Stardust Balance

"You're being unfair to her and you know it."

"Am I- Oh, thank you Velvet." The mother beamed merrily as though there wasn't a heated exchange occurring between her daughter and a human, setting the plate of cookies down between Twilight, Starlight and I upon the table before leaving us to it. "Where was I? Ah yes Twilight; am I being unfair for Celestia clearly having the easiest job in the universe, according to Starlight's description?"

Said unicorn was looking back and forth between us with a bemused and awkward presence, seeming as though she was trying not to crack a smile.

"Bold claim for someone who's never ruled Equestria for a thousand years." The Princess of Friendship, meanwhile was matching my expression with utter perfection. "When Princess Luna was - also according to Starlight's story - completely exhausted by the end of the day fulfilling her sister's role. Does that scream easy to you?"

"Now who's being unfair?" I snorted, taking a warm chocolate chip. "Luna had the disadvantage of being dreadfully tired from staying up all night fixing countless ponies' dreams. Celestia might as well have cheated."

"Celestia was also tired!" Twilight argued back, leaning forward with passionate defense to her old mentor, hoofs slamming on table. "It's not easy having royal duties, Jack! I should know."

"Duties? Twilight you barely do anything involving royalty! Besides, smiling all day? Judging a flower contest? Taking a picture of a fundraiser? Solving a minor dispute and reassuring a few ponies? Pray tell, love, what about any of that sounds difficult?"

"You'd be surprised, if you'd be more productive in your lifestyle." Ooh, that was a low blow. Even Starlight snuffed a chuckle behind her hoof. "It might sound like a breeze at first, but performing these duties, daily, for a thousand years? Who wouldn't be utterly exhausted from them?"

"Yeah... You'd think Celestia would retire by now. Make way for the new and all."

I swore I heard teeth grinding. "She's doing just fine Jack."

"Well she's doing a fine job of smiling all day and acting placate while everyone suffers for it, certainly."

"No one is suffering!"

"No one who doesn't think for themselves!"

"Starlight, tell him/her!"

The pink unicorn barely restrained her growing amusement, immediately shying back from both heated glares demanding the mare's support. "I think I shouldn't get involved in this..."

"Love your logic by the way." I turned back to Twilight after rolling my eyes, smirking incredulously. "How one minor dispute between siblings results in utter devastation: 'Oh no, a normal argument between two sisters? Nightmare Moon will return!'"

The Princess glared. "What is your problem?" She looked compelled to ask, now frowning suspiciously. "At the gala you swore you'd give the Princess a chance."

Well, that was thrown out the window ever since Celestia signed my death warrant. "That doesn't mean, love, I'm just going to shut up and accept everything Starlight's been telling us." Said unicorn only grinned in sheepishness. "Hell, while Luna did at least a decent job with Celestia's duties for the day, it was Celestia who had to rely on her sister to fix one nightmare one mare was having." I emphasized that with one raised hoof and a stern expression towards the objective alicorn. "Let's face facts, Twilight; Luna has the toughest job between them."

"I mean... He does raise a point there." Ha! Starlight glanced to her former teacher while pointing out. "Princess Luna does have to check on the dreams of every pony in Equestria and make sure they're pleasant. That sounds rather tougher than what Princess Celestia has to deal with... Heh..."

Maybe I should address what's going on. Well, Starlight, while Twilight and I were still staying at the alicorn's parents' place, decided to drop by and announce how the map summoned her to Canterlot to solve a friendship dispute at the royal castle. After a hyperventilating, excited and equally nervous Twilight was informed, the lavender mare did everything in her power 'not to get involved,' and keep check on Starlight's progress especially after learning who was having the problem in the first place.

Celestia and Luna. Two siblings acting like... Well siblings. Of course Starlight succeeded in solving the issue, but the whole time I was wondering as to why the map would send someone outside the Mane Six. I thought that thing was solely connected to those six? Did that mean the map could just dispatch anyone, or someone just close to the six mares?

