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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Light and Dark
“There is a sickness in this city.” Prime Meridian flung a hoof towards the open window of Celestia’s chambers. “What do you see out there?”
Celestia gazed outside, where distant ponies scurried like ants around incomplete ivory structures. “Canterlot,” she said softly. “A thriving city that not yet is, but soon will be. What is it that you see, Lord Meridian?”
The unicorn drew his cloak closer around himself. “Suffering. Just how many mudponies and featherflits have been brought in to help with the construction?”
“Earth ponies and pegasi,” Celestia said, emphasizing the words, “have been a tremendous aid.”
“There’s nothing wrong with... those kinds of ponies. They are certainly suited to growing food and managing weather. But this is no place for them.”
“Canterlot will be our capital. It is a place for everypony.”
“At what cost? How many unicorns must live on the streets, while their rightful employment is claimed by outsiders?”
Celestia frowned. “There is plenty of work to be done. That is the reason for the quotas, that the building efforts may be unbiased in their hiring.”
“Pegasi will work for nearly nothing. They cram entire families onto tiny clouds and live off scraps like rats. And earth ponies are far too simple to even realize they’re being exploited.” He sniffed. “I’m no racist. Honestly, I’m trying to help them.”
“All have been making sacrifices, but I am told that even the poorest are being cared for.”
“You’re wrong,” Meridian said bluntly. “I can find examples.”
“I’m certain you can,” Celestia murmured. “But at the moment, there is no sufficient cause to alter the quotas. Why don’t we table this matter for further investigation? I’m certain we can come across a solution that benefits all ponies equally.”
“We shall see.” He stomped to the door. “I will return with proof that your course of action is destroying the unicorn way of life.”
“I—” The door slammed shut and Celestia sighed deeply. She moved to the window, gazing as her sun slowly drifted down towards the span of the horizon. In the orange light, the half-finished pillars and spires glowed like flames reaching towards the sky.
“He’s not wrong,” a voice whispered.
Celestia started as her sister materialized out of the shadows. “Luna? You were here?”
“There is indeed sickness. Disharmony and greed, rotting away in the hearts of ponies like Lord Meridian. Why do you allow him to speak so?”
Celestia showed a tight smile. “They say flies are caught with honey, not vinegar.”
“And what do you do with captured flies?” A dark shadow crossed Luna’s face. “You kill them.”
“I don’t think that’s the intent of the metaphor.”
“It's my intent. Allow me to resolve your issue. A few drops in his morning tea and he quietly passes from this realm in peace. Simple. Undetectable.”
Celestia recoiled. “I’m not going kill him!”
“You wouldn’t,” Luna said, voice dry. “I would.”
“That’s not any better.”
“Do you know why ponies are on the streets? Because he purchases large tracts of the poorer districts of town, raising rents and forcibly evicting those who cannot pay. Is that justice, dear sister?”
“Of course not. But there are other means." Celestia paused, sighing. "He has a daughter. She has been quietly meeting with a young pegasus. Soon, they will marry, and her father will be forced to reevaluate his prejudices. He will change his ways, in time.”
“In time,” Luna scoffed. “All the more reason to strike now, and allow this daughter to guide Meridian’s power to more beneficial ends.”
“I am not a tyrant.”
“Maybe you should be,” Luna muttered.
“Excuse me?”
Luna glared at Celestia. “You focus so much on being loved by 'your little ponies'. You miss that they do not love you in return. They see your weakness and take advantage, because you are terrified of being any less than saintly. If it were me—”
“Enough!” Celestia slammed both forehooves into the ground. “You overstep your bounds, Luna. We shall not act, and that is final.”
“So now can speak with force,” Luna said bitterly.
“There is a spark of goodness deep within every pony’s heart. And as long as that light burns, we must be willing to trust in them.”
“Yes, sister.” Luna’s head bowed. “We will wait.”
They stood, working together in silence as the sun crept beneath the horizon, the moon rising to meet it. Luna did not turn away until the light had faded entirely and darkness blanketed the sky.
