Transgression
Amidst the immediate aftermath of Shining Armor's death in New York, Luna finds herself relegated to menial bookkeeping at Celestia's behest, overseeing bumbling bureaucrats, noble busybodies and anal retentive taxponies rather than raining fiery vengeance upon humanity for their audacious crime.
Luna was not happy.
Currently she was sitting behind her extravagant, if cramped, mahogany desk in the castle's audience chamber surrounded by towering mountains of papers that never seem to get any smaller. Quietly, judiciously, with all the temperance she'd fostered during her time as ruler of Equestria, she retained a mask of eerie serenity upon her proud visage as she oversaw the bumbling gaggle of beancounters and taxponies running amok in her court. The dull paper pushers clambered around the room like a herd of blind cattle, caterwauling about taxes this, inflation that and every other economic jargon she honestly couldn't be bothered to care for.
They shoved form after form after form in her face, all demanding that she look over and approve them in as expedient a manner as possible. There were local ordinances, national mandates and threatening injunctions, all on top of her preexisting workload that she could clearly remember hiring ponies for. But even if she could dump off a majority of the political documents onto her aids she was barred from doing anything else by her sister, citing that their presence within the central government was needed now, more than ever.
It was all horse dung, of course. She'd known her sister long enough that whenever the topic of 'presence' came up it was essentially code for doing damage control. And, yes, while there were forms that needed her immediate attention, and, yes, these were all her regular responsibilities that she would normally get to during her own time, there were far more distressing matters that required her full attention.
Commander-General Shining Armor had been murdered during the battle of New York. Slain at a distance by a cowardly cur who didn't have the courage to confront him head on. News of his tragic death had rocked Equestria to its very core, and her people mourned him.
And yet, instead of avenging his loss, instead of rallying their forces and righteously razing human settlements in response to such a heinous crime, what does Celestia have her do? She has her sit behind an uncomfortably small desk idly stamping papers and listening to the whining drone of the kingdom's most sleep inducing individuals.
No, Luna was not happy.
She was absolutely livid.
"Er, your majesty?" a thin looking unicorn with an unkempt mane and fur as warm as parchment whose name Luna can't recall at the moment addressed her concernedly.
"Yes, what is it that you need?" Luna breathed through gritted teeth, unintentionally causing the poor stallion discomfort.
"It's just that, um... Y-you're carving a deep scratch into the table with your quill. Heh heh," he chuckled nervously.
Luna looked down, and saw that she had indeed carved a long jagged line into the desk's lustrous mahogany surface with her quill. In her silent funk she was completely unaware what she had been doing. "Hmm, so it seems. Although, I don't see what's so funny about my empty idleness, mister...?" she replied, raising an eyebrow.
"It's," he swallowed thickly, struggling to remain upright as her oppressive aura threatened to grind him into the floor of the court. "I-it's Stock, your majesty. S-Short Stock."
"Well, Short Stock. I do believe my visible... agitation is to be taken as a sign that we should have a recess now, wouldn't you agree?" She looked on at the cowering unicorn expectantly, steely eyed and lips set in a firm line.
"B-but, your majesty. There is still the matter of the rampant inflation we must look over, tax plans and audits t-t-t-t-to..." Short Seller felt his voice hitch in his throat and leave in short wheezing gasps as Luna leveled a piercing glare upon him, rooting him on the spot in terror. The poor fellow lost all will to speak at that point and could only wait in nervous anticipation of his princess.
"Did. I. Stutter?" She enunciated lowly, steadily rising from her desk as her long shadow eclipsed the various staff in the room. Upon reaching her full height the cacophonous chaos of the room swiftly came to a standstill and the heated arguments between bickering statesponies died away in response to Luna's imposing presence. A pregnant silence filled the room, and just like with Short Stock, everypony waited with bated breath for Luna to say something. After several agonizing seconds, she spoke.
"We've been at this since dawn and I am tired, as I suspect you are as well," she began, her voice soft yet firm and thrumming with subtle arcane power. Her face remained the picture of impassiveness. "In the hours I've been trapped behind this damnable desk conversing with you all we've accomplished little to nothing productive, with many failing to cooperate or outright acting insubordinate and purposely delaying processes that should straightforward and expedient. Do not think for a second I don't know what some of you are trying to pull," she paused, an icy tone laced in her voice.
