Entry Name: Silver Letter
The Magic of Leadership
The first days of spring have been gifted so gloriously to the residents of Ponyville, tied together so beautiful and fair. Winter has been wrapped up and Princess Twilight Sparkle had delved and relaxed in the glades and valley all alone in recent days, embracing and absorbing nature’s gentle stride from winter to summer and from frosty winds to butterfly days. She is both elegant and humble. A princess of the ponies she lives among. She knows that without them, her life could be nothing and her heart a derelict thing lost in libraries and time. Her heart reflects her praise and love.
Look at me now
How I’ve changed so
The very air I share is what binds us
It comes from the sighs of the ponies
Beautiful Ponyville, you are the only one for me!
The soil I touch
It was ruddy and foreign to my hooves
But when I learned the way
I never forgot it, I lived by it
The six branches swayed me to its truth
I absorbed its wisdom well
It was then that I could touch the soil without sinking
Magic is the foundation of my life
Back at Canterlot, where remote times call
For a leader of the way
…as a princess, I may never recoil
I must let things happen as they will
For times that come is my burden to bear!
To all those young and old
I bring the magic of friendship
And none are left behind
Nopony questions who I am
That I am one of them…
…a princess young and bold
Because of me, my home is blessed
With rains of gold, their spirits ascend
They’ve chosen and in the end…
…I am the one who bows.
It was early afternoon and she enthusiastically set out for town, ruminating hard on the week’s plans. Her friends have all gone away, it being a week since the Breezies incident. Fluttershy missed Discord and went to see him. Hopefully somewhere far away, Twilight imagined. The others? She wasn’t sure where they went. Spike practically clung to her neck, bouncing on her back with an invisible tether. He’s used to it, day dreaming about seeing Rarity, his secret crush. He’s always been that way; though a passing thing. Give it enough time and it would fade away.
“Twilight, why don’t we fly to the farm?” Spike complained.
“Certainly not, Spike” she retorted, not missing a step. “You want to miss all this nature”?
“I remember when the only nature you knew personally was all the trees growing in the park by the library”.
“Well, it’s different now. Ponyville and I are one in the same, especially since I imported my love for books here and now reading has gone up five-fold”.
Spike smiled but remained uncaring. “Wow. Only you could pull that off”.
“Please, Spike. I just helped a little”. The dragon just rolled his eyes at her regular bout of humility.
Doing errands demanded that they go into town. From a hill overlooking the area, Twilight and Spike could only stare at amazement at its tranquility. It was so quiet, simple and out of the way, nestled between forests and mountains. She and it was destined to grow together.
The main street, the artery into town, was where so many gathered. It wasn’t a special day really so Twilight expected very little from unexpected things. But strange enough, the harmony seemed rattled in town. Ponies moved about haphazardly, something she hasn’t seen since the last stampede.
It was hard for her to distinguish individuals out. They seemed in a hurry or even a frenzy. It didn’t help that the intense glare of the sun hurt her eyes.
“I wonder what has gotten everypony so excited” Spike said. “It really isn’t like them”.
Twilight narrowed her eyes, contemplatively. “Yeah, I’m worried, Spike. Let’s go investigate”.
“I’m with you there”.
Everything seemed out of the ordinary. Homes and businesses alike were being boarded up. Carts were being stuffed with belongings as if the whole town was preparing to flee. Knowing that talking to random ponies would be futile, Twilight decided to speak to Mayor Mare at Town Hall.
Going into her office, she saw the mayor furiously striking the keys on a typewriter.
She made her presence known. “Busy, mayor”?
The elderly mayor seemed hyped up on anxiety. “Twilight, I was waiting for you to return to town for what seemed like forever”!
Twilight frowned. “What is the matter, Mayor Mare”?
“There’s a problem. Look outside”. Twilight did so and saw the ruckus continuing in the streets.
“I saw this on the way here” Twilight said. “What is going on”?
“It’s this”. She gave Twilight a letter which read to the effect that the mayor was sent immediate orders to give up her seat. If she didn’t respond in a day, the town would be overrun with outsiders and the inhabitants driven out.
“Who the hay gave you this…ridiculous demand? And more importantly, when”? She had never been more vexed in her life.
The mayor’s voice started shaking. “They…called themselves the Brothers. I sent for you yesterday but you weren’t here. Your friends even went to Canterlot looking for you”.
After taking their leave, Twilight and Spike entered Town Square, rested on the edge of the fountain and watched the streets slowly empty. Unlike a library, she disliked this sort of stillness, a quiet that only made her recall the absence of sound and like a mother bird worrying about the fate of her young, she had a bad feeling about everything.
A few hours later, someone familiar came into view. She was going towards her at a swift gallop. It was Zecora, her zebra friend!
“Twilight, Twilight!” she shouted to her.
“Zecora, do you know anything about this”?
She looked more alarmed than tired from all the running.
