The Problem of Evil

by Quixotic Mage

A Sunlit Interlude

Dear Diary,

It’s been a while since I last wrote. I’m not even sure what drove me to reopen these pages so late at night. I was sleeping not quite an hour ago and then, quite suddenly, I was wide awake. Something feels different, somehow. The world is not the way it should be.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s just the late hour making me feel funny. I’m going to get some warm milk and see if that makes me feel better.

___

The milk is very nice, but it’s not really helping. I just keep thinking about Selene. I think I was even dreaming about her before I woke up. Maybe something about the lullaby I used to sing to her when we were little? I never remember anything about my dreams, so maybe the fact that that small inkling remains is significant?

Ugh, this isn’t getting me anywhere. Yes, I miss my little sister, but there’s no reason I should be missing her especially much right now. Couldn’t this have waited for the morning?

This is why I don’t like being up at night. It encourages introspection. During the day I could get some work done or go for a walk to distract myself. At night it’s just me and my memories. The dark conceals objects but it reveals emotions.

Hey that’s pretty good! I should write that down.

Oh, right.

Maybe I’m not as awake as I thought. I’m feeling a bit dizzy as well. That subtle feeling of everything being off usually means that I’m coming down with something.

Enough of this. I’m going to go lie in bed and hopefully I’ll get a bit of rest, even if I can’t fall all the way asleep.

Sincerely,

Sunlit Rooms

***

Dear Diary,

Princess Luna has been acting strange these past few days. I mean, she did get attacked by the Archmage Twilight Sparkle in the middle of court yesterday, so that was odd too; but she was acting odd before that.

I practically had to drag her into court! If anything, she’s usually the one dragging me. She seemed really nervous about it too. I can’t imagine why, she’s led court thousands of times after all. Then she went haring off after the Archmage leaving me as the only official in court.

I had to tell all the members of the Noble String that court had ended for the day, all while they looked down their snoots at me for daring to tell then what to do as a commoner. I don’t know what they expected of me; it’s not like I could magically summon Princess Luna back to the throne.

After they were gone I had to do it all over again for the ordinary ponies. Some of them had lined up for hours for the mere chance to be heard by Princess Luna. A few even cried when I told them that court was closed for the day.

That was not fun and that is not my job! It’s not like the princess to be so irresponsible.

At least the Archmage and Princess Luna did a good job of running court today, even with the surprise visits from the griffons and those two dragons. It set my wings all aflutter when Princess Luna shouted down those dragons and made everypony kneel.

Ha! Maybe that’ll keep the nobles from being too annoying tomorrow. I doubt it though.

It seemed like there was some tension between the princess and the Archmage when I brought Princess Luna the court records and notified the Archmage of her meeting. Oh well, I’m sure it will have worked itself out by tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Sunlit rooms

***

Dear Diary,

It did not work itself out.

I don’t know what the hay is going on with those two, but they need to figure it the heck out!

I’m sorry, diary, I shouldn’t use language like that in you. It’s just been simmering in the back of my mind all day and I’ve had to hold it in because of course I can’t blow up at the Archmage or the Princess.

They apparently had not resolved their little spat and they both showed up for court anyway. I had to spend the whole time trying to keep court running while they refused to even look at each other.

I was able to talk to Princess Luna privately after the griffon ambassador took the Archmage away. I tried to hint to her that she and Twilight should really try and be better friends. I’m pretty sure she missed that though, too caught up in her research and our discussion of political theory.

Don’t get me wrong, diary, I’m a bureaucrat. Political theory is my life. But there is a time and place for politics and a time for personal discussions – or would that be personnel discussions? Ha, I crack myself up – and this was clearly the latter.

Anyway, after that I was able to flee to the safe haven of paperwork. I was so engaged in my work that it took Princess Luna raising the moon to snap me out of it. Then something very strange happened: the princess asked me to join her for dinner!

It was really weird. I’ve never eaten with the princess in my life, especially not just the two of us. She asked me casual questions, like you would with a friend. Honestly, it was weird to see her acting so, I don’t know, normal?

She’s the princess. There’s supposed to be this unfathomable gulf between her and ponies like me, and there just wasn’t. It made me suspicious and when I carefully asked her questions about it my suspicions only deepened.

Something is wrong with the princess. From what she said, I think that she lost her memories and the Archmage is helping to cover for her until they come back. Except the Archmage keeps overstepping her bounds and Princess Luna has to carefully put her back in her place.

I could be wrong, I suppose. And Princess Luna did tell me that she and the Archmage are handling it.

Diary, is it wrong if I kind of like the princess as she is now? She acts more like a normal pony. She laughed with me over dinner and we ate cake and drank tea like old friends. I’m sure it’s not fun being uncomfortable doing something you know you’ve done thousands of times before. Still, her nervousness over court makes me want to take care of her, somehow.

Is it wrong to want to look after the princess?

Probably. I’m sure she doesn’t need me, not for that anyway. She has Archmage Twilight Sparkle after all.

Sincerely,

Sunlight Rooms

***

Dear Diary,

Archmage Twilight Sparkle is one scary pony.

Seriously, diary, I am actually very scared of her.

When I got to the castle this morning Princess Luna had me escort the castle doctor up to the Archmage’s room. When we arrived I found out that she had somehow burned out her own eye!

Not that bad, right? Sure, it was gruesome seeing her empty socket and all those cuts across her face. And, sure, Princess Luna steadfastly refusing to tell anypony how it happened was somewhat alarming. Still, injuries happen. That part was maybe a five on the scary scale^tm.

