The Gold of Zebrica was one of the most prestigious coffee houses in all Manehattan. Its patrons included writers, journalists, artists, and of course, activists. Besides being a place for drinking, card games, and news reading, the establishment also served as a site for political discussions.
On this morning, the coffee house was occupied by a group of thirty-two, most of them being younger earth ponies. They were liberals; members of one of the political cliques frequenting here. This typically noisy company was now strangely quiet, its members only talking to each other in hushed tones.
They were waiting.
At the center of the group sat their leader, a yellow earth stallion with a light brown mane. He was older than most of his peers, but no less energetic when it came to debating or public speaking. He had an uncanny passion about him that earned the respect of many, but also made him a lot of enemies. Today, however, he was still like a statue, his face impossible to read. He occasionally glanced at the clock on the wall but otherwise didn’t move or speak.
He was waiting.
Finally, the entrance door opened, and the murmuring in the hall came to a sudden halt. All eyes turned towards the newcomer.
“Fifty-four to forty-six!” he declared triumphantly. “We won!”
The gathering erupted in cheers. Ponies jumped from their seats and hurried to the middle to welcome Aden Aurum, the soon-to-be prime minister of Equestria.
Aden tried to put on a dignified face as he received their never-ending rows of congratulations, but inside he was joyous. On this day, history was made. Finally, for the first time, the nation would have a liberal government.
“My friends!” he said. “A great responsibility rests on our shoulders. We must reform Equestria!”
“Huzzah!” cheered a pegasus as she opened one of the champagne bottles with a loud pop - only to find a dozen drinking glasses turned towards her a second later.
“Equality instead of privileges!” somepony shouted.
“Huzzah!”
“Entrepreneurs instead of landlords!”
“Huzzah!”
“Freedom of the press instead of censorship!”
“Huzzah!”
Aden still had a few more things to say, but in the end, he allowed himself to be swept away by the wave of celebration. He too held out his glass.
Among the excited conversations, no one paid attention to a pony who quietly added:
“Republicanism instead of tyranny…”
…or were they just pretending not to hear him?
The following week found Aden at the palace of Canterlot, facing a certain door.
Once more, he was being forced to wait.
He now held the mandate of the people to form a government, but it was hardly sufficient on its own. He needed the approval of one last pony. The will of hundreds of thousands of voters mattered little when the mare who awaited him inside could end it all with a single word.
As the minutes slowly passed by, the politician started to suspect that he was kept waiting on purpose. Perhaps she wanted to show her displeasure? Remind him of his place? Everything seemed possible. In a deeply conservative Canterlot, not many were enthusiastic about his electoral victory. Aden knew that age and privilege only led to backwardness.
So who could be more backwards than an immortal monarch?
As if responding to his borderline treasonous thoughts, the door opened, and a guard came out.
“The princess will see you now,” she said, stepping aside.
Finally. Aden felt the tension leaving his body in an instant; determined, he entered the room…
…only to stop dead in his tracks as he realized that the princess awaiting him there was not Celestia.
Behind a flowing star-mane, inquisitive turquoise eyes were measuring him. It was as if the dark alicorn cast a shadow over the entire room.
What? Why is she here?
The makeshift etiquette lessons of the last few days utterly failed to prepare him for this.
After standing there for a few awkward moments, Aden gave into his instincts, and quickly kneeled.
“G-greetings Princess Luna,” he managed to blurt out. This was definitely not what he was supposed to say, but he couldn’t think of anything better at a moment’s notice.
“In the name of the Equestrian Crown, we welcome thee, Aden Aurum,” Princess Luna said in a measured tone, ignoring his faux pas. “You may rise and be seated.”
As Aden complied, he managed to calm himself somewhat, but nevertheless, his thoughts were in a disarray.
Prime minister-elects were inaugurated into their offices by Celestia herself. This has always been the tradition ever since the current system was put into place. The party or coalition that won the elections has elected their candidate, whom Celestia would authorize to form a government.
But if the other princess was here instead of her, that could’ve only meant two things: either Celestia wanted to humiliate him before categorically rejecting his appointment…
…or she has actually started giving political authority to her sister, which… is a troubling change of things, to say the least.
He needed to figure out what was going on here. Right now.