A few of the more opportunistic nobles froze up as Luna swept her gaze towards their direction. It was foolish of them to believe that Luna couldn't see past their wiles, let alone tolerate it. Sweat began beading beneath their fur and they felt a growing heat flare up beneath their collar.
"I am going to say this once, and only once," Luna continued. She didn't raise her voice, rather it took on a more authoritative tone, the same one she used when addressing her soldiers before a sortie. "I will have none of your chicanery, none of your plots or schemes. None of it," she seethed. "We've been dealt a terrible blow, a grievous wound that will take years, perhaps even decades to heal from. This travesty, this blatant insult stains Equestria's honor, my honor. And instead of being out in the frontlines avenging Canterlot's greatest son, here I am, babysitting foals as they quarrel and scheme, seeking to curry favors and cultivate political power in the wake of such tragedy when they should be working together to serve their country."
She took a deep breathe and closed her eyes, attempting to find her center. Her inner turmoil raging within quelled momentarily and she achieved a semblance of peace, if only for the moment. When she opened them again, they glimmered with the fires of divine command.
"We will break for the afternoon to rest and recuperate before reconvening in the evening during night court. During that time, I expect you all to shape up and prepare for when we meet up again. And when we do, we will finish every order of business available to us in as quickly and as organized a fashion as possible. We will oversee every plan, throw out any redundant or ineffectual bills, approve what needs to be approved and bend ourselves over backwards to ensure that this economic trench we've dug ourselves into is filled up.
I don't care if it takes all night or if any of you have objections. I'll forcibly cram my final resolutions down your throats if need be, so give me every reason to act upon that impulse. Be it one way or the other, we are finishing this. Am I understood?" It was not a question, it was a factual statement.
There was a wave of skittish nods from her peers and Luna let out a weary sigh. It was finally over... for now, at least.
"We will meet up again after sunset. Remember, work always with all your fervor, do not falter for even a moment. Until we achieve our hallowed goal of converting humanity, until we avenge our beloved commander-general, we must be acting our very best no matter how many more hardships we face. We are Equestria, the righteous, the strong, the heralds of friendship and harmony." Luna's eyes narrowed before continuing. "And if you fail to live up to those standards, especially during such turbulent times, I will have you removed. Dash away any and all thoughts that you can fool me, my sister, or any of the royal household. Because we'll know, and there will be no warning. Not from me, not from Celestia... and certainly not from the ESS."
A flash of terror overcame the visage of her peers, they subconsciously recoiled at the mention of the Equestrian Secret Service. They all knew what the ESS was capable of, how unwavering and diligent they were in routing out traitors and dissidents. Even if they didn't know the whole truth, they knew enough to stay in their lane. Satisfied with her not-so-veiled threats, Luna concluded her speech.
"You are all dismissed."
At the drop of a hat, the ponies in the room hurriedly filed themselves out the door in a writhing mass. They left as quickly as their hooves could carry them, far away from Luna's palpable abhorrence. When the last pony finally escaped her view, slamming the door behind them, Luna relaxed her tensed muscles and practically melted over her desk as she wrapped her hooves over her head.
There were seconds of stark silence before all of Luna's emotions finally came to head, gradually building up until it erupted in a fit of destructive rage.
It started off slowly, her breathing picking up speed, her heart rate following suit. Fury, sorrow and hatred bubbled beneath the surface of her flesh, churning, growing, until at long last all the emotions she'd been forced to bottle up dealing with conniving incompetence surged forth in a single yet poignant moment. Her serene mask shattered and with a furious roar of anger she picked up her desk with her hooves and hurled it across the air with tremendous strength, billowing away the mounds of papers beside her by the gust it produced.
"GRAAAAAAAAAH! THIS WILL NOT CONTINUE! I WON'T ALLOW IT!" She screamed hellishly. The large desk smashed against the marble floor with a thunderous crack, marring it, and sending shards of dark wood scattering along the ground in several misshapen splinters. As the clattering of wood came to a quiet end, and the flittering of paper grew silent, Luna stood alone in her court, tears that threatening to stain her cheek. Gritting her teeth, she stamped out of the room, telekinetically swung the door to the outside and frightening the unfortunate maid that had just arrived to investigate the noise.