No the scary part was when Princess Luna sent me to check on the Archmage later in the morning. She greeted me, cool as you please, just chatting like nothing was wrong. Then she sent that little dragon of hers into a room with far far too many locks, fashioned an eyepatch, and marched off to court.

What?

What kind of a pony do you have to be to go right back to work after losing your eye?

I told you last time I wrote that I enjoyed seeing Princess Luna act a little bit more like a normal pony. I think Archmage Twilight Sparkle scares me because she seems like the opposite. She seems determined to elevate herself to super-equine levels through sheer force of will.

I’m just glad that when it came time to do research that Spike was there to help her, so I could focus on helping the princess.

Sincerely,

Sunlit Rooms

***

Dear Diary,

I was wrong. Archmage Twilight Sparkle isn’t trying to become super-equine, she has already transcended the limitations of us normal ponies.

I’m sorry diary, you must be confused as to why I’m writing on a train in the middle of the day instead of before bed. Let me explain.

It’s been a long few days. I’ve spent most of them researching for Princess Luna and the Archmage. However, that is the kind of work I’m used to so I didn’t mind it too much. Before yesterday the world still seemed normal.

It doesn’t seem normal anymore, and honestly, diary, I’m scared.

Princess Luna dissolved the Noble String to form what she calls the New Lunar Republic. I’m perhaps the least surprised of anypony since I’m the one that’s been bringing her all those books on political theory and the Ancient Atheneighians.

Still, I wouldn’t be a bureaucrat if I didn’t get nervous at the prospect of a change to the fundamental structure of the bureaucracy I serve. It would have been okay. I trust the princess and, as frightening as I find the Archmage, I suspect that the two of them could have made it work.

Unfortunately, Prince Blueblood has launched a revolution against Equestria.

Yes, diary, I too am shocked. I didn’t think Price Blueblood could even spell revolution, let alone launch one, but he did. And he stole the expedition the Archmage and I spent the past week organizing.

Of course, I found out about all of this via a midnight messenger the Archmage sent to wake me up. That did not help my mood.

I am not a night owl, darn it.

That brings me to the new reason I find Archmage Twilight Sparkle so frightening. We planned the previous expedition over the course of a week, with lots of input from various members of the government.

The Archmage put together a second expedition in less than twelve hours.

Above and beyond that feat, I think the truly remarkable thing is that she is fully capable of double, triple, and even quadruple checking her own work, no matter how out of it she is. She found and corrected an error in the supply manifest on her third check at four in the morning.

I suppose I’ve oversold the ‘Archmage Twilight Sparkle is so scary’ thing. I do find her a little intimidating, but it’s something else too. She’s just so darn good at her job and that overlaps quite heavily with my job.

Look, diary, essentially, my job goes like this. The princess tells me to get something done. Outwardly, I smile and say of course. Inwardly, I grumble to myself about how this task is so much more work than the princess thinks and that it’s going to take forever. Then I go out and I work really hard and I somehow get it done.

The Archmage, on the other hoof, knows exactly how hard every job is and what the steps are to complete it. She also magically manages to get things done in a fraction of the time that I, or any reasonable pony, would take. I guess I’m afraid that as she takes a larger role in the government there won’t be any space for me.

The really sad thing is that I think Princess Luna feels the same way. I was watching her last night, in between working my tail off of course, and at first she seemed so energetic. I dared hope that this expedition and her Lunar Republic proclamation would help pull her out of the bad mood she’s been in.

Unfortunately, as the night wore on and Princess Luna watched the Archmage organize the expedition she grew quieter and seemed to draw herself inward. By the time we all boarded the train Princess Luna was only speaking when spoken to and she’s been staring sadly out the window this whole time.

Diary, I think I have a choice to make. I can serve as a bureaucrat to the Archmage, essentially fulfilling the same job as I always have for the pony in charge. I’m sure even she could use an extra pony carrying out orders, even if I won’t be quite as essential or autonomous as in the past.

Or I can stick with Princess Luna. I don’t know what she’ll need from me, but I don’t think it’s in my usual job description.

I think… maybe… maybe she needs a friend.

There are nine of us gathered in this train car as it carries the second expedition north: the Elements of Harmony, the Captain of the Royal Guard, myself, and Princess Luna. She looks so alone though. She’s curled on a bench in a corner of the train and I wouldn’t believe it was possible for a pony so large to seem so small.

I want to look after her, somehow. I feel almost protective towards her.

I don’t know, diary, maybe this is the sleep deprivation talking. The only reason I’ve written so much in you this time is that if I don’t I’ll fall asleep, and I suspect that Archmage Twilight has something she wants to tell us before that happens.

Ah, yes, there she goes, calling us over to the part of the train where she and her friends are gathered. Of course, it’s exactly the opposite side of the train from Princess Luna. Don’t think I didn’t notice that little power-play, Archmage. I’ve spent even more time around the nobles than you have.

I do have to go though, diary. It looks like I’m finally going to get the backstory to all of this. Maybe with some answers I’ll finally understand why Princess Luna looks so sad.

Sincerely,

Sunlit Rooms

Author's Note:

A short look into Sunlit Rooms' life. She's a little more feisty then she lets on to her bosses and I wanted to let that come through. Plus, this nicely sets up the next arc.

The next chapter takes place 6 months later. It may be released next week, though I am considering a delaying it until the new year.

Thanks for reading and happy holidays!

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

If Cadence isn't an alicorn, then what is she?

[Quixotic Mage]

8614709
She's a pegasus. She doesn't have a huge role to play in this story. It's more that the nature of alicornhood plays a large role in the plot and I didn't want to confuse the issue by having extra alicorns running around.