…I must admit, cuz; Ponyville sure has its fair share of dashin’ ladies.” Braeburn mused, eyes glued to a mare as she cantered by holding a glass of cider.

“Eeeyup.” Big Mac replied, taking a swig of his own drink; silence.

“Say, how’s the family doin’? I wanted ta stop in and say hey to yall, but I gotta skitter outta Ponyville faster than a soon-to-be gelding. Work, ya know. They doin’ good?”

“Applejack’s workin’ hard and Applebloom’s doin’ fine with school and whatnot.”

“Eh, what about Granny Smith, that old darlin’?” Braeburn asked.

Big Mac laughed, spilling some of his drink on his burly chest. “She’s still kickin’, no doubt.”

Their conversation was interrupted as the door to the tavern opened up, jingling bells to notify the bartender of another customer. Applejack trotted in, shaking off her mane and tail to get rid of the extra water that saturated her coat from the weather outside. For a moment, she scanned the room, searching for her brother.

“Eh! Over here, cousin!” Braeburn shouted.

When Applejack spotted her relative, her eyes lit up and she cantered over.

“Now aint this a surprise!” Applejack exclaimed. “Braeburn, ah didn’t know yall were here; why didn’t ya visit Sweet Apple Acres? I’d recon the rest of em’ would want ta see ya.”

“My apologies, Ma’am. I was just trottin’ through town on my way to Canterlot for some legal shenanigans. They are trying to cut my land in half; so long as I’m standin’, they aint gettin’ scratch.”

“Ah see.” Applejack said, sitting down heavily on a nearby barstool. “Speakin’ of Canterlot, ya hear the news?” Applejack said, leaning in close.

“I don’t recon I have, ya gonna elaborate?” Braeburn asked, replicating her posture.

Big Mac leaned back.

“It’s Celestia.” Applejack murmured.

“Celestia?”

“Ya. It’s just a rumour, but there’s been talk about inequality in the upper court. Celestia is tryin’ to take the moon from Luna.”

“Naw, that can’t be right!” Braeburn exclaimed, drawing the attention of a dozen others.

“Now shush, Braeburn.” Applejack hissed, casting a glance or two over her shoulder. “We don’t need the whole world learnin’ about it.”

“Sorry, cuz.” He said apologetically. “But ya can’t blame me; that’s big news.”

“It aint no ‘news’. Remember, I’m just going off what ah was told by Applebloom. Apparently, somepony from her class heard Miss Cheerliee talkin’ with another teacher ‘bout it.”

“I don’t know, Applejack, that gossip seems as real as fool’s gold. Do ya know where the rumor started?”

“I don’t, but Mac does. Mac?” Applejack leaned back a bit, including her brother into the huddle.

The red stallion raised his eyebrows and took a large swig from his drink. “What now?”

“We’re talkin’ about the rift. Ya know, between the princesses?” Applejack replied.

“I do indeed. What am I supposed to be sayin’?” Big Mac questioned.

“Ah know you know about where the rumor started, you were talkin’ about it with Granny just yesterday!” Applejack said.

“Ya heard that, did ya?”

“Ah did. Want ta’ tell?” she beckoned him on with a twirl of her hoof before turning to the bartender and getting his attention; the conversation moved so that it was again between the two stallions.

“I suppose. I was talkin’ with a mare at the bar two nights back. She’d come down from Canterlot to get away from the hustle-and-bustle of them hoity-toity folks. She heard from her mate, one of them royal guards, that a gardener overheard an argument between the two of em; Luna and Celestia. Luna had come in to talk to her sister about havin’ equal right and Celestia turned it down. There’s a rumor goin’ around that Celestia wants to start up a totalitari-whatever government here in Equestria. She plans to remove even Luna’s right to raise and set the moon!”

“Now that’s somethin’ fearful.” Braeburn exclaimed, taking his hat off and throwing it on the bar counter. “That’s somethin’ nasty.”

