10 - No Matter the Weight
Light was shining from inside Cookie’s cottage when Celestia appeared by the garden gate. His yard always smelled of earth and plants and the forest beyond: a fresh, clean smell in the cool of the night. Even as woodland creatures rustled about their nightly business there was something especially peaceful about it compared to the gardens in Canterlot, where the subtle shaping and planning of ponies was a constant reminder of their existence.
She walked up the path and opened the door, sticking her head into the bright living room. A warm, sweet smell hit her as she walked in, worlds apart from the fresh, green outdoors but somehow the perfect complement. Any remaining tension left her shoulders as she crossed the room and peered into the homey kitchen, where she saw Cookie checking the oven.
“Is that honey cakes I smell?” Celestia walked in and used her magic to lift the kettle off the stove and fix herself some tea.
Cookie looked over his shoulder, grinning. “It is.”
“My favorite,” she said, watching as he pulled out a baking pan. The smell in the room grew even more delicious, and it was all she could do to wait until they cooled.
“Then it’s a very good thing I made a batch to send home with you.” He pulled out a second pan and slid it next to the first.
Celestia’s face lit up. “I’d say that’s a wonderful thing.” She went on, as Cookie got his mug and motioned to the living room, “How was your meeting with Twilight?
“Fascinating.” He made his way to the cushions on the floor and sat, careful not to spill his tea. “She’s a dear pony, Celestia.”
“I knew you’d be fond of her.” Celestia joined him there, lying slightly lower so they were on the same level. Her magic deftly held her tea, and she wrapped her wing around his back.
Cookie relaxed into her wing, turning his head to give her a soft kiss. Celestia closed her eyes and smiled as their lips met, then returned the kiss the second after they parted the first. She could have gone on like that all evening, but Cookie pulled away for a sip of tea. She gave a happy sigh and took a drink of her own.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, Cookie smiled and said, “Twilight and I talked for a long time, and there are a few matters I wanted to discuss with you this evening. But first, what’s the news in Canterlot?”
She was about to answer that there wasn’t much of it; then Celestia remembered what she had to tell him, and her face darkened instantly. She used her wing to stroke his back as she spoke.
“Cookie… I have something to tell you, and you’re not going to like it.”
“Not an auspicious beginning.” He raised his eyebrows with a frown. “Well, go on.”
She drew a breath and looked over at him. “I spoke to Discord the other day. He knows I have a special somepony.”
Cookie’s body tensed, and his face reflected it, his mouth in a firm line. He looked at her suspiciously.
“I didn’t tell him,” she answered the look. “He knew about Twilight’s visit with a friend of mine, and I mentioned you were a stallion, and he inferred our relationship. I confirmed it only to try to keep him from digging more deeply on his own, I told him nothing else, and I hope it worked. But I felt you should be warned.”
Cookie nodded and sighed. “How likely is it I’ll have to meet him?”
“There’s no way to tell.” Celestia gave a slight shake of her head, then took a sip of tea. “Trying to find out would only remind him and make it even more likely.”
“And there’s no way to prevent it, is there?” Cookie asked, raising his eyebrow.
“I’m afraid not.”
He nodded, then pursed his lips with an accusing glance at her. “Of course, there’s a way it could have been prevented before it came to this point.”
Celestia frowned. “We’ve been over this, Cookie. And it doesn’t matter now. He’s free, and he’s helped us on several occasions, including assisting in my rescue.”
“And yet we both know there’s no way to assure that a pony is safe from him.” Cookie leaned against her, still frowning.
She resumed stroking him with her wing and laid a hoof on top of his. “He won’t hurt you, or anypony else. He’ll annoy you to no end, and he may even try to scare you—”
Cookie raised his eyebrows. “He doesn’t have to try, Celestia.”
“I understand,” she said gently. “But you’re safe, and Equestria is safe. Just remember that.”
He nodded. “I will.”
A silence fell between them, full of words that had been spoken many times. They didn’t need to be said, but it was clear from Cookie’s frowning face and distant eyes that he’d be thinking them anyway.