"Bwuah! Princess Luna!" he exclaimed. "I heard a loud crash, are you hurt?"
"...M'fine," Luna grunted, her face scrunched up in a furious scowl. "I'm going to head out, I will return at sundown. There's a mess that needs to be cleaned up, damage to the floor that must be fixed and a desk that needs to be replaced by the time I get back, preferably with one that has adequate leg room for alicorns. Can you do that?"
"I, er, r-replace a desk?" the maid looked bemused.
"I asked you a question, maid," Luna glared.
"O-oh! Oh, yes! I can do it. I'll gather my team right away," the maid nodded profusely. "You have my word, your highness. The room will be spotless when you return."
"Excellent," Luna softened her gaze. "Now, I must go. I'll not take up anymore of your time."
They both exchanged a quick bow and Luna trotted away from the scene.
She needed to have a word with Celestia.
Celestia bore an unreadable expression as she sat with members of the Equestrian Secret Service, namely Chief Director Hush Hush and Senior Agent Sweetie Drops. They were in Celestia's study, and were discussing matters of morale, national security and more. And while the topic of Shining Armor's death was central to their talks, they never dwelled on it any longer than they needed to beyond practical conversation. The wound was still too fresh to be prodded at so soon, and work was hardly an adequate distraction.
"The public is still reeling in shock, your majesty," said Hush Hush, sipping her cup of tea. "The battle of New York is our first major defeat and the public reception has been icy, to say the least. But a single defeat among a myriad of overwhelming victories is nothing compared to Shining Armor's..." she paused, being tactful with her choice of words, "unfortunate passing. It is a tragedy and we weep for the loss of such a bright and noble soul."
Celestia let out a long sigh, her head hung low. She was mournful, even if it didn't show. Shining Armor was undoubtedly the greatest guardspony to ever have stepped out of the military academy. His list of accomplishments were long, and the love ponies had for him was without question. He was her nephew-in-law. He was family. And to be taken so soon, to be killed so suddenly, it tore at her as much as it did Cadence or the Sparkle family.
"He was Canterlot's greatest son," Celestia began, "and the beating heart of the Crystal Empire to Cadence's loving soul. His wife is devastated, the Sparkle family are in mourning, Luna is rageful, and Flurry Heart... Sweet, innocent Flurry Heart..." she looked away, feeling her heart drop into the pit of her stomach upon remembering the exact moment when the happiness and joy was torn from out her niece's soul at learning the terrible truth of her father's demise. "...I believe I've said too much. "
"Quite alright, Princess Celestia," replied Sweetie Drops, stoic and loyal to the throne as ever. "We're here for business, not to drag up any unpleasant emotions from you. Let us continue on with the matter at hoof."
"Thank you, agent," Celestia raised her head and took slow sips from her tea, savoring the subtle hints of mint and lemon before speaking. "Director Hush Hush, what is your assessment on the current social climate of Equestria?"
"Ahem, well," Hush Hush gleaned over her notes. "A cursory examination on a per city basis shows us that morale has dipped for the first time since the defection of the Resistance. This is perhaps the lowest drop we've experienced insofar, with roughly thirty percent of the collective ponypower in Canterlot alone slowing to a crawl. However, support in the war has inversely spiked as a result in spite of Shining Armor's death. The people all want to honor his sacrifice however they can. The recent influx in additional taxes and tithes paid has given our struggling economy a momentary but much needed reprieve."
"Unsurprising and certainly not unwelcome," replied Celestia. "...And what of our 'rat' problem?"
Hush Hush flipped through her notes again. "We've been hard at work investigating the leaks since they've started cropping up almost a year ago. This 'underground railroad' is a threat to our national security and must be stopped at all costs. No doubt it was established by Lyra, the traitor, and her ilk as a means to undermine the war efforts after they left. Even after escaping our wrath they continue to vex us. It is... quite troublesome, to put it lightly."
Sweetie Drops visibly bristled at the mention of Lyra. Though she quickly regained her composure her expression had become stony and aloof.
