****

Princess Luna

Waking up I felt confused, moments before I had been in the Day court, I had been called there by my sister, the ponies…

My blood froze as I remembered why they had asked for me during the day: the Alicorn stallion. ‘Ari’ I believe the mare had called him, the stallion that matched the description of the stallion I had met in the Dream world. I had called him a fake Alicorn, a mistake I knew I had to correct.

Dear Faust, if his temper was anything like father’s was then I was already six feet under-

“Luna I know you are awake. We have to talk.”

I cracked open a eye, my sister stood above me with her motherly disapproving frown that she had perfected over the centuries. Despite how much regret I held over my reaction to Ari, that seemed to pale in comparison to Tia's disapproval. She was understandably hurt, an emotion I had hoped to console her on, not to be the cause of. But at the time not telling her of his strange dream bubble had seemed like a sound idea, she had been upset and I had been behind in my work.

It was time to explain myself though.

Opening my other eye I saw I was in Tia’s chambers, resting on her bed’s golden sheets as the sun shinned through the grand windows. Her chambers didn’t seem in any worse of wear despite the large quantities of cake I know she had been having delivered daily. It was making her mane extremely ethereal lately, with all the extra magic being produced.

Sitting up with my legs folded underneath me I looked back at her, ears slowly dropping at lack of emotion her face was portraying. She was really, really upset.

“Welllll, I mean, it just didn’t seem important at the time. You were upset and I figured you wouldn’t want to hear about the…the ‘fake’ Alicorn.” I cringed a little as I finally said it, knowing my sister would understand exactly what I had done.

“Luna,” She took a deep breath as the room felt warmer, “Did you just say ‘fake Alicorn’?”

I nodded keeping my eyes averted from my sister as the temperature in her chambers increased again.

“He certainly didn’t sound fake, those ponies truly believed what they said and with the fact that you could describe him exactly I assume you know he isn’t fake after today.” There was a bite to her voice now.

“Y-yes sister I am aware.” What else could I say, I had acted rashly and now I would have to live with the consequences. However, she still-

“Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

“Actually yes-“, I flinched as the temperature started increasing again, gulping I explained, “-I only noticed his dream bubble due to its distortion. Its surface wasn’t holding its shape and…and-“

A knock sounded from the door, causing me to flinch, and my sister to glare at the offending sound.

“P-Princess C-Celestia?” It was Celestia’s court herald, Loud Script.

“Yes. Has the court left then?”

“Y-yes, I brought the letter Azure Heights delivered. How-“

He never was able to finish his sentence as my sister opened the door, using her magic to bring the letter to the bed.

“Thank you Loud Script, you have been most professional throughout today’s…developments. I do hope you take the rest of the off, it is certainly deserved.” Tia gave him a warm smile, her mask partially on. She really does care for the ponies but she, just like myself, are only ponies, and as such have our limits. She was rushing through the formalities, but I think the herald was glad for her speed, I can only imagine how scary my sister was when I fainted.

Slouching in relief at his princess’s smile he quickly looked at me, “It is a relief to see you are better Princess Luna, I hope your night court is...quick.” The stallion didn’t know what to say, quick was a more accurate description to how he wanted this conversation to go. Although even he realized that I was undoubtedly going to get swamped doubly so after my presence in the day court.

I could hear the nobles now, questioning my knowledge of the Alicorn, carrying their petty petitions over from the disrupted day court.

“Thank ye Loud Script, we were merely overcome at thee moment. We are feeling better.”

With a quick bow to my sister and me he left, closing the door in his magic.

“A letter?!”

Tia nodded before hopping up onto her bed, settling beside me. Her wing wrapping around my barrel, “They were asked by Ari to deliver it to both of us, apparently it is important.” She paused and narrowed her eyes at the scroll, “Important enough to be sealed. It will be easy for either one of us to break, but I think Ari wanted this to stay between us.”