Celestia gazed outside, where distant ponies scurried like ants around incomplete ivory structures. “Canterlot,” she said softly. “A thriving city that not yet is, but soon will be. What is it that you see, Lord Meridian?”
The unicorn drew his cloak closer around himself. “Suffering. Just how many mudponies and featherflits have been brought in to help with the construction?”
“Earth ponies and pegasi,” Celestia said, emphasizing the words, “have been a tremendous aid.”
“There’s nothing wrong with... those kinds of ponies. They are certainly suited to growing food and managing weather. But this is no place for them.”
“Canterlot will be our capital. It is a place for everypony.”
“At what cost? How many unicorns must live on the streets, while their rightful employment is claimed by outsiders?”
Celestia frowned. “There is plenty of work to be done. That is the reason for the quotas, that the building efforts may be unbiased in their hiring.”
“Pegasi will work for nearly nothing. They cram entire families onto tiny clouds and live off scraps like rats. And earth ponies are far too simple to even realize they’re being exploited.” He sniffed. “I’m no racist. Honestly, I’m trying to help them.”
“All have been making sacrifices, but I am told that even the poorest are being cared for.”
“You’re wrong,” Meridian said bluntly. “I can find examples.”
“I’m certain you can,” Celestia murmured. “But at the moment, there is no sufficient cause to alter the quotas. Why don’t we table this matter for further investigation? I’m certain we can come across a solution that benefits all ponies equally.”
“We shall see.” He stomped to the door. “I will return with proof that your course of action is destroying the unicorn way of life.”
“I—” The door slammed shut and Celestia sighed deeply. She moved to the window, gazing as her sun slowly drifted down towards the span of the horizon. In the orange light, the half-finished pillars and spires glowed like flames reaching towards the sky.
“He’s not wrong,” a voice whispered.
Celestia started as her sister materialized out of the shadows. “Luna? You were here?”
“There is indeed sickness. Disharmony and greed, rotting away in the hearts of ponies like Lord Meridian. Why do you allow him to speak so?”
Celestia showed a tight smile. “They say flies are caught with honey, not vinegar.”
“And what do you do with captured flies?” A dark shadow crossed Luna’s face. “You kill them.”
“I don’t think that’s the intent of the metaphor.”
“It's my intent. Allow me to resolve your issue. A few drops in his morning tea and he quietly passes from this realm in peace. Simple. Undetectable.”
Celestia recoiled. “I’m not going kill him!”
“You wouldn’t,” Luna said, voice dry. “I would.”
“That’s not any better.”
“Do you know why ponies are on the streets? Because he purchases large tracts of the poorer districts of town, raising rents and forcibly evicting those who cannot pay. Is that justice, dear sister?”
“Of course not. But there are other means." Celestia paused, sighing. "He has a daughter. She has been quietly meeting with a young pegasus. Soon, they will marry, and her father will be forced to reevaluate his prejudices. He will change his ways, in time.”
“In time,” Luna scoffed. “All the more reason to strike now, and allow this daughter to guide Meridian’s power to more beneficial ends.”
“I am not a tyrant.”
“Maybe you should be,” Luna muttered.
“Excuse me?”
Luna glared at Celestia. “You focus so much on being loved by 'your little ponies'. You miss that they do not love you in return. They see your weakness and take advantage, because you are terrified of being any less than saintly. If it were me—”
“Enough!” Celestia slammed both forehooves into the ground. “You overstep your bounds, Luna. We shall not act, and that is final.”
“So now can speak with force,” Luna said bitterly.
“There is a spark of goodness deep within every pony’s heart. And as long as that light burns, we must be willing to trust in them.”
“Yes, sister.” Luna’s head bowed. “We will wait.”
They stood, working together in silence as the sun crept beneath the horizon, the moon rising to meet it. Luna did not turn away until the light had faded entirely and darkness blanketed the sky.