Chapters I sit at my desk, letting the hours tick away on the clock at the far side of the room. Papers are piled a mile high on my desk, growing higher with each passing day, but I don’t care. I stopped caring a while ago, it doesn’t matter what I seem to do anymore.
I stare blankly outside, beyond this tiny, constricting office prison. Off in the distance, I watch the light reflecting off Princess Twilight’s Castle, home to one of the most powerful figures in Ponyville and Equestria. A purple alicorn stands out on top of a balcony, waving at the ponies of my fair town, as they bask in her radiance.
“Mrs. Mayor?” called out a soft voice from somewhere beyond the barrier of papers on my desk.
I part the sea of documents and other things to see my new secretary standing there. A flighty little thing, Hoof Note had her horn rimmed glasses perched on the end of her muzzle with her off white mane wrapped up in a bun. “Princess Twilight Sparkle will be arriving shortly for her petition to set the foundation for the Ponyville Charter School.”
I nod my head in a slight jerk. “Is there anything else needed for today, Note?” I asked.
“No Mrs. Mare. That was the only subject that needed to be addressed today,” Note replied, pulling out a folder from in-between the crux of her wing. Placing the folder on my desk, the royal blue pegasus mare stepped out of my office, closing the door silently behind her.
Pulling myself up out of my seat, I start filing away most of the papers on my desk into one of my cabinets. I listen as the birds perched on my windowsill chirp away, their merry mood a stark contrast to my own dreary mood. Town hall has become so quietly recently, my staff is just half of what it used to be. Now, it’s just Hoof Note, Quick Quill, Good Grammar and I, in a dusty, old building. The white paint has begun to peel off the walls. Small flecks of spackle have started to cover my carpet. I don’t see any real need to fix up this old office now. My desk creaks out, as I lay my forelegs across it.
A sudden knock at my door pulls me out of my misery and back to reality. Soon enough, another rapt against my door lets me know my visitor is growing impatient. I open it up and come face to face with her royal majesty, Twilight Sparkle standing in the hallway. I dip my head low in recognition, stepping aside to let her in. “Welcome, Princess Sparkle. I’ve been expecting you.”
The princess flashes me a smile. “Well, I thank you for your time, Mayor Mare. I’ve been so busy lately with my new duties as a princess I can hardly find the time to get out of my castle.”
A sudden pop and three suitcases appear into thin air, along with a projector and portable stand for the screen. “I’m so glad I got to set-up this appointment with you, mayor. I believe that just a schoolhouse for young fillies and colts isn’t enough of an education for the children of Ponyville.” One of the suitcases snaps open, papers flying out and landing neatly on my desk into a perfectly square pile.
“For starters, I believe that we should expand more on the essentials, such as reading comprehension and writing format in the English department. Now Mrs. Cheerilee has reassured me that everypony in her class, except for two, are perfectly capable of writing clearly. However-“
I watched as the princess continued to speak yet I couldn’t seem to follow her. She presents diagrams, pictures, graphs and so much more but my ears seemed to have shut off. Her voice sounds like it’s a million miles away, as I stand there next to her.
“-and as far as those who won’t be able to afford a school uniforms goes, I believe that we could start a personal fund for them. Any questions so far?”
My eyes snapped open at the abruptness of the question. I was still holding the first page of her proposal in my hoof. On my desk now were three other piles of papers towering over me as I snapped out of my trance. “No, princess, it seems like always you’ve thought of everything.” I see a small flicker of joy cross her face as my words reassure her that I’ve been paying attention.
“Well, Mayor, I’m thankful you’ve taken time out of your day to help lay the foundation of a new school. Maybe in a few years we could open a high school or even maybe a college,” she said with elation. With a flash of her horn, the projector came to life, shining a picture of a blueprint of what I guessed was the school. “I’ve already had the Pie family come over and explain to me where we can lay the foundation and I believe-“
Once again I tune her out, I feel so ashamed. Here, right now, in my own office is a princess of Equestria. I should be hanging onto every word she’s saying but I continue to ignore her. I don’t hate her and I certainly don’t think she’s beneath for Celestia’s sake. So why am I acting so shallow towards her? The thought echoes out in my mind and I can’t find an answer.
“- so we can expect the expected completion date within at least five to six years,” finished the princess. “And that concludes my presentation. Any concerns Mrs. Mayor?”
I look Princess Twilight straight in the eyes, completely caught off guard by her words. “Well, I’d like to read through it all by myself first before we start anything. If, that would be all right with you, princess?” I muttered out. If she had noticed me ignoring her as she spoke then she hid it well.
“Well then I’ll be back by next week to see any of the revisions you’d like to make to the school Mrs. Mayor.” Packing everything up into her suitcases, the princess opened the door with her magic and promptly began to walk out. “Mrs. Mayor,” she said, turning around to face me. “What would Ponyville do without you?”
Those words felt like a kick in the gut from a mule. Watching her leave, I returned to my desk and dropped my head on top of the cold wood. I looked up at the wall, staring at the framed pictures hanging up. Small reminders of what I used to mean to this town. The Apple family and I, drinking cups of freshly squeezed cider to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Cider Season. Oh what a wonderful day that was. Next to that was Time Turner and Derpy’s wedding, I remember catching the bouquet that day. On and on it went, each picture bringing back such fond memories as they hung there, collecting dust on the walls. Then my eyes rested on the last one, a photograph of the Elements of Harmony without me in it.
I still remember that day, when things changed for Ponyville. I guess it all started when that letter arrived, now that I think about it. A letter from Princess Celestia herself, I nearly fell off my pillow when the mail courier brought it to me. What an honor it was, to have the princess and her personal protégé here in Ponyville. I could see it now, the press ponies lining up, waiting eagerly for their arrival.
