Lessons That Were Learned
"Ronnie," Reagan heard a soft voice call, "Ronnie," he heard once more and eventually opened his eyes to see his wife over him. He quickly sat up in the bed and turned the lamp at his bedside on. He glanced out of the window to see the ligths of Washington D.C. twinkling all around the White House. "You were thrashing again," Nancy Reagan said as she sat down on the edge of the bed and handed him a sleep aid and a glass of water. "What was it this time?" she asked out of curiosity.
He took the pill and drained the glass of water. "Another one of those... those flying unicorn ones. You know, the ones where she can talk?" He propped himself up against the headboard and summarized one in a line of similar dreams.
Nancy turned the light out and kissed him on the head as she laid down beside him and crawled under the covers. "Maybe your dream are trying to tell you something," she so wisely suggested and then turned over.
Reagan was left sitting up in the bed. He snorted under his breath. It sound preposterous at first, but maybe his wife was right. Maybe, just maybe it wouldn't hurt if he made a few changes to the Executive Policy. He slunk back down into the bed and under the sheets, but he remained wide awake as she flipped onto his side and stared over at the wall.
"Of all things," he thought silently to himself, "why did it have to be a horse? Oh, God, I'm getting old." He ran his hand down his face and sighed. Though the mere thought of it sounded crazy, he was going to follow through with his previous plan and make a few changes. Perhaps this mental incarnation of something truly was trying to tell him something and teach him a lesson?
Surely enough, months later Reagan implemented new policies for the Soviet-U.S.A summit and the cold war froze. It ended. As the mare in his dreams had told him, both sides would have to work towards peace at the same time. Though reluctant at first, both nations eventually coarsed each other into a period of negotiations which ultimately led to peace.
Of course, as we speak the Soviet Union continues to exist today and is more prosperous than ever, and it's message of being "United forever in friendship and labor" has spread out across the world to create socities with free education, housing, and the basic necessities of life all without any interference, encouragement in fact, from the United States. And though Ronald Reagan is not viewed as the mighty president with a rock solid attitude and plan for American success in the cold war like he could have been, many great things resulted from the "Early Ending". The United States has virtually no national debt and quickly averted its many debts to China and the rest of the world as a result of the new "Reaganomics" set in place and then changed after his series of dreams (all of which stopped once he made his changes). Gas prices are at an all time low at $1.45 a gallon and inflation is only a term seen in economic study books. Most nations of the world, aside from North Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan have disarmed their nuclear warheads, though the remaining three linger on the verge of economic collapse and are slowly being talked and bribed into disarming as well. It is estimated that no nation will possess atomic bombs by the year 2017. But then again, you all know that. Reagan often told of his strange dreams, but most only laughed. After all, who could ever believe that a simple dream, a dream so far-fetched and fictitious in nature could change the fate of an entire nation, no, an entire world?
It all goes to show that when lessons are learned, anything is possible.
Either A Dream Or A NightMare
Princess Celestia shot up and Princess Luna jumped back to avoid her sharp horn poking through her. "I was just about to wake you my sister," Princess Luna said as she sat down at Celestia's bedside. "You've only been asleep for an hour or so and I was walking to the terrace so that I may lift off into the night but I heard sounds coming from your room and thought you may have been hurt. I... I don't know if it will do much, but I brought you this glass of water." Princess Luna cutely offered the glass to Celestia.
Princess Celestia giggled under her breath and graciously accepted the glass of water. "Thank you for your concern my sister. I'm glad to know you've got such a keen ear," she leaned up and gave her sister an affectionate hug.
Luna sat down on the edge of the bed and was quiet as she watched Princess Celestia drink her water rather quickly. She knew that something must be troubling her. Perhaps it was another one of her dreams? "So..." Princess Luna as she began and kicked her hoof over the floor, "Could I ask what it was this time?"
"Oh, it was another one of those horrid dreams with those... with those terrible creatures that stand on two legs," Princess Celestia was eager to explain her dream to her sister for she knew that she was the one pony she could trust with her deepest feelings, "I... I dreamed we were in this huge room. Surrounded by all kinds of those creatures, and these weird flashing boxes too."
Princess Celestia chuckled as she finished her water and leaned back against the headboard as she finished summarizing the dream. "Well if those creatures need advice from you they must not be that intelligent," Princess Luna joked with her sister.