Celestia sighed. “Go ahead and say it.”
“Twilight spoke of him the other day. She feels he deserves friendship.” He sighed, still looking into the distance. “Perhaps she’s a better pony than I, but if she had seen it… pony after pony after pony driven mad… watching helplessly, unable to look away or even blink… would she feel the same? Would you feel the same, if you had seen it? Would you have freed him?”
Looking into the distance, she raised her eyebrows. “Twilight is a better pony than most of us, and even she didn’t like the idea at first. She was prepared to turn him back to stone, but one of her friends used her veto.”
Cookie gave a dry glare that she couldn’t help but meet with a smirk.
She chuckled and added, “If Twilight is a better pony than most, Fluttershy makes the rest of ponykind seem like we belong in Tartarus.” Shaking her head, she put on a more serious expression to say what she had said dozens of times before. “But, to the second part of your question… I think I would have still. I do know what happened, Cookie. I heard your council. But I still hold that having control over the most powerful magical being in the world benefits Equestria more than maintaining his prison.”
“We already had the most powerful spellcasters, and the Elements of Harmony as well. Did we really need that much more power?” Cookie grumbled.
“I don’t know, but he’s come in handy. Maybe we could have gotten by without him, but only the stars know that.” She gave him a dry smile and added, “Besides, the price so far has been a few hours of annoyance for a few ponies. I’m willing to make that sacrifice.”
“I’m still wary.”
“I know. But it’s currently out of our hooves.” She smiled and shifted a bit to give him a nuzzle. “Tell me more about your talk with Twilight.”
A small smile appeared on his face, but more importantly a light came on in his eyes and the vibrancy returned to his voice. “We talked about history, about Equestria today… she proposed that local differences are becoming wider than differences between tribes, and that is to be watched. Have you noticed this? Ponies judging others based on where they’re from?”
Celestia tilted her head. “Perhaps a bit? It’s difficult to say in Canterlot—the city is so heavily influenced by unicorns and the nobility, neither of which have ever shied away from casting judgement on other ponies.”
Cookie chuckled. “Very true. I’m thinking about doing some traveling, to see if this might be the case.”
“I think travel would be good for you.” Celestia smiled, standing to refill her tea. As she walked into the kitchen, she saw the honey cakes on the counter and added, “Though I will miss your baking.”
“Perhaps not,” Cookie said from the living room as Celestia collected her tea and a plate of the honey cakes. He went on, “I have time, maybe I could set up housekeeping for a year or two in cities as I go. Then I’d really get a sense of the welcome there, and the feelings of the local ponies about outsiders.”
She walked back into the living room and returned to her seat next to him. “Yes, but it would be a little bit tricky to get to visit you in Appleloosa or Las Pegasus.” She took a bite of cake and savored it, adding once she had swallowed, “I would miss you more than your baking, in that case.”
Cookie grinned. “The highest compliment you’ve paid me.”
“It might come as a shock, but I’m a little bit fond of you.” She leaned over and gave him a nuzzle.
He chuckled. “I find that extremely convenient, considering I fall more in love with you each time I look upon you.” Returning the nuzzle, he drew in a breath pressed to her neck and said softly, “I think my trips away from Canterlot will have to be shorter in duration.”
“Don’t let me stop you. It’s only a few years.” She smiled with a hint of seduction. “And perhaps you can travel to Canterlot from time to time, during that span.”
Cookie began kissing her neck. “I’m sure whoever I might be there has a very sick aunt in Canterlot who must be tended to. Frequently.”
Celestia closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying his attention. Then she gently stroked his mane with a smile, pulling him back just enough to stop the kisses. “More of that later… finish telling me of your visit with Twilight.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “The other points of conversation were much less pleasant than this.”
“Then this will make a fine remedy afterwards. Let’s hear them.” She took a bite of her cake as he sat up and sighed.
“We discussed the more unfortunate aspects of immortality.” Cookie gave an uncertain smile. “I don’t think I traumatized her too much. She’s very lucky that she’ll have so many beings to turn to as a steady presence.”