“Ah, sister remember the question you asked before we were interrupted, “ Tia nodded, “Well, his dream bubble was not only distorting but two magics were with it. A golden magic was shielding it from a white magic field that was trying to break in, I believe they were great magical beings… like the ones mother told us about. Strangely enough I could have sworn I heard somepony laugh hysterically before both magic fields disappeared." Tia gave me a nod, "I guess my point is that he must be very important.”

All the while I was explaining the peculiar event Tia was growing more and more concerned, “The beings didn’t try to do you any harm? They just left when you noticed them?”

“Y-yes, that’s when I entered Ari’s dream and met him, but…” I trailed off as something hit me.

“Yes?”

“He thought I was part of the dream, he didn’t know who I was!” A nervous chuckle left my throat, “He actually questioned if he was aroused to dream me up! Tia can you-“

My sister held up a hoof and i could have sworn her eye twitched, “Perhaps we should read his letter, I have many questions. As happy as I am that the stallion thinks you're attractive enough to dream about I am concerned that such powerful beings have an interest in him. That they would let you view the dream his mind that they were protecting and attacking respectably, it seems like a trap.”

She was right. That had occurred to me, why else would they suddenly stop their efforts when I was a lesser being than them?

Her golden magic wove around the scroll before a green double helix of magic appeared around the scroll, woven to prevent its opening. My sister hummed in concern before using her magic to unwind the helix from the scroll, it fading into the air as the connection was broken.

Sharing a determined look we unrolled the letter, in it the letter read:

Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

It is with both great excitement and trepidation that I am writing to you, the excitement as this has been taken a good week to happen, although it will be longer than that by the time this reaches you. Azure and Barium should be delivering this letter safely to you, although I can’t guarantee that Azure won’t have at least tried to read it. The trepidation I feel in writing to you both lies in what small information I have heard of regarding yourselves and the nature of our future meeting.

I squirmed a little as read that, he was going to meet with us, and I had insulted him. When he realizes it was me that insulted him he won’t be happy to see us at all. It was the Gryphon negations of 1854 all over again.

But before I continue I would like to inform you I only know small details about both of you, details that I will admit are just small pieces of the bigger picture, and I will try to hold my final judgement till I learn of the bigger picture.

However, perhaps you should look at the bigger picture as well?

As I read his query I felt confusion, what exactly was he referring to? Tia must have been a couple sentences behind me, as just as I paused to reflect on his words I felt her body heat up beside me. Controlling the sun she took on certain characteristics since her magical core was linked to it, normally they were kept hidden however under extreme emotion they appeared, like now. He had obviously offended her somehow. Sweating a little now I continued reading, he might explain it...

Firstly, an issue that has been brought to my attention that is completely barbaric in my opinion: The Law of the Herd. I would love to know exactly how a low birth rate and low fertility prompted this law to return, off the top of my head I can think of three ways to increase births without taking away your citizen’s freedom to choose their partners. If Azure and Barium are any sign of how your citizen’s feel about the law then I think you both should consider amending the law. If your miniscule brains can truly not think of any changes than here are some I thought of:

Foal benefits packages – Take a chunk out of the royal treasury and pay ponies to have foals, it will allow even the lowest income pony to have foals. Fertility doesn’t understand rich and poor after all.

Artificial Insemination- Pay virile stallions for their sperm, then give it free to any and all couples with a sterile stallion, couple this with the Foal Benefits package and I think they will like that. This will also allow same sex couples to stay together, no herd stallion needed.

Surrogate Mares- Give any infertile mares the opportunity to have a another mare carry a foal for her, pay for all the surrogate’s needs and before you know it you will have plenty of mares interested in such a job.

There are the three law related changes that I think could help the unease your barbaric law has caused, of course I still believe you should be looking at pony genetics as well. Research some fertility remedies and give them to your citizens for free. If you are concerned for the country’s future enough to take away your citizen’s right to choose then I think you are invested enough to afford to sponsor the repopulation effort.

