Staring into the Sun: A Celestia in the Vogonverse Story

Chapters

Unknown Answers, Unasked Questions, and a Comfortable Shoulder
Royal Awakening, and a Humbled Spirit
How the other half lives
Of History and Projects
Love and Politics

Unknown Answers, Unasked Questions, and a Comfortable Shoulder

Staring into the Sun

Unknown Answers, Unasked Questions, and a comfortable shoulder

A Princess Celestia in the Vogonverse story

I looked up at the house we had arrived at. The beings with me walked me toward the door. I watched as it opened and a dark headed being opened the door and walked down. My mind flooded with memories of him. Memories of us having tea together after my day court, of his helping me to prank Lulu on occasion, and lastly of the times we would walk through the garden together. He had been there, with me when Lulu had come back to me from her banishment, and he had been there when Twilight had ascended.

I moved toward him, my memories reminding me that he was trustworthy, that I cared for him, and that he was a friend of mine. I touched his hand and instantly those memories became so bright that they glowed more brilliantly than any of the other memories I had. I smiled at him, leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“Thomas, it is so good to see you,” I said.

He smiled and walked me into his home. It was beautiful, far less grand than my castle, but the charm it had was so nice. I noticed how everything moved, flexed, and revolved as we walked through his home. I tried to feel the magic that was changing the room, and in that moment my eyes widened. I couldn’t feel any magic. I worriedly reached my hand up to my mane and I felt the aether it flowed through, but it felt weak. Normally, I could feel the very power of the sun in my mane, but it felt as if it barely had the energy to flow weightlessly.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Is something wrong?” he asked me.

“Thomas, what happened to my magic? Why can’t I feel it?” I asked.

I didn’t want to panic. I didn’t want to bother him with an onset of neurosis, but it was still creeping up on me. I felt my eye twitch, the worry building, and then I felt two lips against my own. I calmed down, and at that moment I felt two arms engulf me into a hug.

“It’s okay Celestia, it’s fine,” he said.

We broke our kiss, and I tried to feel the magic again. This time I felt a spark. A small tender spark of magic inside of myself. A relaxed sigh escaped me. I could work with that. I could work with my magic and build on it. I walked with Thomas as he showed me to a table. I took a seat and a moment later a viewing screen lowered to the middle of the table. On it a small being appeared. It looked to be some kind of winged monkey in a strange coat and hat. The winged monkey bowed before Thomas.

“Master, Mr. Delacey has called, and he wishes to know if you have considered his proposal,” the winged monkey said in a voice that sounded rather close to the nobles from Canterlot.

“Alfie, I’m entertaining my new roommate. Inform Mr. Delacey that I will contact him later,” Thomas said.

“Master, Mr. Delacey will simply continue to call. There is the possibility that he will tie up the lines, and then there is the emails he will send. Do you really want to ignore him?” Alfie asked in that snooty voice of his.

I watched Thomas pinch right about his small nose and shake his head.

“I suppose I shouldn’t, but then I am entertaining someone, so Mr. Delacey is going to have to learn to live with disappointment. Inform him that I will give him a call back at my earliest convenience,” Thomas said.

“As you wish Master,” Alfie replied.

“Who was that?” I asked.

“That was Alfie. He’s my assistant, and later I want to give you a better introduction to him,” he said.

He stood, and I followed suit. The wall opened for us as we neared it, and I took a moment to realize that it was retracting in on itself. It wasn’t that different from the magically opening doors that had been in Luna and my old castle. Instead of focusing on the walls I followed Thomas to a large room. Inside there was a large round bed, similar to my own bed back home, and it had crushed velvet blanket on the top of it. I felt it and a small giggle escaped my lips.

I pushed against the bed, and for a moment it gave before it sloshed back at me and pushed my hands back up. It didn’t feel like any of the beds I had slept on before. It wasn’t a cloud bed, but it felt almost liquid. I took a seat and felt it move around me.

“I thought that you might enjoy a waterbed,” he said.

I grinned as I kicked my hooves back and forth. I could feel the ripples in the waterbed rushing against me. They lifted me, lowered me, and moved around me. I lay back on the bed and felt it displace the water before the water gathered back up to force me into a sitting position. I laughed as the bed tried to throw me off. Never before had I tried to sleep in something that needed to be tamed. The thought that Luna would enjoy taming the bed, making it obey her, and perhaps even naming it after a long forgotten captain or general came to mind.

“Is it okay?” he asked.

