Duties

Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and it’s creative properties is owned by Lauren Faust and Hasbro, not me.

Duties

by Denim Blue

Prologue Part II: Adjusting

Applejack awoke with the first rays of morning light, just as she always did. She had slept surprisingly well, despite being in a place she was mostly unfamiliar with. The luxurious bed was most likely the cause behind her restful sleep.

Who knew that pegasi down made for such comfortable pillows?

Stretching her legs as she slipped out from her covers, she almost fell to the ground. Still getting adjusted to her new body frame, she took careful steps towards the bathroom connected to her bedroom. She quickly began washing her face and combing her mane before tying it into a loose ponytail. For a finishing touch, the alicorn picked up her stetson hat, only to pause and look at her long horn resting on top of her head. She sighed before setting the hat back on its hanger. “Looks like I’ll have to get Rarity to look into makin’ adjustments for my hat later.”

She turned towards the door leading out and opened it, only to be greeted by a stallion in golden armor. One of the Royal Guard ponies, if their appearance was any indication. “Um...can I help you, sir?”

The guard gave a curt bow. “Good morning, your Highness. I’m Captain Spark Fyre, and my team and I have been assigned to accompany you throughout the castle until you make your public appearance in the Canterlot central plaza later today.” The stallion looked up and smiled. "Princess Twilight suggested to Princess Celestia that you may have desired someone to show you around a little, considering you live in a rather open area back in Ponyville and are still rather unfamiliar with the castle. ”

“She did, huh...?” Applejack inquired while taking in the stallion’s features. She noticed the horn on his head, and a vibrant blue lightning bolt cutie mark. He had a dark blue coat, which contrasted greatly to his vibrant orange mane. He appeared to be middle-aged, and while his posture spoke of years of service in the Royal Guard, he had a rather laid back look in his eyes.

“Correct, Milady, though she meant no insult to you. Several guards were directed to Princess Rainbow Dash and Princess Pinkie Pie as well. We’ll be happy to show you around the palace, if you wish. My team should be here shortly, and I can only imagine that you’re quite hungry. If you like, we can escort you to the dining hall.”

The former earth pony turned alicorn didn’t need to give reply; her stomach did the talking. Her insides growled, and she blushed deeply while Spark Fyre simply laughed.

“Oh, pardon me. I...I’m usually up before dawn and havin’ breakfast by this time. My stomach apparently ain’t used to this sudden change in schedule, heheh...”

“No need to apologize, Princess Applejack. I’m an early-riser myself. I can sympathize with you there.” He turned his head at the sound of flapping wings and hooves clopping against the stone floor. “Ah, there you boys are.”

Applejack followed the unicorn’s gaze, noticing three more stallion guards approaching them, one a pegasus and the other two being earth ponies. They all gave bows to Applejack before saluting to their superior.

“Sorry, sir. Lightweight had to use the latrine at the last minute, and we figured it’d be better if we all appeared as a group then wait for a single pony.”

“Right,” Spark Fyre began with an authoritative tone. “It will be overlooked this time, considering we’re running on a unplanned schedule right now.” He turned to Applejack once more and grinned. “Milady, these boys are my charges. Meet Lightweight, Scrappy, and Quick Wit. They’re the finest greenhorns to join the castle’s guard in the past five years.”

“Geesh, Sir, you really know how to sugarcoat things.” joked one of the earth ponies, whose coat was a light brown with a copper-red mane.

“Shut up, Scrappy, he’s trying to make us look good.” grumbled the other gray bodied, white and yellow maned earth pony, who Applejack concluded was Quick Wit.

Applejack grinned as the three other guards gave respective bows. “Pleasure makin’ your acquaintances. Now, first order of business...you were saying somethin’ ‘bout the dining hall and breakfast?”

“Of course. Right this way, your Highness.” Spark Fyre answered, and began making his way down the hall with Applejack close behind. The three other stallions automatically moved to flank either side of her.

No more than two minutes passed before Spark Fyre led Applejack into a spacious dining hall. She looked around, and was surprised to see several ponies walking back and forth from a large oak table to what she could only assume to be the kitchen. The smell of pancakes, fresh fruits, and light greens wafted through the air, teasing her nostrils. Again, her stomach growled, a bit louder this time.

“Anything in particular that you’re hungry for, Milady?” Spark Fyre asked, trying his best to stifle the chuckle in the back of his throat. “The chefs here are some of the best in Equestria, and can have almost anything you desire ready in no time.”

The former farm pony gave a shake. “Ah’ll just have a few pancakes to start things off...maybe ten will do for starters.”

Spark Fyre faltered. “Right, I’ll just...wait...you mean ten whole pancakes?”

“Yep.” Applejack repeated with a nod

Only years of service under Celestia kept him from questioning the newly crowned princess’s eating habits. Alicorns didn’t always follow logic in his book, so this was merely another one of those incidents. “A-as you wish, Milady.” He made his way towards the kitchen while the trio of younger stallions continued to remain at Applejack’s side.”

“So...” Applejack began. “...you colts are fresh from the recruitin’ batch, huh?”

“Yes, your Highness.” Quick Wit answered.

“Must have been tough gettin’ into the service, huh?”

Scrappy snorted. “Hardly. Equestria’s been peaceful for over several hundred years now. The need for an army is more for presence than actual defense. I went through basic training in a little over three month’s time, then got picked up by Captain Spark Fyre shortly after. Lightweight took about four months, and Quick Wit took about seven, though that’s because he was apparently qualified for special training.”

“I was sent to Advanced Military Tactical Training, Scrappy. The least you could do is know what you’re talking about before you go spouting your mouth off like that.” The earth pony guard frowned before giving a curt bow to Applejack. “One thousand pardons, your Highness. Scrappy’s a bit of an idiot at times.”

“Basic trainin’ huh? You all took different classes though, that right?” She received nods from the three stallions. “I guess that makes some sense. I wonder if...” Her voice trailed off as she spotted two familiar faces on the other side of the massive dining hall. “Well shoot, I thought I was goin’ to be the first up at this hour. Hey, Twilight!”

A lavender alicorn, who was currently occupied with looking out one of the large windows of the dining hall, perked up at the calling of her name. She, as well as the white alicorn with a flowing mane resembling the dawn’s light, both turned to the voice of the orange alicorn. “Good morning, Applejack. I was wondering when you’d be awake.”

Applejack smiled before turning to greet Celestia. She was about to bow when the Sun Princess held up a hoof. “No need for that, Applejack. As I have said before, we’re equals now. All of us.”

“Heh, right, old habits die hard, I guess...” Applejack blushed a bit. “Well, I guess I should’ve expected you to be up already, Prin...er...Celestia.”