“It’s a great honour to finally meet you, Your Highness,” he said.
“We are pleased to hear that,” came the reply.
“I cannot deny, however, that the circumstances of this meeting…” Aden was struggling to find the right words. “…are, well, rather surprising to me.”
The alicorn’s facial expression didn’t change, but the subtle movement of her eyebrows betrayed her displeasure at his words.
“We are co-rulers of Equestria, Mister Aurum, and as such, we possess the same powers as our sister.”
She said this like it was the most obvious fact in the world.
Now it was the stallion’s turn to hold back a frown. The questions in his head were multiplying by the moment.
“Naturally, I acknowledge the supremacy of the Crown in affairs of state,” he replied cautiously.
“We do not doubt that.”
And yet, the smallest edge in her voice said otherwise.
As they both fell into uneasy silence, the politician attempted to gather what little he’d known about Luna. The younger alicorn appeared on the scene about three years ago. Celestia introduced her to the public as her sister, who returned to the realm after a long absence; it drew quite a bit of attention at the time. Aden, like many others, wasn’t sure what to make of this; two alicorns bearing the title of princess, but only one of them exercising actual power.
Until now, apparently.
“You come from Manehattan, do you not?” she asked, switching to a more conversational tone.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Unfortunately, we are yet to visit that city, but we’ve heard that it is certainly deserving of our attention.” The alicorn shot a questioning glance towards the earth pony.
“Yes, well, Manehattan is indeed a fascinating place, Your Highness,” Aden said, glad to have something to talk about. “It’s a city of industry, commerce, and innovation. It has always been the most important port city of Equestria, and in the last century alone, it nearly tripled in size, expanding to the mainland. While it was originally an earth pony city, it’s now home to many pegasi and unicorns as well, not to mention immigrants from other countries; a true testament to diversity.”
“We see that you are very proud of your home. Has your family been living there a long time?”
“From father’s side, yes, while my mother was the daughter of a Fillydelphia merchant.” Aden was starting to feel more confident now, so he decided to test the waters a bit. “But with all due respect, this has little to do with my ancestry, Your Highness. In Manehattan, it’s not an important issue whether somepony is native or an immigrant. We believe that a pony’s actions speak louder than their family tree. It’s a city of opportunities where anypony can try to make their luck, no matter where they came from originally.”
There was a not so subtle jab at Canterlot culture there, and the princess no doubt noticed it. She opened her mouth, probably for some kind of retort, only to change her mind and settle for a surprisingly Celestia-like smile.
“We trust that we will not be disappointed by your city, Mister Aurum.”
It was obvious that she had different opinions, but she didn’t pry any further. Aden knew that his description was selective at best. Manehattan did have her problems, as all places did.
“Your cutie mark is very unusual,” the alicorn remarked next. “A torch? It is not something we would expect on a politician, if you’ll forgive our bluntness. May we ask you what is the meaning behind it and how you received it?”
Aden was hardly surprised at this question. Obsession with cutie marks was another thing he hated. He knew that the elites of Canterlot had a habit of ostracizing ponies who possessed cutie marks believed to represent ’lowly’ occupations. Just another way of entrenching the current hierarchy…
“The torch on my flank is a symbol of freedom and enlightenment, Your Highness. The story behind it is quite mundane, however. I received it while I was reading a book on the importance of liberty.”
That was a lie. In reality, he wasn’t much of a reader as a young colt; he preferred hanging out with his friends and engaging in some good old-fashioned troublemaking. One night, while crossing through some alleyway in the shady part of the city, they found a strange piece of paper, which turned out to be an illegal anti-monarchist pamphlet. After reading it, the others had a good laugh, and probably forgot about it, but Aden was intrigued and decided to keep it.
Admittedly, most of it was an incoherent, conspiratorial tirade accusing Princess Celestia of tyranny and not caring about the plight of the common pony. However, the anonymous author did include a few tidbits of genuine liberal thought in it, which was enough to ignite the colt’s imagination. Even at the age of ten, he resented the blind authoritarianism of society around him, but he couldn’t put his feelings into words until that pamphlet had done it for him.
Why is the world the way it is? And why should it stay that way forever?
