potential threat to her as a non-human animal."

"Stop calling me an animal!" Lyra growled through her clenched teeth. "I have my rights!"

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do? Sue me? Sue the entire country? Good luck you talking freak of nature. Good luck ever getting some human to ever sign away their child to something like you. Get outta here before I call the guards." Mr Sanders chuckled under his breath, his gentle eyes cut away with malevolence.

Lyra blanched, her eyes filling with tears. With Bonbon glaring back at the smug social worker, Lyra walked quietly out of the office, sniffling at her inability to act. And when the door shut, Dr Whit simply stared at Mr Sanders in disgust.

Alex laughed to himself. "So Ellen, it's about lunch time and I haven't eaten yet. So whaddya say you and me head upstairs for a few?"

"Get out of my office you bigoted piece of shit," Dr Whit said venomously.

"What? They're freaking horses! You know what they did to humanity. I'd trust 'em about as far as I can throw 'em."

"You have three seconds to haul your ass out of my office, or I'll get the MPs to drag your scrawny ass to the brig for trespassing!"

Mr Sanders shook his head, stuffing his papers into his briefcase. Walking out the door, he turned back for a moment. "And to think you trust those animals over other human beings. People like you are why this country is going to take a nose dive."

******************************************************************

After Mr Patterson silently led them back to the surface, Lyra bolted for their house, running upstairs and bolting the door behind her. Throwing herself onto the bed, she buried her face into the pillows and screamed. She screamed until the pillows were soggy with her tears, and her throat burning like embers.

She screamed until her lungs could take no more. And she finally fell silent, sobbing for this cruelty to her life, this horrid twist of fate that had once again left her without a chance at a family. But most of all, she screamed for the one who could not. That poor child down in the nursery who would likely grow up without a mother because people were too afraid to raise her and still too entrenched in their dislike of ponykind to allow someone like Lyra to raise her.

After what felt like hours, someone knocked at the bedroom door. "Go away!" she shrieked. "There's nopony here except for a dirty animal!"

"Lyra?" a man's voice said. "I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes."

Lyra sniffled, looking up from her pillow with bloodshot eyes. Her horn glowed with magic, and the door unlatched. Coming in quietly, her host sat on the edge of her bed. "Your wife, she told me what happened. And I can tell you this, first thing tomorrow that jerk is going to be jobless. I can make it so nobody will ever employ him as more than a fry cook."

"Don't bother," she whimpered. "It wasn't him. It wasn't the way he said it, it was what he said. After a year of trying and failing at every step, I'm finished. My one hope of being a happy mother to a happy child, and my hopes got dashed again."

"Hey, don't say that." He gently patted the mare on the neck, stroking her aquamarine fur ever so softly with his fingers, knowing the comfort it would bring her.

Lyra swallowed some of the pain of her broken heart. "Did you know? Did you know about that damn line?"

Aaron sighed. "Yeah, I knew. But I didn't know it would go this far. Lyra, when we wrote the Constitution of the Republic of Terra, we were still worrying about what we would eat the next day, whether or not we would have to sleep in a cold, cramped vault underground or whether some unknown monster would decide we were easy prey. When we wrote the Constitution, we wrote it with humanity's best interests in mind, and that was to protect ourselves from this frightening, hostile new world that we woke up in. Imagine falling asleep in your bed and waking up in the middle of the Everfree. You would be frightened, confused, wary, and trying to protect yourself as completely as possible. We want our children to be happy and healthy, and some people believe that isn't possible unless they are in human hands. For ponies, it has been almost a hundred generations since a human was last seen, but for these people the War was only a few months ago. Think about how you feel about changelings. Would you tolerate one just barging into Ponyville, acting like the whole Canterlot thing never happened, and then let it try to take a pony foal and raise it as its own?"

The mare sniffled, wiping her eye with a hoof. "I guess that makes sense. I guess I just overreacted...and that I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up in the first place."

Dr Patterson frowned, shaking his head. "I wouldn't say that. Um, I kinda have a little get together at the gazebo I've got to be at. I'm going to be teaching some people some magic, and I might need a unicorn to help me out. Wanna come?"

"No thanks," she whispered. "I'm just going to go get a few drinks and go to bed."

Aaron felt the greatest concern for Lyra. Bonbon had filled him in on what had happened over the winter, even her darker moments. And he didn't want that on his conscience. "Just...be back by ten. And take it easy."