The white alicorn gave a small smile. “I was just helping Twilight figure out how to use her new powers.”

“It’s pretty difficult...” Twilight mumbled as she looked down. “Thanks for the help, Princess Celestia.”

“You’re quite welcome, Twilight. I believe I mentioned before to you as well that you can stop with the Princess Celestia business. Celestia will do just fine.”

“I...I know, but...it still feels weird.” Twilight sighed. “You’ve always been ‘Princess’ Celestia to me.”

For a brief moment Celestia frowned, and Applejack thought she saw something in the alicorn’s eyes. A flash of sadness...maybe something else, she wasn’t sure, but before she could think further on it the Princess of the Sun smiled and gave an understanding nod. “It’s fine, Twilight, but do try to work on it. Ponies will have a harder time seeing you as a ruler if you still refer to me as a superior.

Twilight blushed a little. “I’ll try and get used to it.”

Celestia smiled gently. “That’s all I ask.” She turned her attention to the three guards who were currently arguing over some matter or another. “I see you’re getting along swimmingly with the guards. That’s good, that could help you with nominating ponies when you decide to form your Honor Guard.”

The orange alicorn blinked several times before raising an eyebrow. “Honor Guard? You mean I’m goin’ to have my own troop of ponies?”

Celestia nodded. “Correct, whatever number of guards you wish to have, within reasonable limits at least. For instance, Luna currently has about fifty soldiers in her Honor Guard. They’re your personal soldiers, and if they agree, will pledge their loyalty explicitly to you. Think of them as modern day knights.”

“Huh...that’s kinda neat, but I don’ know if I need a bunch of ponies followin’ me ‘round all the time.”

“Of course, privacy is a necessity for anypony, Applejack. They’ll more or less escort you whenever you make a trip to some town or city, or whenever you personally attend a festival or public hearing, or whenever you’re holding court for the public.” Celestia watched the young stallions slowly making their way to Applejack’s side. “Just keep this in mind, Applejack. Your guards will keep you safe if you wish, but they’ll also be willing to offer you a friendly shoulder to lean on if you get to know them well enough.”

“What about you...um...Celestia?” Twilight asked. “How many guards do you have in your Honor Guard?”

“Ah, well right now Captain Lily Wing is the only actual soldier who serves in my Honor Guard, but I often ask other ponies to accompany me whenever I travel, with or without Luna.”

Applejack nodded before turning to see Spark Fyre approaching her, pausing to reprimand the three stallions for not acting like proper guards and keeping a good image. Her mind began to ponder on the subject. Would these four be possible candidates for her Honor Guard?

“Princess Applejack, your breakfast is ready.” Spark Fyre stated, pointing a hoof towards a healthy stack of pancakes.

Well, maybe she would focus on breakfast first.

Sweetie Belle awoke to the comforting warmth of her sister lying beside her. A single foreleg was draped over the filly while one of Rarity’s wings seemed to be blanketing her. Closing her eyes and sighing contently, Sweetie Belle snuggled closer to her sister, causing the alicorn to mumble something as she continued to lightly snore.

Rarity used to let Sweetie Belle sleep with her back when she was still only a few years old. Namely whenever there were thunderstorms or when she had a bad dream. While Rarity was a sometimes a bit of a pushy pony when it came to behaving like ‘a proper pony’, she was never above pampering her little sister. It had been that way for as long as Sweetie Belle could remember.

One azure eye opened, then another. Rarity let out a quiet yawn before looking to the sleepy mass lying beside her. Sweetie Belle gave her a soft smile before giggling.

“What’s so funny?” Rarity asked sleepily. She could see where Sweetie Belle’s eyes were looking, so she had a fairly good idea.

“You’ve got really funny bed-mane look right now.”

Typically, having a mussed up mane would cause Rarity stress to no end, but waking up in the morning was an entirely different thing for her. She simply laughed while slowly stretching her legs (and wings). “Well, you’re one to talk, Little Miss Frizzy Head.”

Sweetie Belle giggled more as Rarity ran a hoof through her messed up mane. The two eventually hauled themselves out of the luxurious bed and headed to the bathroom. She did a quick brushing job on Sweetie Belle’s mane before attending to her own. After she finished, the two made their way down the corridors leading to the dining hall. The sound of laughter could be heard echoing from within, several voices belonging to ponies Rarity easily recognized as those of her friends.

“Good morning, Princess Rarity and Lady Sweetie Belle.” greeted one of the two guards standing at the dining hall entrance.

“Good morning to you, fine sir.” Rarity and her sister gave a small curtsy. “I trust the others have already begun eating breakfast?”

“Princess Celestia is an early riser by necessity, so she ate a few hours ago, along with Princess Twilight Sparkle and Princess Applejack. I believe Princess Pinkie Pie was seen bouncing into the dining hall before I took my shift, and Princess Fluttershy just entered the dining hall no more than ten minutes ago. I’m unsure about Princess Rainbow Dash though.”

Rarity was impressed; the guards already knew their names. She would have to compliment Celestia and Luna on the quality of their guards around here. Speaking of Luna...

“Ah, what about Luna? Is she awake yet?”

The guard smiled a little before laughing. “Typically Princess Luna won’t be awake until four or five in the afternoon, sometimes earlier, sometimes much later. Her sleep cycle has always been a precarious one, according to what Princess Celestia has told us. She tends to stay up late no matter what though, and is usually holding late-night audiences for ponies because of that.”

“I see, well I’ll just have to see about getting those alterations on her dress done later. Come, Sweetie Belle, I smell pancakes.”

Sweetie Belle was all too eager to oblige.

Rarity and Sweetie Belle entered the dining hall, and were greeted to the sight of Applejack sitting in front of a rather healthy stack of pancakes saturated in maple syrup. Judging from the stack of dirty plates next to her, this wasn’t her first helping.

“Your Highness, while it’s not my place to question your diet, don’t you think that much syrup is unhealthy?”

The orange alicorn just chuckled. “Heheh, don’t you worry none, Spark Fyre. I don’ have maple syrup that often back home, so this is more of a treat for me than anything else.” She licked her lips before tying a napkin around her neck. She then turned her attention to the fork and knife lying beside the table, an apprehensive look forming on her face. She closed her eyes while her brows knitted in concentration. The silverware gave off a faint glow before rocketing into the air and embedding itself into the ceiling. Applejack’s eyes opened and she cursed before closing her eyes again. The silverware promptly dislodged itself and shot downward into the table.

“Ah, confound it, I can’t do magic for the life of me.”

Celestia, who had watched the ordeal with a small smile on her face, chuckled quietly. “Give it time, Applejack. I wasn’t that great at magic too when I was first learning. Considering that you moved the silverware on your first try says a lot. You already have a basic understanding of what you have to do. Just give it time.”