He did not understand the meaning of his newly earned cutie mark, but he didn’t care. At that moment, he felt a sense a certainty; he knew what he was meant to do. It wasn’t until years of studying that he came across the metaphorical image of the torch-wielder leading ponies from a state of ignorance to enlightenment.
As all of this was flashing through his mind, Princess Luna raised an eyebrow.
“So you believe that your political beliefs are what define you above anything else?”
“I would say so, yes. Ever since I became aware of this, I’ve been advocating for liberalism.
“Well then, Mister Aurum,” she said, smiling encouragingly. “Advocate for it before us.”
The moment of truth, he thought.
“You see,” she added, “We have been away from Equestria for a long time. And while we have learned a lot since our return, we still lack a precise understanding of the politics of the country. We know a little about your views, of course, but we would greatly prefer it if you explained it to us in your own words. What is this liberalism, and how can it benefit Equestria?”
Aden nodded. He had, of course, voiced his views to all kinds of ponies over the years. As such, he understood the importance of knowing his audience, and choosing his words accordingly.
Unfortunately, the mare before him was quite an enigma. Based on her presumed age and status, he had to assume that she wasn’t all that different from Celestia, but still… behind the expected layer of formality, she did seem genuinely curious. What if he could actually convince her?
Aden decided to take a gamble. He took a deep breath, and began:
“Liberalism is a result of the last century’s philosophical advancements, Your Highness. In accordance with many of the greatest Equestrian thinkers, we profess that all ponies are born free and equal, and should remain as such. Our laws should not discriminate between peasants and nobles, workers and burghers, but treat them the same. Whether somepony is worthy of an office shouldn’t be decided by the privilege of their birth, but rather by their actual ability. Moreover, there should be an expansion of voting rights so that more ponies would be allowed to decide on the future of the country. This is equality. As for freedom, it’s quite simple: everypony has a right to live their lives the way they want. As long as a pony fulfills their civic duty, and doesn’t cause clear harm to others, no one should dictate to them how to live their lives. They shouldn’t be punished for disagreeing with Your Highness’ decisions, or for becoming wealthy, just to give two examples.
"In a liberal society, everpony would be happier, as they could put their destiny into their own hooves. Laws would be more just, as they would be made by representatives elected by the people. Everything would work better, as the country would be governed by talented professionals. Liberalism would propel Equestria to a golden age of freedom and prosperity!”
Aden hoped that she appreciated his boldness. If he was facing Celestia, he certainly would have worded things a bit differently.
The princess smiled again, and slightly leaned back in her chair.
“Your assumptions are certainly very interesting, Mister Aurum,” she said. “However, it behooves us to inform you just how flawed they truly are.”
Without missing a beat, she immediately went on the attack.
“You are no doubt familiar with the earth pony saying: ’keep your hooves on the ground’. Liberty is a noble idea, but not everypony can make good use of it. Ponies are a flawed lot, who are often led astray by their passions and instincts. Laws and traditions exist to moderate them; without those, they would ruin themselves and their peers.
"You might think of each pony as an island in itself, but the truth is that we all exist as parts of a single gargantuan creature named Society. We are its brain, heart, lungs and muscles… and just like the disease of a single organ can leave the entire body bedridden, so too can the actions of a single pony affect all others. By elevating the individual above the herd, you encourage ponies to care only about themselves, and neglect their duties to the families, their communities, and to the country itself.
"As for social equality, it simply cannot be accomplished by the stroke of a quill. How can we possibly involve in politics ponies who are barely literate? The very reason for Equestria’s success is that everpony accepts their Harmony-given place in it. Do our cutie marks not exist to show us what we were meant to be? If the nation’s leading positions were decided on elections where everypony can vote and everypony can be voted on, that would only lead to petty and demagogic politics. Ponies would see only what is good for them, not what is good for Equestria.
"Wise governance is only possible by focusing on what is instead of what ought to be. It seems to us that you and your liberals are chasing utopias, Mister Aurum.”
Aden spent a few moments digesting what she said. Contrary to her claims, the princess came well prepared for this debate. Still, there was nothing in her rebuttal that he hadn’t dealt with before. He heard the same old arguments from his own father, the honorable judge of the city of Manehattan, back in the day when he was but a teenager fond of reading ’subversive’ literature.