Celestia nodded. “There certainly are a lot of us now. It will be nice to have friends who are constant.”
“Indeed.” He hesitated for a moment, eyeing Celestia. “I spoke with her about… my concerns. About why she’s not supposed to look into the magic.”
Celestia raised her eyebrows. “Was she hurt?”
Cookie shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. She understood the difficulties of the decision.”
“Of course she did.” Celestia smiled and shook her head. “You’ve found a pony who worries nearly as much as you do.”
“It’s a complicated issue.” He gave her a dry glare.
Celestia rolled her eyes. “It’s not, really. We love each other, and you remain alive as long as that love is strong. A foal could understand it's a lovely thing.”
Cookie frowned. “If that’s even the case, there’s much that foals understand that’s a great deal more complex than they understand it to be. Better this decision rests upon those complexities indefinitely than to put our very love on such a shaky foundation.”
“Our love is as strong as Equestria, Cookie.” Celestia smiled and nuzzled his mane. “There are no complexities that we couldn’t overcome.”
Smiling back, he nuzzled her shoulder. “Perhaps, but then our love would be another crown for you, and that’s the last thing you need.”
“How do you mean?” she asked, not pulling away from him.
Cookie pursed his lips. “Allow me to put a hypothetical to you. Suppose I do as you suggest. We find out that it is your love that’s keeping me alive, and I blithely ignore that and continue to love you in the same manner I love you now.” He paused, then went on, “Now, suppose that in the future, you meet another stallion—”
“Cookie.” Celestia couldn’t help but smile fondly at him. They both knew that in the time they had been together nopony had caught her eye as worthy of more than the most innocent flirtations.
He raised his eyebrows. “The future is a very long time. It could happen. You meet a stallion, young and fresh, intelligent, talented, handsome… and while you would certainly still appreciate what we have, the time and commitment, the shared history between us, it’s clear to you that you could give this pony your heart as easily as you could share it with me. What would you do, in that case?”
“The same thing I would do now.” She nuzzled him, the same fond smile on her face. “Young stallions come and go, but a love that’s passed as many tests as ours is well worth enthusiastically preserving.”
He gave her a suspicious look out of the corner of his eye. “So you would sentence the young stallion to die within a century, knowing that you could easily offer him centuries or more of life? Knowing that I’ve already lived far longer than I had a right to? Our love would be your only consideration in that, rather than comparing our talents, ambitions, or places in the world?”
As she heard his words, the smile fell from her face as she fully considered that. They were silent for a long time as she tried hypothetical stallions—ponies who might otherwise be denied even a full natural lifespan, who might be capable of doing unique and necessary jobs, former students who might make important advances in magic given enough time.
On the other hoof, nopony else could ever offer her this. Cookie did a unique and necessary job already: he loved her and cared for her as a pony.
Finally she swallowed and answered honestly, “I would love you still. Our commitment to one another is special, and it is a commitment. It might be difficult, depending on the circumstances, but I face difficult decisions and their outcomes every day. I have plenty of practice.”
Cookie nodded. “And then our love would be another crown, another weight of power for you to bear. And that is the opposite of what you need.”
Celestia considered that for a moment, then shook her head clear of the weight. “Cookie, that’s unlikely to ever happen. I’m not exactly looking for a stallion, and most ponies barely see me as a pony, let alone one they could court.”
“That’s one example, there are many more paths to the same end. The fact is that power brings complexity, it brings considerations. Both of us would be affected by those.”
“This already affects too many ponies now.” She frowned at the thought of all of them, of Equestria as a whole. For just a few seconds she considered telling Cookie the truth behind her conversation with Discord, but in light of Cookie’s reaction earlier she immediately put it out of her mind. Instead she added, “There is a power already, with considerations of its own, just in the certainty of the situation.”
“Then allow me to bear the consideration and the weight of that decision alone, and keep our love pure for both of us.” He looked up to her face. “Please, Celestia.”