Now I’m afraid I’m going to have to shatter your ignorant excuses for brain cells, but have you looked at what you do every dawn and dusk respectively? Moving a giant ball of gas and a hunk of space rock around your planet…I hate to break it to you but despite what the ponies think it isn’t natural, in reality the planet should be doing the moving around the sun and the moon around the planet. At least that is how the world works where I came from was like. Please let it be known that because of your ignorance, the damage you have done, I have been taken from my world, my home, and I am very angry about that fact.

Do you know what it feels like to never be able to return home, to be tossed into a world as a god’s toy pony to solve problems that I didn’t even have anything to do with?

As much as I would love to tell you exactly how much you fucking messed up my life and many other lives on this planet I will refrain for now. In two to three weeks time I will be in Canterlot to meet with you both.

I trust we will have much to discuss.

Till then,

Ari

****

Princess Celestia

I could feel my heart race as I read his letter, as the pieces fell into place, and I started to feel the room spin. My control was wavering, even Luna noticed as she shifted besides me, my body's temperature increasing. It was one of side effects of planetary magic that I hated. But he had insulted us, no, insulted our family, even though I knew what he said was true about the old orbiting pattern, I couldn't help but feel that he didn't really understand our reasons. Taking a deep breath I recalled he even wrote that he doesn't know much about us. Perhaps he is simply uninformed, uninformed and rude, but uninformed all the same.

But there was a lot to process from such a short letter. An orderly assessment was surely the easiest way to handle this, taking a couple of steadying breaths I went over his letter again.

Ari not surprisingly thought poorly of our response to the population crisis we were facing and I felt hurt at his statements, if not a little annoyed, I mean of course it was barbaric. It was created over five thousand years ago! No matter how much truth I saw in his words i couldn't help but hold my tongue, perhaps I can explain it to him when he arrives. Another deep breath as i processed the underlying feeling of hurt, those words coming from the only Alicorn beside my sister held more weight. No that too was only a half truth. It was also his status as the only Alicorn stallion that held sway, for after all the talk of my sister and I’s possible sterility and impossibility of continuing the monarchy as things stood he presented us with a hope.

A real relationship where our stallion would not grow old with age before us.

Perhaps we could be seen as mares, a feeling we had never had the chance to truly experience, as soon as we both had towered over the stallions they stopped even considering us as possible marefriends. I wasn’t alone in this sentiment, tall mares everywhere faced the same problem, although we were considered attractive we were intimidating to mount, requiring a mounting block, and I know of no stallion that likes to look up to his mare.

But that was neither here nor there now, my thoughts are already running away on me as I read on, keeping a firm grip on my emotions. He was simply unaware of somethings.

Ari’s points on the law held some truth and reminded me why I had chosen it in the first place: I didn’t and still don’t believe my ponies object to having herds and herds on average have more foals than a couple. However, the arranged herds was what they feared and admittedly not the best part of the law to keep. Not that I blamed the ponies for fearing arranged herds. Although not a filly anymore, I understood the fears they must feel being paired with a strange stallion, my parents had considered it for us briefly. It wasn’t something I enjoyed the thought of nor something I wished on them but it had been included in the original law, which was all I could think of at the time.

Perhaps I will try to make the amendments Ari suggested, they sound like wise decisions, amendments that in hindsight I should have made before announcing the reinstatement of the law. A law that was originally made when pony society wasn’t as civilized as it was now surely required amending.

His rude comments made my blood boil before I re-read the next part of his letter.

Moving down his letter I looked at the next part I could make sense of and I felt my fur heat as I saw red, he had blatantly disrespected our intelligence. Although I could understand somewhat when my ponies questioned it lately, they were filled with fear and weren't thinking clearly. But this audacious stallion who even freely admitted he would reserve his final judgement seems to have a pretty clear opinion of us, quite frankly I thought this stallion had more respect than this. Luna flinched as a small spark flew off my mane.

Okay deep breaths, reacting now wasn't going to help anything now, I could address this when he comes.