Applejack grumbled something while deciding to instead eat the good old fashion earth pony way. She took a delicate bite out of a pancake, being as careful as possible not to get any syrup on her face as she did so. She figured that with being a princess she may as well demonstrate proper table manners while eating.

As for Pinkie Pie, she was eating with a bit less etiquette, a small glob of brown sugar oatmeal adorning her face as she happily ate.

Soon Rarity and Sweetie Belle were seated at the table directly across from Celestia and Twilight. “So, Princess Celestia, I was curious as to what exactly we’ll be doing at the central plaza, other than introducing ourselves.”

“Please, Rarity, Celestia will do just fine.” Celestia said. “As far as what this public appearance goes, I will simply explain the reason for you six being alicorns now, and what changes will take place. Ponies are going to be curious when I tell them why I’m only in charge of maintaining the heat and direction of the sun’s rays, after all.” She looked to Twilight, who dropped her gaze a bit while smiling bashfully. “By the way, Twilight, that was a good first attempt at rotating the planet this morning, despite what you may think. I’m truly proud of you.”

“Thank you Pr...Celestia.” Twilight murmured while looking up. “I’ll get better, I promise.”

“I know you will, Twilight, that’s why you were chosen for this task.” Celestia gazed across the table to the other mares. “Have any of you experienced anything relating to your powers yet?”

“Well...um...” the group turned to Fluttershy, who was blushing as she noticed she was the center of attention. “I...well, when I woke up this morning I could...I’m not sure how to put this, but I felt the animals nearby. I could sense every single little bird, bunny, and insect, and pretty much everything within Canterlot. I also could tell how the plants were doing in the garden just by looking at them.” She smiled a little as she continued. “Needless to say, Mr. Hayseed is doing a wonderful job at taking care of the garden.”

The Princess of the Sun smiled. “Yes, his family has worked for the castle for almost five generations now. The Hayseeds are truly a gifted bunch of gardeners.”

“I had this weird feeling when I woke up this morning.” Pinkie Pie began as she looked up from her oatmeal. “I felt all happy one moment, then grumpy the next, then nervous, then sad. I was really, really confused, but then I was fine!” She frowned. “I thought I was going cookoo for a moment!”

“That sounds awfully confusing.” Fluttershy commented.

“I know, right? That’s why it was a weird feeling! Weirder than my pinkie-sense!” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I think, and this may sound crazy, that all those emotions were coming from other ponies! Like right now, I’m feeling happy, but in the back of my mind I’m annoyed too. That’s probably from Applejack because she’s got bad table manners, hehehe!” She giggled as the orange mare cast a weak glare towards her direction. “Come on, AJ, there’s no reason to be a slumpy-grumpy! It’s a new day, and we’re going to introduce ourselves to the ponies of Canterlot!!”

Despite being upset with her inability to control her magic, Applejack managed to find herself smiling. Whether it was because of Pinkie Pie’s magic or just the way the party pony was able to make you smile, she didn’t know, but it was working. “Yer right, Sugarcube. I’ll get this magic stuff down soon enough.”

Rarity and Applejack both felt no developments in relation to their new powers today, but Celestia assured them it would come with time. It was almost eleven in the morning when one Rainbow Dash trotted slowly into the dining hall, yawning every couple of steps while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “Mornin’...”

The mares couldn’t help but snicker at Rainbow’s appearance. Her wild mane was matted on one side and sticking up in random spots while feathers were poking out in odd directions, indicating she had been tossing in her sleep.

“Well, you look like you slept well.” Twilight commented as she tried to suppress a laugh.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. My hair is a mess, so what?” She slumped down into her seat and helped herself to some wheat bread and raspberry jam.

“Ohhh, now I’m feeling frumpy. Rainbow Dash, cheer up!”

The chromatic alicorn sighed while rubbing her eyes. “Nn...gimme a few minutes.”

After the ponies had finished their first meal of the day, Celestia urged them to all go about preparing themselves for the public appearance, which would be held in less than a couple of hours.

Before they knew it, it was one in the afternoon and the six newly crowned princesses were standing outside the main doors leading out to Canterlot. The mares all had varying looks about them, from Pinkie Pie’s exuberant bouncing to Fluttershy’s nervous scratching at the carpet while trying to appear as small as possible.

Celestia, who was standing before them all, gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Girls, don’t worry. I’ll do most of the talking, alright? If anypony has questions directed towards any of you in particular, you can choose to answer them if you wish, though I’d recommend keeping the answers as brief as possible.” She looked over all of them once more, her smile growing slightly. “You all look wonderful, by the way.”

The six had decided to wear their respective Elements of Harmony, along with adornments selected by Luna and Celestia themselves. Their regalia matched that of Celestia and Luna’s though there were a few subtle differences if one looked.

Twilight wore a golden chest plate and shoes that were complimented by a small cape tied around her waist that shined a brilliant lavender hue. The tiara of Magic rested on top of her head, sparkling in the natural light that shined through the windows of the castle, making her appear more regal than she could have ever thought possible.

Rainbow Dash wore her necklace of Loyalty and golden regalia like that of Twilight. In place of a crown were golden leaves that strongly resembled those that were part of her Grand Galloping Gala outfit.

Pinkie Pie’s blue necklace of Laughter was easily visible in contrast to her pink coat. She wore a gold crown and had a chest plate and shoes that were a vibrant, metallic pink hue that matched the color of her mane.

Fluttershy wore no crown, opting instead for a small forehead tiara and regalia of silver that resembled Luna’s own design. The tiara had a raindrop diamond of pink that hung loosely to the woven jewelry, complimenting the yellow alicorn’s graceful figure perfectly. Her butterfly shaped necklace of Kindness could be seen hanging around her neck as well for a finishing touch.

Applejack was dressed modestly compared to the others, wearing only a chest plate and shoes made of gold. She had her stetson hat tied around her neck by a string that was accompanied by the Element of Honesty, and it appeared that the orange pony had taken the time to groom her mane, which was now gleaming in the midday sunlight.

Last was Rarity, who had dressed up the most of the group. The first piece of regalia that the two sisters had suggested to her was a golden crown similar to the one that rested on Celestia’s head. Aside from this, she had on an elegant, feathered cape of royal blue that draped her sides and decorative leg armor of bright violet. Her necklace of Generosity shined vibrantly against her white fur coat.

“Well,” Celestia began. “We had best not keeping our citizens waiting.”

The seven princesses were quickly surrounded by guards of varying rank and decorum as the doors opened. The iron hinges creaked under the strain before several Royal Guard ponies moved forward, followed by Celestia, then the other six.

