Transparency: Q. Mint Jewelip

A gold shod hoof supported an increasingly heavy head as Princess Celestia, alicorn co-ruler of Equestria, tried to keep her eyes open. It was well past her normal bed time, something that many a royal guard would softly chuckle about behind closed doors but, with the days events, well... she was rather determined to see a few new protocols put into practice.

A feat that would have been made much easier were it not for this long winded, rambling, run-on-sentence loving, dust collector of a noble who seemed intent on making a practical demonstration of the tactical use of hypnotic filibusterer. The stallion had been going on and on about something for the last twenty minutes at least, a feat which would be impressive if not for the blatant waste of air which seemed his most defining trait. The corn-straw mane, done up in a prissy swirl, to his milk-wash coat spoke nothing if not pampered brat... and while she loved all her little ponies, Celestia had been idly reconsidering this particular individual.

Thankfully, her musings were brought to a close by the faint sense of another's approach. Her ears, ever so sensitive, tuned out the droning noise of the stallion to focus upon the light tapping and delicate ring of silver upon the polished stone of the hall beyond the throne room.

Few could be said to be identifiable by their hoofsteps, fewer still to be distinguished by their gait, but Celestia had had centuries to become familiar with, and a millennia to miss, the long stride and delicate step of her sister, Princess Luna.

With a pleasant smile, Celestia raised her hoof, bringing the noble to a stop... a blessed moment of silence... before nodding politely and addressing him.

"No."

Celestia had to muster the full weight of thousands of years of political and diplomatic experience to keep herself from smirking at the stifled laugh of her guards, but she managed to maintain the perfect image of compassionate care she was so known for.

"No? Your highness? Perhaps I misundersta-" the stallion started, only to be silenced once more as the throne room doors swung open with a a gentle tinkling of magic.

"Nay servile underling. 'Tis thine own greed that has laid your mind to misread a simple decree. Mine sister, YOUR Princess, hast let it be known that she finds your plea... lacking." Princess Luna strode purposefully through the throne room, glancing at the noble as he blinked at her response.

The stallion, for his own part, attempted a valiant rallying of his mental faculties, but only managed a slight squeek as Luna tapped her hoof and he realized that he had neither bowed nor, much more troublingly, removed himself from the lunar diarch's intended path to her throne.

Once more, Celestia found herself mustering every ounce of will she had to keep from crushing her sister in a loving hug. Say what you will about 1000 years of banishment, but there were definite benefits to having an undiluted regal bearing and severe image with the nobles.

-~oOo~-

Luna's throne was several hooves shorter than Celestia's.

Luna's bed was several legs shorter than Celestia's.

Luna's tenure as ruler of Equestria was several hundred years less than Celestia's.

All of these things were facts that the lunar princess was well aware of. Celestia was taller than herself. Celestia was larger than herself. Celestia hadn't been sequestered to the moon as a form of damage mitigation and last-ditch effort of sparing all life on the planet as she had been.

And for one brief moment, Luna simply could not understand how things had become so lax in her absence.

Yes, she had spent months pouring over legal texts and scrolls. She had wiled away entire days trying to reconcile some of the finer points of etiquette that had come to pass in her absence. She had even employed the use of a tutor in modern language until it became obvious that the insufferable fool was illiterate.

She briefly reflected upon that last thought, correcting herself at the memory of finding the written language had changed enough that the mare had been proven to be capable, though not an expert on 'dead' languages.

Still, here she was, waiting for some ignorant wretch to move that she might ascend to her rightful throne.

And, after several seconds, she had deemed him too simple to likely come to the appropriate conclusion on his own.

Her sister would be proud of her, she had not decided upon banishment. She smiled her best smile and looked to the quaking stallion that sat upon her carpet.

"Move, lest you are desirous of a trip to my moon."

The stallion, appropriately motivated, fled the room with all due haste.

"Luna, we do not threaten our subjects," Celestia scolded, though mirth was clear in her voice.

Ah yes... one more thing that Luna was less than, in comparison to, her sister...

... the numbers upon the scales.

Luna smirked as she took her throne, giggling softly as Celestia tipped her head questioningly.

And the damn broke as Celestia's confused expression brought laughter the lunar diarch was certain she had long forgotten.

-~oOo~-

"So, Luna, as I'm sure you are aware, while you were napping today, we were invaded by a hostile army with the intent to overthrow our leadership and subjugate our little ponies," Celestia said between sips of tea.

Her sister, Luna, tilted her head and rolled her eyes at the display of 'civility' that Celestia was taking about the whole thing. Yes, she had slept through an invasion but, in her defense, it had all taken place during the bright light of day. Not a single part had transpired during her blackest of nights, nor had anypony even thought to waken her. That Celestia might imply that she was somehow remiss in her duties was laughable at best.

"Yes, Sister, I was made aware when I inquired upon the setting of the sun. As you well recall, you chose to inform me, at length, upon the nature and duration of your detainment and the abject horrors our little ponies were made to suffer for the duration of their eight minutes of 'enslavement'." Luna took a sip of her own tea, a viscous black bitter draught with more venom than a river serpent. "Am I to assume you were intent upon bringing more to my knowledge?"

Celestia's smirk broke the tension that had been growing, setting the nearby guards at ease. "No Luna. I was intent only upon verifying that you had context for what I'd like to discuss with you." Celestia set her teacup down, the golden glow of her magic fading as a hoofmaid deftly swiped the cup, wiped down the saucer, and replaced them within a matter of seconds.

"Luna, we need to be more careful - you and I both - in terms of our little ponies well being. Too long have we reigned, trusting in our reputations or the risk another force might have to wager against us. We cannot rely upon good will and our own abundance of power forever. The world has changed... it has moved beyond simple royal decree." She paused to select a number of flowers to add to the salad before her, the hoofmaid once again briskly preparing the dish before returning it to her princess.

"When you or I sleep, it is a vulnerability that we should not offer to those who would think to bring harm to our little ponies. And while you and I are more than capable of holding our own, the risk to our charges is too great if we do not soften our blows. I doubt the mountain itself could survive either of us should we lose our tempers."

Luna looked upon her sister's downcast face, a frown working its way to her own.

Celestia didn't talk of failures or weaknesses. She didn't joke about hurts or dangers. When Celestia frowned, she was fairly certain the sun itself grew dimmer.

"Celestia... what do you propose?"

The silence that passed between them was broken as the soft rapping of a hoof upon the chamber door announced the presence of another pony.

Celestia and Luna glanced to the door as the hoofmaid checked upon the visitor.

And within moments, Luna was frowning too: A small troupe of guards smartly trotted into their private meal... surrounding a stunned changeling.

-~oOo~-