After I felt my heart slow i continued, he did make sense for most his point. The part where on us raising the sun and the moon was true, but we have always known how it used to work before our Father and Mother had developed the planetary branch of magic to stabilize the country’s weather and seasons. It was instrumental to the development of the Equestrian economy, a fact still recognized as bits were still the main coin across the continent, and would be eventually around the world.

But his words still hung in my mind and I’m sure Luna’s as well, if her slack jawed look meant what I thought it did.

He was taken from his home because we were causing 'destruction', a foalish thought when we did not leave Equestria nor did we have any wars going on, it was more accurately and likely that he was taken on some beings whim and spoon fed false information. Mother had mentioned how some ‘great magical beings’ or 'gods' as I called them, were tricksters and cruel entities that enjoyed messing with mortals. However I had never heard of a god messing with a demi-god level entity such as an Alicorn.

Looking at my sister I could see tears in her eyes, she knew how he felt most closely, she had a thousand years to be alone after all, and he was surely alone in our world. I could hope that we could see eye to eye after the meeting, Lulu could use more friends.

His foul language and insult was still offensive but in light of what he has been through I believe a little rudeness is acceptable. That did not mean I would not be asking for a formal apology for such disrespect but I could see where he had come from.

“So Ari is coming to meet with us.” My voice sounded weak to my ears and though the room had stilled I felt that my world slowly tilting.

“Yes sister and he is already angry with us, he has been so before I even insulted him." A sniffle sounded from beside me,"I am sorry for my foalish action, I was rash, It se-“

“No Luna I have done actions far more foalish than that.” Luna widened her eyes as she understood my words, nuzzling my muzzle. I didn’t feel any better but I appreciated her love, despite not deserving it, the ponies were right about some things. Lulu deserved a better sister.

“I have told you time and time again sister, I was a mad mare then, and you were protecting our people. There is no fault in protecting others…”

Although I could see the wisdom in that I still felt bad that Lulu had suffered so much. I shuffled my wing and tucked my little sister close, she was here now at least, and neither of us was alone.

Placing Ari’s letter on my desk I turned to Luna, “Would you stay with me today? Due to some pony fainting, Day court has been canceled and I haven’t the will to tell them otherwise.” That got me a giggle.

“Why of course sister, only if thy intends to join us in Night court. I fear it shall be even busier than last night. Perhaps if we end it early we could go to the dreamscape together? I know it is not thy favorite magic but…”

I thought over Lulu’s words, of course Night court will be crazy from the gossip. Not only was Luna called to Day court, fainted in Day court, and the cause of me ending Day court early. But all of that was due to the announcement of an Alicorn, an Alicorn stallion in a population crisis. It would be foalish for me not to go after all that. Not to mention Luna of course wanted to try and find Ari again in the dream world, to apologize to him, and most likely give him a hug.

I would like to see him as well.

“No worry Lulu, I won’t let you face the madness alone and I would like to come met Ari as well, even if it is only his unconscious self.”

“Thank you sister.”With that we both elected for a nap as both of us would be awake for Night court for once.

It would be exciting; I haven’t held night court in quite a while.

****

I opened my eyes just as the call of the sunset went over my magic’s core, blinking I looked over at Luna. She was just rousing herself as well, giving a cute yawn that reminded me of her as a foal, just nestled up to mother’s belly after feeding.

Where has the time gone?

Removing myself from Lulu’s cuteness I made my way to my balcony, wincing as I felt my regalia move along my fur, I had forgotten to remove it. Magic opening the doors, I looked out over Canterlot and beyond. Somewhere out there was another Alicorn.

Hearing the quiet hoof falls of I waited till she made it my side, “Good evening sister, it is nearly time.”

Luna gave me another small yawn before her stomach replied, I blinked before my stomach agreed with hers causing us both to giggle. We had forgone lunch, a act that we would have remedy lest we cause even more scandal than we already have, unfortunately, our stomachs were very much as great and endless as our magic.

