• Published 20th Aug 2017
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Prim Rose's Redemption - Hope



Prim Rose came to Everfree City looking for a job, any job so she could send money back to her family. She did not expect Princess Luna to take a liking to her.

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Chapter 19

“The Lunar court is now in session, Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna presiding.”

The great hall was filled with ponies in black clothes, some with silver or gold trim, a common symbol of one of the princess’s blessing, made ironic by the source of their grief being one of those very same princesses. But traditions die slowly, and for the time being those ponies took solace in what they could.

“Welcome,” Princess Luna began, her tone much softer than was normal for a court session. “To our court. Though we wish with all our heart that thy presence was in recognition of a joyous occasion, it is a day of sorrow that brings thee to our gates. We--”

“Thou art a murderer!”

Gasps and quiet sobs rippled through the crowd as Steel Shield stepped forward, his glare meeting Princess Luna’s impassive eyes as though he expected her to be shocked. Princess Luna could now tell that he was the same pegasus that had demanded her speech at the ceremony.

“Please, Lord Shield, if it is thy wish that we feel responsible for this tragedy, be assured that we shall remember this grief forevermore. But If it is thy intention to convince others that we are directly responsible for the death of thy son, we shall have to disappoint thee. Thou art deep in mourning, so we shall not take any offense to thy outburst. Please, sit and let us address what has occurred in a civilized manner.”

“Thou art even unaware of who I am!” Shield said angrily. “I am no lord!”

“Ah yes, we were interrupted before reaching that point, weren’t we?” Luna said simply. “All ponies in attendance at this time are to be known henceforth as the Lunar nobility. In the past we hath been reticent regarding the subject of appointing nobility, and largely that is due to our appointment being a very personal matter. While our sister endeavored to use the assignment of nobility as a political tool, we shall never assign nobility without a personal cause. In this case, all heads of household are to be assigned the rank of Countess, and all children and descendants shall be granted the rank of Baroness for so long as the land we are granting to thee is held properly. Land shall be assigned along the paths from Everfree City to Trothnicum, and along the shore-facing border of the Whitetail woods. Funds for relocation and construction shall be provided,” Princess Luna stated as servants began delivering scrolls and papers of title to all of the adults present.

“This is not to comfort thy grief, but to reflect the great cost thou hast paid in these days,” she continued, more gently and clearly mournfully. “Before we continue from this point, we feel it is essential that all are properly informed on the series of events that led to the tragedy at hoof. This account hath been confirmed by Princess Celestia’s Castelian, Our own Chamberlain, the day guard, the night guard, and all those who were present in this city on that night.”

She then recounted the whole event, starting with a summary of the petition and how it had disrupted both courts, then explaining Prim Rose’s attempts to keep her promise to Princess Celestia, until she saw that Princess Luna was being driven to extreme action in her pursuit of the plot’s leader. Then she slowly explained Celestia’s reaction, raising the sun before it’s time, and assaulting Prim Rose while Luna spoke. Finally, she recounted the battle and her attempts to save as many lives as she could, culminating in using the elements of harmony, and followed by driving herself to unconsciousness by taking control of the sun and moon without the proper preparations.

By the end of it all, even Steel Shield seemed somewhat mollified, and the hall was filled with the quiet sniffles and muffled sobs of the many mourners, even as they clutched the papers that exempted them from hardship for the rest of their lives.

Princess Luna had several wet trails down her cheeks, and was looking down at the floor in front of her throne, more than at the audience. After a moment, she gestured to Prim, to call the first plaintiff.

“Svelte Dressage and assistant plaintiff Nova Star are called to present their request to the court,” Prim Rose said, keeping her voice much more calm than was typical for her court announcements.

Svelte guided the filly up to stand in front of the stairs that led up to Princess Luna’s throne. Nova Star looked very small and very nervous, and was only about half of Prim’s age, but Svelte put a supporting hoof on her back, and smiled. It seemed to be enough to prompt the filly to speak.

“I thank thee for thy time, your royal highness, Princess Luna,” She said stiffly, looking up at the throne above her. “M-- My papa was a servant for her royal highness, Princess Celestia.”

She looked up to Svelte, who nodded encouragingly. Nova then looked back to Princess Luna, her voice trembling slightly.

“My mama left when I was young, and I don’t know who she is, so I’m alone now. I… Don’t want to be alone, but I don’t… I don’t want to live in a big house with a bunch of servants, and still be alone. That’s what… If I had lots of money, that’s what’d happen. Love…”

She looked to Svelte, and Svelte nodded again.

“Love cannot be bought,” Nova said as she looked up to Luna.

Nova clearly had tears at the edges of her eyes.

