I could smell the fire before I could see it. I turned the corner and what met my eyes was a towering inferno, the heat licking at my muzzle contrasting the cool starless night. It was a red and orange monstrosity rising into the dark.
Ponies were trotting up to it, stopping at a safe distance and hurling objects into it. My heart sank seeing a book sail though the air and hit the bonfire. A random filly stood beside me watching, her enormous eyes reflecting the dancing colours of the inferno. I asked her what was happening.
“They’re burning everything.”
“What are they burning?”
She whispered it, “everything to do with Nightmare Moon.”
My coat lost colour as I turned back and looked more closely at the mob, there was organization and some ponies were crying as objects were ripped from their hooves and destroyed. I watched as another few broke into a house, presumably looking for the offending objects.
Turning away from it all, I ran as hard as I could towards my house, my library, and its well known collection of dream magic books. A nightmare, this had to be a nightmare my thoughts raced. The only known copies, they must be protected. The crackling of the fire and the cries of ponies faded to silence. I could feel my mane blowing behind me, and hear my hoof strikes on the cobblestone strong and loud.
Sure enough a mob had formed outside my house. Having a reputation of being a powerful unicorn had benefits. Not knowing if I was home they seemed unsure of breaking into the house, clearly afraid of what I could do to them. —They hesitated.
“OUT OF MY WAY!” I pushed through the thugs, made my way to the front of the house. I grabbed with my magic the pony who stood at my door pounding it —I threw him roughly back into the mob.
“Hand it over Scriptorium!” Yelled one of the braver thugs. He stepped forward. His dirty coat did not shine, his mane tangled, eyes wild with the freedom to finally be a monster. “We know you have all of Nightmare Moon’s magic. Hand it over, we don’t want to hurt you.” He spit when he said the name of the night princess. The other ponies around him cheered affirmations.
My heart was racing, like it would leap out of my chest and fly. “This is madness!” I shouted at the crowd. “Please, they are just books. They are my books, the only books known to exist, they have hurt nobody, we are not vicious dragons!”
“Hand it over!” The thug repeated, this time with a sick smirk creeping into his dirty visage.
I could feel the wind, I looked up at the sky took a calming breath and thought —Time seemed to slow, my gaze drifted back down to the crowd, I met the leader in the eye, and said the word that brought the chaos.
“No.”
A pony rushed at me. I grabbed him immediately in my white magic, and threw him as hard as I could into the street. He hit the far wall of the opposite house and fell to the ground. Every pony froze for a moment, looking at the lifeless body laying on cobblestone. I had no time to worry if I had killed him, as the mob broke formation. They all rushed me at once.
My mind was racing, calculating. I needed time, time to figure out what to do, where to go, how to save the information.
I did the only thing I could think of doing. I ran into the house towards the books. I was being chased, I tipped a table and grabbed a decorative plate off the wall and threw it with my magic. It shattered missing any target. Behind me I could hear the breaking of glass and other objects as the mob ransacked my house.
I dove into my library room closed the door and concentrated, a magic shield filled the room. The windows and doors lit up with white magic ruins, indicating the spell had set.
I ran around grabbing any book that had anything to do with dream magic, first editions of other books that needed to be saved. I began to pile them on a table in the centre of the room. I could feel impacts on the shield, my horn began to hurt from the constant assaults.
Quickly! Quickly! Faster, what do I save? What do I save!
“SCRIPTORIUM! GIVE US THE BOOKS!”
I took the tablecloth lifted it around the pile and tied it at the top, making it easier to teleport. Taking a piece of paper I wrote a small note and attached it to the bundle.
Keep them safe. Only known copies in Equestria.
—Scriptorium
Now where do I send it! Suddenly a massive blow struck the shield, pain lanced through me. They had unicorns now.
Think! Where? Another blow and the shield dropped and the door shattered.
I looked at the bundle and picked the only location that entered my mind at that moment, where I wanted to be. The quiet unknown farm I grew up on. Where my uncle and aunt lived, the place where I learned to love books and magic. He’d know what to do. I teleported them just as the mob overwhelmed me, I fought but was thrown to the ground, dirty hooves were all around me. I had a headache as I watched my beloved library burn, I could smell smoke and feel fire just outside, but I smiled to myself, they were safe for now.
An old green Earth pony held a cup of tea sitting in a chair on his front porch reading by lamp light. It had been a long day and he was tired. His wife called from the house. “Conifer! You’re going to lose your sight reading by that kind of light, come to bed already.” Conifer laughed warmly, silly mare, where else was he going to find the time to read, his daylight hours were filled with farm work.
A scream and crashing sound spilt the silence. Conifer ran into the house. “Whats wrong!’ He cried thinking his wife hurt. He entered the kitchen found her plastered against the wall shaking. The dinner table shattered under a massive pile of books, with a small note attached.
The courtroom was packed —The trial was a perfect example of the injury done to Equestria. Pamphlets, newspapers, and correspondence were flying like magic bullets to and fro. Each side insisted that their case must be the only logical outcome. One side demanded banishment or execution, and they were fervent in their outrage. The other, leniency, and empathy for those ponies blindsided by Luna’s treasonous actions.
It started so small, but I suppose these things always do. A simple earth pony wanted to hold a memorial for Luna, princess of the night. Violence broke out, further riots, and upheaval followed. The constable, a brown unicorn by the name of Sentry Shield had arrested the accused, and charged him with treason. Since Luna had turned against the nation, any gathering or assembly in her name was technically considered actions against the state. Things got ugly, the case began to gather steam. The papers covered it, ponies came out of the woodworks picking sides, funnelling bits for challenges, counter challenges. As it would happen by some sick twist of fate it was I Lady Hooffield, the fourth High Chancellor of Equestria that had to decide. The three Chancellor’s before me were basically glorified ceremonial ponies collecting bits. I had to work for it, it was I who was gifted or cursed to be this pony in this time. Life was just so unfair sometimes.