Perking up, her horn glowed a dark blue as my horn shown with a golden light, pulling the sun from its position in the sky. As ponies shuffled to get home and a few gazed up at us my sister’s orb began to fill the western sky, glowing bright in its ascent. With my sun put to sleep, I stopped my magic to appreciate the stars that appeared in Lulu’s sky.

She still did it better than me.

That was merely due to her proficiency in illusion magic, as the stars would always be mostly the same. They were too far for our planetary magic’s to reach, a fact that still bothered Luna I’m sure. Although she made elaborate illusions of stars to keep the idea that the entire night was her domain, it truly wasn’t, we were merely maestros with a limited baton over the world’s music.

A fact that was most apparent with the arrival of Ari.

With our duty down, moon held stationary in the sky, we entered my bedroom again. Luna was frowning as she looked back at her moon, a frown that I didn’t share, surely she remembered why we must move them.

“Sister, do you recall the part where he said we have caused destruction…That we are ignorant and have ruined lives? I can’t help but wonder if there could be some truth to his words. Why else would he say such statements?”

“Lulu, he has been taken from his world, most likely by a malevolent god, I’m sure he is just upset. Father and mother wouldn’t do something that would hurt other ponies.”

Lulu grew silent again, giving me a faint nod in the moonlight. “Let us get dinner dear sister.”

****

Princess Luna

Dinner was a quiet affair, nothing to talk about as we had caught up during the day due to today’s events, and I felt too concerned to converse. Ari’s distorted dream bubble hadn’t been there the last two nights, I hadn’t been looking for it but his bubble was hard to miss among the undisturbed bubbles. Was he alright? Would he forgive my transgression?

“Luna?”

Sister waited at the door to the throne room, looking at me with concern in her eyes. To everyone else she looked the image of perfection but I knew the signs of hidden emotions, I had once practiced it after all. But bottled feelings aside I broke into a trot, nodding my readiness to Tia before the doors opened.

I was expecting chaos.

Before us the throne room was decorated in my colors, banners were showing the glorious moon, and before the throne my night guard formed a line. Behind the line of my thestral guards, ponies stood quietly, a silence hung above them that I was unsure about.

But despite my unease I had to begin the Night court.

After we were seated I began in a regular voice, the hush making my Royal Canterlot voice unnecessary. “Good evening ponies and welcome to Night court. Tonight will be a different affair than usual. As I am sure you have all heard of what happened in late Day court, we have much to discuss and announce. Due to those events my sister has elected to join us for Night court tonight.” Tia nodded to the ponies, though still the ponies remained silent, gazing at me with looks of worry.

“As to the rumors you have most likely heard I will dispel them as much of them as I can. Another Alicorn has been found. He calls himself Ari and will be meeting with us in around a fortnight. Fear not for from what we can gather he has good intentions, having saved a couple of ponies from both capture and enslavement.” That started a round of whispers that my guards quieted with a look.

“Please proceed with thy questions and petitions now.” And with that my guards let the first pony through their line.

By the time the last group of petitioners had left my wings were twitching, as were my sister’s. Although my guards had provided an excellent buffer to the more salacious questions I could see where some mare’s thoughts were going after the discovery and I wished that our minds held more resistance to such words. Not only were we mildly interested but we were, or at least I was very offended by the end of it. Most well wishing and excitement had the audacity to be double edged, while congratulating us on the discovery of a male Alicorn they also managed to insult our intelligence. How had we not known of him? Were our head's tucked under our wings? Well, we did withhold the part where he had been taken from his homeworld to deal with our ‘ignorance’ and ‘destruction’, after The Law of the Herd his situation wouldn’t go over well for us.

But the ponies had been easily distracted at our ending statement; we were having a royal announcement in a couple of days on The Law of the Herd. Ari’s law amendments were our hope to ease the crowds in the court.

Giving a grateful smile to my guards, my sister and exited the throne room, turning to go to our respective wings in the castle. We would see each other in the Dream world.