• Published 22nd Feb 2019
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Lunar Rebellion: The Golden Path - Chengar Qordath



When Celestia has to temporarily leave Equestria, she names Sunbeam Sparkle as her regent. Will Sunbeam be up to the challenge, especially when an unscrupulous foe tries to take advantage of Celestia's absence?

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The Golden Path 1

I could scarcely believe mine own ears when Her Majesty informed me of her intentions. “And how long will you be absent from Canterlot?”

Celestia frowned and let out a soft sigh. “I cannot say for certain. If it is naught but an ordinary nest of Blightspawn the matter should be resolved quickly enough. If it is a sign of a larger problem...” She shrugged. “It will take as long as it takes.”

I frowned at her. “And why must you attend to this matter? The supreme ruler of Equestria is needed in the capitol ruling over all of ponykind, not traipsing about as a monster hunter in foreign lands.”

Celestia answered me with an unamused glower. “Because my treaty with Argentium is several hundred years older than thee, Sunbeam. If she calls upon mine aid, I shall not leave her wanting.” She held up a hoof to forestall my inevitable objection. “If I left the matter to magi and soldiers many of them might perish. A Blightspawn nest is dangerous to those inexperienced in facing them. Not to mention I owe her a boon for her part in forging Shadow’s Armor.” She grimaced. “And though ‘tis unlikely, if this nest is a sign that Blackfyre is violating his terms of surrender, she will need mine aid at once.”

Shadow cleared her throat and spoke in her customarily deferential tone. “We understand there is a debt of honor that must be repaid, Commander. Nonetheless, your absence from Canterlot will cause concern. The civil war is a recent enough memory that many will be unsettled by the sight of an empty throne.”

“Of course,” Celestia favored us both with a smile. “But that is why I have called upon the two of thee. I am blessed to have thine aid and can think of none more capable hooves to guide Equestria in mine absence.”

Shadow and I exchanged a look, and I broached the question that weighed heavy in both our minds. “It will of course be our pleasure to serve you, Your Majesty. However, I must ask exactly how you wish us to do so. An extended absence with an uncertain date of return could lead to no shortage of problems. Petitioners are annoyed enough to learn that their concerns will not be heard when ‘tis only a week’s delay. A wait that could last months and with no certainty as to when their concerns would e’en be addressed...”

“I agree,” Celestia answered. “And in light of that, I must ask thee to do more than merely watch o’er Equestria until my return. I must appoint a regent.”

A regency. Such a thing had not happened since before the beginning of Celestia’s reign, when Unicornia’s monarchs were still mortal. Entrusting the full power and authority of the throne to another was not lightly done, and one of the advantages of an undying monarch was that we no longer needed regents to o’ersee the throne when the monarch was either too young or too old to rule properly. But now there would be a regent once more. A pony other than Celestia herself would wield the full authority of the Equestrian throne. ‘Twas a heady prospect to consider.

Shadow cleared her throat. “Will we be joint regents, then?”

“Neigh.” Celestia sighed. “A regency will be an uncertain enough time as it stands, but ‘twould be worse to muddy the waters by appointing two regents. Any who mislike the ruling of one would immediately petition the other for redress, and should thine opinions conflict...”

She need say nothing more. She valued myself and Shadow as advisors in no small part because our opinions contrasted one another so sharply. Though neither of us would seek to openly undermine our co-regent, it was entirely possible a matter would arise where we passionately disagreed and could find no middle ground. Should such circumstances arise, ‘twould be far better for Equestria if one of us had final say in the matter. Though ‘twould irk me to be o’erruled by Shadow, the mare heeded my advice often enough and when she went against it that rarely lead to disaster.

And there was no doubt in my mind that Shadow would be her choice. Celestia respected my skill as a politician and heeded my advice, but she did not love me as she loved Shadow. Not to mention mine own naked ambition; if she named me regent before departing half the realm would suspect me of murdering her, disposing of the corpse, and forging the documents. Small-minded fools always fail to grasp the truth of their betters.

No doubt it pleased them to imagine me as such a vain and petty creature, so disloyal to Her Majesty that I spent mine every waking moment searching for an opportunity to plant a dagger in her back. In a way, ‘twas no different than the pornographer who had recently been sentenced to a week in the stocks as punishment for his lewd tales and images involving much of the court. Whether ‘twas the intrigues of court or more carnal matters, it pleased the peasantry to imagine their rulers as base creatures no different from them. They could not accept that there is a natural order to the world where superior ponies inevitably rose to the top of society, and so they comforted themselves with foolish fantasies that their betters were foul and corrupt. Celestia was objectively their superior in every measurable way, so they reduced her to a wanton slattern no better than a common harlot.