I lifted my paper work with my magic, getting ready to face the mob.
“Is your ladyship ready?” Asked the guard to my right.
“Tell me Capitan would you be ready to face such an unruly mess as this?”
The Captain chuckled dryly, “No my Ladyship I would not.”
“Tell me Captain. What do you think of the case?” I asked suddenly on impulse.
“I am not in a place to say who is right or wrong my Lady. I am no judge.”
“Smart colt.” I smiled at him gently, and turned back towards the room. “Well let justice be done though the sky may fall.”
The roar of the crowd fell to absolute silence as I entered the large chamber. It was so quiet I fancied I could hear the swishing of my judges robes against my flank. I climbed up to the third highest chair in the room. Celestia and Luna’s thrones were both behind me and were both conspicuously empty. Celestia had been unreachable for months. Papers were awash with rumours that there were no princesses anymore, that Equestria was being run by a cabal of ponies behind the curtains. A lot of it was nonsense, sun and moon still rose and set, a sign Celestia had not abandoned us —As for the rumours of ponies running Equestria, well they were not very far off the mark.
A bailiff spoke loudly. “Now presiding Lady Hooffield, the fourth High Chancellor of Equestria!” The room settled, I sat down, steadied myself, and began to deliver my verdict.
“It has been a difficult situation for all of Equestria, never since the time of the divided tribes have we faced such strife, such confusion, and such division. A princess against a princess. Ponies against ponies.
The case before me is one in which this court has no precedent. Given there is no well trodden path, I am left in the difficult position of defining it. Our society is built of three tribes, all with different backgrounds, talents, and histories. It’s success has always been predicated upon acceptance, mutual understanding, and working together. It is this idea both in the past, and in the future which steer my thoughts.
Luna, our princess of the night broke from that fundamental pact. Sought to undo the balance and became Nightmare Moon.” The room shook with whispers and noises. Taking the gavel with my magic I called for order.
“These are facts. I will remind you all we are not here to discuss those facts, Nightmare Moon did as she has done, and has been banished for it. Instead we are here to discuss the accused who wanted to hold a service in the name of Princess Luna, and is that action treasonous. So the questions before us all are technical ones, is Princess Luna the same as Nightmare Moon? And is holding a service for that princess condoning and approving of Nightmare Moons actions?”
The room suddenly felt stuffy and uncomfortable, I was overwhelmed with the wish to be with Summer Sweets my wife. I recalled her words as I left this morning, “Hoofs, you are only one pony, you can’t take all of Equestria on your back.” I laughing I kissed her and replied, “ I know Love but some pony has to be at the helm so we don’t run afoul of some nasty rocks.” The darling was always smiles and kindness, blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situations I faced. I needed her comfort now more than ever, and I vowed to pick her up some delightful trinket, or a lace bonnet once this mess was done.
Taking a drink of water I prepared myself for the hard part.
“So given these questions I have no choice but to find the defendant not guilty of the charge of treason.”
The room exploded. Shouting, jeering, cheering, booing all in equal measure. Reporters sent runners out of the room with notes. I tried to call the hall to order, but there was no order to be had. Guards appeared at the front of the room.
“NIGHTMARE MOON IS LUNA CORRUPTED, IT IS NOT LUNA AS SHE WAS!” I used magic to amplify my voice to what I fancied to be almost a princess level of volume. “SINCE THE ACCUSED HELD A SERVICE IN THE MEMORY OF THE LATE LUNA AND NOT.”
The crowd had grown silent. The Canterlot voice was a rare magic, and it drew every pony’s attention, my white coat blushed red, it seemed I was the only pony still shouting. I coughing politely I resumed, “Luna is not Nightmare Moon. Luna is the princess of the night, a protector, and is a special memory to many ponies. To deny such a reality by pretending her past erased runs afoul of Equestrian principles. So I hereby rule that services in the name of Luna to be protected, and services in the name of Nightmare Moon to be treasonous. Case dismissed”
That was enough to break the calm and the room again fell into unrest, some ponies began throwing things and shouting. I dodged a mug of cider which missed me by a hair on my mane. Anger flared in me but before I could grab the miscreant in my magic; more guards arrived and rushed towards the instigators and I was whisked out of the hall by a security detail.
My library was silent except for the crackling of the fireplace and the rain outside, the flames cast a flickering orange light on all the bookcases filled with volumes of history and Equestrian law. Sitting at my desk I took a small sip from the tumbler held in the shaky grip of my magic. My front hooves were still trembling. The last few months had worn me down, every day felt like I was scrambling for ground. Everyday was a new crisis, a new demand for my attention. My eyes were strained from reading, my magic drained from writing letters. I was at my wits end, I was no princess and this could not go on. My reflections were broken by a small shuffling at the door.
A soft yellow head with a purple mane poked itself in, her gentle voice spoke tentatively. “Hoofs are you ok? You should come to bed, I think you need some rest.”
“I will be up in a bit darling, I just need a few moments to myself.”
“Ok,” Sweets replied doubtfully with a strained smile and closed the door.
I sat there in silence thinking. Hours could have passed or minutes I could not tell, there was another knock. “I’m coming Sweets,” I called out with mild annoyance.
But Summer Sweets did not enter, instead it was one of my clerks, a colt by the name of File Folder. “My ladyship a message just arrived for you.” He held up the yellow paper sealed in a wax seal of the sun. I brought the paper to me with my magic. “Thank you File. Go home and rest it’s been a long night.” He nodded and closed the door.
Hooves still shaking I opened it.
Thank you.
—Celestia
I dropped the letter, and for the fist time in months I cried.