“Mayor Dress… Dress ahs says that I shouldn’t count on being adopted by anypony. Adoptions are rare, and adoptions of rich fillies are bad because they just want the money. So… So I want you to be my mama, your Highness.”

A few ponies in the crowd gasped in surprise, a few others laughed. But Svelte looked up at Princess Luna with a grin so smug that Prim Rose was surprised that she wasn’t laughing at the princess. Luna just looked confused, until she noticed Svelte’s expression and narrowed her eyes. She quickly hid her expression and looked to Nova, who was waiting for a reply.

“We would be a poor mother, my little pony,” Luna said slowly. “Very busy, awake at night more oft than day, and unable to spend much time caring for thee directly.”

“But Svelte says that thy love goes to all thy ponies, Highness,” Nova said firmly, her legs shaking a little. “All of them, and… I want love more than I want some pony to teach me how to… to braid my mane.”

Princess Luna thought it over for a bit while the crowd watched on, breathless. Eventually, Luna nodded.

“We shall do this, then, little Nova Star. We shall be thy mother.”

“The rest of ‘em too!”

This time, there was only stunned silence. Even Svelte, who seemed to have organized Nova’s request to begin with, was surprised and looked unsure of how to proceed. Nova, though, was suddenly determined as she gestured to the small herd of about a dozen fillies and colts, waiting behind her.

“They’re the same! Lost, lonely, an… an they need love. Not just me. I can’t… If I was back there and one of them up here, I’d want ta be loved too! It’s not right. So I got to make it right. I got to do the right thing.”

With that declaration, a shimmering silver light bloomed from Nova’s body, briefly illuminating the tile around her before fading, and revealing a mark on her hindquarters. A bright star shining it’s light down in a beam, showing the path for those that may follow. In that moment of determination, Nova had gained her Cutie Mark.

Princess Luna couldn’t help but smile.

“Very well. Henceforth, thou shalt together be known as the Children of the Night, and shall reside in this castle until more suitable lodging is discovered. Svelte, I trust that there are four caretakers to be hired at the least, to reside in the castle for the time being and assist us in caring for our children?”

“Of c… course, your Highness,” Svelte said quickly.

Luna nodded in approval before looking to the crowd. Before she could speak though, she realized something unexpected. Svelte hadn’t rhymed.

She looked back to Svelte, but the zebra was guiding Nova back to the herd, and seemed quite busy. It was not to moment to point out the inconsistency. So she looked to Prim Rose and gestured for her to call up the next plaintiff.

“Steel Shield is called to present his request to the court.”

Steel Shield swallowed his nervousness and stepped up, alone, in front of Princess Luna’s throne. His original complaint seemed no longer to be on his mind, and he seemed to be debating internally which of the things rattling around in his head to put forth. Finally making a decision, he took a deep breath and looked up to Princess Luna.

“Thy Highness, thou hast told us all of Princess Celestia’s sudden break. Of her… grief with the weight of ruling Equestria, and of the burdens put upon it. What assurances dost thou give to us that thou shalt not fall to the same pressures? What shall keep thee through the pressures that thy sister succumbed to?”

Princess Luna hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to answer such a question that called her ability to rule into question so directly. But Prim Rose had a thought.

Before Trothnicum had been annexed, before the plague that cut its population to a tenth of its former size, it had been part of an alliance between it and all the nearby villages. Trothnicum had acted as the capitol for the nation-state, and been ruled by a council of elected mayors and tribal leaders from each village and city, given weight of power equal to their population. It hadn’t been perfect, but neither were princesses, as the last few days had shown. She quickly lit her horn and withdrew a piece of parchment, onto which she quickly scrawled “elected council of mayors and leaders, weighted by population, to assist in leadership and share the burden.”

She then left the Seneschal position at the bottom of the stairs to trot up next to the throne, the technical position of Chamberlain or advisor. Then she provided the paper to Princess Luna.

Rather than immediately announce anything, Princess Luna gestured for Prim to come closer and they began discussion.

“This could open up the possibility of the council to depose us, we shan't allow such a possibility. How could it be modified to prevent that?”

“change it so any change to the function of the diarchy itself requires three fourths of the council and one of the diarchs to assist the petition,” Prim proposed.

Luna nodded before looking at the paper again.

“Though a voted position such as mayor having so much power could be troublesome, they could be made to take the burden of much of the mundanity of ruling,” she pondered.

After a moment more of silent contemplation, Princess Luna turned back to Steel Shield, who was waiting patiently.