Foolishness. Instead they should seek to better themselves, as I had. The nobility were foolish to think that breeding was the sole determiner of quality, elsewise the daughter of a mere glassblower could never have risen above all of them. Neigh, I had forged mine own destiny in fire and blood, achieving greatness through naught but raw determination. Those who held low stations in life did so by choice, whether they confessed as much to themselves or not. They called ambition a sin to excuse their own crippling lack of it, and pretended that their small, meaningless lives were somehow better or purer than the lives of those who actually accomplished great things and made Equestria a better place.

Sadly, no matter how foolish their perspective, there were many of them. Even ignorant fools could have a profound effect in sufficient numbers. And really, loathe as I was to admit it, Shadow was likely the better choice. She could rule as ably as I, and with far less controversy.

Thus, I was quite surprised when Her Majesty turned to me. “Sunbeam Sparkle, I hereby name thee as regent o’er all of Equestria, from now until my return.”

Thankfully, a lifetime of service to Her Majesty and within the royal court has trained me to carefully hide my true thoughts. I smiled gratefully and bowed, the very picture of courtly grace. “It would be my honor to be of service, Your Majesty.”

Celestia answered me with a dry smile. “You might think otherwise after spending a full day on the throne. And yes, you are expected to sit in it. ‘Tis a useful symbol to show that thou art wielding my full royal authority, rather than acting as a mere caretaker until my return.”

“Your full authority?” I pressed.

“Aye.” She chuckled. “Or near enough. Obviously I intend to return as soon as possible, and I should be most upset if you decided to redecorate my royal quarters and abscond with my private possessions.”

She spoke the words lightly and only touched on frivolous matters, but I had no trouble seeing the deeper implication behind them: though I might wield the power of Queen in her absence, she would hold me to account for mine actions upon her return. Not that I had any plans to abuse her power in petty or self-serving ways, but she seemingly felt the need to warn me off from doing so regardless. How irksome.

Shadow cleared her throat. “I presume I shall continue to exercise my role as Lady Protector of Equestria in your absence, Commander?”

“But of course,” Celestia answered with one of those fond smiles she only ever spared for Shadow. “I would also ask that you do everything you can to help Sunbeam. Just as I have relied upon thine advice, I know she will as well.”

More fine words that hid another barb and limitation within them. E’en if I held the regency and Shadow did not, that was merely a matter of which of us could o’errule the other should that become necessary. Until we reached that point, I was expected to work alongside her. Not that I had any intention of cavalierly ignoring the mare’s advice to begin with. Only a fool ignores good counsel, and e’en when Shadow disagreed with me her words were still worth hearing. At worst it forewarned me of what objections I would hear from others, and on a few occasions she had e’en given me cause to reconsider mine own opinions.

The last thing I wanted to do was seem unwilling to comply with a largely reasonable request. “Of course, I would hardly want to ignore the advice of a dear friend like Shadow.” I idly let one hoof companionably fall upon Shadow’s shoulder. As always, the contact sent an odd sort of thrill through me. I think perhaps ‘twas the muscles I could feel beneath her skin, and I was intimately familiar with exactly how well she used them both on the battlefield and in other pursuits. The last time I had bedded her it had left me sore for two days afterwards, but I did not regret it for a moment.

If Celestia knew what precisely I was thinking of Shadow, she gave no sign of it. “I am sure thou wilt come to depend on her as much as I have, though I do hope we have no need of a Lady Protector in mine absence.”

“Aye.” Shadow, evidently more aware of my mind, brushed my hoof away. “I am glad to be of aid, Commander. Though we all hope for our long-o’erdue peace to continue in your absence, should Equestria need a protector I shall not be found wanting.”

My eyes flickered down to her armor. The craftsmareship truly was exquisite, and I was not saying that simply because I was one of the ones that had made it. After all, Her Majesty was leaving to repay Argentium for her own role in the armor’s creation. Though I am quite proud of mine own contributions, I was under no illusions as to who played the greater part. E’en the greatest mortal magus cannot measure up to immortals with centuries of experience and the raw strength that comes with eternal life.

