“What do y’all reckon this is about?” Applejack asked, shuffling sideways as the crowd shifted around her.
“Got me,” Rainbow said with a shrug. “Twilight just asked me to gather everypony I could find in front of town hall for some super-important announcement.”
“I hope it’s nothing bad,” Fluttershy said, looking at the ground. Suddenly she gasped and her eyes went wide. “Y-you don’t think th-there’s another invading d-d-dragon, do you?”
“Heavens no, Fluttershy!” Rarity said. “If it was something that urgent, Twilight surely would have told us by now. My guess is that she’s gathered us here to make her first royal decree.” Something sparkled in her eyes, and her grin split her face. “Oh, maybe she’s decided to enact my suggestion for emergency makeover stations all across Equestria!”
Rainbow shook her head. “Nah, Twilight’s too smart to do something that lame.”
Rarity gave her a half-lidded glare. “Oh, and what do you suggest is the reason for this gathering? Is she going to proclaim today National Rainbow Dash Day?”
"Close," Rainbow Dash said, "I'll have to run that by her, actually. Anyway, I didn’t have any clue why we were here, but once you said ‘royal decree,’ that got me thinking: She’s probably going to announce me as her personal guard and knight me in front of everypony today.”
Applejack lifted an eyebrow. “How d’you figure that?”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Duh! She asked me to gather everypony here, which means she trusts me more than anyone. Plus, I’m awesome. Who better to make a royal guard?”
“Um,” Fluttershy began, “I thought she just asked you because you’re the fastest pony in Ponyville, so you could get everypony together really fast.”
“Even more reason to make me her guard!” Rainbow said, her grin growing cocksure.
“I bet it has to do with cake,” Pinkie Pie interjected. The other four turned to her, their deadpan faces meeting her wide beam.
“Pinkie,” Rainbow said, “you think everything has to do with cake.”
“Because it should! Or cupcakes. Or some other kind of baked goods. Because nothing’s gooder than baked goods! That’s why they’re called baked goods and not baked bads, or baked mediocres, or baked could-be-betters, or—”
“Hmm,” Applejack said, tuning out Pinkie’s ramblings, “I suppose could go for a fritter right about now…” To her side, Rarity lifted a hoof to her chin.
“It has nothing to do with baked goods, you guys!” Rainbow cried. “Twenty bits says it’s something else.”
“Looks like we’re about to find out,” Fluttershy said, pointing up at the stage.
***
Twilight Sparkle approached the stage in front of town hall. Just as she took her first step up the stairs to the speaking platform, she felt a gentle tug on her tail. She turned to see a tiny purple dragon looking up at her worriedly. She groaned and said, “Spike, not now. I need to make my announcement!”
“I know, Twi, but I just wanna ask you one more time to reconsider this.” He wrapped himself around her leg and gave her his most pleading stare. “Just think about how bad this could go!”
Twilight kicked her leg out, sending Spike to land on his rump off to the side of the stage. “I told you already, Spike, I know what I’m doing! Now just get the scroll ready and stop pestering me.” She finished her way onto the platform and trotted towards the podium, smiling brightly.
She looked out across the crowd. It looked as though nearly everypony in Ponyville and the surrounding area had gathered for her announcement. They were all mumbling amongst themselves, wondering what exactly was so important as to call for a town-wide meeting. Twilight’s smile went slightly wider. She tapped the microphone with a hoof, sending a harsh wave of sound across the group and pushing them into silent attention.
“Thank you, everypony, for coming here today!” Twilight said. “I’m sure you’re all very curious as to why I organized this meeting.”
“Are we having cupcakes?!” cried Pinkie Pie.
Twilight sighed. “No, Pinkie, we’re not—”
“Fritters?” asked Applejack.
“What? No, I—”
“Sachertorte?” came Rarity’s voice.
“This has nothing to do with baked goods!” Twilight cried, clenching her teeth.
After a few short silences, Rainbow Dash very audibly whispered, “Told you, guys. Pay up.” Twilight just stared out across the crowd as the clinking of bits against hooves took dominion for several seconds.
Eventually, Twilight shook her head. “Anyway, what I’ve really called you all here for today is a chance to learn something new!”
A pronounced, collective groan lifted from the crowd. Something buzzed loudly at the back of the group, and shortly later the sound of a scooter scooting away faded into the distance.
“Don’t worry, everypony,” Twilight said, “I’m sure you’ll all like this. It’s something of a social experiment, and it’s completely optional, so please just hear me out.”
Some sighs responded her, but the crowd stayed mostly patient.
Twilight beamed. “Now, as you all undoubtedly know, I’ve recently become Equestria’s newest princess, and I’ve been learning a lot of new things ever since my coronation. For instance, I’ve had to study and practice diplomacy, foreign affairs—”
“Oh, Twi!” Spike cried from the sidelines. “Don’t forget about learning to fly! I can’t even remember how many times you crashed! Remember that one time you crashed right into Princess Celestia and your horn got caught in her—”
“Thank you, Spike!” Twilight shouted, her cheeks glowing like hot coals. “Point is, I’ve had a lot of new responsibilities and plenty of new chances to learn, and being the pony that I am, I wanted to share that with all of you!”
Like clockwork, all the ponies in the crowd turned their heads to look at each other with quirked expressions.
Twilight nodded to Spike, who was still chuckling a bit as he hopped up onto the stage, a blank scroll held in his claw. “So today is the day I would like to officially announce ‘Twilight Sparkle’s Princess for a Day Initiative!’”
This sent a wave of hushed whispers through the crowd.
“Basically,” Twilight continued, “I’m giving anyone in Equestria, if they so desire, the opportunity to take my title of ‘Princess’ for one entire day, along with all the power and responsibilities that come with it. No matter what your race, gender, age, political disposition, or whatever, you’re eligible to spend a full twenty-four hours in Canterlot doing whatever you see fit. Within reason, of course.”
The crowd blinked all at once.
Twilight smiled simply. “That’s about it, really. If you’d like to take part in this unique learning opportunity, all you have to do is sign your name on this scroll that Spike’s holding.” She beamed down at her assistant, and Spike returned her with a brittle grin.
She looked across the crowd. “Any questions?”
After a second of silence, Rarity lifted one dainty hoof into the air. Twilight nodded to her, and she asked, “When may we begin the sign-up process?”
Twilight tapped a hoof against her chin. “I suppose we can start with sign-ups right now. It’s first come, first serve, so just make a single-file line right—”
The crowd charged the stage all at once. Twilight, Spike, and the wooden platform itself collapsed under the tidal wave of shouting ponies, and the blank parchment fluttered gently down into the mob.