“Alright, ponies!” barked out a feminine voice. The six alicorns looked ahead to see that Captain Lily Wing was the owner of the voice. “This is a standard crowd control and escort procedure, but with our new co-rulers we need to cover more ground. If I so much as see a stray leaf touch their backs, I’ll have every single one of you running hay bails up and down Canterlot peak until sundown tomorrow! Are we clear?!”

“Sir, yes, sir!” shouted the guards, causing Fluttershy to jump.

“Good. Now, forward, march!!”

Within seconds the small herd of ponies was marching out of the castle and towards the actual city of Canterlot. The denizens of the capital stopped to gaze briefly at Celestia before returning to whatever task they were taking care, only to do a double take when they noticed six new alicorns following behind her. By the time they reached the central plaza, a small crowd of mostly unicorns, a few pegasi, and the occasional earth pony, was following behind them. The Royal Guard parted at the front to allow Celestia and the other six to make their way towards a small platform. Celestia walked up to the center of the white stone platform before looking to Twilight and the others, giving them an expectant smile.

Twilight was the first to join her side, along with Pinkie Pie, and then the rest of the alicorn mares. Celestia gazed over the large mass of equines now gathered around the platform while the Royal Guard stood at all points, providing a barrier between the princesses and the public.

“Do we really need these many guards, your Majesty?” asked Rarity in a whisper. “I mean...I know we’re part of the reason for the large number, but still...”

Celestia gave a small nod while keeping her gaze on the growing crowd of Canterlot inhabitants. “Unfortunately, Rarity, the crowds can grow excited quickly if I bring news, good or bad, to them. Luna nearly had a panic attack when she was swarmed shortly after she returned, and you can imagine how that must have been after ages of isolation...”

Rarity blinked before looking forward, only to gasp. In the span of a minute, the plaza had become flooded with ponies. It was like they were riding on the waves of a pastel sea.

Celestia raised a hoof in a gesture requesting the ponies to quiet down. The citizens slowly quieted, though there was still the background buzz of individual conversations that could be heard. “Greetings, everypony.” Celestia smiled brightly as the ponies all slowly bowed to her while she gave a respectful nod in return. “I come to you all with wonderful and exciting news. In case any of you had not yet noticed, there are six more alicorns beside me today. Some of you may recognize them, others may not. Today, I am honored to introduce you to your future co-rulers of Equestria!”

The crowd erupted into gasps, shouts of excitement and confusion, and even a scared whinny or two. She raised her hoof, though it took much longer for the crowds to grow quiet this time. “These six mares standing before you are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and as most of you I hope know, the ones responsible for defeating Nighmare Moon and helping return my beloved sister to us all.” She repeated the silencing gesture again, a patient smile still on her face as she waited for them to let her continue. “The Elements of Harmony have dictated that the world shall begin going through various changes, and that new rulers are needed to help guide the planet.” She took a step to the side before continuing her speech. “Ladies and gentleponies, I present to you the Spirits of Harmony, and new co-rulers of Equestria!”

There was an eruption of cheers that had reached deafening levels. Celestia simply looked to the six and smiled before nodding. Twilight took the cue and stepped forward while trying to quell the butterflies dancing in her stomach. She applied a small level of magic to her vocal chords to help amplify her voice. “Good day, everypony. I-I am Twilight Sparkle, and I was actually born and raised here in Canterlot.” She gave a small nod as the crowds continued to stomp the ground in applause. “I...look forward to my new calling, and will do all I can to serve the kingdom!”

She quickly backed up, almost stumbling into Celestia, who managed to catch her with a hoof. The lavender alicorn gave her an embarrassed grin before looking to the rest of her friends. They all looked about as nervous as she was, their eyes glued to the crowd before them. Just when she was beginning to worry, Pinkie Pie bounced forward in a single hop and spoke. “Hi, everyone! I’m Pinkie Pie, and I’m really, really excited to help run the kingdom! Oh, before I forget, we’ll be throwing a HUGE party in the castle when I get a date set up, and everypony is invited! Free cake and ice cream for everyone! See you there!!”

The crowd went quiet, the occasional grunt of confusion being heard in the mass of ponies.

Then one pony, a young unicorn stallion, shouted. “Yeah! Party at Canterlot Castle!!”

The crowd decided to go with the flow, and once more erupted into cheers. Pinkie Pie grinned from ear to ear and flared her wings while joining the celebration. She eventually took her place in the back, but not before giving Rarity a nudge forward.

“Goodness, Pinkie, was that really necessary? A true princess wouldn’t be so-” She almost bit her tongue as she faced the masses. “Er...” She cleared her throat, took a calming breath, and spoke. “Salutations, my fellow ponies. I am Rarity, and it is truly an honor to be given this responsibility. I look forward to getting to know this wonderful city better, as well as the rest of Equestria.” She gave a low curtsy. “Princess Rarity is at your kingdom’s service!”

As the crowd continued their applause, Rainbow Dash decided to take her turn. She grinned before flaring her wings fully, eliciting several ‘ooh’s and ‘aah’s from the ponies. “Hey, everypony, my name is Rainbow Dash, winner of last year’s Best Young Flyer Competition!” There were a few cheers from the crowd, namely the pegasi. She grinned while continuing. “I promise that I’ll do my absolute best as a princess of Equestria, and I never go back on my word!” She smiled brightly as the crowd continued cheering, and even gave a little kick into the air with her forelegs before turning around and joining the others.

Applejack and Fluttershy were frozen in place. Fluttershy’s eyes darted from one corner of the plaza to the other while Applejack was staring off in space, her mind racing.

“Fluttershy...” Celestia whispered. “Go on. We’re right here with you.”

“Eep!” the yellow alicorn shrunk back a little. She looked up to see the reassuring smiles of Pinkie, Rainbow, Twilight, and Rarity. Her confidence grew a little, and she slowly made her way to the front. “U-um...” The crowd grew incredibly silent as the ponies struggled to hear her. “H-h-hello. M-my name is...Fluttershy. I...um...well, I’m honored to be made a princess of Equestria...I guess...” She slowly backed up. “Th-thank you.”

Among the applause, several adoring ‘aww’s’ could be heard. She was thankful that Rarity decided to rest a wing over her, providing her with something to hide under.

The orange alicorn blinked, realizing she had yet to introduce herself. Even Fluttershy managed to muster up enough courage to speak in front of all these ponies! She sucked in a deep breath before exhaling slowly. She stepped forward, knees a little wobbly, and spoke. “Hi, everypony. Mah name is Applejack, an’ before yesterday I was just yer run o’ the mill farmer who helped tend to Sweet Apple Acres over in Ponyville.” She grinned as several faces in the crowd lit up in recognition of the orchard name. “Now, I might not be experienced in the whole bureaucracy thing an’ what have you, but I promise to learn my role and help out in whatever way I can. Thank you.” She gave a slow nod as the ponies continued to cheer, several even letting out a whoop and ‘yeehaw’, followed by hats being thrown into the air.