"Oh hush," Princess Celestia playfully swatted at her sister. After a few more jokes and some more light-hearted chuckling Princess Luna insisted it was time to go on her rounds. "Be careful Luna," Princess Celestia said as she waved Princess Luna off from her personal balcony, "I love you," she whispered too late as Luna took off into the night sky.
Princess Celestia rubbed her forehead and closed the doors to the balcony and headed back towards her bed where she crawled under the sheets and tried to get back to sleep. No matter how hard she tried to though, all she could do was toss and turn. Why did she keep having these dreams? Was she really giving some creature somewhere else political advice in her dreams, or was it a "simple dream" as Luna put it? If that was so, why did she have them in succession? She had heard of such things happening, two ponies sharing an experience in their dreams and that dream possibly manifesting into reality, but was that the case here? Were these hideous upright walking creatures in her dreams even real? Now wasn't the time to think about it. Princess Celestia was exhausted after the day's work and if that sun was ever going to rise the next day she would need her rest. She snuggled up under the covers and eventually fell asleep.
Over the next few days she continued to have the dreams, but one day they just stopped. She no longer saw the fragile looking creature in her uncontrollable dreams, she no longer saw the strange fluttering flag designs, nor did she hear the heated political discussions over things she didn't even know about in real life but knew about perfectly in her dreams again.
With each dream she had, she was sure to keep it recorded in her diary for future reference. One day as she read them over, she couldn't help but long for what she had dreamed of. Massive diplomatic interaction between other nations, big towering cities that could be seen from what seemed like miles away, and so many other things she saw that would make life for her subjects easier; it pained her to see an Earth Pony tilling the ground with his muscles. But then again, there were these other... things she saw. In one dream she saw this huge, roaring bird fly over a group of them, her and several of those creatures, and drop something out of itself. A huge explosion came after whatever it was hit the ground. The awesome power of it was enough to send shudders through her entire body even though she knew it was just a dream. The thought of a million, maybe a billion lives ended in the blink of an eye scared her. So long as she breathed, such a force would never find itself in Equestria.
As the hours of study of her own dreams progressed on, Princess Celestia eventually got creative. She made up a name for those strange, upright walking creatures who yelled, intelligently built their cities, and created devices which could end life faster than it begins. "Humans" she called them. She didn't know where the name came from, but it came to her quick, almost as if the second she started to create a name. What troubled her the most though was that not even she knew if she had created it or remembered it. Finally, there was that last choice that she struggled with. Somewhere on the page of each description of each dream, she had two check boxes. One was labeled "Good Dream" and the other "Horrible Nightmare". For the series as a whole, she just couldn't make up her mind. She would check one box only to tell herself that it was wrong as she would be reminded by the different visions of what she saw.
Eventually though, she made her mind and with a shrug selected both boxes. Yes, it would seem that humans were both "Good Dreams" and "Horrible Nightmares".
United States - Equestria Political Conference
"And it is with the greatest pleasure that I pass the seats over to not only the commander in chief of our own great nation," White House Press Secretary James Brady glanced down at his paper and continued, "but the commanderette in chief of our friends across the sea in the nation of Equestria. Before I depart, the leaders of each nation have asked me to remind all of you here that they will address your questions promptly and as thoroughly as possible," he glanced down at his paper once more and concluded, "Until that time passes though, each party would like to request your silence as they discuss the matters which need to be addressed here today. Thank you." Brady stayed stationary for only a second or two more as the cameras flashed and then he departed from the floor.
As soon as his bottom foot hit the floor off of the stage, United States President Ronald Reagan and Equestrian Co-Leader Princess Celestia walked out onto the elevated stage, one after the other as they smiled brightly and waved briefly to the crowd and cameras. Before they took their seats, Reagan in his plush chair and Celestia on her pillow, they met center the stage and placed hand in hoof for a shake which lasted just long enough for the photographers to snap a few pictures and the television cameras to focus in. After that, they exchanged a few quick words such as "Good to see you again" and "Glad you could come" and then took their seats.
Before either spoke they smiled out to the crowd and waited for the cameras to stop flashing. After that, Reagan looked at Celestia and Celestia looked at Reagan. Upon a nod from the Princess of Equestria, the President spoke. "How are you Miss Celestia?" he asked and smiled.
"I'm fine Mr. President, how are you?" she asked and returned the smile.
"Oh, I'm fine as can be Miss Celestia. Shall we skip the er, pleasantries and get right down to business as to why we're all here?"