“I’ve always left it in your hooves,” she said, gently kissing his forehead. At least he had spoken to Twilight. As much as the young princess might worry, Celestia couldn’t imagine that she would allow an unexplained magic to remain that way for very long. Then all of the hypotheticals on both sides could be weighed and prioritized, and steps could be taken to ensure the best outcomes.
Celestia sighed, weary of the conversation and the thoughts that came with it.
She looked down at Cookie, not in a search for any answer, but as the pony who lifted weights like these from her shoulders. Smiling, she whispered, “Cookie… I love you.”
He looked into her eyes, his own eyes bright and matching the smile on his face. “I love you too, more than I can say. That’s what drives me on this: I fear losing that far more than I fear death.”
“As much as that drives me mad, there’s something beautiful in it.” She kissed him deeply, the feel of his lips and taste of his mouth more comforting than anything she knew of. “Thank you.”
“Your presence in my life is all the thanks I need.” He kissed her again, and his strong forelegs wrapped around her. She melted against him, her lips returning kiss after kiss, and tried to ignore the measure of the hours until dawn neared and her duties began.
It was late at night when Celestia knocked on Luna’s door; the Princesses’ Council had just ended another session. It had grown in size to fifteen ponies now, six representatives of the tribes joined by local representatives who journeyed from young cities thriving across Equestria. Cookie had stepped down as representative of the earth ponies after a hundred and fifty years, though he still attended every single session as Celestia’s personal advisor.
Cookie may have remained a fixture after two hundred and fifty years, but somepony else had become notably absent in that time, and Celestia had to fix that.
She knocked again. That remained the only sound in the hall. She began to wonder if Luna was in the trance her dream magic required. Celestia was under the impression that it normally wasn’t necessary until the hours when night became morning, when most of their subjects had reached a deep, dreaming sleep, but there was no other reason she could think for Luna not to answer. The entire castle knew that she never left her rooms after raising the moon, and Celestia knew the secret passages to them hadn’t been used in years.
After a third knock, she called Luna’s name, met by more silence. Finally, she quietly opened the door and peeked inside.
Luna sat at a large wooden desk in front of a window, through which the stars shone brightly. Books and scrolls were laid out in front of her, and her magic held a quill as she filled another scroll. A well-used telescope stood at the second large window, while the comfortable sitting cushions on the floor lay neat and untouched.
Celestia opened the door and cleared her throat, but Luna didn’t so much as glance at her.
Pursing her lips, Celestia said clearly, “It’s been a decade today since you last attended council. The tenth anniversary of the Crystal Heart comes next month.”
Luna seemed not to hear.
“And longer still since you attended court or festivals.” Celestia walked over to the window with the telescope and looked out at the night sky. When Luna still made no reply, not even a grunt of acknowledgement, Celestia sighed to the stars.
She rolled her eyes and added in the same clear voice, “Also, I’ve decided to turn the sun into a bundt cake.”
“Would that not be inconvenient?” Luna said, not looking up. “I might try an object closer at hoof.”
Celestia glared at her. “Luna.”
Luna just raised her eyebrows, still focused on her scroll. “Of course, then you should have no need of Smart Cookie.”
Celestia frowned, but considered her words. “Do you want to discuss Cookie?” she said gently. “He’s going to be with us for a very long time, perhaps we can come to a better understanding—”
“Had I wished to discuss Smart Cookie, I would have come to you for discussion. The same may be said of every other subject.” Luna’s quill sharply punctuated something on her scroll.
Celestia narrowed her eyes and used her magic to tug Luna’s scroll away, rolling it neatly and placing it on a shelf. “Well, I came to you because I want to discuss your role as princess.”
Finally, Luna looked at her with a flat expression. “Have ponies been troubled by their dreams?”
“Not that I know of,” Celestia said slowly.
Luna tilted her head slightly towards the window. “Is the moon in the sky at the appointed time each night?”
Celestia nodded. “It is.”
Luna raised her eyebrows. “Then I fail to see what we need to discuss.”