I opened up the top drawer of my desk, pulling out a small bottle of Sweet Apple Acre’s Vintage Cider. I sipped at the fiery concoction, wincing as it burned my throat. Since the Summer Sun Celebration, my entire life turned upside down. As the years went by, I had less on my hooves each day. I wasn’t the mayor the ponies of this town would come to anymore. I wasn’t the pony that they would look up to for guidance.
A small tear trailed down my cheek as I continued to drink myself into a drunken stupor. I fell so empty, so useless as time passed me by. I can see the gap widening between me and the ponies around me as the Elements grew into the public figures that everypony could come to depend on. Soon, I was just another face in the crowd as the Elements of Harmony began to shine brighter and brighter.
Was it hatred? No, I didn’t hate them, they’ve all done so much good for Ponyville since they’ve become the elements. Envy? Yes, envy was what I was feeling. Who wouldn’t be envious of those ponies that not only saved Equestria but still remained modest about themselves? Why was this eating away at me so much? I dropped the bottle back into the drawer, the glass clanging against the wood.
I felt so alone in this little office. I used to feel so important once. Now, those days are long gone. There isn’t much for a mayor to do in a town with a princess in it. Checking the clock, I see it was already fifteen minutes after six. Everypony already probably left already, leaving me to wallow in my self-pity. Attempting to stand up, I feel to the floor pathetically before managing to stand up right. Putting Princess Twilight’s letters in my bags, I left the office, not even bothering to close the door. Why should I? No pony comes to this office anymore.
Author's Note
Something that just popped into my head. We hardly see the mayor anymore in the show and most of time when things happened, Twilight or the rest of the mane are the one to tackle the problem. Just what exactly does the mayor do now that Ponyville has royalty right in the center of town? Does she have any real say left in this humble little village anymore? Twilight isn't going to usurp power from the mayor but she pretty much is the biggest political figure and anything she says could steamroll right over the mayor's decisions?
I’m having that dream again. I don’t remember if I feel asleep when I walked through the door or after downing another bottle of cider. I walk down the grassy roads of my, no, of Ponyville now. They all walk past me, unaware of my presence. I look to see my reflection in the windows of a house, but there’s nothing there. Like a phantom, I continue on this bustling road with no pony the wiser of me being there.
So many familiar, happy faces as everypony go on their merry way as Celestia’s sun begins to dip down beyond the mountains of Canterlot. I watch the Cutie Mark Crusaders sprint by, Applebloom’s bow is on fire with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo chasing after her. I wonder at times how their older siblings can keep up with those three.
Soon enough, everypony begin to head towards home as the sun finally sets and Luna’s moon and stars encompass the sky. Mothers call out for their foals to usher them inside. I hear little hoofsteps thunder past as they trample the grass beneath their cute little hooves.
Everypony is safely tucked away inside their dwellings while I remain alone, once again. I trudge forward, listening to the voices of parents and couples talk as dinner is being served.
I finally stop in front of the town hall, a dilapidated mess of rotting timbers and broken glass. If I had to guess, it looks like it’s been abandoned for years. The front doors hang by their hinges and the front steps have caved in. I can’t believe no pony has taken notice of how broken down this place has become, but then why would they?
I turn to leave this forsaken place, turning up to the sky. A shooting star shoots pass, most likely one of Princess Luna’s works that she made. I see so much more now since her return. As the star travels across the sky, I close my eyes and make a wish. As I open them, the star begins to grow bigger. Soon I realize it’s coming down to the earth. I start to scream and try to warn everypony about the falling star but to no avail, they can’t hear me.
I throw my head to the ground, wrapping my hooves tightly around my chest. I stay there, huddled up, waiting for it to end so I can wake up. Minutes crawl by, waiting for my impending death to take me away but nothing happens. Slowly, I uncover my eyes to see somepony standing above.
“Hello, fair mayor of Ponyville.”
Princess Luna, mistress of the night and co-ruler of Equestria stood before me. Her eyes are dead set on me yet there is a hidden sense of kindess to them. Her mane sparkles like a cosmos. Stars twinkle and fade within it as it continues to dance in the air by its own accord. Her silver regalia reflected the light from the moon, giving it an ethereal glow, adding an otherworldly aura to the princess.
“Stop,” she commanded as I halt mid bow. Princess Luna tugs my head up and as are eyes meet, I can see a feeling of sympathy behind her hardened expression. "There is no need for formalities in the world of dreams. I am merely Luna, dear mayor. I have come to pull thou away from thine inner monsters that plague you.” Her rich voice still retains that old Equish tone, like somepony from Equiland but with a more fluid tone.
I stare back in disbelief. The princess has come to help me? I shake my head, trying to wake myself up but no matter how I try, the situation in front of me is real. Well, as far as real a dream may get. Luna offers a hoof to me, her silver horseshoe sparkling as I reach out for it. As soon as I make contact, I feel my body being pulled as the world around us disappears. The building, the grounds, even the sky, begins to dissolve into dust. Colors blur in front of my eyes as the entire world crumbles away into nothingness.
I blink a few times to what has happened and find myself in Canterlot. No, this isn’t Canterlot, not the Canterlot that I know. This Canterlot looks much older, archaic even. Almost as if somepony built it straight out of an old Equestrian History book. The styles of the architecture are old, very old, Medieval Equestria during the enlightening period of Equestria. Why here though? We must be at least a thousand years in the…
“You are correct, Mayor Mare.” Luna stands beside me, facing forward as she begins to walk. I follow behind like a schoolfilly would behind their teacher. “I have seen your dreams, I have felt your pain before.” Turning down the cobbled roads of old Canterlot, we make our way towards a castle. “This is a night I will never forget, one that will continue to haunt me, now and forever."
The scenery changes again. The ground beneath my hooves becomes cold, polished stone. It looks like the grand hall of Canterlot Castle. Several tables of polished oak are lined up and down the hall, scattered remains of half-eaten food were left on plates. Gold-embroidered tapestries with Celestia’s sun are hung around the hall. Small wreathes of sunflowers beneath each one, tickling my nose as their refreshing scent fills the room.
