Lūna Contra Sōlem

by Isuvyw

Rating: teen
Tags: Violence, Princess Celestia, Anthology, Princess Luna, Drama, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Tragedy
Length: 1473

How Luna came to resent, and eventually, rebel against Celestia. Through a series of letters exchanged in poetic metre.

Equestria has always been governed by two sisters.

The elder sister ruled the day; the younger ruled the night. One was forthright, initiative, and vigorous; the other was reticent, intimate, and subtle. The elder doted on the earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns; the younger cherished the half-bats and the shadows.

Yet, despite their vast differences, their immense love for each other sustained this delicate balance.

Until pride and prejudice split them apart, while politics and pressure eroded their love.

One rebelled against the other. Equestria needed only one ruler – either the Sun in all her blazing glory, or the Moon in all her luminescent radiance.

- - -

Written for the Pony Poetry Contest by SecondPrances and Alofel.

Cover art by me.

Published 2024-10-12 13:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-10-12 13:00:00 UTC

1a. Supplementary - Writ of Evidence

Dated A. I. 439.6.16

My aide, Anusha “Sunflower”, states thus:
“It is openly known among the guards
That Kursha is faithfully courting a mare.
In addition, he possesses restraint and control –
His supervisors and comrades have witnessed such.
Therefore, it is false that Kursha had purposely
Tempted and fought with Shielding and Gladden.”

Kursha’s supervisor, Shanima, states thus:
“Kursha possesses a good reputation,
I have witnessed it ever since he entered service:
He is punctual, disciplined, and maintains his body.
I confirm that he is courting a mare.
Therefore, the claim that he flirted with stallions
Is false, since he does not possess such feelings.”

His comrade, Gusha “Ironhammer”, states thus:
“On the day of this incident in question,
I happened to pass guards Shielding and Gladden.
I didn't see bruises or scars on their bodies,
Therefore, it can’t be that Kursha fought first.
Furthermore, I truthfully testify that Kursha
Is a kind, easy-going, and friendly stallion.
I do not believe that he would cross boundaries –
This I confirm with some pegasi comrades:
Silent Feather and Obsidian Flame.”

The aforementioned Feather and Flame state thus:
“Kursha is respectable, discreet, and hardworking.
It is unthinkable that he would start a fight.”
“I claim that Kursha is a fair and humble friend,
Therefore, if he fought, it must be for good reason.”

Author's Note

Thestral names do not follow Equestrian conventions. Most names originate from their native language. Equestrian-language nicknames are sometimes added to distinguish between two similarly-named individuals, or for the sake of easier reading.

1. Molestiae cum Vigilēs

A.I. 439.6.131
Ab Lunām ad Caelestem2

To my dear sister, to whom it may concern,
I pray that this letter finds you in good grace.
I beseech you, listen to what I have to say,
For it regards the thestrals, my children whom I love.

A strange report had come to me
On the night of the twelfth day of this month.
My aide, whom I shall refrain from naming,
Had told me that violence had occurred.

It seems that two of your trusted officers,
Agate Shielding and Swift Gladden,
Have choked and beaten dear Kursha, my guard,
For refusing, I heard, to sleep with them.

I visited the stallion myself, indeed,
He bore on his body most terrifying scars,
Cuts and bruises on his barrel and flanks,
And a nasty gash to his eye and muzzle.

I vetted his claim that those two above
Had wanted to spend the night with him.
Having questioned my officers and trusted aides,
I have determined that this is true.

For since his admission into my corps,
Agate and Swift have pestered him greatly.
Friends and comrades have sworn overhearing
Their claims that he was a ravishing beauty.
They had approached him again and again,
Telling how utterly pleased they would be
If they could share his bed at night.

He had refused and declined their requests,
Saying that he had no feelings for stallions.
And thus, they had cornered him inside the showers
And dealt with him in the aforementioned manner.

Now, dear sister, please look into this case.
Be assured, I trust your judgment and wisdom.
Question your aides, examine your officers,
And deal with it with a fair and just measure.

Nevertheless, in case you should find
Some evidence that counters my claims so far,
Then I shall question dear Kursha again:
If he is lying, I will punish him severely.
If he is truthful, I shall write to you again.

Your beloved sister,
Luna.

A.I. 439.6.15
Ab Caelestem ad Lunām

To my beloved sister, whom I highly treasure,
I pray this letter finds you in good health,
For it concerns the complaint which you
Made privy to me two nights ago.