Shaking her head, Celestia walked to the cushions in the center of the room and sat. She nodded for Luna to join her. “Those duties were never intended to be the whole of your rule, Luna.”
“I never intended them to be, but at every turn, where I try to rule I’m ignored, or told I’m wrong by my subjects.” Luna frowned and shrugged, making no move towards the cushions. “They don’t heed me, so I assume my crown means nothing.”
“Your crown doesn’t mean that ponies will listen to you. It means you have a duty to be a pony others will listen to,” Celestia said pointedly.
“And what of their duty?” Luna tilted her head.
Celestia gave her a confused look. “What of it? They’re tailors and farmers and our advisors. Their duty is to make clothes and grow food and offer us council, and as far as I know most ponies play their roles as best they can.”
“They have no duty to their princesses?” Luna raised her eyebrows at Celestia.
“They have a duty to respect the laws of Equestria, and to respect the difficulty of the job we do,” Celestia gave a small shrug. “They have no duty to agree with us or trust us blindly, and to require that would be folly.”
Luna snorted and shook her head, walking to look out the window. “Nopony tells the farmer he’s wrong when he decides what to plant.”
“They don’t, but if he isn’t mindful of other ponies, nopony will buy his food.” Celestia frowned at the back of her head.
“When my subjects are mindful of me, I shall be mindful of them.”
Celestia sighed. “This is a foal’s demand, and not befitting a pony of your age or station.”
Luna gave a mirthless laugh to the sky outside. “I should have guessed; I have age and station only when that is the reason I am in the wrong.”
“When have I shown disrespect for either of those? When have I ignored your input?” Celestia glared at her sister once more.
Luna turned around sharply, meeting Celestia’s glare with one even fiercer. “You haven’t, but neither have you taken note of the way I am treated!”
Her sister’s look gave her pause, but Celestia drew a breath and went on calmly, “I have taken note of it, but I understand the reasons.”
“As do I.” Luna gave her a dark frown. “Ponies have selected their princess, and they have no desire for a second.”
“That isn’t the reason.” Celestia fought the urge to roll her eyes.”Ponies would welcome a second princess if they felt she was dedicated to Equestria and her subjects.”
“They would welcome a second princess of the daylight,” Luna muttered.
“If by that you mean one who occasionally shows her face to them, at least in council, it is true.” Celestia raised her eyebrows at her sister.
Luna just shook her head. “They do not want me in council. I told you, they ignore me.”
“What was the last thing you attempted to convince the council of?”
Luna turned and walked to her desk, glancing down at the books open there. “That we shouldn’t attempt to renegotiate trade agreements with Princess Crystalline following the death of her father.” She glanced back at Celestia. “I thought, correctly, that she might be more powerful than her father, and it would lead to an undesirable outcome.”
Celestia tilted her head in confusion. “That’s what we eventually decided, with the support of most present.”
“Only after you suggested it!” Luna snapped.
The council sessions surrounding that situation came to her mind. They had been tense at first, the death of the Ice King had been sudden, and his daughter had up to that point seemed quiet and studious, and, it was thought, easily intimidated. The trade towns and earth pony representatives had been ready to pounce on the opportunity.
Celestia stood and walked over to Luna. “If I recall, I was focused on the benefits of having a strong ally between Equestria and Yakyakistan. I answered their concerns about missing the opportunity by pointing out, also correctly, that giving the Crystal Empire time to find its footing would paint Equestria in a friendly light that might benefit us in a number of ways, including trade.” She wrapped a wing around her sister. “So you see, it’s the same thought, but stated so that our advisors listened to it.”
Luna spun around and paced back to her telescope. “It’s the same thought but it came from your lips.”
Celestia frowned at her. “It came from my lips in a very different manner, and that’s what makes the difference, Luna. It considered the concerns the council stated, and addressed them with respect.”
“Their concerns would not have mattered!” Luna made a broad gesture with a hoof. “Princess Crystalline formed the Crystal Heart soon after, and she never would have accepted a weaker position at that point!”