Rising from the bed, Lyra meandered out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Grabbing a saddlebag and some money, she left for the market. Trotting past the homes of the Lazarus suburbs, she couldn't help but peek into a few windows in the fading daylight. Most homes were empty at this hour, but a select few had something more than just one or two tenants inside.

As she neared the markets, she gazed into one lit window, seeing something that brought wistful tears to her eyes. A woman, feeding her baby some kind of baby food. The little child bounced in his high chair, dribbling the applesauce down his chin. And the woman, she couldn't look happier as she gently wiped her son's chubby pink face.

Lyra sighed, tearing herself away from the heartwarming scene. Pacing down the street, she looked up at the well lit windows and full crowd at Abraham's Pub, a place that served humans exclusively. Sighing again, she passed it by. Taking a corner onto the street where all the pony storefronts lay, she saw the much less illustrious bar that welcomed all patrons. A ragged sign hung over the door, advertising that all were welcome at The Watering Hole.

Pushing the door open, Lyra got a good look at The Watering Hole. It was dark inside, only a few lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The floor was covered in sawdust, and several mismatched tables and chairs dotted the bar. The bar itself looked rather shabby, and was made from several planks magically fused together. The patrons were quiet, nobody talked nor even lifted their heads when Lyra walked in. Most of the patrons were ponies like her, a smattering of each breed just stared down at the bottom of their glasses, looking for something to brighten up their day. The others were creatures she normally wouldn't associate with being in a building like this. An entire pack of diamond dogs took up most of one corner, their normally loud voices silent. Their coats were covered in soot, and some lay with their heads on the table, utterly exhausted from a long day in the steel mill. Even a pair of gryphons clutched untouched mugs of ale in their talons.

Walking over to the bar, Lyra took an open seat between an earth pony and a pegasus mare. The barkeep walked over, levitating a glass and a bar rag in his aura. "What can I get ya, miss?"

"Just a beer please," she said in barely a whisper.

The barkeep poured her a glass from the tap, sliding it over to her. Taking a sip, she noticed it was warm, and tasted almost watered down. "So, rough day?" the barkeep asked, cleaning a glass.

"You could say that."

"Ah, you came to the right place then. Most everypony here has it pretty rough nowadays."

"I don't see how it could get much worse than my day," Lyra murmured.

The pegasus mare beside her sighed. "I was an actress back in Equestria, a true savant of the dramatic art. When I heard about this place, and all the great plays they had written so long ago, I knew I had to be a part of that. So, I moved here with my coltfriend and started looking into some of the plays that they were performing. Shakespeare in the Park, that's what they call it. And I saw one of their plays, and though it had some of the worst scenery and costumes I had ever seen, I was entranced by it. So, I tried out for one of their plays called 'Romeo and Juliet'. I read the lines and put in enough emotion to make a minotaur weep. But....they laughed me off stage. The director said he wouldn't cast a mare in a woman's role. They said it would be sick for Romeo to kiss a pony."

The earth pony stallion on her other side snorted, taking a small swig of his beer. "Hmph, you think you got it rough, sister? Try building houses for ten months straight while still having to live in a shanty with six other stallions. They don't pay us like they should. In fact, sometimes they just pay us for the cost of materials. Even if we do get paid, it's always some human architect that gets the praise for 'building an entire city'."

"Ponies think they have it rough," a gruff voice said from the corner. One of the diamond dogs lurched from his seat, bringing his empty mug over to the bar for a refill. "Diamond dogs work sixteen hour days. We come before sun rises, work in mill with only one break for lunch, then work until after dark. Human foremen always say, "Diamond dogs have more endurance, you're stronger than us." We think they're full of it."

The barkeep refilled the dog's glass, glancing down at Lyra again. "So, what's your story?"

Lyra sighed before she started, knowing that her story would pale to the true struggles these people had endured. "For months I've been trying to conceive. And a couple of months ago I learned I was sterile, and that the only option I had left was to adopt. But before I made my decision, I came here to play my harp at yesterday's gala. But I paid for a tour the day before that, and we went down to the Undercity and went through the hospital. And there, I saw this little girl. A sweet, innocent, charming little baby girl that had been orphaned. And I fell in love with her. So today, my partner and I went back, and we tried to adopt her. They told me that it was against their Constitution, that they had the right to deny me because they were protecting human life by doing it."