Celestia's expression shifted ever so slightly, knitting her brow and wrinkling her nose. "Have you any leads? We are all aware Discord is involved, that malign mismatched monkey-lover. He's the only one capable of teleporting these deluded escapees out of the Equestria. But how do these dissidents keep eluding our watchful eye? How do they keep managing to slip away from some of our best and brightest?" Her tone was even, yet there was the barest hint of disdain laced in it. "I want answers, director. But more importantly, I want that damned railroad derailed."
"And you will have both, your majesty. I swear to you on my position as chief director the Equestrian Secret Service will give you all and more in due time," Hush Hush replied coolly. "As for leads, we've actually received a tip from an anonymous Canterlite about a month ago who has reasons to believe that the popular socialite Fancy Pants is a dissident, and that he has been diverting a portion of his own personal funds to aiding and abetting the escapees."
Celestia's eyes widened at the mention of Fancy Pants.
Everypony in Canterlot knew him. He was the stallion to talk about, the savvy upper crust businesspony with a nose for talent, peerless intuition and a streak of financial successes to his name. He was voted Equestria's pony of the year seven times on and off in the last thirty years, something that was considered unprecedented within his social circle, and was an avid supporter of the war. Him and his wife, Fleur de lis, have donated thousands of bits to the Struggling Soldiers foundation and were present at nearly every rally that she had set up since before the war began.
He was as much a face of the war as the alicorns were. If a stallion of his caliber was indeed a dissident, then there was more to worry about than a few escaping traitors. There were dangerous implications, too ludicrous to suggest yet too disconcerting to ignore.
Celestia collected herself and her expression hardened. She spoke clearly and purposefully to Hush Hush in a tone that demanded full transparency. "Chief Director Hush Hush, are you fully aware of the magnitude of this accusation?"
Hush Hush nodded judiciously. "We've no reason to believe the tip to be incorrect."
"In spite of it coming from an anonymous source?" Celestia raised a brow. "Forgive me for lacking the same confidence you have, director. I know how this game of cat and mouse is played, and this feels like a unsure move."
"On the contrary, my agents have been keeping tabs on him since we've received the intel. I've a team of Equestria's finest running him under a microscope; financial records, unscheduled meetings and questionable decision making. There are several discrepancies with him that support the validity of the source's claims," Hush Hush smiled confidently. "If he sneezes there will be an agent there to hand a hanky and slap the cuffs on him when we ultimately uncover his dirty dealings."
"Hmm, thorough as ever," Celestia replied, sounding genuinely impressed. "I made the correct decision in choosing you as chief director."
"A decision that has bore bountiful fruit."
"Curb your overconfidence, director," Celestia warned. "We've still rats to cull, and a war to wi-"
"Where is she?!" a furious voice echoed down the hall, causing Celestia to cut her sentence short. The ponies in the room all turned to face the door with trembling hinges, it was joined by the of shaking of walls and the thundering stamps of a mare scorned. "Where is Celestia?!"
The door to the study swung open wildly, slamming against the back of the wall with enough force to cause long jagged cracks to web out and leave behind a rectangular imprint on it. There, Luna stood in the door frame, her jaw set in an indignant glower as rage burned behind her eyes.
"Sister," Luna began lowly, "A word?"
Celestia stared at Luna with a dumfounded look plastered on her face as she set her tea cup down. Shaking her head in embarrassment she turn over to address Hush Hush and Sweetie Drops.
"Forgive me, Hush Hush, Sweetie, but it appears I'm due for an impromptu heart to heart with my dear sister," said Celestia.
"Say no more, princess. You know where to find us," Hush Hush replied with a polite bow, an action that Sweetie mirrored. She gathered her notes and they both left the room at a steady pace as not to appear rude. Once they were out of earshot, Celestia gestured a hoof over to the chairs beside her and smiled gently at her sister.
"Luna. May I offer you some tea?"
"Hmph," Luna harrumphed and seated herself opposite of Celestia. "I'm in no mood for tea, sister."
"Come now, it's an extravagant blend," Celestia offered, levitating the teapot over a vacant teacup. "I know mint is not your favorite, but it grows on you. And it has a calming effect, I'm told."