“But they didn’t know that then,” Celestia explained patiently.
Luna snorted and glanced at her shelves of scrolls. “If they had known of her work in love magic…”
Celestia shook her head. “But they didn’t. And none of them are mages, you wouldn’t have gotten through to them by trying to explain it.”
Luna looked down, and for a brief moment Celestia hoped she had gotten through to her. But when she looked up her eyes were narrowed, and her voice was cold as she spoke.
“Of course I wouldn’t have gotten through to them. I am not fair, sweet Princess Celestia who speaks only mild and honeyed words. I do not have Smart Cookie to buy the council drinks and make speeches full of rhetoric and patriotic platitudes in my name.” Luna gestured to the shelves. “I have nothing but research and facts that the council cares nothing for, and a crown that exists to be ignored.”
Celestia drew herself up. “I am trying to tell you how you might not be ignored, and I don’t appreciate your implications.”
Luna just glared at her, unmoving.
Catching sight of the shelves of scrolls, Celestia had an idea. She relaxed and walked over to her sister, gently laying a hoof on her shoulder. “You study magic, you know how important a simple detail or thought is in casting a spell, yet you think government should be a matter of stating your wishes and watching everypony bow to them. You guard the dreams of your subjects, yet in the waking world you assume their fears and concerns need not be addressed. I know little of magic compared to you, and nothing of dreams, but where you are blind I have studied and practiced, and I want to teach you.”
Luna looked down, but Celestia could feel her relaxing. She answered softly, still looking at the floor, “Can you not see, Tia? One can study magic, but if one is born an earth pony she will never cast a spell if she studies a thousand years. She will still have magic, but if she’s compared to a unicorn, nopony will see it.”
Celestia gave her a sympathetic smile. “And if one is a unicorn, but one never tries to study magic, she will never know how much magic she has, and she might see unicorns who have studied as naturally superior when she could have achieved even greater things.”
Luna shook her head slowly. “I know which of these I am, even if you pretend not to.”
“I know that you are my sister, and you are a brilliant, talented pony.” Celestia leaned down and nuzzled her, and Luna returned it.
“Then why do others not see this?” Luna whispered.
Celestia sighed sadly. “Because you don’t know how to show it in the light they see by.”
Luna seemed to be searching for words. She glanced over to the window, and caught sight of something, staring at it for a moment. Celestia felt her tense again and she closed her eyes. “I can cast no other light. Either they are blind to mine, or I am less than you. Whichever it is, I don’t care to concern myself with them.”
Looking out the window, Celestia saw nothing at first. It was only after a moment she realized that tonight was a new moon, and the dark shape was just barely visible among the stars. She shook her head and turned back to her sister.
“Then concern yourself with me, Luna. We can have some private lessons, just the two if us. And when we feel you are ready, you can return to council with me and show them that you’re more than worthy of their respect, and your crown.”
“I would rather not,” Luna said without looking at her, walking back to her desk. Luna’s magic retrieved the scroll she had been working on earlier, unrolling it in front of her. She picked up her quill and began scribbling away.
Celestia gave another sigh, and walked towards the door. “Very well, then. Let me know if you change your mind.”
With no response from Luna, Celestia left. As she walked back to her rooms, she searched her mind for another path, another method, some other idea for getting through to Luna. They were meant to rule together, and as the eldest it was her responsibility to guide her sister. And when Celestia took up a responsibility, no matter the weight, she would not fail.
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Which one of your stories details Discord's first takeover of Equestria?
8074698
This one, very soon.
I can't believe Luna's an edgelord.
...
Oh wait, yes I can.
You're like 300 years old or some shit quit it.
Except she's also not wrong with this. Not entirely.
And Celestia is being a bit bull-headed herself. There's more than one way to skin a cat, and ruling together doesn't have to mean them both ruling in the same way.
I'm very interested to see how you tell the next couple big historical events, because Things Are Happening.
...where has this story been all of my life?