Celestia beamed brightly at the orange mare before stepping forward. Applejack gave a small nod before walking back to her place beside her friends. The Princess of the Sun waited until the cheers died down before speaking once again.

The Princess of the Sun spoke at length of how she and her sister would continue to assist in the running of the kingdom, but also made it clear that the other six were true rulers of Equestria and were to be respected as such. “Thank you for giving us your time, my little ponies. These changes will take time, mind you, and my sister and I will do all we can to help your new co-rulers learn their responsibilities. I ask that you all welcome them with the kindness that Equestria is known for. Thank you, and I wish you all a pleasant rest of the day!”

A final cheer that dwarfed all previous ones shook the plaza, rattling the bones of the six mares as they gave courteous nods to their new subjects. Within less than ten minutes, the Royal Guard had managed to create a path back to the castle, and usher the royal ponies back within the white stone walls.

As soon as they were inside the castle walls, Celestia turned to Lily Wing. “Thank you for your help today, Captain. You may have the rest of the day off.” Celestia said as she walked into the castle entrance chambers. “Oh, and send a messenger to find Lady Sweetie Belle. I believe she was escorted to the central plaza by Azure Skye and Stalwart to the plaza, right Rarity?”

Rarity gave a nod. “Yes, I wanted to avoid her becoming caught up in the publicity. Poor dear would be overwhelmed and I fear she’d get panicky. Captain Azure Skye said she would be waiting in the southern gate entrance chambers with my sister if I remember correctly.”

Celestia turned back to Lily Wing, who simply gave a salute before going to find a messenger pony to retrieve Sweetie Belle.

“Celestia?”

The ancient equine looked to see Applejack shuffling her hooves distractedly. “Yes, Applejack?”

“Ah...” She took in a deep breath before continuing. “How many public appearances like that will we have to make?”

“Well, I know how it feels to make a speech in front of so many ponies, but I think it would be a good idea to at least visit a few of the other towns and cities of Equestria. Manehatten will be an necessary one, as will Fillydelphia, perhaps we’ll also stop by Hoofington. I like to call those cities the ‘Big Three’ since they hold the three largest populations respectively within the kingdom.”

“W-wait, we’re going to have to visit Manehatten???” Rainbow spoke up, her voice shaky as her knees. “I...uh, can we maybe make that the last visit?”

Celestia tried to hide the amusement in her voice from the distraught ponies. “It’s alright, Rainbow Dash. I promise that you’ll have all the time you need to prepare a speech for a city like Manehatten. I used to be afraid of public speaking, too.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Really? Prin...Celestia, you’re so good at it though. Why would you be afraid of something like that? Everypony respects you so much.”

Celestia chuckled while looking out a window to the midday sky. “Truth be told, Twilight, back when Luna and I had first become the diarchs of Equestria I was quite the stage-frightened pony. Luna was also scared stiff at the idea of speaking before crowds of hundreds of ponies, being the timid filly that she was, and I was only slightly better. While she was unable to form a single word I was able to form a half-way coherent sentence if I was lucky.” She sighed. “However, the staff of the castle at the time helped tutor me on proper public speaking, what to do and what not to do, among other things. You remember the Equine Manifesto, don’t you Twilight?”

“Oh, yes, it’s probably one of the most passionate speeches you’ve ever given!” Twilight’s eyes lit up, and Celestia realized a little too late what she had unleashed. “The desire for civil rights to be a given right and not a privilege to everypony, the wish for treaties to be rewritten with the neighboring lands, and have equal representation of the various pony settlements in the Equestrian parliament-”

A gentle hoof rested on the lavender alicorn’s shoulder. She paused to see Celestia giving her a look that hid laughter, asking her to hold off on her praise for now. “Um...yes, I remember your speech.”

A few of the mares laughed quietly while Twilight blushed. Celestia just nodded before continuing. “Right, and while you may view it as one of my best works of writing, I will be the first to admit that it had taken me almost a year to muster up the courage to deliver it to the ponies of Equestria. I kept putting it off, or lost my nerve, but eventually several dozen of the castle attendants and guards decided to serve as my first audience. I began small, then more ponies would listen, until eventually I was giving the speech to the entire city of Fillydelphia, which at the time was the largest city in Equestria.”

She gained a far-off look for several moments before laughing. “When Luna returned, one of the first things she read was that speech. She couldn’t believe that I had managed to give such a speech in front of so many ponies. It was a radical proposition on the change of government, and it was given in front of the largest population of ponies at the time.” She smiled. “Luna’s still a bit shy in regards to public appearances, unfortunately, but her desire to be with her fellow ponies and the craving to learn about all the changes in society that she missed out on has stamped out most of that fear.”

“So you see, girls, while it can be a bit intimidating to stand before enormous crowds of ponies and give a speech, the only way one can get better at it is with practice.”

“Well I thought it was lots of fun! We got to see a whole bunch of new ponies, and now they all know about the party in the castle! It’s going to be so much fun!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

Celestia found her smile widening a little as the pink alicorn giggled. “Yes, Pinkie Pie, that’s very true. Your ability to stand before such a large crowd without the slightest bit of insecurity is a true mark of your ability to connect with other ponies.”

“I just thought about what I wanted to say, and said it! That’s all.” Pinkie Pie beamed. “My Granny Pie always told me that I shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes, because I can only learn from them!”

“That’s a wise bit of advice, Pinkie Pie.” Celestia agreed. “Perhaps you can help the others learn to conquer their stage fright?”

“Ohhhh, I’d love to!”

Further conversation was cut off as the doors opened. A messenger pony cleared his throat before speaking. “Your Majesties, Lady Sweetie Belle has arrived.”

The young unicorn filly walked into the chamber, followed by two stallions who the six could only assume were Azure Skye and Stalwart. Upon seeing Rarity, Sweetie Belle quickened her pace before reaching her sister and embracing her. “That was a great speech, Rarity!”

While the fashionista wasn’t entirely in agreement with the claim, the praise still meant a lot to her when it came from Sweetie Belle. She nuzzled her sister before speaking to the guards. “I trust she was well behaved?”

Azure Skye, a rather muscular pegasus, gave a small smile. “Lady Sweetie Belle was a perfect model of how a proper filly behaves...” He gave the little filly a sly grin before continuing. “...though I think she’s a little jealous of Princess Celestia’s ‘pretty mane’, as she so eloquently put it.”