During the Rebellion the enchantments upon the armor had allowed Shadow to face the Avatar of Nightmare Moon in open battle on essentially equal terms. I suspected Celestia had allowed her to keep it after the war as some sort of insurance against her going mad as Nightmare Moon had. A noble but foolish sentiment; if I wore the crown, the armor would have gone straight into the royal treasury. Items of such power should not be used lightly.

Of course, trying to strip Shadow of her armor would doubtless be seen as a gross overreach of mine authority. And Celestia’s maudlin reasoning aside, I saw no reason not to allow Shadow to retain it. Afterwards ... unless Shadow died in battle I would likely be well into my dotage or dead myself ere she passed.

The Armor’s fate would be for Celestia to decide. There was no sense in worrying about decisions to be made decades hence in the face of more immediate concerns. “Is there anything I should be aware of regarding my duties? I do recall several upcoming items on the royal agenda...”

Celestia nodded. “Of course. Most of it will be the standard business of court: hearing petitioners and o’erseeing royal justice. Also, I am sure you recall the new hospital the Order of Sol Invictus will be opening this week. Thy generous donations went far to aid its construction. I had hoped to attend the opening ceremonies myself, but since I will not be available my regent shall suffice.”

Ah. Of course, one of those foolish public appearances. Her Majesty placed far too much value on such public pageantry and made herself too available. A monarch’s presence, like many other resources, becomes far less valuable if it is too commonplace. Not to mention such appearances inevitably distracted her from more productive uses for her time. However, there was no point in reviving that old debate once more. At least, not today. “I recall we were due to receive an ambassador as well.”

Celestia grimaced, which almost certainly did not bode well. “We are. Ambassador Silver Tithe has asked me to grant him an audience on behalf of his gods, though he did not say what he wished to discuss.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “The Golden Path again? Doubtless someone offended their so-called gods.”

Celestia shot me a faintly disapproving frown. “When meeting with an ambassador, ‘tis important to show respect to their culture and beliefs no matter how strongly one might disagree with them in private.”

I held my tongue. She was right, of course. I was not foolish enough to tell the Golden Path that the so-called gods they worshipped were just a bunch of low-level spiritual beings with delusions of grandeur enabled by a band of useful idiots. However, if I spent too long thinking it during the audience I might say or do something to reveal mine utter contempt. Open disdain is not the best tone to set for a diplomatic meeting.

Shadow sighed and shook her head. “I am curious to hear what he might wish, though I doubt ‘twill be a worthwhile conversation. Silver Tithe always reminds me of one of my sire’s old sayings: ‘The larger the smile, the sharper the knife behind it.’”

“We should not assume the meeting will end badly ere it e’en begins,” Celestia chided both of us, even though she had to know we were right. Her next comment gave as much away. “If the both of thee expect it to end badly, it surely will. With an open mind there is always a chance, howe’er slim it might seem. The meeting will be tense enough as it is. Ambassador Tithe wanted to meet with me and me alone.”

“I see.” Curious, but not unheard of. ‘Twas no secret that anything said at court in the morning would be the talk of the town come suppertime. “Well, if I am regent he shall have to content himself with meeting me.”

Celestia nodded along. “I will seal a letter to him explaining that thou hast my full confidence and mine apologies for being unable to attend to him myself. That should hopefully smooth over any ruffled feathers. We do not wish for him to feel snubbed, after all. Thou also hast my full authority to bargain in my name and make reasonable agreements and declarations.”

“‘Reasonable agreements’?” I queried.

“Aye.” She shot me an impish grin. “If I will o’erturn it the moment I return from Northmarch, consider that to be unreasonable.”

“Then I should rule as you would?”

“I would not ask you to predict my thoughts,” Celestia answered, her smile firmly in place. “Rule as you would rule, but remember that you rule in my name.”

I scowled at her, suspecting she was enjoying herself at my expense. “That is not so easy a task as you make it sound.”

The merry twinkle in her eyes confirmed my suspicions. “If the task is not an easy one, then I should count myself fortunate that I have such a singularly talented regent to carry it out.”

Damn. The mare had trapped me within a cage of flattery. Part of me wondered if this might be some devious plan of Celestia’s to temper my ambitions. Give me charge of Equestria under the most hellish conditions possible so that I would learn how unpleasant leadership truly was and content myself with the current status quo. For all her seeming benevolence, she had a devious mind and a frightening knack for outmaneuvering her opponents. I had a sinking feeling she had performed another such maneuver, and I was only just beginning to suffer from it.