“In the following days, with consultation of our advisors and Prince Spring, we shall be establishing a ruling council composed of the mayors, governors, and tribal leaders of Equestria. This council’s details have yet to be established, and these leaders have not yet been informed, so please do not anticipate it’s formation at this time, but it shall share the burden of governance so that we… Prince Spring and ourself are not taxed so heavily. All major decisions shall come to the throne, such as matters of war and royal petitions. Beyond that, as some of the few Lunar court nobles, thou art all capable of contacting us directly and meeting with us often, and on short notice. If our behavior is incorrect, or there are concerns for our well being, thee shall be our warden.”

Steel bowed low and gave a mumbled “My thanks to thee” before backing into the crowd, and making himself hidden. Luna gestured to Prim, and Prim called the next plaintiff from her position adjacent to the throne.

“Mint Mortar is called to present her request to the court.”

The mint green earth pony mare with a striped mane of various hues of grey and silver stepped forward and bowed low. When she stood, she took another step forward, standing tall and proud as she looked up to Princess Luna. After a short pause during which she seemed to examine the princess from afar, she spoke quickly.

“Thy sister signed my husband’s fate upon inviting him to this castle. Thou surely can see how I may have been reluctant to then come to this place. But I hath been told again and again that my chief reason for coming here cannot be fulfilled. I wished to retrieve my husband’s body. Now I hath seen the unclaimed dead, I hath walked the crater where he perished, and find myself unable to blame thee for his death and the absence of his body. This being said, I now wholly blame thy sister, with nary a reservation. Celestia is no longer worthy of the title of Princess, being remembered in fond terms with her insignia upon these halls, or celebrated during the summer solstice. If these things are not rectified, then I shall dedicate the rest of my life to separating the Western region from Equestria.”

She turned and walked straight out of the front door, leaving a shocked hall behind. Luna only muttered a weak “No, but…” as the mare left. Once she was gone, Luna turned to Prim, wide eyed and worried.

“We need to meet with Lady Sparkle and Prince Spring as soon as this is finished,” she whispered before taking a sip of water to wet her throat and gesturing for Prim to call the next pony.

“Joint Crux is called to present his request to the court,” Prim called out before slipping behind the throne to provide a servant with the needs for the meeting with the Prince.

The three widowers asked for confirmation that they would be financially cared for, and their grievances were addressed quickly. Then Princess Luna finished the court session by addressing all of the assembled ponies, which numbered over seventy.

“We must now continue with the business of caring for Equestria. Thou shalt all be guided in assigning land to thee, and arranging construction of new homes in those places for thee, by four of our scribes. Please, be patient as they are few and thou art many, but any complaints or requests may be directed to us, and shall be addressed as soon as we are able.”

As Princess Luna stood and left, Prim called a close to the session and quickly followed her princess while the scribes began assigning priority to the gathered ponies.

“We had hoped that Mint would not be a political problem,” Princess Luna said as they entered the great chamber, referring to Prim’s prior statement that Mint did not seem to have a political grievance.

“Her letter did not imply it,” Prim said bitterly, closing the door behind them and looking up at the harsh morning light coming through the skylight before sitting.

“Well, we shall have to do something to address this. The West is wealthy in metals and rare plants, and also serves to defend us from the Arimaspi to the south.”

“Aramaspi?” Prim asked, confused.

“‘Tis a reclusive but temperamental race. We hath not heard from them in a hundred years, but they have gone as long before in between assaults. They are sworn enemies of the Griffons, and out lands fall between theirs, thus a constant risk.”

Prim shook her head, sighing.

“So, the West is of concern, and we need it to remain as part of Equestria, which means that we must concede to Mint’s demands?” Prim asked incredulously. “Though not a great friend to thy sister, it seems terrible to scorn the memory of what she was before… this.”

There was a knock at the door, and Prim opened it to allow Prince Spring and Golden Sparkle in, before again closing the door.

“Is there trouble, your Highness?” Prince Spring asked, getting an indulgent smile from Princess Luna.

“Please, Thou art the same rank as we, Luna shall be sufficient between us. We had a court with the relatives and loved ones of the deceased, during which a mare named Mint Mortar laid an ultimatum upon us. She is an influential mare in the West and SouthWest. Thou may know of it as the area spreading from the San Palomino desert south of Applewood all the way to Vanhoover. She is one of the few public figures capable of uniting the many small towns there, as she and her husband created a wide network of herbalists and healers under the Mortar name. She has declared that she shall endeavor to remove her region from Equestria’s control, unless we strip our sister of her title, remove her insignia from the castle, and cease celebration of the summer solstice. This would not only deprive us of nearly a fifth of our nation, but also the natural resources within. We…”

Though Princess Luna had been speaking very matter-of-factly, she hesitated and looked down at the table as she switched tacks to speak of her own feelings on the matter, her manner of speech also shifting.