"Calm?" Luna raised a brow as a mocking smile curled on her lips. "I don't want to be calm, I want to be angry."
"And you are well within your right to be after what has happened," Celestia replied, setting the teapot down. "But we cannot let our emotion get the better of us. Besides," she let her expression fall, a morose frown formed on her face, "you aren't the only one who is hurting. All of Equestria mourns the loss of the commander-general. Shining Armor was the relatable everypony outside of his martial excellence and the very picture of a model stallion. He is and always will be a hero and an inspiration to all."
"Spare me your contrived speeches, sister," Luna hissed. "I'm fully aware of what Shining Armor meant to the ponies to Equestria, but what about what he meant to us? He was our family. Speak of him less as a symbol and more the husband of our niece, the father of Flurry Heart and the brother of Twilight Sparkle and Spike. Speak of him as who he is, not as who he was."
"...You're right," Celestia admitted, looking away in shame. "Years of conflict has made my tone cold and insolent. Forgive me."
"I don't want your forgiveness," Luna narrowed her eyes. "I want to understand why you're acting the way you are. Why you had me babysit sniveling taxponies and haughty nobles!" Quick as a whip she slammed her hoof onto the table, causing the tea set to jump inches upwards and fall with the cringeworthy clacks of porcelain on porcelain. Hot tea spilled out from the cups and teapots as they grew still on the table, yet Luna cared little about the mess she made.
"I should be out there avenging Shining Armor's death! Not sitting around with a bunch of stick-in-the-mud-ponces managing," Luna gagged as she forced out the last word, "taxes."
"Luna, please," Celestia raised a hoof in peace. "I understand your frustrations. But-"
"But nothing! What we need are deeds, not words!" Luna interjected, standing up from her seat. "At the very least, we should be punishing the soldiers that abandoned him in enemy territory! Those godless primates have probably already processed him into glue by now, it isn't right! I want those who fled from the front lines without recovering Shining's body lined up and executed for cowardice! I want to see them swing from the trees out in the courtyard!"
"They've already been harshly reprimanded for their failure, there's no need to execute perfectly penitent ponies. If nothing else, they'll fight even harder in order to make up for their shame," Celestia argued. "As for your lust for vengeance, we cannot act. Now yet."
"We cannot wait, humanity must pay for this most heinous of crimes!" Luna seethed. "They have sinned against us and this transgression cannot, will not, go unanswered! Give us the order, sister. Give us the order to punish the humans! I will gather my men and together we will sink New York into the waters to purify the filth that stain it! If not New York, then some other city; Moscow, Paris, Dubai. We will raze it to its very foundation as divine retribution! Justice demands it!"
"This isn't our decision to make, Luna," Celestia stated firmly.
"Like Hell it isn't!" Luna angrily retorted, flaring her nostrils.
Glowering, Celestia dropped all pretense of civility and stood up as well, meeting her sister eye to eye. "Allow me to rephrase that. This isn't our decision to make. It's Cadence's."
Hearing Cadence's name gave Luna pause and she dialed back her anger. However, she was still still adamant about revenge. "...The wife's honor," she quietly mused. "But, she's still in grieving. How does she hope to avenge Shining Armor when her heart is eclipsed by sorrow?"
"There is nothing planned yet," Celestia lied as she softened her features. "But she is stronger than you know. Give her time, this must be on her terms, and her terms alone. Please, Luna. We've other equally important things to worry about. Even Twilight understands this. Think of the bigger picture."
The two locked eyes with one another for a moment longer, until finally, Luna relented. She sighed heavily and relaxed herself, falling back into her chair with an exhausted slump. "You better be right about this. Shining Armor deserves justices."
"And Cadence deserves closure," Celestia replied, walking over and placing an assuring hoof upon Luna's shoulder. "Which, like all good things, will come when the time is right. I have faith that she will make the right decision."
There was a brief bout of silence. Then, Luna brought her hoof up and held onto her sister's own. "...Perhaps I should have more faith in those I care about."
Celestia hummed softly. "There, now was that so hard."
"Hmph," Luna turned her nose and gently pulled her sister's hoof await. "Deeds, not words, Celestia. Remember that."
"And I hope you remember that you still have tax forms to return to," Celestia teased.