Well, if that was her intention I was not about to give her the satisfaction of knowing it was working. I cleared my throat and returned to business. “And what should I tell Equestria regarding your absence? The truth, or...?”

Celestia shrugged. “I see no reason to hide the truth. Knowledge that their queen is off aiding an ally and striking down creatures of nightmare should not cause any panic, and might subtly remind a few troublemakers that my benevolence is not weakness. Any lie would risk being found out, and I see little to be gained from it.”

“As you say,” I agreed. “Honesty is simple enough.” A few might complain about her venturing off to slay monsters in another land when Equestria had troubles of its own, but most of them would be naught but short-sighted fools. Anyone with a measure of vision would grasp the importance of honoring alliances and ending threats before they e’er reached Equestria. If half the tales I had heard of the Blightspawn were true, I much preferred for Celestia to destroy them long before they neared our borders.

Celestia nodded. “This is not the first time I have left Canterlot. I will still tend to the heavens, and I have left the day-to-day governance in the realm in capable hooves. I have every confidence that thou shalt rule well.” She smirked. “In fact, I worry that you might rule so well that Equestria does not e’en wish for me to return.”

“Such a thing could ne’er happen,” Shadow answered, ever the dutiful servant.

“‘Tis most unlikely,” I agreed. While Shadow’s answer came from loyalty to the crown, I simply stated an obvious fact. Where Celestia had the devotion of much of ponykind, I could only think of one pony in all the world who similarly loved me, and Midnight had little choice in the matter. ‘Twas a fact that occasionally irked me, but the feelings of the ignorant masses mattered little. If they did not appreciate of their betters then I would simply rise above their scorn and show I was the superior mare through my actions.

To start, I would show them all that I could be an excellent regent. If all the world expected me to be a self-serving lout, then I would defy the fools by being a very paragon of responsible governance. Though I held no hope of winning the love of the fools, Celestia and Shadow might well realize they should heed mine advice more often once I proved myself. I would sooner have the approval of those two than the mindless devotion of countless throngs of easily led fools.


There are times when managing mine own daughter is every bit as bothersome as ruling o’er of Equestria. Midnight has always been a rather unusual child, at least insofar as I understood such things. As she was mine only child I had little to measure her against, but Shadow and Celestia were both experienced in such things and concurred that she was unique. It should come as no surprise, then, that her puberty was every bit as unusual as every other aspect of life.

Still, there were evidently some matters where she did not stray too far from the norm. That would explain why when I returned to my quarters I found her standing before one of my mirrors with most of my cosmetics neatly organized around her. I had never especially cared for such things, but social norms demanded I use them when mingling with the high and mighty at court. While a bit of magic could achieve most of the same effect, it was often more efficient to use mundane means.

I cleared my throat. “Midnight, what art thou doing?”

Midnight let out a startled squeak, then spun around. “Um, looking in your mirror, Mother?” Her face was a complete mess, made all the worse by a near-competence that made her mistakes all the more glaring. The blush was too close to her nose so it looked like she had a terrible cold or had been out drinking, and my foundation was completely the wrong color for her. Small surprise, given her coat was much darker than mine.

I tutted and shook my head. “Thou really must learn how to apply that properly. I suppose I should be glad you did not find any of my more valuable cosmetics.” Thankfully she had not gotten into my perfume stocks, or I might have lost hundreds of bits. A preposterous expense just to change how I smelt, but observing the expected social norms often requires one to do things that are patently ridiculous.

Midnight answered me with a sour look and an insolent tone. “You said you would teach me how to do this.”

I repressed mine irritation with her. Lately she had grown more and more willful, as children are wont to do at her age. My small filly had become a lanky mare who, while not quite full grown yet, was at least near enough to it that she resented being treated as a child. No matter how plain ’twas that she was not yet truly an adult. This latest bit of minor defiance was just another example of that. “And I shall teach thee, child. The world does not always move as quickly as thou wouldst wish. I have many duties, and soon shall have e’en more.”

Midnight answered with an exasperated sigh. Doubtless she believed Celestia was leaving the capital and naming me as regent purely to vex her. Children of that age often seemed to believe that the world revolved entirely around them and their petty concerns. “That is what you said last week. And the month before that.”

“I have said it because ‘tis true,” I answered with an unamused frown. “I am second only to Her Majesty, and only Shadow stands as mine equal. Such a post comes with many responsibilities. Starting next week there will be e’en more, for Celestia named me Regent of Equestria for the duration of her absence from Canterlot.”