I do not feel proper in stripping our sister’s legacy from our country, but I do not see this as a fight that we could stand to lose, if started. We would be forced to take an aggressive and possibly bloody approach.” She looked up to Prince Spring, nodding to him. “What side would thee support?”

Prince Spring looked uncertain, but Golden Sparkle looked enraged. She seemed to keep herself in check only by keeping her glare focused on Prim, while she shifted to keep her slung and braced leg comfortable.

“Why… I understand that Celestia did something horrible, but… This mare truly believes that she must be exiled in such a way? She is already sealed within the sun,” Spring said sheepishly. “I love her, even now. Even though I know what she has done. Is there not some way to compromise? What of…”

He looked up, suddenly inspired.

“She wishes to hold Celestia account in her absence, yes? What if we did so but in a way that does not remove her legacy?”

“Explain thy thoughts,” Luna said, leaning forward, curious.

“The summer solstice may become a re enactment, an explanation of what happened, in a way. Instead of waiting through the night to celebrate the rising of the sun, it could instead be a celebration of that night. The shortest night of the year, using the night as a cool respite from the day, a night of celebration in contrast to the many daytime celebrations we have. Rename it to be the Summer Moon Celebration, and teach the true history of what occurred, rather than some censored version without Celestia within it. Remove her banners from the castle, but keep golden ones with earth pony symbols of wheat, apples, and sugar cane on them, to represent the solar court. Certainly it is no sun, but at least a legacy.”

Princess Luna nodded as he finished, smiling a bit.

“‘Tis not a perfect thing, but at least it would preserve her. As for her title?”

Spring sighed, shaking his head. “In all truth, she would likely have not been troubled by its loss. Being a princess was not her preferred position, but one born of necessity, or so she told me.”

“It does match her statements from long ago, even if we failed to believe them in the last century,” Luna said, looking down and frowning. “We should have believed her. Believed that this was not the life she wished for. But it is too late now for our regrets. Very well, Golden, speak thy mind, it is clear that thou hast much to say.”

Sparkle looked to Prince Spring, who nodded in agreement, effectively granting Sparkle the freedom to say anything she wanted.

“Thou wert not there, in the months before the fall,” She said quietly as she looked at the table so that she would not be speaking directly to one pony. “Your Highnesses, though each of thy lives touched hers, thou wert both distant compared to the experience we had. Princess Celestia could not assign councils, could not distribute the ruling of Equestria upon others, for any single mistake could spell catastrophe for our ponies. She bore it all alone, because only she could be perfect. Only she could perform every duty without flaw, and she would give every hour of sleep, every hour of freedom or calm in exchange for that perfection.”

Sparkle stood, wobbling slightly as she balanced to keep her broken leg off the ground.

“She gave everything for this nation,” she said more forcefully. “Her heart, her mind, her soul. Nothing remained but a princess who did her duty without thanks and without reprieve. So to strike her title and symbols? It is treason. It is blasphemy. It is cruelty and carelessness of the highest order, and I shall have no part in it.”

Her horn lit as she opened the door, and she left the room, limping with a scowl on her face.

The three remaining ponies watched her go, stunned. But when they turned back to face each other, though they all seemed to carry their silent regret and agreement with parts of what Sparkle had said, Princess Luna spoke in a resigned tone.

“Does another option exist, to avoid conflict?”

“I do not know of one,” Prince Spring said quietly.

“We could seek to use force to silence Mint,” Prim said halfheartedly, the words bitter in her mouth.

“We know it is simply the only other suggestion to be made, but it shall not be done,” Luna said as she put a hoof to Prim’s back in comfort. “We shall enact the plan as put forth by Spring. It shall have to do.”

“I shall have the new banners commissioned immediately then, and begin planning for this summer moon celebration. If we make it seem as though it is being planned by some of the nobles, then the public may adopt it more readily. A celebration of thy protection,” Prim said.

Luna just nodded, and stood, letting Prim open the door and bring a close to the impromptu meeting.

“What… else was planned for this day?” Princess Luna said wearily as they started towards her chambers together.

“A meal with Prince Spring, but I am certain he would understand the need for thee to rest. I hath scheduled half a period of rest but with this time thou shalt gain three quarters, at least. The guard shall wake you when it is complete,” She said as they reached the door.

“And rest for thee?” Princess Luna asked Prim as she paused at the doorway.

“The same. I hath kept to thy schedule, so we will be going to our beds in unison and rising together.”

Luna nodded before stifling a yawn.

“Very well. Upon waking we shall have a meal, whether with Spring or not. Surely we shall otherwise starve,” Luna sighed.

“I shall see to it.”

They nodded to each other, and went to their own rooms to try and sleep.