The difference was, he couldn’t call his current opponent a ’stubborn old fool’. He had to take a step back.
“Naturally, I understand your concerns, Your Highness,” he said politely. “The ideal liberal society I described obviously cannot be created within the current confines of Equestria. My goal is not to replace well-working institutions.” Aden slightly leaned forward for emphasis. “However, there are some specific reforms that I believe would greatly benefit our nation.”
“By all means, do list them.”
“Let’s take education, for example. Your Highness has touched upon an important issue with illiteracy. According to the latest census, thirty-five percent of Equestrian foals are not receiving a proper schooling. In some regions, the proportion of illiteracy among adults reaches as high as eighty percent! Many schools are not properly equipped, and are short on staff too. This has to be changed. We should increase the budget on education, develop a centralized curriculum, and make schooling mandatory. A well-educated populace will obtain essential skills they need in the everyday life, such as financial responsibility. Or… responsible voting.”
“It’s not possible to overcome the natural deficiency of intelligence through education only,” Luna countered, but the uncertainty in her voice was noticeable.
“With an appropriate education system, we could make a responsible citizen out of anypony. I’m sure of it.” Aden said with conviction.
The princess didn’t reply, and the stallion, pushing his momentary advantage, continued:
“Did you ever travel by train, Your Highness? (She nodded.) An amazing contraption, isn’t it? The pressure generated by steam gives it such a power that it can carry hundreds of tons of cargo at as much as seventy-eighty miles an hour! Or, what do you think about telegraphs? They allow instantaneous messaging between any two points in the country.
"These technological marvels didn’t just appear out of thin air. They were invented by engineers who acquired the necessary scientific and technical knowledge to make them a reality. Their use was kickstarted by entrepreneurs who understood what a revolutionary effect they would have on our lives. This is all thanks to free enterprise and the free flow of knowledge, Princess. There are many useful novelties that could have spread in Equestria a long time ago, if innovators’ efforts weren’t blocked by disinterest and conservatism. This is why we think it would be preferrable if the state loosened regulations on trade and merely ensured the fairness of competition. A truly free market will find the most efficient way of making Equestria prosper. The technological progress we are witnessing is a self-evident blessing for everypony, increasing productivity and-”
“Self-evident, you say?”
Aden grew quiet as he suddenly became aware of the silent fury eminating from the alicorn.
“These words might sound attractive to those ignorant of the issue, but I have seen the consequences of this so-called ’progress’ myself.
"Already tens of thousands of ponies have lost their livelihood because they couldn’t compete with machinery. In but a few years, entire communities have dissolved, their residents forced to migrate to the cities. And what awaits them there? Filthy slums and exhausting workdays, violence and crime. I’ve seen it all, Mister Aurum. Their dreams are dark and restless.
“Ponies are not meant to live like this” – she said in a somber tone. “We have always tried to live in balance with nature. It is our responsibility to take good care of the flora and fauna of this land. But now? Everything was thrown out of balance. It shocked me just how many forests have disappeared since my youth. We pour poison into the rivers and pump poison into the air. Once upon a time, I wished that ponies stayed awake so they could marvel at my night; but now when they do, they can’t even see my stars due to all the smoke in the cities!”
Aden was silent.
He wasn’t sure how he should reply all of a sudden. He expected Luna to merely come to the defense of old traditions and privileges, but the princess has shown a remarkable amount of social awareness for a mare of her station. And he couldn’t deny that some things have changed for the worse since his colthood. He too, saw those coughing, wheezing equine wrecks emerging from the factories of Manehattan at the end of their twelve-hour shifts. There simply weren’t enough weather pegasi to keep the city’s air clean anymore, either.
“We will find the solution to end squalor and pollution,” he said eventually. “While modernization may have its drawbacks, it is still our best hope for raising living standards for the average pony.”
It was a decent deflection, he thought. He didn’t want to admit just how uncomfortable this topic was to him.
The princess looked at him like she was reading his thoughts, but she mercifully decided to drop the subject.
“And what, pray tell, is your ’solution’ to us?” she asked instead.
“Us?”