“Follow me,” said Luna. As we reached the far end of the hall, we traveled up a platform with two thrones side by side. One wrought from pure gold and a white pillow on the seat. A sun was etched into the back rest, with rubies the size of a hen's eggs embedded into it. At the center of the sun was a fire ruby easily larger than the size of my head, a fiery glow could be seen from inside. On the front of the seat were words. Her Royal Majesty, Celestia.
The other throne looked rather simple in design compared to its counterpart. It was made from solid silver, reflecting the moon’s light coming down through the glass ceiling, giving it an alluring, magical shine. A simple dark blue pillow was all to be seen on it, nothing else.
Hoofsteps from the far end of the hall catch my attention, as I turn to see the royal sisters from a thousand years ago. Luna stomps her way up the hall, a look of grief on her face as tears streak down her muzzle. She hardly seems any different from today, yet her vestments clearly stand out. A lacy dress of deep indigo wrapped around her body with her wings closed to her side. Silk leggings of white with blue moons and stars with a purple ribbon weaved into her ethereal mane. For anypony to see Princess Luna dressed so plainly would make heads spin.
Trailing behind her with a concerned look was a pink mane Celestia. A large white dress, with a golden brooch hung around her neck. A crown studded with garnets and rubies sat atop of her head, her pink mane flowing beneath of it. Her golden horseshoes clinked against the stone floor.
“This was the day, dear Mayor,” began Luna. “That would set Equestria’s darkest moments into play."
Past-Luna continued to stomp trot forward, while Past-Celestia began to call out to her sister. I moved away from the thrones as Past-Luna walked by me. A golden light wrapped around the younger princess’ dress, causing her to stumble on to the carpet on the platform.
Past-Luna whipped her head around, as Past-Celestia stood over her sister. Despite the serious look in her eyes, I could almost feel the sadness coming from Past-Celestia.
“Sister, why did thou walk out on the merriment on this night?” asked Past-Celestia. It was odd to hear Celestia speak in the old Equish voice. “As of late, you’ve been rather unruly. Tell me, what plagues thy mind?”
Past-Luna shot daggers at her sister, rushing up to meet her muzzle to muzzle. “Are thou truly blind, Celestia?” snapped Past-Luna. Past-Celestia winced as her name was shouted out at her by her sister. “Have you not heard everything that the noble caste have said on this day?” she cried, tears streaming from her eyes.
“Dearest sister, I have heard their words but you shouldn’t take them to heart. They merely-“
“They don’t give a damn about me, Celestia,” roared Past-Luna. The smaller alicorn threw herself to the ground, her body shivering from the inner turmoil raging within her. “I see how they treat your as their true ruler. How they worship the ground where your hooves tread.”
The scene before me froze, as if time had been locked in place. A small cry escaped from Dream-Luna as her horn lit up in a dark, indigo aura. I turned my head to see her with her mane covering her eyes, a slight sag in her posture. “After my sister and I had used the elements of harmony to seal away Sombra, we tried in vain to remove the curse,” began Dream-Luna. Tossing her mane back, she walked over to her past self, watching as the Past-Luna continued to wail. “All are efforts we for naught. The elements were drained of energy and we couldn’t force them to remove the curse without fear of destroying our ties with them. We pulled our armies back and returned to our Castle in the Everfree Forest.”
Dream-Luna walked over to Past Celestia, putting a hoof on her sister’s side. “When we returned, we announced that Sombra was cast down but the curse remained. Our subjects, though saddened, we’re none the less joyous of my sister’s victory."
My ears twitched at what Princess Luna had said. “Your sister’s victory?” I asked incredulously. “Princess Luna, both you and Princess Celestia wielded the elements, you both fought against Sombra.”
Dream Luna sighed heavily. “Yes, but our subjects didn’t see it that way. To them, it was Celestia, and Celestia alone, that had fought against the Crystal Empire and struck down its black hearted king. My sister is the ruler of the day, the light bringer. To them, she embodied purity, that’s why the elements chose her to be their mistress.”
I watched as the scene resumed again, Past-Celestia lowering herself to the floor, shivering from the sudden contact of the cold tiles. “Sister please, worry not on what they say. We are beyond such things.”
Past-Luna’s eyes snapped open, magical mist starting to pour out like a dam that finally gave way to a raging river. “Thou does not comprehend how I feel,” screeched Past-Luna, driving her face into Past-Celestia. “I hear the whispers amongst the crowds, I see it in their eyes as their gaze rest upon us. They have nothing but fear of us, Celestia,” ranted Past-Luna.
“Dear Sister please, compose thyself,” pleaded Past-Celestia. “You only feed their misgivings about you if you continue to act so foolish.”
SMACK!
Past-Luna whipped her hoof around, striking Past-Celestia so hard she was knocked off of the floor. I watched wide eyed, mouth agape as the Princess of the Sun was sent careening into a pillar. The sound of the golden crown shattering against the floor boomed as the room became dead silent. The small gems fell against the floor as Celestia’s body slumped against the shattered pillar. Past-Luna looked on in horror, her eyes dilating and her mane falling to her back.
The grand hall’s door exploded open. Several unicorn guards in golden armor stampeded into the room, their horns a glow, ready to attack. The lead guard, a large stallion with icy blue eyes, a pure white coat and deep blue mane ran straight to Past-Celestia, holding the princess in his forelegs. The rest of the troop ran past their captain, forming a wall between the two princesses.
The air shimmered around us, as Past-Luna’s eyes began to glow. I tried in vain to shield my eyes from Past-Luna’s magic. All of sudden, with sound of a sonic-rainboom, the space where Past-Luna was once standing erupted into a cloud of dark, purple smoke. The guards began to charge forward, only to pass through the poisonous cloud and running head first into the thrones. The cloud of miasma surged upward, and darted out through the glass panes behind the thrones.