“I know, I sometimes wonder what this world is comin’ to, ya know? These politics, they’re out of my league, and I’m damn happy ‘bout it. I wouldn’t want any other life than the one I got.” Big Mac confessed.

“I’d say!” Braeburn and Applejack said in unison, clanking their glasses together.

Celestia was awoken rather unceremoniously by a harsh rap on the door to her chambers.

“Yes, who is it?” She mumbled groggily.

“It’s me, Your Highness.” The timid voice came from the other side of the door, muffled slightly by its thick oak body.

“Silver Stroke? It best be worth my time; I was sleeping.” Celestia could barely hide the crossness from entering her voice.

“Please forgive me Princess Celestia, but I have some urgent news.”

Celestia flinched. “Urgent?” Urgent news was never good news. Fully awake now, Celestia rose from her bed- grabbing her royal tiara before milling over to the door. Taking a moment to flatten down a few stray patches of bedridden fur and place her crown over her mane, she straightened her posture and cast a bout of magic over the handle. When the door swung open, a frail pony-her royal scribe-met her tiered gaze.

“What is the matter?” Celestia said, possibly a little too harsh.

“A protest, Princess. The royal guards are holding the mob back for now, but I foresee a riot if they don’t get an audience.”

“What are they angry about?” Celestia questioned; a million suspicions running through her mind.

“Something about equality, Your Highness.”

“Equality?” The word surprised Celestia more than anything; she liked to think of herself as a fair leader, one who insured that everybody under her reign was given an equal amount of rights.

“Yes. There seems to be a rumor going around that you’re vying for a totalitarian regime.”

“I don’t understand—” Celestia’s royal façade cracked momentarily as realization struck her.

“Your Majesty…?”

“Leave me, Scribe.” Celestia turned around to cover up her falter. “I have business to tend to.”

Luna was bathing when she heard the door to her chambers swing open. The suddenness of it all startled her, and she sprung to attention just as her sister stormed into the gilded bathroom.

“Up! Up at once, Luna.”

“Celestia?” Luna, still stunned by the intrusion, was trying desperately to understand.

“I said up!” with a flare of magic, the drain was unplugged, emptying the baths components with a slurp.

“Celestia!” She’d found her voice now. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“That is a question for me to ask you! Are you not aware of what is going on outside at the moment?”

“No, I’m not.” Luna stood up from the tub, dripping with warm water. “But it must be urgent.”

“Your cluelessness is leading me to believe that you know more then you are telling, Sister.” Celestia accused, throwing a towel in Luna’s direction; Luna caught it in mid-air and began drying herself off.

“What makes you think such a thing?”

“It’s a protest, Luna. They think I’m trying to start a totalitarian government! The last pony who talked of such things was you, last week; when we argued.” Celestia moved in a few more paces towards Luna, her wings subconsciously flaring to reflect her building confliction. “Did you spread the rumor?”

“I didn’t! I swear!” Luna said, her eyes widening at the prospect; in the back of her head, another train of thought was pulling into the station.

For a moment, Celestia seemed to plan a rebuttal, direct more accusation; the look on her face flared momentarily before being consumed by calmness.

“Then you need to talk to them. If they do not get an audience soon, they will become aggressive,” she said.

“Celestia, are you sure—”

“You said you wanted power; I’m giving it to you. Are you unable to even talk to a few ponies?”

“No!” Luna exclaimed, taking offence.

“Then dry off and greet them. I will hold them off until you can arrive.”

Before Luna could respond, wish her sister luck, anything, Celestia had turned and briskly trotted out. Scowling at the receding spectral mane, Luna pulled the towel across her body, drying herself off. As the soft fabric ran down her back, she reflected on what had happened. Ever since their talk, it seemed as though a divide had been established between the two of them; a distancing. It hurt Luna as much as it gave her courage.

Slowly, a plan began to form in her mind. Next Chapter: Public Opinion Estimated time remaining: 8 Minutes