The Darkness of Equestria

"I am well, Princess." is my reply. Pleasantries and customary greetings done, I take my place behind and to the side of the throne.

Politics are mostly about appearance, something such as the placement of your advisers is important. Allowing your advisers to stand in front of you makes it seem as though the leader either trusts his advisers to speak on his behalf, or isn't powerful enough to properly control them. Placing the advisers to either side gives the impression of a united front of equals, yet equality is not something that should be seen in a leader and his advisers. Finally, behind; it implies that the leader trusts the advisers to have his back. By placing them in the location best suited for assassination, the leader places the burden of protecting against such attacks on the shoulders of whomever stands there. There are a million subtle nuances on the matter. And as Seneschal, my place is by her side.

Seneschal. The title is strange, I don't particularly like it. But the benefits it brings are welcome. Being Seneschal essentially makes me the head of the household, though the household in this case is an entire castle and one singular pony, along with many servants. I am in charge of security, I am in charge of social events, and I am in charge of the hiring and firing of employees. The various advisers are appointed by Celestia, but the important jobs are filled by ponies that I select. The Captain of the Guard is appointed by me, the Head Chef, the Master Architect, the Archmage of the Mage's Guild, all of these things fall under my purview, with some exceptions. No one gets to Celestia without first seeing me. If there's a problem, I fix it. I set the schedule, I choose the furnishings, I am the boss of this castle, my own personal domain.

Essentially, I am the Clan Elder; I have some nominal authority but the Clan Head comes first. Celestia, in this metaphor, is the Clan Head. This position is strange indeed, in certain areas I can command Celestia and in others she is the master. For instance; I could arrange a marriage for Celestia, if I so wished, and be perfectly within my rights as the Seneschal, as the Clan Elder. But, as the position is not familial, she is in charge of me, so I would likely be fired immediately. I can arrange which social functions she appears at and whom among the nobility she should be friendly towards, but ultimately it is she that chooses. I advise her on all matters that come before her, but she makes the decisions.

She commands the nation, I command the castle. She is a member of the castle, and I am a member of the nation. Yet the nation comes first, therefore she and and her orders come first, yet I still come second and I cannot be brushed off lightly.

This particular social function has been as tradition for ages; ten to noon, everyday, like clockwork. Celestia sits on her throne and her numerous advisers come in and we speak on matters of importance that have come up. Important enough that Celestia has to be informed directly. Contrary to popular belief, there is little to no paperwork involved. If a matter is so important that Celestia herself has to be involved, then there is little need for paperwork, her word is good enough.

But such things happen rarely. These meetings are primarily useless.

Immediately after this traditional advisory council concludes, from noon to two, the doors to the Throne Room are opened and the common ponies, yet mostly nobles, can come in and speak with their Princess. The nobles like to think that this is the highlight of their day; that they are influencing the decision making of the nation. They aren't. They like to believe that this is where most of the magic of Equestria happens, where all the important ponies are, and where everything important happens. They're wrong. Afterwards the 'common' ponies are sent out and Celestia spends the rest of her day however she wishes. She usually is busy governing or keeping an eye on someone she finds interesting. Occasionally she is the judge in a court trial, should it be found necessary. She intermixes some recreational and relaxation time on occasion, sometimes seeks new knowledge to read or fills herself in on current events with magazines. All very average for a leader.

Between two and six, I go home to my adopted children. I supervise their training, their school work, and any business that needs concluded within the family. As children of the ancient and noble Shimura clan, and agents of The Foundation, they are expected to be superior intellectually and physically. Even if they're ponies and the standards have summarily slipped, they still must be better than the rest. Above average, at the very least. My home is fairly nice, in my opinion. Threatening the neighbors with crimes unimaginable took some time, but I managed to recreate a proper household complete with exterior security wall.

From six to ten, I return to the castle and do my own work, whatever it is that might need doing. The job is surprisingly easy, considering the size of the castle. Either the bureaucracy below me is startlingly efficient or someone has learned that I get things done, but very rarely in the manner that most might consider appropriate. Complaints are burnt, businesses are blacklisted, ponies are unofficially punished in an ironic fashion fitting the severity of the slight, and if a budget crosses my desk, the programs that I have a stake in are receiving more funding. Administration is the title of the job, but the description is unlimited power within a few limits. For instance, the Royal Guard has seen rather hefty budget increases ever since I've come into power.

The Royal Guard is commanded by me, as head of the household I must see to the security of all within it. The highest rank a pony can reasonably expect to achieve is Sergeant, but the highest they can achieve is Captain. I am above the Captain. The current Captain is a particularly well aged example of a gentle-stallion, well read and well spoken. He will likely retire soon; he's already seven years overdue. When his retirement comes, he will put forward a candidate for the next Captain and I will select the one that I want to be Captain. And then what I want will go through. Administration.

The council of advisers' job is done rapidly, as always. Celestia has a knack for seeking ponies that have the particular talent for the particular job she wants them to be in. Her staff of advisers is very professional, very effective, and very efficient. What few shreds of respect I could ever have for a talking pony go to Celestia. She simply knows what she needs, what she wants, and the best way to get both without stepping on any toes. Very diplomatic, very charismatic, and very political. I respect her for that. But what I find far more intriguing is what she does with me. She instinctively knew that behind my mild manners lay a cunning, canny, and stubborn individual, so instead of trying to work around my admittedly forceful personality, she uses it instead. I certainly am not going to change myself for the benefit of another.

To put it simply, she is the good politician and I am the bad one. Princess Celestia's decisions and opinions look mild and far more acceptable when compared with mine. She lets me state my opinion on the matter first, usually overtly negative, and then Celestia has her turn, stating a far more popular, relatively, opinion. This allows Equestria as a whole to achieve better deals. If an ambassador walks into the throne room and wishes for better room and board, I might offer no room or board, thoroughly irritating the ambassador, but Celestia would then countermand my suggestion with a far more agreeable option that is still quite below what the ambassador would have wanted. A net decrease in the losses sustained by the treasury. It works.