“That was the day that the Nightmare began to fester within me,” Dream-Luna explained. We watched as the guards began to pick themselves up and make their way over to Past-Celestia. A small rivulet of blood poured out of Past-Celestia’s mouth, forming a small pool beneath her. The guard captain’s mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. Small balls of light we’re floating around the fallen princess’s form, sending out small pulses here and there.
“Captain Blueblood,” started a guard, his form very similar to his captain. “What are your orders, sir?”
Captain Blueblood rose up, his face impassive as stone. “Her royal majesty must be attended to, first and foremost, guardscolt. You three,” he commanded, pointing at the guards on his left, “will assist me in teleporting her royal majesty to the royal infirmary. The rest of you send words to all watchcolts on duty and wake the rest. We are on high-alert. Princess Luna has attempted to assassinate her sister.”
I watched as the guard’s snapped their hooves to attention and began to carry out their tasks. “As you can see I was about to accused of regicide,” Dream-Luna said. I stared at the princess, noticing for the first time how truly distraught she looked. “The kingdom was already weary of me. That night was the final nail in my coffin. I disappeared for weeks until that fateful night when I returned. And we both know what had happened that day.”
I felt so weak in my legs, listening to the princess’s story about her fall from grace. “Princess, I-“
“Fair mayor, I don’t ask for your pity,” Luna said solemnly. “I wish for you to understand. I know the pain of feeling as if one’s true value is less than nothing. I let such emotions cloud my judgment and wreak havoc on Equestria.” She lifted my face up so we both stared into each other’s eyes. “You are not worthless, and you shouldn’t think that way. The monsters inside of your head will continue to drag you into despair and devour your hope.”
I held a hoof against my chest, feeling a mixture of fear and relief. Dream-Luna smiled down at me. “There are a few more things I wish to show you so that you may expel those demons that cling to you.”
My body shuddered as an explosion of blue light erupted in front of me, swallowing my vision as I felt my body being pulled into the unknown. “Fear not, fair mayor,” called out Dream -Luna. “No harm will come to you whilst you remain in my realm.” I silently pray that nothing does, as the dream world whisks me away.
Author's Note
So hears a thought as to why Luna became NMM.
I felt my body begin to become solid again as the world formed around me. I could feel sensation of earth beneath my hooves, my senses blazing to life in this dream world. My mane was pointing upward as if I had been struck by an odd bolt from a thundercloud. Luna, on the other hoof however, remained composed and as regal as ever. Not a single hair out of place on her visage. “Come, Mayor Mare. There is still much to be seen on this night,” said Luna as the earth began to form beneath her hooves.
Grass began to sprout up as the earth came to life around us. Oak trees were scattered across the plain so finely I expected somepony planted them there. Several small rock outcrops jutted out of the ground, various small gems glinting in the sun’s light. As the wind of my dream world blew through my mane, I couldn’t help but wonder where Luna had taken me. “Luna, where are we?” I asked.
Luna merely continued walking forward. “The better question thou should be asking is when are we?”
I bit my tongue as Luna’s rebuttal baffled me. I remained silent as we continued our trek across the open plain, the mountains of Canterlot far off in the distance. Soon enough, we came to a small stream, a makeshift bridge of river stones making it accessible for somepony to get to the other side. Luna walked over the stony bridge but when I walked over it, I could feel the icy water lapping against my hooves. I never fully comprehended that while I was still sleeping, I could feel all of the sensations of the dream world as if it was the real one.
“You are not wrong in your assumptions, fair mayor.” Luna stopped on the other side of the river across from me, giving a nod of understanding. “The dream world could be considered a collection of memories, a vast collection of what one has experienced, felt and observed in the waking world.” Small blue orbs began to whirl around Luna’s hoof, coalescing together into a small floating ball. Extending her hoof out, I backed away hesitantly as the ball was brought closer to my muzzle. “Imagine a certain texture you’ve felt before, mayor. Focus on that sensation and how it felt against your hoof. Then touch the ball.”
While I wouldn’t dare question the princess of the night’s sanity, what she was saying sounded too ludicrous to be true. I decided the feeling of sand, coarse and grainy, would be easy enough. Putting my hoof against the ball, I ran my hoof over it, astounded to feel like my hoof was indeed pressing against a floating ball of sand.
“Textures, sounds, and other sensations of the physical world all make up the dream world, fair mayor,” explained Luna. “Here we are limited only by our imagination, but this is not why we have brought you. Come, we must make haste.” The ball splintered apart in a dazzling array of lights, before disappearing from existence.
We traveled on, the sun remaining in place as we continued to walk. “Brace thyself, dearest mayor,” started Luna. “What comes next will surely be one of the most unsettling sights you will bear witness to.”
I felt myself stumble but quickly righted myself. The longer I was here, the more I questioned if I hadn’t finally succumbed to the sweet song of madness. Luna stopped in front of me so abruptly I nearly bumped headfirst into her. Trotting to her side, I nearly fell over in shock but Luna grabbed a hold of me with her magic.
Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria laid sprawled out on a white slate of stone. The once regal looking alicorn looked like a vile caricature of what she once was since I had seen her. Several, white pristine feathers were scattered across the ground. Her mighty wings were matted with filth, her pinions sticking out at odd ends. Her usual, prismatic mane laid out over her back in a shade of dull pink, in desperate need of a brushing. Several patches of hair were missing on her now skeletal body, exposing peach pink skin beneath. Her ribs were stretched tightly against her skin, her stomach nearly non-existent. The once all mighty alicorn that laid sprawled out in front of us, a shell of her former self.
Celestia laid there, her violet stunning eyes sunken back into her skull. Her horn needed a thorough polish, her hooves in need of a serious hooficure, by all means Celestia looked like she banging against the white stallion’s door.
“H-h-h-how?” I sputtered out finally.