I have to wonder what Tirek would've made of Smart Cookie's magic, if he were to drain it. And if that would have affected Cookie~
8075657
FIrst, there's a good reason Tirek didn't drain Cookie's magic. Cookie is among a select group of ponies that Celestia keep hidden around the world with access to Celestia's plans and state secrets. They're typically ponies without much use in directly fighting a monster, so if all else failed she expects them to find a pony who will be and/or form a resistance. (Zecora is another of these ponies.) So, knowing what was going on and that neither Tirek nor Discord knew he existed, Cookie was safely hidden.
But that's not what you asked.
If Tirek had drained Cookie's magic he would have noticed that Cookie isn't a normal pony. (spoiler for possible hint) Whether Cookie died would have depended a lot on exactly when Tirek got to him. At some points Cookie was bringing in quite a lot of magic --plenty to keep him going.
8075000
...well, it wasn't written for most of it, but it's here now!
I do love how you portray the tragedy of Luna. It makes her achievements in connecting to modern ponies all the more touching.
As for Celestia and Cookie, I can't help but feel that the genie's already out of the bottle. Right now they seem to be experiencing all of the doensides of knowing for certain and none of the benefits. Of course, that's being said from the outside looking in, and I know I could never convince Cookie to change his mind.
Oh, Celly. You of all ponies should know that forever is a long time. Her blithe certainty with Cookie is almost a little off-putting.
End title:
I would that we were, my beloved, white birds on the foam of the sea!
We tire of the flame of the meteor, before it can fade and flee;
And the flame of the blue star of twilight, hung low on the rim of the sky,
Has awakened in our hearts, my beloved, a sadness that may not die...
8018110
"Duh. 'Never mention a no-hitter to the Pitcher.' "
derpicdn.net/img/2016/4/10/1129251/full.png
"I don't see what's so hard."
Your take on being a good leader is certainly a new one. Hrm.
It's interesting, putting together Luna's increasing pessimism with Cookie's distrust of Discord; is this supposed to be a comparison to show how, in both the past and present, Celestia's trying to keep everypony together and on the side of goodness? That would be interesting indeed.
Also, Celestia macking on Smart Cookie? Cookie wanting to travel? Progress!
Chapter XI tomorrow!
The conversion between Celestia and Cookie was an enjoyable one, as they always are. I see Cookie's points very clearly. A good dialogue between them, though I worry about Celestia keeping things from Cookie in the way of her reasons to talk to Discord.
But of course, the real heart of this chapter is the conversation with Luna. And oh do I have thoughts there. Mainly this has shown me three things. The first is that Luna simply does not want to rule. And it's very interesting because she's showing us exactly what Cookie was warning about in regards to the adoption of princesses. She tried for a number of years because it was expected, but I do not believe she ever wanted this life. And Celestia did not either, but some who are thrust into a thing are good at it and some are not. I find Luna in this story to be fairly tragic.
And then that leads directly into the second thing I'm seeing more clearly here, which are Celestia's faults. She is blind to her sister's plight, and to the idea that one may have a different destiny than is given them. She seeks to help and while she is largely correct in her statements and this is definitely the way to help Luna adapt to her role as a princess, but she is in the wrong for trying to do that at all. She should be trying to adapt the Luna's role to the pony, not the other way around. She will not rule as Celestia does, but there are a great many things she could and should do beyond raising the moon or helping with dreams, and yet, those are the only parts of her current duties that she is suited for. Celestia is blind to this because of her own faults as a pony.
Which leads to the third realization. bats has told me that many readers have been blind to Celestia's faults in this story, and while I'm less than halfway through the fic, I think I see why. It's because she's the pony who speaks in honeyed words and platitudes, because she's the one who understands how to come across well. She isn't perfect, but she's learned how to present herself as such, including how to present herself as the right kind of imperfect to be acceptable. And I'm beginning to suspect that some readers see that side of her as well, and only that side of her.
Of course, I have a lot to go and may be proven wrong in time. But I am looking forward to understanding these characters even better as I spend yet more time with them!