“Myself and Princess Celestia,” she clarified. “You said that you want equality before the law, Mister Aurum; but it did not escape our notice that you neglected to mention the two of us, who are very clearly not equal to other ponies. In fact, the law doesn’t bind us whatsoever. How exactly do you plan on dealing with this contradiction? As I recall, you assured me that you respect the authority of the Crown.”
Aden frowned, but he knew that he had to bring his line of thought to its logical conclusion. There was no turning back now.
“Princess Celestia is the natural ruler of this nation. She possesses special magical powers and experience that make her the obvious choice to be the leader of ponykind. And you too, Your Highness… I, uh, understand you were also our ruler previously, so this should also be true for you.”
Princess Luna’s eyes narrowed, but she did not interrupt this time.
“That said,” Aden continued, “we are in the 12th century now. Equestria should no longer be an absolutistic monarchy… or rather, diarchy, sorry. A written constitution would lay down the basic workings of the state, and clearly define the legal authority of the diarchs. In practice, this wouldn’t decrease your powers, as Princess Celestia has already relegated a lot of hers to the government and parliament. A constitution would only codify what was already in practice.”
A dark smile crept on the alicorn’s face.
“Once again, you are making assumptions, Mister Aurum. What makes you think that the Crownhas given up on those powers forever?”
“Because Princess Celestia could no longer handle everything herself effectively…” he said automatically before he realized that he was being led into a trap.
“That was the case before, indeed. But there’s two of us now, isn’t there? I would be more than happy to assist my sister and relieve your future administration from a few burdens, such as, let’s say, foreign policy; as a ’natural leader’ of Equestria, like you put it.”
A stallion’s face hardened.
“That would be a wrong decision, Your Highness. For multiple reasons.”
“But there’s no written law against it, is there?”
Aden gritted his teeth. Only now did he realize where she was leading him.
“There are unwritten laws,” he admitted begrudgingly.
“Ah, so our Equestria isn’t as tyrannical as you just wanted to imply?” Luna allowed herself a self-congratulatory smirk. “Me and my sister’s rule has always been based on tradition and precedent, Mister Aurum. We are not going to just take over ministries on a whim. Your concerns are wholly unjustified. Frankly, I’m still not convinced that your liberalism is needed at all.” She gave him an almost bored look.
At this point in his life, Aden was used to being dismissed by other ponies; what he wasn’t used to is being dismissed with one hoof already in the door. The rational part of his mind suggested for him to backtrack again and try to compromise, but this time, he refused to listen; that damned pride he inherited from the old stallion finally compelled him to strike back at the smug alicorn.
“But you could do it.” He slowly rose in his chair, and looked directly into her eyes. “There is no real obstacle to it. You could dissolve the government. Abolish the entire parliament and just rule by decree. Some ponies might grumble about it, so what? Most of them can’t even entertain the thought of you being wrong about anything. And besides, who would dare to challenge those who move the heavens over their heads? If you two truly have the power, all you have to do is hold back the sunrise, and you could force your will on the entire world!”
He didn’t get the reaction he expected. At the last sentence, the eyes of the lunar princess snapped wide open and her body tensed. She glared at Aden, averted her gaze, then looked at him again as her expression went from surprise to anger, from anger to panic, from panic to… shame?
Aden’s first thought was that she was going to kill him on the spot like a wrathful god.
His second thought was that she was going to flee in tears like a scolded filly.
But she did neither, and the politician realized that he had to salvage the situation somehow.
“Forgive me, Your Highness,” he said quickly. “I lost my temper.”
After a few tense moments, the mare took a deep breath and slowly composed herself. She spoke up in a quiet tone:
“Mister Aurum, if your constitution… if your constitution defines what we can and cannot do, then it consequently has to sanction our punishment should we ever violate it. Do you agree that my sister and I have to stand trial if we broke the law, just like any other pony?”
He really didn’t want to say it in that moment, but only one answer existed.
“Yes.”
Dead silence settled between them. The alicorn stared at Aden for a few more moments, then she slumped back into her chair, seemingly lost in thought. They both knew what this simple ’yes’ meant: he said what nopony dared to openly say before. The alicorns were living gods. The mere thought of prosecuting them seemed absurd.
Minutes passed, and Aden was getting increasingly uncomfortable. He knew that his outburst was a serious mistake. He never should not have opened up to the alicorn like this to begin with.