“Remember, dear mayor, that the dream world is a collection of memories. What thou now sees is the memories of Celestia’s self-exile from the rest of the world,” she said sadly. A small tear trailed down her muzzle, falling to the earth beneath her hooves. “Thy sister’s guilt of banishing us was the final nail in the coffin for her. The act of taking up arms against me drove her away from our subjects and to seek seclusion in the untamed wilderness.” Luna walked up to Dream-Celestia’s side, putting a hoof against Past-Celestia’s marred wing.
This almost seemed too unreal to believe, even if it was in the world of dreams. Celestia was always there for her ponies, even when she was overwhelmed by Chrysalis during the royal wedding. To see her broken form laid out bare right in front of her eyes, her knees buckled underneath me as I fell to the ground.
“Tis truly a most heinous sight, is it not, mayor?” spat Luna. I looked into those eyes, those deep, remorseful eyes of Luna, glittering like stars in the sky with torrents of emotions behind them. “With the severance of her connection to the elements of harmony, our sister wished to tear herself away from everything. She wanted to escape it all, the nobility, the responsibility, everything. What mattered in this world, if it forced you to take up arms against your own family?”
A stone lodged itself in my throat. The sheer impossibility of the situation I was facing rendered me speechless. Luna lifted my head up with a hoof, her expression a mixture of pity but understanding as well. “Celestia was, and still is, capable of making mistakes. Something many ponies seem to forget. Yet, in our darkest hours, we can still find a small shard of hope to guide us out of the darkness.”
The sound of crunching grass caught my attention. A white unicorn stallion made his way past us, his face somewhat familiar. “Your highness,” he said. Celestia’s horn lit up like an exploding star, her eyes growing wild at the sound of the intruder’s voice. I leapt back from him as the grass around Celestia began to singe and burst into flames, the earth turning bright red as if it was lava. Yet despite the violent response Celestia displayed with her magic, the lone stallion remained still, not even so much as a twitch in his knees.
“You must come back, princess,” began the unicorn. “The capital is tearing itself apart with petty squabbling. The pegasi have left to form a city of their own and the earth ponies have uprooted their crops and renounced their loyalty to the crown. The grand nobles of the unicorns have decided to form a new line of government to rule over your city in your stead but it’s only lead to further rioting.”
Slowly, the roaring flames settled down s;sightly but the earth around Celestia continued to burn like a waking volcano. “And why, Captain Blueblood, should I truly care for such paltry problems?” Past-Celestia weakly replied. “I have sacrificed so much for them, yet like a swarm of locusts, their insatiable demands can never be quelled. I wanto nothing to do with such selfish ponies.”
Captain Blueblood sat down in the grass, wincing slightly from the roiling heat permeating from the ground that distorted even the air around the two. “My princess, for the past thirty-six days, I have traveled here and told no pony where you are. I come to you, my rightful ruler not just as a captain of your guard, but as somepony who truly wants to see Equestria to return to harmony. Am I too, one of these selfish ponies?”
The fires around Past-Celestia snuffed out entirely in an instant, the earth stopped bubbling as the magic of the sun princess finally stopped. Small trails of smoke drifted up into the open air and carried away in the wind. Celestia raised her head up to meet her loyal captain eye to eye. “Leave me, I have no more love to give,” Past-Celestia cried. Tears feel freely from her eyes, evaporating as soon as they touched the stone she laid on.
Captain Blueblood hesitantly rose up, his eyes never leaving Celestia. Eventually, he turned away, trotting at slow pace as if he was expecting to be called back. When he finally disappeared over the slope of the hill, Celestia rested back down on her white stone bed.
“Celestia continued to waste away for another few months until my sister decided to retake the mantle of princess again.” Luna stood by her sister’s side, a hoof on the dream version of her sister. "Years passed until she was finally able to unite the kingdom once again but some scars still remain. Unicorns mostly populate Canterlot while the rest of the three tribes continue to spread outward. The earth ponies only swear fealty to Celestia again after she promised to allow them to settle and form their own colonies with their own forms of government. The pegasi were less than cooperative, seeing her absence as a sign of weakness. In the end, she allowed them to establish what is now Cloudsdale. It was nearly two hundred years afterwards was my sister able to reform our once broken nation and cease any further infighting. Such a heavy price by stepping down from one's station.”
I felt a wing resting on my back, Luna appearing by my side in an instant. “Thou should not delude thyself, fair mayor. You've done what you could do for Ponyville. When we fall from our greatest height, we become open to our flaws in this life. Celestia and I know this better than anypony else.”
A small, purple light begins to form in front of me, steadily stretching outward and growing denser in color. A six pointed purple star begins to form from within the light until finally spreading out into a rectangular shape. “This will be the final dream we shall step into this night, fair mayor. Undoubtedly, you know who this dream belongs to,” said Luna. “But what you don’t know about this pony will surely help you come to terms with yourself.”
I brace myself for what will come next. I turn the handle on the door and step through, ready to see the mare I’ve come to respect and despise the most. Princess Twilight Sparkle.
My head swam as I felt the all too familiar sensation of vertigo take over my senses when I opened the door. The ground beneath me felt like glass, yet much firmer. All around me was infinite nothingness. I tried waving a hoof in front of my eyes but it was pointless, I was completely blind. In a vain attempt to gain my bearing, I tried to peer through the encompassing darkness but I couldn’t make head or tails of where I was.
A small sliver of light flickered from somewhere up a head.. I trotted forward like a blind old mare, bumbling into the odd object or stubbing my hoof against something protruding from the ground. I tried feeling along the walls for some kind of switch or even a lantern to help me see but all of it seemed to be made from glass. Princess Luna had said that this was the dream of Twilight Sparkles, yet why would she be dreaming of some kind of cavern of glass?
“Luna, I-“My voice cut off before I could even finish my sentence. Since I had arrived, Luna hadn’t spoken up. I waved my forelegs around like a mad mare, searching in vain to find the princess of the night. How could I not notice that Luna was gone since I started walking?