"That's fine by me Mr. President," Princess Celestia smiled and crossed her hooves as she awaited Reagans argument.
"Let us go ahead and address the elephant in the room," Reagan began, both to the Princess and to the nation, "and if I may be so rash, I think I will start things off by asking you a question Princess," Celestia nodded to indicate he had her full attention and continued, "How do you view Communism, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics? Are you not frightened of their nuclear capabilites? Furthermore Miss Celestia, what is your proposed resolve towards this... this 'Cold War'?"
Princess Celestia took a sip of water from the glass at her side and calmly replied, "Well Mr. President, I cannot nor will I comment with a tone of hostility towards a nation which has not shown me or my subjects any form of aggression," she placed one hoof against the other and continued, "but I also cannot nor will I comment positively towards a nation which has not show me or my subjects any form of gratituity. Sir, Equestria's relationship with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is neutral. And I have no fear for the nation's destructive capability, no more than your nation's or mine. And..."
President Reagan cut her off, "So you would side with the Soviet Politburo then? Are you... claiming allegience with a nation, an empire, opposed to the United States?" Reagan placed his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. She certainly didn't sound like she wanted the best for the United States and Equestria.
"Are you asking me to partake in a speculative war which is not mine to fight?" Princess Celestia had a cocky look on her face as she angled her head towards Reagan.
Reagan couldn't help but force a smile. "Well played Princess," he responded, "and no, I am not. I can see your logic. It would seem as if each nation has not offered you an... "incentive" to take sides. But then with your foreign and trade policies you still wouldn't favor one over the other?"
"That is exactly right," Princess Celestia nodded her head and took another sip of her water as she remained firm, "formal policy or not."
"Mhm," Reagan muttered under his breath, she was a stubborn head of state! "Miss Celestia," he changed his tone, "it's obvious that not only the two of us," he waved his hand in the air back and forth between the two of them, "but the United States and her allies and the Soviet Union and its allies wish for peace correct? You must forgive my former interruption, but I'm curious to know, what is your solution to peace? It is apparent neither side can merely 'stand down' to due an... intense amount of distrust."
Princess Celestia thought a moment and replied, "You must both reach an agreement to disarm. To me it seems like domination is the sole purpose of your 'cold war'."
"Now what do you mean by that?" the President was quick to ask.
Princess Celestia took yet another calm sip of her water and replied, "I mean that it is apparent the United States, Equestria, and the Soviet Union are the three most powerful nations of this day. I know this may seem like a selfish, untrue thing to say, especially to some people in the right-wing," a few chuckles erupted from the primarily left-wing room and Princess Celestia continued in her semi-sarcastic tone, "but it seems to me like there's only one of us three setting a good example... not to point any hooves," Princess Celestia pointed at herself, "but there are two nations on the other hoof, that are locked in a power struggle for what seems to be some form of 'world domination'."
"Now we cannot simply disarm over the course of a few days Princess!" Reagan pointed out.
"I understand that," Princess Celestia nodded her head, "but you both must take initiative of some sort, must you not? Do you feel that the USSR wants to be the cause of a worldwide armageddon?"
"I can't say I do to that," Reagan replied, "but have you not seen that Communism is an evil system that only creates an...an evil empire?!" he asked in astonishment at her obliviousness, "Have you not seen that the average Soviet citizen starves?! That... that the heads of state and elite of the government live a lavish lifestyle while the citizens must live in government approved housing and wait in horribly long lines to even get a loaf of bread?! Why is it you do not belive in leaving Marxism-Leninism atop the ash pile of history? Now I ask you, both of our systems are just, I can see that now, but why is it that only one of us seeks to see the downfall of the most evil tyranny that exists today?"
Princess Celestia was prepared to answer, "Is it any worse than the homeless person which must go to the local soup kitchen? Or the child that is so unfortunately born into a poor household or onto the streets that cannot go to school because he cannot afford the tuition? Mr. President, please remember that I arrived here via my abilities of magical transportation and you arrived here via a luxury vehicle after all."
Reagan leaned forward, "Are you bringing this system of American Democracy and Free Enterprise to question? Now Princess Celestia, I understand what your system stands for, and though it seems very noble, it also seems very socialist to me."
Princess Celestia cocked and eyebrow, "Are you bringing the Equestrian System of freedom and equality and opportunity to question?"
"No ma'am I am not," Reagan shook his head, "But..."