Sweetie Belle gasped. “Azure, you said you wouldn’t tell!”

The stallion laughed. “No, Stalwart said that. I never made such a promise.”

Now embarrassed and blushing, Sweetie Belle hid behind her sister’s legs as Celestia looked down to her with that ever-present smile of hers. “Thank you for the compliment, Sweetie Belle. You shouldn’t be jealous, though; your mane is just as beautiful.”

Sweetie Belle gave out a bashful thanks before walking out from under Rarity’s legs. After the laughter had calmed down, Celestia decided to speak up. “Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any to get you all acquainted with some of the duties you’ll have to perform during the time that the castle is open to the public.” With that, Celestia lead them to the throne room while explaining the intricacies of being a co-ruler of Equestria.

One day had passed since the public appearance in Canterlot, and already Twilight found herself sitting beside Luna during the late hours of the castle’s public hours. She was listening intently as a young mare from Fillydelphia nervously asked for some funding towards in agricultural research which would hopefully lead to better yields of corn and wheat for future harvests. She explained the details to Twilight, the lavender alicorn and Princess of the Moon both studying the visual aids their visitor provided as the mare continued to explain how much this would cost to fund.

“...I realize this is a bit of a risky project to fund, but...if we can get the irrigation system made and the natural fertilizer is a success...then we could feed twice as many ponies throughout all of Equestria within six years’ time.” the Earth pony, Twilight believed was named Silver Trowel, finished her presentation and gave the princesses a hopeful look.

Luna smiled after setting the small pamphlet down, and turned to Twilight. “Well, I think this is a good venture to invest in, don’t you?”

Twilight studied the pamphlet floating before her more intently before looking to the mare kindly. “Silver Trowel, correct?”

“Y-yes, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” the Earth pony replied with a bow.

Twilight hummed as she looked up to the ceiling in thought. “I think this is a good idea as well, however...I’m not entirely certain about this irrigation system, if only because of the possibility that it could fail, or that the fertilizer could drain into the water itself and possibly get into the local drinking water.”

Silver Trowel sighed. “Yes...there is a risk involved, but as I mentioned, the rewards if this research project were to be a success would be great.”

“How much of this were you asking the Royal Treasury to fund?”

Silver Trowel looked down. “About...about seventy percent, your Highness. It would come out to about seven hundred-fifty thousand bits, perhaps a bit more.”

Luna gave a nod. “That is a reasonable sum of money, and considering the amount of work you’d be putting into this, I can understand the costs.” She looked towards her co-ruler. “What’s on your mind, Twilight?”

“Well...” Twilight looked towards the door leading to the royal chambers where most of the others were sleeping. “I think that while this is a good idea, you could probably benefit from inquiring further on the matter with Princess Applejack. She’s a splendid farmer, and considering what her domain of magic encompasses, she would probably know a few things about irrigation farming. Still, I think we can provide this much money for your group’s research, Miss Silver Trowel. You have my approval.”

“As do I. Considering we are the only two giving audience right now for open court, I believe that means you’re request has been accepted.” Luna smiled as the young mare standing before her beamed.

“Oh, th-thank you, your Majesties! I-I will be sure to seek out Princess Applejack’s advice on the matter during my stay in Canterlot. If by chance, would either of you know when she’s available?”

“She’s typically awake by dawn, and I’m sure if you can get here early enough, whoever is holding court at the time can find her for you.”

Silver Trowel bowed again as Twilight and Luna filled out the proper paperwork stating she had their approval for funding from the Royal Treasury, and made her way out shortly after.

Twilight looked at the clock. “A quarter after nine already?” She sighed. “We go until ten, right?”

“Yes, but we usually end early, considering we rarely get any ponies after eight at night.” Luna replied before looking to the pony guards at the door. “Are there any other visitors?”

“Yes, Milady. A unicorn couple by the names of Night Light and Shimmer Tail.”

Luna noticed Twilight visibly perk up at the mention of the guests’ names. “My parents are here?” She looked to the Princess of the Night and smiled. “I...Princess...you don’t mind if-?”

Luna chuckled. “Not at all. As I said, we’re usually done with most business by eight. Do you want some time alone with the family?”

“No, please, I’d actually love to introduce you to them.” Twilight nodded to the guard. “Please let them enter.”

The doors opened, and sure enough, there were Twilight's parents. The lavender alicorn hopped down from her seat at the throne and met her parents halfway. She was met with a welcoming embrace from the two unicorns.

“Well, Shimmer, I never expected our little girl to get this big.” Night Light joked with a smile. “We just got your letter today. We had been gone on vacation for the past week in Hoofington, and got back a little over an hour ago.”

Shimmer Tail nuzzled her much taller daughter and smiled. “We just...we couldn’t believe it, so we had to see it for ourselves.” Twilight watched as her mother began tearing up. “Oh, Twilight...your father and I are so proud of you.”

Twilight blushed a bit as Shimmer Tail began to nuzzle her gently while calling her ‘my little baby filly’. She looked over her shoulder to see Luna watching in amusement, saying nothing while her eyes twinkled with hidden laughter.

“Um...Mom, Dad, this is Princess Luna.”

The two unicorns bowed while Luna gave them nods. “A wonderful pleasure to finally meet the Princess of the Night, your Highness.” Night Light commented. “I’m actually a part of the staff at the Canterlot Observatory, and a major fan of your work, namely the nebulae. It’s amazing how many newly formed stars can cluster together in such a small area, considering how large they end up becoming when they’re fully formed. I’m particularly fascinated by how well you’ve managed to make the Horsehead Nebula look so detailed when it’s seen in front of the hydrogen gas clouds at-”

“Dear, you’re doing it again.” Shimmer Tail said with a tolerant smile. Night Light blinked before giving an apologetic smile.

“My deepest apologies, your Majesty. I tend to go off on tangents when I get caught up with discussions.” He looked to his much taller daughter and grinned. “I think Twilight got that from me. Luckily her mother’s looks more than make-up for it.”

“Daaad...” Twilight groaned while the blue unicorn stallion chuckled good-naturedly.

Luna seemed to be enjoying the family’s interactions, though. “Your daughter has been a truly helpful mare for my sister and I. I owe her much, and it is a true honor to be working beside her.”

Shimmer Tail and Night Light blinked several times, surprised by the midnight alicorn’s words. “W-well, that’s wonderful to hear, you’re Highness.” Twilight’s mother stated while looking to her daughter and giving her a proud smile of her own. “Though I do think Princess Celestia had just as much of a part in helping Twilight grow up.”