Was this all a joke? Did Luna give up on me and see any point of continuing this dream venture? My heart dropped like a stone into the ocean as my fears crept over me. I felt my legs becoming weak as the severity of my plight started to dawn on me. I had come so far, but for what? What was the final outcome of this whole escapade for me?
I pulled my head up. The light shining at the end of the tunnel was my only source of where I was supposed to go next. Well, best to get it over with, I said inwardly.
The further along I went, the less objects I collided against until I was finally at the source of the light. At the very end of the tunnel, the light seeped through two square shapes, like two doors built into the walls. Mentally preparing myself for whatever could come next, I pushed against them. The two doors offered no resistance, parting before me as is they had opened on their own accord. The mysterious light shone forth with even greater intensity that I had to shield my eyes.
Blinking away the spots from my vision, I stood in an entirely different room. It looked like everything was made of blue crystal. Odd, yet somehow familiar, I mused as I began to explore.
A table of pure marble so finely cut even to my untrained eyes that it looked like the stone formed that way dominated the center of the crystal room. A queen sized mattress with violet Saddle Arabian sheets with purple tassels was placed against the wall. I ran my hoof over the top of the bed, the goose feather down letting it sink into the mattress like a cloud. A scent of lavender greeted my nose along with a small plume of purple smoke. It’s an aromatherapy bed, I realized.
Everywhere I looked, my eyes soaked in the grandeur of this room. Greed and envy swirled around my mind, a hidden lust for the finer things in life settling in and a buried want for such things started to surface.
Everything in here seemed so extravagant, magical beyond words even. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it a menagerie of the rich and noble life. So why is it that I feel my mane standing on end? I thought. Feelings of nostalgia tickled the back of my mind. The kind of sensation of having somepony from my childhood who I hadn’t seen in years decided just showed up at my doorstep. Why though, why does this room have such a pull on me?
Mphhf!
I double backed, my heart beginning to race at the sudden sound. My ears swiveled around, my senses aflame with fear.
Mphhf!
Another muffled squeak came from somewhere on the opposite side of the marble table. Walking on the tips of my hoofs, I gradually made my way over to a haphazardly stacked pile of books that enveloped one of the chairs around the table. The back part of the white marble chair was the only thing that could be seen beneath the heaping mass of books. Suddenly, a small movement knocked a few of the books off the outer layer.
Cautiously, I began to pull the books off, one at a time. As I dug through the outer layer, my hoof struck something sharp beneath the layers of books, causing me to swear out loud in pain. A, pink amethyst protruded out, its flawless facets reflecting small rays onto the books around it. It was followed by several others, all lined up perfectly in a semi-circle.
Apprehension dawned on me as soon as saw it. A crown, one I knew all too well. Finely wrought gold with amethyst affixed to the top of each of its points. It seemed rather wiry and small when compared to either of the older princess’s royal dowry.
I threw the books over my shoulders, the knowledge of who was here and remembering whose dream I was in. Small yelps became clearer, my desire to see the princess edging me on. This is who came to see, to talk with and to finally put everything right. I knew this was it. This had to be it.
Eeep!
When I had finally cleared away the rest of the books, my eyes nearly rolled out of my skull and onto the floor at what I saw next.
A filly, a small purple filly blinked her eyes at me. She cowered away against the backrest of the chair, her small form swallowed by the vastness of the marble chair she sat in. A small streak of pink highlighted her mane with two tiny wings fluttering feebly on her sides. A dull knob of a tiny purple horn poked out from underneath the crown. Her large eyes looked up at me, terrified but with a sense of intrigue.
“Hello,” gurgled out the tiny alicorn filly timidly. “I’m Twilight, who are you?”
I nearly fainted dead away. Twilight Sparkle, a school aged filly version of herself, was sitting down in front of me in her bedroom. Out of everything I had seen in the previous dreams tonight, this one struck me the hardest. To see the perfect princess that Ponyville held in such high esteem, now a foal with a childish lisp to her voice, I felt my mind drawing a blank. “I’m Mayor Mare," I dumbly replied.
Twilight tried to stand up, but fell face forward into the seat of the chair. The crown looked absurdly large on the filly’s tiny head. Undoubtedly it was the reason that was throwing off her balance. I reached out to her, slowly, as to not startle her.
Twilight let out a sharp squeal, retreating away from my extended hoof like a hot poker. “No! Don’t! I don’t need anypony’s help,” she yelped. She threw her hooves onto the crown, clasping it like it was a cherished toy that no pony else was allowed to touch.
I was shocked to see Twilight’s reaction. Did she honestly care that deeply for the crown? Was she that committed to her position as a princess? “Twilight that crown is much too big for your head. Why are you wearing it?”
The little alicorn pointed a hoof up to the ceiling. Up above us was a giant portrait of Celestia’s face, its eyes looking down on us. She wore a sincere look on her face but a small chill ran down my spine as if the solar princess was there with us, looming over us like a bird of prey.
“Why do you have a painting of Celestia above you Twilight?” I asked, my eyes never straying away from the painting.
Her voice was so meek I would’ve mistaken it for Fluttershy. “I’m sorry, what did you say Twilight?”
“She’s watching me.”
Celestia was watching her? As long as I had known Twilight, she had always hung onto Celestia’s word as if they were literally law. That incident with the Smarty Pants doll was still fresh in memory. “Twilight, why do you think Celestia is watching you?”
Twilight pulled back the crown, nearly falling on her back. Instinctively, I shot a hoof out catching her by her foreleg. It looked like she was about to squirm out of my grasp but decided to let me help her. “Cause she made me a princess and she’s gotta make sure I act like a princess now,” Twilight innocently replied.
Small droplets of water began to form near the edges of her eyes. “I got to show her I can be a princess just like her. That’s why I don’t want anypony to help me,” continued Twilight. “I don’t want to disappoint Celestia.”