“I too, have to ask for your forgiveness,” Luna said finally with a slight bow. “I did not wish to provoke you. I simply wanted to know the truth.”
Aden awkwardly squirmed in his seat. He no longer knew what he should say to the princess; he didn’t even know what to think about her. He made all these clever plans on how he was going to impress Celestia, but it all went downhill from the minute he saw the other alicorn. For the first time since the start of this conversation, he was unsure what to do. Strangely enough, the mare opposite to him seemed to be in a similar predicament.
Calm down, he said to himself.What’s done is done. He told her plainly what he thought. If she decides to show him the door after this, so be it. He will try again.
They can’t ignore him forever.
His mind now at relative ease, Aden forcibly relaxed his body, and, for the first time since his arrival, looked around in the room.
He assumed that this was Princess Celestia’s usual office, and indeed: the carpets, the furniture, the curtains all had small stylized suns on them. The table they were at seemed to be at least two hundred years old, and the cabinets weren’t much newer either. That said, compared to what he saw in the other parts of the palace, this place was kind of… moderate. It was more practical than luxurious. All the white and gold colors gave it a pleasant, sunny look.
And so Princess Luna felt very much out of place here, where everything was designed for her sister...
Suddenly, realization hit Aden: this meeting wasn’t just about him. It probably was a test for her as well. A new princess and a new prime minister; they were on more equal ground than he previously believed.
Aden found this thought somewhat comforting.
The next thing that caught his attention was the guard behind him. He believed that it was the same mare that escorted him in, but it was hard to tell, as the royal guards were hard to differentiate in their enchanted armor.
Aden was puzzled. What was she doing inside the room? Wasn’t her post outside?
“Well, Mister Aurum,” Luna unexpectedly broke the silence, derailing his train of thoughts, “it was a most educational experience conversing with you, but you must have a lot of work to do. By our royal powers, we now authorize you to form the next government of Equestria.”
A wave of relief washed over Aden.
“T-thank you, Your Highness. I promise to-”
“It is not your promises we need. Kneel down.”
Aden complied.
“Repeat after me: I, Aden Aurum do solemnly swear…”
Princess Luna found herself staring at the door where the newly appointed prime minister just left.
And yet, she could still clearly hear his words of accusation.
If you two truly had the power, all you had to do was hold back the sunrise, and you could force your will on the entire world!
Where did this come from? Did he actually know about Nighmare Moon? Or it just a coincidence?
The princess wondered just how many others shared the opinion of the earth pony politician. She understood that the days when she and Celestia were looked upon with religious adoration by their subjects were long gone. Ponies in these modern times were much more cynical; like this Aurum, who wanted to make laws restricting the authority of the princesses, because he wouldn’t trust them.
Luna might’ve let it pass if the liberal merely criticized her own lack of experience, but he made it obvious that his grievances were mostly with her sister.
What insolence! Celestia dedicated nearly the entirety of her incredibly long life to the service of Equestria. She did more and knew more than anypony. What right did others have to dictate what she should or should not be allowed to do?
Why couldn’t they simply trust her?
The creaking of the antique door announced the return of the guard. As she entered, Luna gave her a knowing look, causing the mare to wink back. Suddenly, her body twisted; a large horn grew out of her forehead, while her mane and tail transformed into a colorful banner. In just a few seconds, Celestia stood before her at her full height.
Luna wasn’t impressed.
“You are aware that you could have turned invisible just as easily, right?”
The white alicorn gave her a small smile.
“It’s not the same. I like to mingle among my little ponies from time to time, to understand what their lives are like. I would only be a distant observer while invisible.”
Luna sighed.
“We shouldn’t have switched places. You could have gotten much more out of him.”
Celestia settled next to her younger sister.
“It is a disadvantage of reigning for so long,” she explained, “that ponies have become more aware of my habits, and thus they have found ways to deceive me. Aden obviously came well prepared to defend his views in front of me, but you managed to throw him off a bit. You made him believe that you are easier to influence, and this loosened his tongue. Now we know what he wants.
“The gradual but complete transformation of Equestria in accordance with his liberal principles, ” Luna said.
“Yes. The question is: shall we allow him to do it?”
“You are not… opposed to him?”