Midnight frowned at me, tilting her head to the side. “Why you? Could Her Majesty not name Shadow as regent?”

A question I had asked myself when the decision came down, but hearing it from mine own daughter’s lips was most irksome. “And why should I not be regent? I have been in her service far longer than Shadow e'er was.”

My daughter stared at me unblinkingly. “Because ponies will not instantly accuse her of trying to overthrow Her Majesty and start a reign of terror and tyranny where ponies are thrown in jail and executed at the merest suspicion of disloyalty, the severed heads of traitors decorating all public buildings until the crows and raven pick the skulls clean as spies and agents of the crown lurk in every corner of the kingdom whilst terrible wars are waged in your name. None believe that Shadow as regent could end in a dark age falling over Equestria that would make Sombra’s rule over the Crystal Empire seem like reasonable and even-hoofed in comparison.” Midnight blinked, her head cocking to the side. “Such ideas are of course foolish.”

“Naturally.” I did not see the need to indulge my daughter’s morbid flights of fancy by acknowledging them. Her fascination with death and suffering did not appear to be harmful, but ‘twas off-putting to most who did not know her well. “Evidently Her Majesty knows that I would not do such a thing, and cares not for the foolish thoughts of the mob.”

“I see.” Midnight nodded slowly. “To be named as her regent is a great honor. How long will Queen Celestia be gone?”

I shrugged. “It is unclear at this time. Likely she would not e’en need to appoint a regent if she were certain when she would return. She has business in Northmarch, and the task could end quickly or require an extended absence.”

“Then ’tis entirely possible you could rule o’er Equestria for months or e’en years,” Midnight concluded. “If there is an element of danger to her mission, you might e’en find yourself with an empty throne.” She rubbed her chin. “Though I would never wish ill upon Her Majesty, that would grant you the opportunity to crown yourself as the new queen, and I would become a princess. That would be an interesting turn of events.” She frowned into the mirror. “What are your plans for when she is gone? Will you take this an an opportunity to destroy your enemies, grind them under your hoof, and have a party?”

I scoffed and shook my head. A child’s understanding of politics. “Celestia will return in due time, and I would not give her cause to think I have abused her trust. As much as this is an opportunity, ‘tis also a great threat.”

“How so?” She studied herself for a few moments longer, then began rifling through my cosmetics for something to correct the damage.

I sighed and readied a cloth to clean away the mess my daughter had made of herself. “Because if Her Majesty has any cause to think I have misused my power as regent, I will suffer for it. A few month’s indulgence is not worth a lifetime of lost power. Mine enemies will doubtless spend the entire regency searching for any decision they can use against me upon her return, and I would be a fool to aid them.” I put the cloth to work on her, scraping away the blush and foundation both. Starting o’er from nothing would be far easier.

Midnight grumbled and tried to squirm away like a petulant child. “I can clean myself, I am not a filly anymore.”

“Perhaps thou canst clean yourself, but thou didst not.” I put a hoof on the back of her head to hold her in place, but she offered no more resistance beyond more of her half-hearted complaints.

Once I was close to finished she let forth with an especially melodramatic sigh. “So what will you be doing? Why give you power if nothing is to be done with it?”

I nearly rolled mine eyes. Children have such a limited view of politics. “I shall certainly be using my power. Just because I should not act in a manner radically opposed to Celestia's wishes does not leave me utterly restricted. In fact, it might e’en be a chance to show her how wise she would be to heed my words more often. T’is a chance to show how my ideals translate to practical action with tangible results.”

“I know you would like that.” Midnight nodded slowly, then frowned and tilted her head to the side. “But I do not know why you would like that. Have you not often said that one of the most important things to understand about others is what they want, and why? If so, then surely it would benefit me to know why you wish to influence how Her Majesty rules o’er Equestria.”

My daughter’s curiosity appeared to be as endless as ever. I suppose I should be grateful she was at least asking me these questions at decent hours rather than disturbing myself or others in the wee hours of the morning. Despite my best efforts to break her of that particular eccentricity, she had clung to it most stubbornly. “Because I am the best suited to do so.”

Midnight cocked her head to the side. “And that is the only reason you should hold power over Equestria, because you are the best at doing these duties?”

I shrugged. “What other reason wouldst thou suggest, child?”

Midnight nodded to the stack of books sitting next to her. “Some of these books say otherwise. This one suggests that only the noble in heart should rule, for example.”