It could have been a trick of the dimmed lighting of the throne room, but for a moment Luna thought she saw sadness in the eyes of the two parents as they looked to Twilight, who was currently occupied with adjusting the Tiara of Magic on her head. Whether they were troubled by something or not, Luna barely had time to think on it as the two unicorns continued to talk with their daughter. Eventually, Luna returned to her spot in the throne while Twilight and her parents went off to one end of the hall and had a more private chat. By the time Twilight returned to Luna, it was close to midnight. Night Light and Shimmer Tail each gave Luna a deep bow before exiting the throne room and telling Twilight they’d stop by later this week when she was available.

Luna turned her attention to her peer, and was taken by surprise when she saw Twilight quietly shedding tears. “Twilight Sparkle, what’s wrong?”

The lavender alicorn smiled, though, much to her surprise. “H-huh? Oh!” She wiped her eyes with a wing. “It’s...childish, really.”

“I doubt that is the case. Please, tell me.”

Twilight sighed. “I haven’t spoken to my parents in person for over five years, Luna. We’ve kept in contact with each other through letters. Spike transfers letters from me to my parents in the same fashion that he does with Princess Celestia, and vice versa.” She frowned a little. “Oh, I wish he was awake right now. Mom and Dad would have loved to see how much he’s grown up in the past couple of years.”

While Luna wasn’t a pony to judge, she couldn’t help but ask the following. “Why such a long time since you’ve spent time with your parents?”

Twilight smiled sadly. “My parents are both very busy ponies. While they work for the capital, they also do a lot of field work for Equestria as well. My father travels across the land to map out stars and make observations with his telescope while my mother is an magical theory researcher as well as a philosopher. That’s...part of the reason why I was allowed entry into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. In place of paying the rather hefty enrollment fee, the school instead gave me an aptitude test. I passed, obviously, and got to keep Spike and help take care of him.”

Luna was surprised by this. “My sister has a fee for teaching magic?” She shook her head. “She never told me of this...it doesn’t sound like her at all, though. I don’t mean to be a flatterer or anything, but Celly’s always been quite the philanthropist. If it weren’t for the ponies’ insistence, Celestia and I would not even be wearing these crowns and regalia.”

“From what I remember, Princess Celestia told me she didn’t like the enrollment fee either, but it does help pay for the professors a little, and help maintain the school.”

“Ah, I suppose that makes sense.”

An awkward silence permeated through the room for several long moments before the lavender alicorn spoke up again. “Princess Luna...?”

Luna would have corrected Twilight’s formality, but looked over the matter, having sensed the hesitancy in Twilight’s voice. “Yes, Twilight?”

“I...” She frowned before forcing a smile onto her face. “Never mind. It’s nothing important.”

The midnight alicorn could have seen the forced smile on her peer’s face from a mile away. “Twilight, what’s wrong?”

The lavender alicorn answered with a shake of the head. “Oh, there isn’t anything wrong, just something silly that I was just curious about...but I think I already know the answer.”

“Really?” Luna wasn’t convinced.

Twilight nodded. “Yes, I...” She became interested in a spot on the floor suddenly, and her voice dropped ever so slightly. “...like I said, it’s nothing important.”

Deciding not to press further on the matter, Luna instead changed the subject towards the progress Twilight made in her new magical powers. The lavender mare visibly perked up at this, and began to tell her what she had experienced with her new powers over the past couple of days.

Despite the change in atmosphere, Luna couldn’t help but feel a nagging sensation in the back of her mind. Twilight had been troubled by something, and still was from what she could tell. She would have to consult Celestia about it, or perhaps one of her new co-rulers.

For now, though, she only wished to enjoy her time with Twilight Sparkle.

One week later...

Celestia finished listening to a stallion from Hoofington who merely wished to have some renovations done on a rather out of date cobblestone road. The costs would be rather cheap, and Celestia saw no real reason why the request couldn’t be accepted. So, she quickly signed the proper forms and turned her attention to the pony sitting beside her.

Pinkie Pie was entertaining one of the ponies waiting to be heard with a tale of an apparent baking mishap about a year ago involving muffins. The event was nothing short of a historical event in Ponyville, according to what she had told them.

“...so I decided to not let Applejack help with baking at the Sugarcube Corner anymore unless she got her rest. The silly-filly was so stubborn and grumpy about getting all those apple trees bucked, even though she was all bucked out!”

The unicorn, who appeared to be a Canterlot local, raised an eyebrow. “I say, that is quite a unfortunate mishap. Surely all the ponies recovered from those muffins, yes?”

“Oh sure! In fact, those muffins are a real hit with non-pony customers, namely dragons...too bad we don’t get many dragon customers in Ponyville.” Pinkie giggled. “Could you imagine how much we’d need to make for a big old dragon? Hehehehe, we’d need a couple wagons of flour and sugar!”

Celestia enjoyed the scene, watching as the stallion and the other ponies nearby chuckled at the thought. “My word, a dragon-sized muffin? Good heavens, we’d need a whole wheat field just to make a baker’s dozen.”

Pinkie Pie giggled more, and while Celestia would rather let the day pass with laughter and fun stories, she did have matters to attend to. “Excuse me, sir. Did you have something you wished to speak to us about?”

The stallion wiped a tear from his eye after hearing a rather corny joke from Pinkie Pie involving dragon-fueled ovens before nodding. “One thousand pardons, Princess Celestia, but Princess Pinkie Pie appears to have a direct line to my funny bone.” He cleared his throat while trying to maintain his composure. His expression became a little more serious, and even Pinkie Pie could sense the pony’s demeanor change. Then again, that was part of her magic, Celestia supposed. “I was told to bring this matter up with you, seeing as it could possibly be a diplomatic issue with the griffons.”

Celestia’s eyebrows rose. “I see. Please, go on.”

The unicorn nodded. “You see, you Majesties, I am Finer Edge, the proprietor of The Iron Shovel. We specialize in crafting various tools for farming and digging, namely shovels and plows. Our metal ore provider is a griffon, but his company is outside of Equestria’s borders. I’ve been doing business with him for the past ten years now, and while we’ve had nothing but great business together, he’s begun to raise the costs of his ore significantly.”

“Well, ore prices have been on the rise recently, Mister Edge.”

The unicorn shook his head. “Yes, but that’s besides the point. You see, we drew up our contract for the year and he sells his ore to me for a set price per half ton, and it stays that way until next business year when we write up a new contract and negotiate the price.” He paused, receiving nods from both princesses to continue. “There’s no loophole in the contract that says he can do that, so he’s creating problems and breaching our contract by doing so. I’ve brought this to his attention on three separate occasions, but all have been met with a refusal to lower the price.”