“Honestly? I’m not sure what to think.” Celestia admitted.
“What he said didn’t really convince me.”
“Me neither. But I’m afraid that is still only two opinions weighed against a hundred thousand, even if we merely count the margin of the liberal victory.”
Luna could hardly believe what she was hearing.
“This is not a democracy, sister,” she pointed out. “You could have rejected him. Isn’t it our duty to do the right thing, even at the cost of being shunned?”
“I believe I left that decision up to you.”
Luna flushed in embarrassment as she realized that the elder alicorn was right. Who was she trying to fool? She pretended to be Celestia’s equal in front of Aden, and yet, when push came to shove…
…she could only think of what Celestia would do.
And Celestia never rejected any of the previous prime minister-elects who came to her.
“But to answer your question, I don’t know what ’doing the right thing’ means anymore.” Celestia walked towards the window and looked down at the city below her. “I ruled this country for a millenia according to the old principles I laid down long ago. Sometimes I was a bit loose with the law, sometimes I made compromises, but generally speaking, I managed to keep things the same. And my ponies were happy.
“But recently… I mean, in the last hundred years or so,” she chuckled. “Equestria transformed so quickly and so dramatically. The invention of machines changed the way ponies work. The resulting industrialization has led to urbanization, which created what they now call ’mass politics.’ These, in turn, have empowered the middle class that forms Aden’s core of supporters: businessmares, industrialists, and intellectuals, mostly earth ponies. As the demographic and economic centre of the country shifts towards the eastern cities, they are starting to demand policies that favor them instead of traditional bases of power like Canterlot. They produce the most wealth, so they think it’s only fair that their interests are better represented.”
Luna snorted.
“Bah! These liberals speak of fairness, but what do they care for the working ponies toiling in their factories or the farmers going bankrupt in Middle Equestria? Self-serving hypocrites…”she angrily mumbled under her breath.
The solar princess turned around and gave her a concerned look.
“Is everything all right, Luna?”
“Yes,” she said instictively, only to shake her head a second later. “It’s just what he said about our possible accountability that got me thinking…”
“About Nightmare Moon,” Celestia stated.
“I never really answered for my crimes a thousand years ago.”
“Luna…”
“Treason. Rebellion. Murder. No mere misdemeanors, sister.”
“Luna, we talked about this.” Celestia said. “That wasn’t you. You are not responsible for what happened…”
“Of course I am responsible!” Luna snapped, interrupting her. “It was I who allowed things to get that bad. I was the one who let the darkness into my heart. Willingly.” She huffed. “I am guilty.They could very well drag me before the court of Equestria.”
She let out a bitter laugh.
“But it wouldn’t stop with me, would it? If my actions as Nightmare Moon ever came to light, ponies would soon start wondering just what prevents you from doing the same. Your inherent benevolence? They no longer believe in such things, sister! Not only have I damned myself, but I undermined your own rule as well!”
As Celestia listened to her rant, the usual mask of serenity slowly slipped from her face, leaving only sadness. She opened her mouth to say something, perhaps to repeat her previous statement, but no sound came.
“The truth is,” said Luna quietly, “I simply cannot measure up to you, Celestia.”
The Sun Princess hung her head, and sighed deeply.
“That makes two of us.”
At Luna’s questioning glance, she continued:
“You judge yourself too harshly and me too lightly, my sister. In the past, I have also done many things that make me feel ashamed. I might have been inexperienced and desperate, but that is no excuse for the tyranny of my early years. And unlike you, I never suffered from magical corruption, nor did I end up being banished for a thousand years. Few ponies bother to study ancient history nowadays; but those that do will forever know me as the mare who sent thousands to their deaths because they refused to worship her.”
Luna listened to her in silent shock. She tried to imagine Celestia as a ruthless tyrant, but it didn’t fit into her image of her sister at all.
Celestia finally looked at her, and forced a weak smile on herself.
“No one is faultless, Luna, especially not us immortals. I have forgiven you as both sister and ruler, and that’s all that matters. I will not forsake you ever again, no matter what the future holds. I swear to you.”
Stretching her wings, she embraced the younger alicorn.
“Thank you, Tia.” Luna said in a trembling voice, letting her tears flow freely.