Princess Celestia cut him off. Neither of them must let this conference collapse onto itself. "Mr. President, I think it's safe to say that you and I have very busy agendas today. You are due for your speech in Berlin soon and my sister and I are due for the Royal Address soon. With that in mind, though it is so unfortunate to cut our discussion short, we must allow these people to speak their minds and ask their questions all while sticking to our own agends. I will be blunt with you as I know the exact same thing is on your mind," they both took a sip from their glasses, almost simultaneously, "It seems to me that we are going to walk away from this stage as friends, enemies, or as two creatures who have merely wasted the other's time. And it is with that Mr. Reagan, I ask you, what is it going to be?"
The elderly Regan ran his hand down his mouth, from under his nose all the way down to his chin as he thought carefully but quickly. This was an important decision for both nations. If he says no, both parties storm out of the place as enemies. He glanced up at her magical horn. Power like that would certainly be useful if the cold war turned "hot" and Equestria was quite a militarized nation, so it would not be in the best interests of the United States they sided with the Soviet Union. He knew both sides could equally supply Equestria financially, so now was the only time he could make a decision, lest he flip the TV on tomorrow to see Princess Celestia conversing with the Soviet Premier. He looked off to the side and watched some condensation run down the side of his glass. He certainly didn't come here for no reason, and Princess Celestia was quite logical, so she didn't either. Besides, neither of them would benefit from losing a powerful ally, so there was only one logical answer to her proposal.
President Reagan extended his hand outwards. "Miss Celestia," he made his decision, "I think it's time our two great nations formalized their relations... as allies."
Princess Celestia smiled and extended her hoof out to meet his hand, "I'm very glad to be on your side Mr. Reagan. There is but one condition though," she said. The cameras stopped flashing and notepads excitedly flipped over to a new page and Princess Celestia waited for total silence. "In the event that the 'cold war', as it's known, turns 'hot', Equestria will remain neautral to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics unless any form of aggression is shown. The same applies to any other nation, ally of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or not. For we will be friendly nations, Equestria will have it's military units ready for deployment as per a land lease program. Are these acceptable terms Mr. President?"
Reagan thought quickly and calmly once more. Though at the moment the deal seemed entirely unfair to the United States, what was there to lose? It was not his usual way of governance, but Equestria's vast diamond, oil, and other reserves would be invaluable to the nation, not to mention it's magical power and diplomatic stability could help bring about the resolution to any future conflicts which may arise. Reagan sighed and glanced at the form that was placed on table between them. He moved his glass aside so that he could get a better view of the document and rubbed his forehead with his index and middle fingers. Like he had thought at first, what's there to lose? "I accept your terms Princess. You shall remain a neutral party in the event that the United States gets involved in a conflict with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or it's allies, though you acknowledge that we may call upon your assistance in the event that we are not prepared or able to resolve said conflict." Reagan then smiled a small victory smile as both he and Princess Celestia leaned over to sign the document in front of them.
He finished his signature and then handed the pen over to Celestia. She took it with her magic and signed. After that, the two of them shook hand and hoof once more and made sure to keep them locked so that the cameras, television and photography, could get a good shot of it all. This was to be a big moment in history! After the tense diplomatic discussions, Reagan concluded it was time for a change of tone. "Well Princess Celestia, will you be staying for the celebratory lunch? Perhaps I could interest you in a drink aboard Air Force One as we return you to Equestria?"
Princess Celestia giggled softly. "No thank you Mr. President," she replied, "I highy doubt you'll be able to find anywhere in Equestria to land that massive airship anyway." She winked at both him and the television cameras at the same time as she finished, "But I do so appreciate your kind gesture."
"It's not a problem my dear," Reagan chuckled lightheartedly and placed his hand on Celestia's shoulder as two glasses of celebratory wine were placed in front of them. They toasted and both took a sip from their small glasses of wine.
"Mr. President," Princess Celestia smiled and took Reagan's hand one more time, "I think it's safe to say that this is going to develop into a beautiful and bountiful friendship for both of our countries."
"I couldn't agree more Miss Celestia. Now..." he finished his glass, "what's say me and you answer some questions and then be on our way. As you said, the both of us have very busy agendas," he smiled and nodded his head towards her. He did good again! U.S.A, one, U.S.S.R, zero. Reagan sighed under his breath as he leanded back and fixed himself in a relaxed position, though he kept his ears open to the question that was asked to Princess Celestia. Yes, it truly was shaping up to be a beautiful friendship and he was sure he had learned at least one new thing...