“Our friend, Applejack, sent me here. This town suffers from a new overseer”.
“You mean a new ruler”?
“I’m afraid that is true. These Brothers which overthrew. They come with many. These strangers, outsiders…do you know any”?
Twilight didn’t remember seeing anyone new in particular. “I’m sorry. I don’t”.
“Twilight, over there”! She fled fearfully to the other side of the square.
Coming into view was the Flim and Flam brothers! The way they walked into the center was absurdly confident. Their uniforms and hats were colored an ominous black with crimson trim.
“How delightful! Look, it’s Twilight Sparkle! How long has it been, brother?” Flim said.
“A long time, indeed. She’s even a princess. We read about it a while ago” Flam replied. “I wish we could have seen the celebrations”.
Riding on their coattails was an assembly of other ponies, all bearing things in wagons and carts.
“I want to know what you are all doing right now!” Twilight demanded.
“Uh, moving in! What does it look like?” Flam answered snidely.
“This town is full. All of you need to turn around and find a new place to live”!
“Really? My many friends and we think that we should be allowed to stay. There’s no law against it and you can’t possibly justify putting us out in the cold harsh weather”?
Though perplexed, Twilight kept arguing. “I just think that this town isn’t big enough for everypony. Some are fleeing from here as we speak”.
“Then they are making the wrong choice, are they not”?
“Why this place? Are you just mad from losing that cider competition some time back”?
“Well, our friends make this place sound so good that we just can’t pass it up”. The brothers motioned over to the hoard of ponies entering town and eying each home and business with keen interest. Among them were Trixie and Gilda, notorious for their bad behavior.
“What do you two want with the mayor?” Spike inquired suspiciously.
“I think this place is due for some new ownership” they said. “See, the reason why we’re here is to set up a permanent place to live. We’re tired of the road and even being sales ponies. We’re just done with all that. And you know, governing is about the will of the ponies and it does appear that it would be us”. He scanned the horizon, seeing nopony else except his many followers.
The princess refused to relent so easily.
“I won’t accept your rule. You will ruin Ponyville”.
Flam slammed his hoofs on the ground, his face twisting in anger. “Oh, like your friends tried to ruin us”?
“I knew it! This is about revenge”!
The two laughed. “Hardly. Unlike what your friends did to us, we’re willing to grant an honest deal. Once again, I ask for your partnership. As princess, you can bequeath upon us powerful privileges going all the way to Canterlot. Certainly, now you see the wisdom in this? Like last time, there is no point in making this hard for anypony”.
“No deal! I’m Ponyville’s protector and I’ll never give it up to you two”!
Flam sighed. “Princess, we tried. We truly did”.
The next thing she knew, she and Spike were tossed out of town by Iron Will and Gilda. She wanted to cry as she looked back to her adopted home, wrested so violently from her care. Those that remained were at the mercy of the brothers and their cohorts. She galloped towards Sweet Apple Acres, worry and fear straining her mind.
When she reached the farm, the sight shocked her more than anything else in this long and tumultuous day. One of the fields was covered in hundreds of tents. Smoke rose over massive open fire pits where grates cooked hot soup and other food. As the two of them stumbled close, they saw Applebloom and her filly friends serving long lines of ponies waiting for their share. All looked destitute. The tents were shoddily set up and making things worse, it was raining yesterday and this morning. None could stop mud from getting in their coats. It seems none were spared. All but the most successful business owners like Filthy Rich and Davenport had since fled and this was the only place they could go.
Over at the Apple family house, Twilight saw Zecora with Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Applejack. They looked anything but relaxed as they sat on the porch. They appeared to be in discussion.
“Twilight, I’m so glad you’re here” Applejack said. She walked over and embraced her friend.
“I saw what happened” Twilight reported. “I confronted the brothers. I couldn’t stop them, Applejack. They are just so ruthless”.
“I know. We don’t think we can get Princess Celestia involved. She’s handling a summit in the Crystal Empire right now so that means no Cadance either”.
“I can’t rely on them. I have to handle this by myself mostly”.
Applejack seemed worried at Twilight’s insistence. “We should help you”.
“It’s so much to ask. I didn’t even know you were doing so much to help the ponies. I mean, is it even possible to keep this going forever”?
“It’s dire, Princess Twilight” Granny Smith interjected. “You’re right. We can’t keep it up for long. Those pests have to go and there is no questioning this”.
Applejack continued. “We feel that this is a ploy to gain our farm as well. If we lose it to the bank, it falls into their hooves”.
“I believe that these ponies that have lost homes comprise the town’s heart” Zecora said. “With incompatible outsiders in their place, no place can withstand falling apart”.
“I’m sure that this farm will outlast them even if that’s true” Applejack lamented.
Everypony fell silent. Suddenly the truth came to Twilight so clearly. The way was obvious.
“Everypony, I know what to do”.