Celestia became silent for several long moments. She looked to Pinkie Pie and smiled before speaking. “What do you think we should do about this, Pinkie Pie? We have a pony who is being treated unfairly and a griffon who only wishes to be able to maintain their business. This is a delicate situation, as you can probably already tell.”

Pinkie Pie only grinned. “Maybe we can visit them, or have them visit us? If we just talk to them about it, we could probably get a lot done, don’t you think?”

“With all due respect, your Majesty, the Griffon kingdom is a good couple of days flight from here, and that could be more if they travel with chariot.” spoke up Finer Edge.

Pinkie frowned, resting her chin on a hoof and humming. “Well...” She perked up. “If we invite them to Canterlot and throw them a party, maybe they would come anyway! Not a big one, but maybe just a few ponies and griffons...I just hope they’re not like Gilda...”

The elder princess gained a thoughtful look before nodding to herself. “Mister Edge, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’ll see to it that proper actions are taken. If you would leave us a way to contact you when this matter is settled, that would be greatly appreciated.”

Finer Edge quirked an eyebrow. “Your Majesty, what do you plan on doing?”

Celestia just smiled. “I believe Pinkie Pie and perhaps myself as well will be taking a short vacation to the Griffon Kingdom. I must admit that quite a bit of time has passed since I last paid them a visit.”

An hour later found Pinkie Pie and Celestia making their way towards the gardens where they had planned on having a light lunch with the others. When they arrived they found a small picnic table to be occupied by their fellow co-rulers.

Pleasantries were shared, most of the talking being done between Rarity, Twilight, Pinkie, and Celestia while the others threw in a little conversation once in awhile.

“So Sweetie Belle seemed quite excited about going to school this morning. Something about giving a report on a family member.” Rarity giggled while dabbing her face with a napkin to wipe away a few stray crumbs of wheat bread. “I only wish that I knew more about my duties so I could give her a more thorough explanation of what I do for the community.”

A rather loud sigh could be heard from the other end of the table, and Pinkie Pie was the first to speak. “Applejack, are you okay?”

“Ah’m fine, Sugarcube.”

Pinkie Pie frowned. “No you’re not.”

“It’s nothin’, just a little tired, that’s-”

“Applejack, you’re making me sad just by looking at you, and that’s without listening to my magic.”

The orange alicorn gave her a weak glare before grumbling. “Well, since you’re so curious...” She set down her hat, which now had a hole to allow her horn to stick through, and continued. “Ah actually got a letter ‘bout two days ago from Big Mac. He...well, he suggested that Apple Bloom interview me for the same report for school, what with me bein’ a princess and all. Apple Bloom flat out refused to, and when Big Mac asked her why she just said she didn’ want to, and stormed off to her room.”

“Oh dear...did he find out what was wrong?” Fluttershy piped in.

“Yeah...he did.” Applejack said, her voice cracking a little. “She said that she wants to interview someone in the family that actually cares ‘bout her.”

“Oh, Applejack...” Celestia began. “If you need to visit the family, all you need do is ask.”

Applejack nodded. “I just...she seemed all fine with it, even after I asked her face to face if she was alrigh’ with me leavin’ for Canterlot.”

“Maybe she was afraid to speak up? I mean...you are her older sister, and I don’t think she wanted to make you upset or worried.” Luna suggested. “Believe me, I know what it’s like to be the youngest.”

Celestia gave Luna a small smile before returning her attention to Applejack. “The offer still stands; if you need to see the family, then there’s nothing stopping you. I want you to know that.”

“I...I think I might need to do that. Big Mac seemed to be worried ‘bout her, too.” The orange alicorn got up from her spot and gave a weak smile. “If ya’ll don’t mind, I think I might arrange a carriage to Ponyville and leave this afternoon. Rainbow, I know you an’ I were going to visit the Royal Guard barracks together tomorrow mornin’ but that may have to wait for another day, that okay with you?”

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof and smiled. “No problem, AJ. Just make sure Apple Bloom and you work things out, alright?”

The orange alicorn gave a final nod before heading off to the castle, likely to arrange her departure. Soon the others excused themselves, stating they had various things to take care of as well. Only Luna and Celestia remained at the table, sharing a silent conversation with their eyes.

Luna was the first to actually speak. “I think we need to talk to them about the long term obstacles they’ll be facing, Celly.”

The usually radiant and ever-calm alicorn visibly slouched, her expression taking on a somber look that only one who had lived for eons could wear. “I know...it’s just...” She looked to the sun for several long moments before turning to her sister. “What if...what if they become angry with us, and hate us? It’s not like we really gave them a choice...even if they did have the option to refuse becoming an alicorn.”

“Then that’s something we’ll just have to bear, sister.” Luna said softly. “You know what, though? I don’t think that will happen. They are some of the most remarkable ponies I’ve ever met, and...and I don’t think they’d hate us. They may be angry, yes, but...anger fades with time and understanding. You know that better than anyone.”

The Princess of the Sun stood up and walked over to her sibling. “I wonder what I would do without you sometimes, Luna.”

“What you did while I was on the moon, I imagine.” Luna replied with a small chuckle.

“No, I mean...if I never had you with me to begin with. You’ve...always been that one pony that I could rely on when everything seemed to be going wrong for me.” She nuzzled the midnight alicorn and closed her eyes. “We can talk to them when Applejack comes back from seeing her family.”

“I think we need to talk to Twilight as well, Celly. She hasn’t been showing it, but she seemed to be troubled by something when she saw her parents last week.” Luna paused for a moment as Celestia met her gaze. “I also think a certain someone needs to have an important talk with Twilight as well.”

“I...” Celestia looked away. “That’s not an important subject at the moment.”

“Celly...” Luna frowned. “If you don’t bring it up with her, it’ll only eat away at you more. Besides, what’s to say it wouldn’t work out between you two?”

Celestia was quiet for several long moments. She frowned a little, but upon meeting her sister’s eyes again, gave a defeated smile. “I’ll talk to her.”

Luna quirked an eyebrow.

“Okay...I promise to talk to Twilight about it. Does that work for you?”

“Mm.” Luna nodded. “I also think we should address certain things in the Canterlot Statue Garden.”

Celestia went silent. “I...yes, I noticed it too. Looks like he’s starting to get stronger.”

Luna just smiled. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much about him. Even if he got out...well, I doubt he’d be able to do much to them.”

The Princess of the Sun sighed. “I hope you’re right, Luna. The last thing we need is for him to be running free again.”

End of Prologue Part II

Next up: An Applejack chapter. Deadlines, public appearances, speeches, diplomacy, controlling the earth and ground, family problems, proper etiquette...being a pony of simplicity, how will this former farm pony adjust to life as a princess of Equestria? It’s as they say after all, you can take the pony out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the pony.