Was Hasbro just breaking their own rules again? Who knows.

"I'm not denying that Princess Luna doesn't have it any easier than her sister does." Twilight began after a moment's pause, gathering composure with a firm look. "But as Starlight clearly told us from her story, both Princesses have their share of burdens and pressuring responsibilities, and neither were use to fulfilling the other's respective roles. This tells us a great deal about them."

I scoffed while leaning back with eyes to the ceiling. "It tells me a lot, sure."

Two sighs responded. "The point being, that both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are at equal with their responsibilities and appreciate one another for their hard work. They simply needed to be reminded of that. We shouldn't dismiss one of their duties because they sound less complicated than the other."

"It did seem like a lot of hard work for Celestia to do, now that I think about it..." Starlight added with a mumble. Twilight looked relieved by that affirmation.

"It's already bad enough to have one pony close to me badmouthing my teacher since day one." The Princess of Friendship smiled faintly. "I was worried you were growing to be a bad influence on my pupil, Jack."

"It's not my fault that Starlight doesn't take [BEEP] from anyone just like me, Twilight-"

"Language, Jack, especially in my parent's house."

I rolled my eyes. Salt of the Earth, Twilight. "But I still don't agree. I can't. Luna clearly has the shorter end of the stick with staying up all night and checking on the welfare of every pony ever. Celestia just has to stand there and look pretty all day. At least Luna does something which benefits her subjects and gets closer ties to them because of it!"

"They adore Princess Celestia just as much as they adore Princess Luna." And therein lies the issue. "Both contribute to Equestria equally." Twilight scowled from my automatic scoff towards anything she usually had to praise about Celestia, then pointing with a firm hoof. "I'd love to witness you overseeing her duties for a time, Jack, and maybe you can put your bits where your muzzle is!"

Really? "Where and when? Bring it."

Twilight frowned. "You seriously think you could do a better job?"

"Putting on a smile all day, getting my pictures taken and judging a competition, while sorting out tiny disputes by disgruntled cartoon ponies?" I retorted all that with an incredulous grin. "Twilight, they're only made difficult by Luna because, again, she hadn't slept at all and was ill-prepared after Starlight suddenly switched their cutie marks around."

"Thanks for that reminder..."

I waved off the pink mare's eye-rolling mutter. "But me? I'm a grown adult Twilight, even if I behave otherwise sometimes." Well, maybe most of the time. I don't claim to be the most mature shining example of grown-ups everywhere. "I could do her job in no time flat."

Both teacher and student shared a glance, Twilight then asking slowly. "So... If by some hypothetical chance you were offered to take over Princess Celestia's role for the day, you would accept that?"

"Only a day?" I snorted with a grin. Please, don't insult me love. "Everything would be improved with what I'd have planned for Equestria."

Abruptly then, a small smile appeared on Twilight's purple muzzle, as if the prospect of her special somepony ruling was an entertaining one. "How about a full weekend, then?"

"Much better." I nodded. "I could do it."

"It wouldn't be easy." Starlight pitched in with a humoured grin, both she and Twilight silently communicated with sly and knowing looks. Invisible girl talk, of course. "A whole weekend fulfilling Celestia's role? Luna could barely manage a day, remember?"

"Because she was exhausted." Whereas I was getting exasperated from repeating this simple argument. "For God's sake, you ponies always take something simple and make it overly complicated. I have the mental capacity to accomplish this scenario without any fault whatsoever, even without the help of my friends."

Something sparkled in Twilight's eyes, although that was nothing new. I swear there was an entire galaxy living behind those lively violet orbs. "Of course you do honey... Excuse me for just a second. There's something I need to check with Princess Celestia regarding Starlight's tale."

I shrugged, fine by me. By all accounts, I've won the argument. That said, I looked back to a smirking Starlight with a curious grin.

"So tell me more about this Daybreaker, because that sounded sick."