Lyra started as she felt wing feathers drape across her right shoulder, the pegasus mare laying it there comfortably.

"That's so tragic. That's play worthy material right there, award winning tragic."

The earth pony nodded to her as well. "Little sister, I can take living with a bunch of stallions in a cramped one room house, but even I wouldn't be able to bear the thought of not havin' my family."

Lyra ground her teeth. Something about hearing so much of this hopelessness and despair coming from these poor creatures while the humans lived comfortably ignited that familiar flame in her belly. "You know what, I'm sick of this! Ever since I learned about humans when I was a filly, I always thought they were wise and benevolent people. But they're just bullies! Ever since I came to this city, all the humans have told me was what I couldn't do! Why hasn't anypony stood up and said 'I'll do what I want, because I am free!' We built this city for them! We grow the crops so they don't starve! Our generosity lets them play at opulence when they should be desperately scratching at the dirt! And what do they give us? Nothing! They let us become citizens so we can pay them more money, that's it!"

The barkeep set down his glass, a stern and angered look in his eye. "You're right! The humans had a city election a few months ago, and they didn't let us vote! They said we didn't have the right knowledge to make an informed decision, so they just left us out! I came to Terra because I heard about their democracy, and how it was supposed to be fair for everypony!"

Lyra dropped a few bits on the bar, dropping out of her stool with a determined look on her face and a stomp in her walk. "Where you goin'?"

"To make a difference! I'm a citizen of this country, and I'm going to prove to the world that we creatures deserve just as many rights as the humans!"

************************************************************

Holy, feckin, shite. That was a doozy. Even longer than the last chapter. Sorry about the huge delay for this one folks, there were so many things I wanted to put in this chapter, and so many things had to be left out! Grades haven't really gone up at all, and I blame Pinkie Pie for it with her weird G3 face. Anyways, enjoy this latest installment.

Comments

[Detective Chmilewsky]

YAy! Chapter update! I am interested to see what the non-human citizens do.

[Luna Effect]

Prepare for the shit hitting the fan an Lyra is both.

[Iron Sides]

I was almost sure I was gonna see a shitfaced Richard stumble into the party XDDDD

[PegasusKlondike]

1695923 Yeah...me too. I really wanted him to do it, but it was one of the many things I had to cut back on. But hey, I'm thinking about a bar fight scene with him and Aaron vs a group of assholes.

[Iron Sides]

1705058 I LIKE IT! This would be awesome to see!

[Ponynator]

I have 3 questions:
1. Do the humans know that the sun and moon are now being controlled by Celestia and Luna?
2. Why are they controlling it anyway, I mean, are you going to make an explanation later or something like that?
3. What happened to the rest of the solar system? I am pretty sure that moving the sun causes quite a mess...

Anyway, great chapter
And now I see why it's Lyra vs Terra

[PegasusKlondike]

1713877 Answers to your questions.

1: Celestia and Luna do not control the orbit of the sun and moon, they use their magic to maintain the moon's static orbit and the Earth's proper axial tilt and rotation speed. So they do not control the actual sun and moon, rather they maintain their natural cycles so that life may continue to flourish. The Eternal Night was Nightmare Moon's attempt to permanently affix the moon in a solar eclipse and spread a cloud of her darkness over the rest of the planet. The actual orbits of the sun, moon and Earth were completely unaffected.
2: The exertion of the three Surges in the original war drained most of the Earth Mother's influence and strength, forcing her to withdraw to recuperate while Celestia and Luna took control.
3: Unaffected. The individual beings in charge of the other worlds either could not intervene on behalf of humanity or were too concerned for the welfare of their sister.

Besides, Grandpappy Sol would never allow himself to be "controlled" by a mere material creature like Celestia.

And now for Apple Bloom in a bunny suit.
fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/010/1/6/applebloom_as_rabbit_by_dash1e-d4lxx01.png

"Why do y'all ask s'many questions?"

[Ponynator]

1714057 Because we can!
By the way: We need spaceships, nao!

[PegasusKlondike]

1718015 Then I have succeeded in my goal. Thank you for your time.

[La Vallett1]

The last thing Terra needs is an uprising from the non-humans, considering the fact that they still remember the last one.