Pick me?

I couldn’t believe the words coming from my phone. Luna sat next to me, a look of sad resignation on her face.

“A pony was beaten badly and had her wing broken in Manhattan today. Reports say she is in critical condition but currently stable. She was helping out at a homeless shelter it's unknown what the cause of the attack was. The press conference is at three o'clock today if you choose to attend. We would love to have you, your wisdom and insight are invaluable in this matter.”

Luna’s voice cracked through hiccuping breaths, “We will be there, this is a travesty.”

I followed up, “We will have remarks prepared, goodbye.”

She started to sob in earnest, holding me close. I let her cry on my shoulder, gently running my fingers through her fur. No words were needed to convey my understanding.

“Why!?”

The word reverberated in my head, it’s always a terrible word. Always an open question usually left unanswered lately.

“Hun, we need to get going if we want to be there.”

Slowly dragging herself off of me she limped her way over to her regalia. She slowly dawned it seemingly refusing to use her magic, the process deliberate and precise. I Dressed the time taken letting Luna clean up. We wordlessly left the room silence prevailing over the entire trip, the type of quiet reserved for eulogies and funerals.

The bright sun interrupted us from our inattention. The chatter of paparazzi drowned out any intelligent thought, our exit prompting questions from all directions. Luna held her head low, the noise rolling off of her like oil on water.

A single statement carried over the noise, “You aliens deserve it!”

Luna’s head snapped to the direction of the call, her horn flashing violently. The man who had yelled appeared directly in front of her, the whole area awash in a sea of floating stars.

The crowd forcibly silenced, she spoke, “We did not wish to be here anymore than you wanted us here,” The words had force to them felt by all, “May your dreams be free and safe for I. Will. Not. Help. You.” She pulled the man's necklace from his neck, holding the cross aloft she continued, “Given your hatefulness, I don’t think he will either.” The cross turned to liquid in her magic, reforming into a crescent moon and falling to the ground.

The air fizzed and popped the artificial noiselessness replaced by a natural hush as the dumbfounded crowd gathered themselves. She walked away as though nothing had happened. The only noise left as we finished our entrance was the man being taken away.

“You know we’re going to eat so much shit from your sister, right,” I said as we cleared the threshold into the Whitehouse.

“I’ll handle that,” She forced through clenched teeth.

“This is going to go well,” I whispered under my breath, as our escort led us through to where we needed to be a few minutes before we were to be introduced.

“Introducing: Princess Luna Nightbringer, And Carl Roland Ambassador for Equestria.” The press secretary called having finished the usual platitudes and condolences.

Luna entered the stage to applause that stopped dead as she gazed over the crowded hall. I followed her out as she sat at the podium. I stood next to her, placing a hand on her back comfortingly.

Before the press could start asking questions She stated, “What happened today is a disgusting act of cruelty and shall be dealt with as such. To break a pegasus's wings is tantamount to breaking your hands.” She pointed to the perpetrators' photos and names on the wall with a wing. “By royal decree the men pictured there are wanted, dead or alive. A reward of one thousand bits for their capture, one hundred for their head.”

The crowd erupted in noise, all persons present astounded by the proclamation. As the crowd calmed down the moderator started taking questions.

“How do you plan on enforcing that? It’s not your jurisdiction.”

Luna responded, “Simply put, I don’t foresee having much trouble, they harmed an Equestrian citizen. Next!”

Another asked, “What is the punishment for assault in Equestria?”

“Nothing irreparable,” Luna replied cryptically.

The room paused as the only other pony in the space meekly questioned, “Princess, you are going to explain why this is so, so wrong. Right?”

Realization dawned on her and I. Luna teared up as she looked behind her, the image of the broken mare on the screen. Her Yellow feathers were stained red, and patches of pink hair missing from her head. A cast wrapped around her wing tightly the exposed feathers bent and broken.

Looking back at the press focusing on the camera she whispered, “I will let them learn from their mistakes.” Without another word, she walked off stage leaving me to deal with the rush of questions.

The press exploded as I took the podium gripping its sides to hide my shaking hands, “Quiet, Quiet!” The questions turned into hushed murmuring. I pointed to the screen, “That right there,” I said voice cracking, “Is Fluttershy, bearer of the element of kindness. Hero of Equestria multiple times over. Be Better!” I exited the stage leaving any further questions unanswered.

I walked into a maelstrom of people running around frantically. The staging room was loud with shocked politicians and assistants trying to gather statements. Two royal guards flanked me as I crossed, “Make way for the prince consort!” I made my way through with little trouble, the guards ensuring it.

Her eyes sunken from crying Luna looked dead curled up on the couch, the only indication of life, shallow hiccuping breaths. I gently picked her up, the slow trip out to the private exit, seeming to last an eternity. No one dared to question us as we took our leave.

Daunting questions rattled around my skull as we entered the armored car. How does this affect Equestria's security? What is the fallout from this going to look like in regards to trade?

“Why?”

There it was again, ‘Why?’ It’s always that question.

“I don’t know, I’m not sure it matters right now. It is time to go home now. I’ll draft up the return paperwork for the elements and others. We can deal with this another day.”

The glamor Luna held night and day, sleep and service faded away leaving her just a pony. The stars in her mane faded away leaving long locks of purple to hang. Her scars and slightly off-kilter wing showing her story.

“You know, You’re really pretty without the magic covering everything up.”

“Now is not the time to get cute,” She growled at me.

I chuckled sadly Luna glaring at me.

I held onto her tightly, “‘The moon shone brightest in darkest of nights doesn’t it'”

Trying to bat at me with a wing she groaned, “Gah, you actually read that garbage. I wrote that over a thousand years ago.”

“At least it shows I care about your story, even though your blunder years are a touch farther away than mine.”

“I’ve done enough crying today, stop it.”

“Fine.”

The small smile I wished for, found.

"Cadance. When was the last time a bounty was placed by an Equestrian royal?" Chrysalis Chirped looking horrified.

I had to take a moment, "Your mother some thousand-odd years ago."

We were both speechless, the Television replaying Luna transforming the man's cross. The reporter spoke in disbelief, "The princess's actions today are unbelievable. The ramifications of today are international, these ponies have so much potential to improve our lives and it may have all gone down the drain."

"I hope the elements can be tempered without kindness to guide them," Chrysalis said softly.

"So do I."