I scoffed. “Nobility is pointless without the competence to bring those goals to light. What good is a ruler with a noble heart if ‘tis accompanied by such poor judgment that their decisions lead to endless disasters? Will good intentions comfort those who starve when famine, plague, or war strike due to the crown’s mismanagement? Recall that Queen Silver Dreams of Old Unicornia might have been a paragon of virtue, but her poor choice in friends and allies lead to one of the most infamously corrupt royal courts in all our history.”

“I see.” Midnight frowned thoughtfully. “This book made the opposite argument. Competency matters little without the moral center to guide it. King Sombra and the Nightmare would hardly have been better rulers if they were more capable of executing their plans to plunge Equestria into eternal darkness and damnation.”

“To which I would respond that competency includes setting reasonable goals,” I answered smoothly. I had debated the matter with Shadow and Celestia; mine own daughter would hardly best me. “A capable ruler realizes that unleashing unending misery upon the populace is a pointless endeavour. A ruler’s strength derives from the strength of their realm, and weakening that power in pointless displays of egotism and madness accomplishes nothing.”

Midnight frowned at the book. “I do not know why you assign me these books when you think them wrong.”

“Because others do not think so, and knowing how others think is valuable,” I answered. “And challenging one’s own beliefs ultimately refines and strengthens them, or reveals them to be wanting and in need of replacement. If I ne’er allowed mine own ideals to be challenged, they would become little more than mindlessly repeated dogma.”

My daughter slowly nodded. “That does seem logically sound. Though another thought has just occurred to me.” She stared up at me unblinkingly. “You said that a ruler derives their strength from the strength of their realm. But in the past, you have criticized other forms of government from deviating from this norm.”

“Aye,” I agreed. “We saw it readily enough in the old system. Each of the three pony tribes jockeyed for supremacy within the realm, and the governments of the other two tribes suffered for their internal divisions. The individual Ephors often competed for position within their own ranks rather than focus upon what was best for all. As for the Earth Pony Republic...” I snorted contemptuously. “Electoral governance must be one of the most foolish experiments e’er devised by ponykind. It produces leaders who have only two incentives: to secure re-election, and to enrich themselves as much as possible for the limited time they are able to hold office. They have no reason to govern well, merely catering to the whims of the mob in whate’er way will provide them with immediate gratification. If their policies would lead to ruin in a decade’s time ... well by then they shall no longer hold office, and their successors would be blamed for it.”

“Would not the same apply to your regency?” Midnight asked calmly. “Historically there have been regents who sought to extend the regency for as long as possible, and many of them were notorious for abusing their office.”

“Precisely,” I agreed. “The difference is that my regency is a distinctly temporary thing, and I shall be held to account by a wise and clear-sighted leader rather than an easily manipulated mob of uninformed fools.” I sighed and ran a hoof down my face. “Though thy words do cast a new light upon it: the earth ponies looked at all the worst aspects of our temporary regencies, then somehow crafted a government which makes all those temporary flaws a permanent institution. A truly impressive feat of madness.” I thought it over a moment, then shrugged. “Though we are uniquely blessed with Celestia as our ruler. An immortal monarch solves many of the inherent flaws in the system. We need not dispute the succession, or fear that our next queen will be insane or addled. A simple, orderly continuity guided by a single pony’s will.”

Midnight cocked her head to the side. “So if Equestria had mortal rulers and you were instead serving as regent to a child queen, matters might be different?”

“Mayhaps,” I agreed with a helpless shrug. All manner of absurdities might result if one changes the fundamental facts. Rather than allow my daughter to go down a tangent of ‘What if?’ questions that could consume hours of our time, I applied myself to something more immediately useful. “Now, let us get to teaching thee properly. If thou art to be a regent's daughter, thy place is next to me at court—and I will not have my daughter looking anything less than the finest jewel in all of Equestria.” If mine own child looked wild and undisciplined, the rest of Equestria would have no faith in mine ability to lead them.

Midnight nodded and favored me with one of her unique smiles. I would have to remind her not to smile so long as we were in court. “Very well then, Mother. I was considering coloring my mane. Mayhaps with pink, or with black. Or even both.”

I sighed and massaged my temples. I had a sinking feeling that trying to teach my daughter how to make herself look presentable would be far more bothersome than such a simple task ought to be. The next several hours would prove that fear entirely justified.

Author's Note:

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