"Don't remind me," Luna glared. "I'll have it done, but if one of those smart-alecky beancounters get snippy with me again I won't be held responsible for what happens."
"I'll be sure to notify the castle infirmary to be prepared for the sudden influx of nobles and taxponies with deep size five horseshoe imprints on their posteriors," Celestia quipped.
"Ahem, you mean size three and an half," Luna casually jest, a low chuckle escaping her lips. "I have dainty hooves compared to your oversized moose knuckles."
"You wound me, Luna," Celestia giggled, gesturing for her sister to follow. "Come, let us do lunch. Dealing with all those tax forms must have left you positively famished."
And so, the two left the study, with Luna none the wiser of Celestia's scheming.
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Wait a minute!!
Last I read Shining Armor was brought back for surgery what the heck?
11268523
Different tale, different AU.
I can't wait for all this self assuredness to come flying back in Luna's while adorable but terribly misguided face. Also I am surprised she believes the glue lie. Impressive.
11268523
That's the doctor who side-story arc. This arc follows the main storyline we read in the earlier chapters but more from Luna's perspective.
11268523
First rule of any oppressive regime, lie right left and sideways to manipulate your people into getting them to do what you want.
Saying he was left behind allows them to perpetuate the glue myth and demonize the humans. It also allows them to have scapegoats to unperson to make the ESS/Secret Police a proper Bogeyman
Man, the Dr. Whooves AU is really nice. I'd ask why you didn't just release it as its own fic if it's going to be more than six chapters long, but then again it would probably need to go into more detail if it did.
Cadence is absolutely going to use the Crystal Cannon now, no doubt about it. Her sister-in-law is maimed, her husband dead, herself traumatized and her daughter is definitely going to be affected by what happened to her family. Celestia would probably use that as a chance to capture or stop the Doctor once he tries to stop the cannon from firing again. The Doctor isn't going to wait for the Barrier to come down, he's absolutely going to take the Crystal Cannon apart and make sure it never fires again. He may support the humans because they're being genocided here, but he'd prefer not to wipe out the entire Crystal Empire as punishment. Whether that entails destroying just the Cannon, or the three blocks in the vicinity of the Cannon as well remains to be seen.
As for Luna, would I be correct in assuming there's going to be a third part to this? There seems to be quite a few "trilogies" here: the Cadence Trilogy (Retaliation, Recursion, Annihilation), the Applejack trilogy (Contemplation, Devastation, Radicalization), and the Rainbow Dash Trilogy (Dereliction, Division, Revolution). For Luna, we've had just two (Glorification and Transgression), but we all know where she'll end up.
11268899
there will be a third and final luna story, which I guess most readers have assumed correctly what it would be. Might as well cap it off right on rules of 3's
As for why the doctor whooves au isn't it's own story, that was rated ponystar's choice. Though it probably will get rereleased on their own page. You might wanna ask ratedponystar directly
11268340
Didn't the Spartans lose Thermopylae? A better comparison would be either Marathon or Salamis. Then again, it was a holding action that bled the Persian vanguard of a lot of its best troops so, mission accomplished, I guess.
11268899
I wanted to help Choice get more viewers and to show how much I love this fic. Plus, I kinda sometimes still get the urge to write more NegotationsVerse stuff once and while. Originally, it wasn't going to be this long, but I guess I kinda got too into the whole thing and made it longer cause I was finally able to let out my inner Whoovian. As for having this released as its own separate fic, I'm not sure if that's allowed on Fimfiction.
Are you ever going to organize the chapters in a rough chronological order?
11269131
I've been meaning to, might do it later
She wants to get back out there, and well... careful what you wish for.
11269135
How much did Luna know about ESS and the Labor Camps like Canary? Twilight herself was not aware of the horrible state of the prisoners sent here until their liberation post-war.
11290920
a bit more than Twilight but less involved then Celestia. Her current characterization in the negotiationverse would have her tolerate the camps as a harsh but justified necessity, treatment and ethics notwithstanding in times of war.
Don't know if you'll if you see this, but what would it take to kill Celestia and or Luna in a straight up fight without the thalman devices?
11331982
Direct hit with a hydrogen bomb