A twinge of sympathy welled up inside of me. I never really took into consideration of Celestia’s expectations for Twilight. Twilight took some of the smallest things to heart and here in her dreams, it was becoming painfully obvious of how she saw herself. “Twilight, perhaps we should talk on the bed?” I offered. “That chair doesn’t look that comfortable to sit on and talk to somepony.”
Twilight remained silent for a while until finally nodding her head in agreement. She began to get up, her movements clumsy and slow. When she reached the end of the chair, she peered down over the edge like she looking down the side of Neighagra Falls.
“Here.” I laid down infront of the chair, waiting for the little filly to jump on my back.
“But, I can’t I’m a princess, I need to-“
“Twilight,” I interrupted, cutting the little alicorn’s speech short. “I think that just this once, you can take a helping hoof. I won’t tell anypony.”
“Not even Celestia?” she asked. It was almost too adorable to bear.
“My lips are sealed.” I felt the little filly’s weight on my back as she leapt out of the chair. I decided that the bed would have more than enough room for the both of us to talk. Letting my royal passenger off, I pulled myself up on the bed to talk with her face to face.
A small silence began started to fester between us, neither one of us even attempting to speak. “I’m sorry,” Twilight finally said.
“Sorry?” Out of everything she could say, why was she giving me an apology? “Why are you sorry, Twilight?”
“I’m a princess now, I should know how to address everypony,” she muttered.
“You don’t have to be a princess right now, Twilight,” I said reassuringly. Twilight tried to look up at me but the crown atop of her head kept dropping down covering her face. “You don’t have to wear that crown right now.”
Twilight stared at me as if I had slapped her across the face. “I can’t! I have to wear it or else who knows I’m a princess?”
Despite this conversation not progressing much further from where we started, I began to grasp the real situation of what I was witnessing. She was so edgy, defense. One word did, however, repeated itself overr and over again without fail. “Twilight,” I began, bracing myself for the inevitable outcome. “Are you upset because you’re a princess?”
Twilight visibly shook from head to hoof. “No.”
It was obvious to even me that she was lying. On more than once occasion, I had to deal with Cutie Mark Crusader's legal guardians. I knew how to tell when a filly was trying to slip something past me. “Twilight, you can trust me. I won’t tell anypony.”
Twilight withdrew her hooves underneath her, making her look like a little purple marshmallow with a crown on her head. “Everypony expects to be princess. I don’t know if ‘m doing anything wrong or right.” She looked up at me with glittering eyes. “Do you ever feel like everything you did wasn’t what everypony wanted?”
That question was like a blow to the head. Everything, to me, for the past few months seemed to be a complete train wreck. I tried passing new laws but nopony would listen. No until Twilight has decided to step in and begin running the show. They hung onto her words, revering her like a miniature Celestia. Now, I find myself taking with the princess who has her own self-doubts.
“Yes, Twilight,” I answered honestly. “I think nopony wants me around anymore.”
I felt a small head rest itself on my foreleg. Twilight has snuck up on me without me ever realizing. “Yeah. Sometimes I think everypony just says I’m amazing because I’m a princess.” She shot a look of disgust at the crown she wore. “Nopony sees me as Twilight anymore. They just see a princess.”
“What about your friends? Doesn’t even Rainbow Dash say something?” Out of all of Twilight’s close knit friends, Rainbow Dash was always the most verbose one of the mix. She never had a problem about letting everypony know her opinion. Ever.
“Yeah but even my friends are acting different around me now.” Twilight pulled the crown off of her head, starring at the golden reflection of herself. “I feel like nopony wants Twilight around anymore. They just want princess Twilight now.”
I pulled the crown out of her hoofs and tossed it on the far side of the bed. Before she could even protest, I pulled her close to my barrel. “Twilight,” I said as I began to sob. “Never think like that again.” The little filly laid her head on my shoulder, as I continued to sob. “You’ve done so much good, and I’ve been so selfish about how you’ve been the one everypony looks towards to save them.”
I released Twilight from my grasp, letting the little alicorn regain some much needed air after being grabbed by a lunatic mare. “Twilight, I’m sorry.” Twilight continued to look at me confused as the words began to fumble from my mouth. “All this time, I thought you had just been reveling in the attention of Ponyville. That you just wanted to show off your title as a princess.”
Two small hoofs wrapped themselves around my midsection. Twilight’s smile made my heart melt into a puddle. Hugging Twilight to my barrel again, with less force this time of course, the little alicorn’s warmth melted away the sadness inside of me. “I think I finally understand now.”
Twilight’s quizzical look was almost too much to bear. “What’s that?” she asked.
“They don’t give a damn about me, Celestia,” roared Past-Luna. The smaller alicorn threw herself to the ground, her body shivering from the inner turmoil raging within her. “I see how they treat your as their true ruler. How they worship the ground where your hooves tread.”
“That even though we think that we’ve been caste out of everyone’s mind, we shouldn’t feel that everypony has forgotten us.” I felt the warmth beginning to intensify, like an old furnace roaring back to life. “We may not always see it but everypony out there does care about you even if it’s not always so obvious to see. If we doubt ourselves, we can’t help anypony else.”
Krrrrrkkk…
My eyes flew up to the ceiling. Small hair line cracks began to form on the enormous painting of Celestia. The paint beginning to darken, the colors starting to dull, giving it an aged look.
“But I’m still a princess, Mayor,” Twilight said, oblivious to the rapid decay of her perfect mentor’s painting. “I can’t stop being a princess or I’ll let everypony down. Princess Celestia has never let anypony down.”
“And why, Captain Blueblood, should I truly care for such paltry problems?” Past-Celestia weakly replied. “I have sacrificed so much for them, yet like a swarm of locusts, their insatiable demands can never be quelled. I want nothing to do with such selfish ponies.”