As the meeting of the advisers closes, the main doors are opened. A veritable flood of ponies walks in, most with their nose in the air, very haughty and overall irritating. In all the duties that this station demands, this one is the easiest yet most irritating. I believe that both Celestia and myself both merely pretend to pay attention, while staring off into space. I've been led to believe this because over the course of my tenure, I've heard Celestia reply to questions in the strangest of manners that indicate that she had no idea what the question was at all. But the nobles seem to never notice, they probably believe their princess to be above such daydreaming.

One of them starts rambling, an old and wheezy stallion, full of gravel and age, perfectly boring, important but only to himself and some of his sycophants. Something about the latest reports of imported fabric from some backwater. I don't pay attention, my eyes glaze over.

If only they knew the true depth of their leader's insanity. Hyperbolic, of course, but Celestia can be remarkably child like on occasions. Or foal like. Whenever someone seems to be stressing over her, she deliberately causes them additional stress. I've seen her frown and grumble her way through entire meals because a waiter was standing too close, not that she didn't enjoy the food but because the waiter would notice the frowns and grumbles and become exceedingly worried about the quality of the meal. She is also quite the gossip, she is one of my top sources for information. Most of it is useless to me, but on occasion a tidbit slips through that I can capitalize on. I think she does it deliberately.I am certain that she knows, or at least suspects, of my shadowy dealing. But it's been nothing but positive for her nation, so she lets it slide. Or she doesn't have enough evidence to go against me. You have to be practical in politics, Celestia herself is very idealistic but she is not above using the most common tricks of the politicians' trade. Lying, bribery, blackmail, extortion, all very subtle and flowery, of course, but it is still there. And not a single pony suspects, even when she does it to them. This is the primary reason I respect her as a politician, she's good. She is perspective beyond her appearance, and determined despite adversity. She has a dynamic personality, very engaging, but there's a side to her that is truly ruthless. The combination is striking and intriguing.

Had she been a human raised and born in my home, I would have definitely seen her as either a rival or as a love interest. One or the other, but probably both. However, as I aged, rivals died (usually by my hand or order) and there wasn't enough time for love, marriage, or children. Sacrifices have to be made to preserve the country, and if I must do it, or if I could do it to spare the country, it will be done. Sacrifice is the way of the soldier. It is the only way. It is my way.

Ruminating on my past like all old men are allowed to do, or at least should be allowed to do, the hours past in what seems like an instant. The nobles and their petty personalities are advised to leave, and my thoughts are broken by the sound of the main doors being secured shut echoing throughout the hall.

"And where were you, Seneschal?" Celestia's voice asks, "There were several opportunities for you to rip and tear into the nobles like usual." she chuckles serenely.

I whisper, "An opportunity came up recently. It been making me reflect on my home. On the future as well."

"A good opportunity, I hope?" she inquires.

I consider for a moment, "The very best." I firmly reply, steel in my voice.

Her eyes twinkle, with a nod she says, "Good."

Two Weeks Later

I have been watching young Twilight Sparkle for the last two weeks. I have ample free time. Her class work is unaffected, her after school work has intensified with greater focus. Her grades are as impeccable as always and she now goes to bed at a more proper hour appropriate for young fillies. She takes advice well, it seems. Perhaps giving her such a long time period was a mistake, she seemed to have completed the paper in only a few days, but she spent the rest of the time with further studies and constant revision. I know this because I watched from the rafters and upper bookshelves. No one ever looks up, and I am very, very quiet. Although, to be fair, she is a unicorn and has been constantly surrounded by unicorns all her life. She probably doesn't yet think of possible pegasi viewers. Or, she is not paranoid like I am. I read too much into some things, a product of being old and experienced. It's usually the obvious answer, but it's not been the obvious enough times to make me over-think.

She's brought her paper every night, constantly scribbling notes and furthering her paper. She put far too much effort into it, but I don't mind. It's her loss, not mine.

Tonight seems different however, she is far more frantic than usual. She probably only just now realized that I never did say where to turn it in. Oh well.

When she looks away, I jump down from the top bookshelf, appearing to any unseen observer to be a dark specter, my wings carrying me some distance before I come to a stop on the ground, not a sound made. The light from the magical lamps casts an eerie blue glow, can't use candles and torches near books. The moderate cool air of the mid-spring night is all around. The gentle sigh of the building, the movements of Twilight, and two heartbeats are all I can hear. The air currents that I am so connected to reveal no unaccounted breather, we are alone.

As I approach the oblivious child, I allow my hooves to make some noise. A warning, usually employed by parents to avoid startling their children overly much, at least it was this way back home. However, she remains unaware. A gentle clearing of the throat captures her attention, and she is quite startled. A jump in the air and a mild screech, furious backpedaling, books and papers falling from their magical grasp. But all becomes calm after a moment.

"Child," I begin, "Are you ready to further your education?"

She is quite startled. Her eyes wander over my form, taking in my bandages and unused leg. She takes a moment to reply, as well as to get her breathing under control.

"Hello," she greets, quite timid, "What's your name? I'm Twilight Sparkle."

"I know very well who you are, child, but you didn't answer my question." I reply, quite mild.

"Y-you didn't answer mine either..." she remarks with the bluntness of youth, and the timidity of a newborn fawn.

"Very well," I acquiesce, "I am Shimura Danzo, now, are you ready to learn?"

A determined glint, a small fire, "I am always ready to learn."

I grin warmly, as warm as I can fake. With a more friendly face, she is more confident. She grins in return.

"Then let's get started."