I had conferred with my aides, and they had
Launched an inquiry regarding this matter,
They have confirmed that guards Shielding and Gladden
Indeed have committed this hideous error.

When questioned, they claim that they did so because
Kursha, your guard, had provoked them first.
They say that he lustily flirted with them,
And made obscene movements inside the shower.
They claim that he purposely tried to mislead them,
For when they had asked to spend the night,
He refused, raged, and threw the first punch.

Emblazoned Fury, their supervisor and trainer,
Claims that they are the victims, and thus,
The blame should be placed on Kursha, your guard,
He asks for him to be punished accordingly.

I shall not hastily jump to conclusions,
Thestral or pony, I shall judge fair.
Therefore, dear sister, inquire of your guard,
And see if his claims are credible and true.
If so, please gather the relevant evidence
And send it when you next write to me.
If not, then Kursha must properly and publicly
Apologize to Shielding, Gladden, and Fury.
As for his penalty, I leave it to you,
Since he is under your vassalage.

Your beloved sister,
Celestia.

A.I. 439.6.18
Ab Lunām ad Caelestem

To my dear sister, whom I greatly love,
With haste I reply to yesterday’s missive.
It grieves me to hear of such accusations,
Therefore, I gladly supply you with evidence,
Gathered from ponies and thestrals alike.
Their statements I shall disclose in a writ,
Which you should find attached to this letter.

I have questioned my aides and subordinates alike,
And they, with one voice, have stated their claim:
The accusations made against Kursha are false.
They testify that he is of good reputation,
And highly regarded within my cohort.
Moreover, it is well-known in my presence
That he is faithfully courting a mare.
I vouch the claims above, dear sister,
For Kursha has served me on many occasions.

These claims are expounded in much greater detail
Within the writ I attached to this missive.
Therefore, dear sister, I trust you shall read them.
I await a true and honest judgment.

Though I believe that this is sufficient,
If you do wish for confirmation,
You may consult the names above;
They will be glad to vouch for their claims.

Your beloved sister,
Luna.

Author's Note

1 A.I. stands for Ab Inceptiōne, "After Inception," counting from the time Equestria was first established. The following numbers indicate the month and date respectively.
2 The princesses' names as rendered in Classical Equestrian.

2. Omnia Rēcta Sunt

A.I. 439.6.20
Ab Caelestem ad Lunām

To my dear sister, I hope you are well,
I pray that this answer will gladden your heart.
Please soothe your rage and grieve no more.
I have judged this case with an honest measure.

As you advised in your previous letter,
Regarding the writ of evidence received,
I questioned the ponies you named within,
And took the time to weigh their claims.
After a quick debate with my aides,
I had concluded that they were authentic.

Then, I summoned both Shielding and Gladden,
And pitted these claims against their own.
They could not give me a solid reply,
And neither could Fury provide an excuse;
They could not counter the evidence given,
For it was confirmed by both ponies and thestrals.
By this, I determined that they were at fault,
Therefore, dear sister, I charged them this penalty:

In front of our eyes, Shielding and Gladden
Must bravely and firmly apologize to Kursha.
The same shall be done by Emblazoned Fury
To Shanima, being respective supervisors.

Furthermore, Shielding and Gladden shall each
Be fined a fair sum of 120 argens1.
The money will go into the martial treasury;
I leave it to the overseer in charge of its transfer.

I hope this letter will calm you, sister,
Having done my best to do what is right.
And now, I believe that a break is in order:
Shall we meet for tea tomorrow, at noon?
I’ll ask for some chocolate and oats to be served –
I know that you heartily savor this treat.

Your beloved sister,
Celestia.

(The same date)
Ab Lunām ad Caelestem

To my dear sister, I answer with haste,
For my heart is filled with unspeakable joy.
I am utterly grateful to you, dear sister,
For doing your best to vindicate Kursha.
From the aides, guards, officers, and myself:
Thank you for restoring our pride and honor.

I shall be pleased to say, dear sister, that
Kursha will gladly and freely accept
Shielding and Gladden’s apologies.
He will hold no grudges, and will
Kindly treat them as brothers again.

Thank you for kindly inviting me to tea,
I look forward to spending some time with you.
I jest, for I can most certainly hear those
Chocolate and oats yelling out my name.

Your beloved sister,
Luna.

Author's Note

1 An argen is a small silver coin, equivalent to 1/16 of a bit.