“Celestia is not perfect Twilight,” I replied. Twilight feel onto her back in shock, staring at me like I was Discord himself. “She’s made mistakes before as a princess and ponies honestly forget that. No pony is perfect and no pony should expect perfection from her. We should try and do all that we can but never take a pony, even a princess at that, for granted.”
Krrgghhhh.
The painting above us deteriorated faster. Small flakes of paint and shards of wood began to drop and dissolve into dust. Between the increasing amounts of gaps within Celestia’s greying image, light began to pour through the open spaces. A small tug on my mane brought my attention back to Twilight.
“What about me, mayor?” This time Twilight’s voice sounded like her normal self, not the soft spoken filly one I heard when I first arrived here. “Why is it that you want to help me while you have all of this hatred of me?”
A small tear trailed down my cheek as I continued to drink myself into a drunken stupor. I fell so empty, useless as time passed me by. I can see the gap widening between me and the ponies around me as the Elements grew into the public figures that everypony could come to depend on. Soon, I was just another face in the crowd as the Elements of Harmony started to shine brighter and brighter.
For the first time, in a grand long time, I could see clearly. I understood it all so well now. What Luna was trying to show me, the hidden message within their failures in history. The final pieces of the grand puzzle fell in place. “I wanted to feel the love and admiration that you had, Twilight. I wanted for everypony to see me as I was before you became the apple of everypony’s eye.”
“It never crossed my mind why you were always there trying to help everypony. That you didn’t do this out of vanity, but in all honesty, out of the goodness of your own heart.” My elation grew stronger as the lingering remnants of despair burned away inside.
The filly’s small form began to lengthen and rapidly grow until finally Twilight stood at her taller than average mare size. She folded her legs underneath her, her wings splayed out by her sides. “Mayor, I’m sorry too,” said Twilight. “I took control of so many situations without ever realizing what I was doing. Smarty Pants, the duel with Trixie, the visit from my future self, I thought I knew what I was doing.”
“There’s one thing I honestly lacked that you have, Mayor. Experience.” Twilight got off the bed, craning her head back to look up at the ceiling, narrowing her eyes at the painting of Celestia. “Every day I would see ponies turning to Celestia for guidance, to solve their problem. I wanted to be like that.”
Grrrgghhhhhh-krsssh!
The frame holding up the painting of Celestia above us finally gave away. The deafening sound of the immense timbers finally shattering shook me to my core. Chunks of wood, the size of my head rained down, disintegrating before touching our heads. With the frame gone, the painting fell quickly afterwards. Smoke trailing behind it as the regal face of Celestia began to burn and turn to dust. The painting of Celestia turned into nothingness, fading away into small wisps of smoke blown away in an unseen wind.
Light shone throughout the room where the painting had previously hung. The room was bathed in golden light, illuminating everything. The crystal walls began to shine with a brilliance that beyond words.
I got off of the bed and walked into the middle of the room, taking in the beauty of Twilight’s castle. Odd how I looked at it every day but never noticed its true beauty.
I felt the blood rushing up to my face as Twilight hugged me close. “Mayor,” said Twilight, “Thank you.”
Nodding my head, I left through the door I came in. I could feel a sudden shift in the air as soon as I placed a hoof the doorway.
The door slammed behind me but my mind was focused on the scene in front of me. A long hallway of pure white with one solitary door at the other end with my cutie mark etched in an old wooden door. Will this lead me back to my own dream? I thought to myself. Luna did say that Twilight’s dream would be my last one tonight.
“It is the portal for which you shall return to your own mind, fair mayor.”
Princess Luna stood at the end of the hallway. I walked down at an easy pace, wondering to myself on what would happen next. Did I learn anything from all of this? Seeing the princesses, except Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, each at the lowest points of their lives and fighting their own battles inside. What was this all supposed to accomplish?
“An astute observation and essential question, Mayor,” commented Luna. I had forgotten my thought echoed out in the dream world, giving her a sheepish smile. “There is something you can do, and I have not doubts that you are the one who can succeed where we have failed.”
Luna pushed open my dream door, letting a gust of stale air wash over us. I followed after her silently as she continued to talk. To my greatest surprise, I found myself in my office. However, it was just like new. The paint on the walls looked like it was just given a new coat. My shelves were rid of any dust and the pictures were clean of any dirt from their frames. It looked even better than the day when I had taken office.
I walked up to my desk, letting my hoof trace over the polished surface. No flaws or any signs of imperfections could be seen in the dull light of the room. It felt so right to sit behind in my office again.
I have finally put all of those thoughts of being worthless behind. But now a new fear crept into my head. “But how can I hope to change something that the princesses couldn’t?”
A look of melancholy grew on Luna’s muzzle as we came face to face with each other. She drew in a deep breath and leaned over my desk. “You have seen it yourself mayor. My sister and I are not omniscient as you once thought,” Luna said haggardly. “We wish to see a change in Equestria but our ponies fear such things. They wish to see us remain on the throne forever but such a state of affairs will not be able to sustain our nation forever. For us to grow, we must change with the times.”
I tapped a hoof against my chin, my brain awhirl with possible ideas. “I think,” I started as a smile began to show itself on my muzzle, “that I have a solution to both our problems, Luna.”
When I finished explaining my plan, I doubt that even Celestia’s brightest day couldn’t have compared to the brilliance of Luna’s joy. “Mayor, I believe that thou have devised the perfect means in which we change Equestria.”
The light outside my dream office windows began shine bright, as if the sun had finally decided to explode. “It would seem our time is up, mayor. Please make sure that you will relay your idea to Twilight. I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear such news.”
I felt myself becoming heavier and heavier, the light overwhelming my senses. I woke up with a start. My grey mane with small splotches of pink, my natural mane color starting to show itself, fell over my face. Pushing it out of the way, I ran to my study and began writing everything out. This would be my legacy, this would be what defines me and most importantly, this would go down in the history books. When ponies would read it, it would be about how one pony changed Equestria.
Author's Note
So yeah. Happy New Years to everyone.