The next morning, the Apple family assembled all the refugees from town and Twilight spoke to them. What she relayed wasn’t all positive. Things in the next few months were going to be just awful. A lot of hard work was called for but their ultimate goal was the creation of an outer community that would compete directly with Ponyville. What was different was that the town lacked two things, friendship and leadership. The brothers were friends to nopony and proudly displayed this. Their leadership was also lacking. They just knew how to use force to get what they wanted in life. Leaders like that ultimately have no right to rule. The ponies were quite skeptical of all this but the Apples managed to convince them. After all, how could anypony take them in without having friendship on their side?
Their plans worked wonderfully. The townsfolk got to business and made themselves little houses on Apple family land. By late summer, they were actually making money which was used to pay off debts and even fix things on the farm. Twilight ruled them with a kind hoof and all were happy, with enough food to go around. By the time the autumn arrived and the season turned cold, more and more of Ponyville’s original citizens started abandoning the town.
They came telling tales of out of control abuse of the most powerful merchants selling things for any price. Taxes also skyrocketed, putting many out of business.
Twilight at last knew the time had come and flew back to Ponyville with Spike. The place was dreary and a total mess. She was disgusted walking through town square. Loud noise permeated the air, hurting her ears, not the only one of her senses to feel the presence of these unwanted guests.
The two of them ran up to town hall and stormed in without knocking.
It was humid inside. Twilight couldn’t believe her widening eyes.
“Looks like we know what they did with their taxes” Spike said with envious tongue licking his dragon lips at the sight of a huge pile of bits like a mountain of salt in the middle of the room. Rich tapestries hung by the windows and all manners of riches lay there.
“Come out, you two!” Twilight demanded. They both came down the stairs. They’ve obviously been crunching numbers all night. Their hair was damp and their clothes a grungy, greasy, sweat spotted mess.
“Princess, we weren’t expecting you”. The false charm, intermixed with worry, made it clear how pitifully faux it really was.
“Things are going better than ever before”! Their rapturous delusions were far flimsier than the situation outside.
“Can’t you see?” Twilight beseeched. “This is sick. The town…your town is convulsing and neither of you care! Leadership is something entrusted to those that can follow the rightful way. I wished to inspire you two to uphold it as I once did but I was wrong”.
Incredibly, her words didn’t click. “Oh well. I guess there’s nothing we can do about it” they said. “Let’s go back and count our money”.
“Is money the only thing you care about? Does the voice of ponies not penetrate into your conscience”?
“What do you want? Our resignations? Can you take our places”?
Twilight sighed. “It’s not about me, but the many you disappoint. You’re not leaders. No matter what you’ve done in life, you let greed steer you into deeper failure. I’m guessing with no leverage, the very bitter way you two deal with ponies makes it impossible for them to endure what the farmland promises them. I provided an alternative after recalling the way to lead and the ponies govern rightfully in my stead. Now, I am here to ensure that the Ponyville I love doesn’t implode for good but survives well into the future. That’s what it’s always been about, the general good is primary”.
Flim narrowed his eyes funnily. “What would you want from us”?
“For once, you two have to make things right. You can’t just run from your problems. Anyone burdened with leadership can’t have the luxury of just giving up and playing a new game elsewhere. So it’s clear, isn’t it? Work as real leaders. Or go outside. There are a lot of ponies out in the streets that don’t like how you run the place and they will not be as sympathetic as I”.
The two of them couldn’t believe what she was saying. But looking at each other and back at her, they knew that there was no other way this time.
“We’ve messed things up this time. But it must be true. Maybe it’s true that the way to govern a business isn’t the same way with a town full of real ponies and in that sense, you’re right” they admitted. Perhaps for the first time, their minds may have been filled with shame. They bowed pitifully.
“I know” Twilight said understandably.
It took time but Twilight was able to make the brothers see the error of their ways. A town couldn’t be ruled like a business. It had to be done with both loyalty and the essence of what makes one a rightful pony and friend. The ill-gotten money they selfishly hoarded was returned back to the ponies. Sweet Apple Acres was finally relieved from being backup Ponyville and things started returning to normal. Many returned home after a few months away. And it all happened because the two ‘sales ponies’ became leaders. They weren’t really bad ponies, Twilight would say in a speech that all her friends and the restored Mayor Mare got to attend. The two were set to depart, preparing to spread a new sort of opportunity, a chance to understand the wonderful nature of leadership. Twilight knew that they just made mistakes. The same sort of mistake that could easily split apart friendships and families. The power of friendship is about a whole lot of things and that includes trust and guidance, basic traits found in anypony.
Author's Note
This work was done for the purposes to entry in the Everfree Northwest 2014 writing competition. Was rewritten multiple times until this point was reached. There is a recommendation to understand the limits of the work was set at 3,000 words, accounting for the imperfect ability to make a good narrative here.