I nodded. The bed was fine. It was actually a little better than fine actually. It was soft, different, and it was causing me to feel like a filly getting to play with a new toy for the first time. I gently patted the bed again and felt it ripple under me slightly. I stood, gave Thomas a small smile, and followed him out of the room. I looked back at the waterbed once more.

“I shall tame you tonight bed,” I promised.

A dark mirror on the wall began to light up and Alfie once again appeared.

“Sir, Mr. Delacey is insisting that you answer his call,” Alfie said.

“Fine, put him through Alfie,” Thomas said.

“Rider, I want your answer. If you go in with us we can open up six more stacks. That means a lot of cheap labor for your licensed farm, and it means new business for me,” a deep and menacing voice said through some strange device Alfie was holding up.

“Mr. Delacey, I’ve considered my options several times. I’ve taken into consideration what a new crop of dusk and meth babies would be like, and I can’t in good conscience go into business with you. I understand that it would give me more employees, but then what good would those employees be if they your customers first, and my employees second?” Thomas asked.

“Don’t do this Rider. I’ve got dirt on you. I know the stuff you did to get your farm, and I know what you’ve done to keep it. You ain’t clean,” Delacey replied.

“No, I’m not, and I know I shall never be. That doesn’t matter though Mr. Delacey. What I am is someone who has the good decorum to attempt to keep his employees clean, fed, and sheltered. That doesn’t include becoming customers of a bottom feeding parasite like yourself. Now, I’m entertaining a guest, and I must bid you adieu,” Thomas said.

“Rider, I’m going to make sure that you’re sorry about this. When I’m finished with you I promise that you’re gonna wish that you were never fucking born!” Delacey said before an audible click was heard.

“Well, that was rather unpleasant. Alfie, deny all call privileges to Mr. Delacey. Block his email from my accounts, and contact the authorities if he, his friends, or his conveyance come near the house,” Thomas said.

“Of course Master,” Alfie said.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Master?” Alfie asked.

“Alfie, this is Princess Celestia. She is going to be a guest with us for a while. I want you to treat her with respect, and she is to get administrative privileges,” Thomas said.

“Of course, Welcome to the Casa De Rider your highness. It is a rare privilege to serve royalty,” Alfie said.

“Thank you Alfie,” I replied.

I looked out at the night sky, and instantly I wondered exactly when did I lower the sun.

Author's Note

(And this is the introduction chapter of the Celestia story. I wanted to something a little different with it in that I wanted to tell it from one of the Ponies’ perspective. I felt that working with Celestia would be fun.

Keep an eye on Thomas… he’s not what he seems.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

LF)

Royal Awakening, and a Humbled Spirit

Staring into the Sun

Royal Awakening, and a Humbled Spirit.

A Princess Celestia in the Vogonverse Story

I awoke to the sound of strange, not entirely unpleasant, but certainly unwelcomed music. I lowered the crushed velvet blanket that I had covered up with and looked above the blanket to see Alfie on a dark mirror, like the one in the hall, with what looked like a phonograph in front of him.

“Good Morning your Highness. Master believed that this would aid in waking you up. He desires to have you join him for breakfast, and Master is not a fan of waiting,” Alfie said.

“Surely he could forgive the Princess of Equestria a few minutes more. Why, it’s not even time for me to raise the sun yet,” I replied.

“Your highness the sun is scheduled to rise at six forty-five am this morning. It is currently six thirty. If you wish to partake in the sunrise I suggest that you fully awaken,” Alfie replied.

For a moment I wondered if it would be possible to drag Alfie out of that mirror and throttle him. It seemed the little winged monkey was enjoying this far too much. Finally I closed my eyes and I focused on the spark of magic I had felt yesterday. I felt it clearer than before. I opened my eyes and looked at the crushed velvet blanket and focused on it. A yellow glow of my magic covered it. I watched as it tried to lift off of me. It felt like I was putting more into moving this than I did fighting with Chrysalis. Finally I felt cool air touch me. The blanket was barely floating above me.

I needed to work on my magic. I needed to recover it, especially if I was expected to raise the sun this morning. I focused hard on the spark. I pulled on it, feeling it expand, flow, and finally cover me entirely. I could feel the power of it moving through me with all ease. That same spark I had felt now was at least at the same level as a normal unicorn. I would need to work harder to reach my previous levels, but maybe my natural connection with the sun would help me. I stood and felt woozy. I stepped forward, and I heard Alfie say something, but I didn’t know what it was.

I stumbled to the doorway of my room and the wall retracted back into itself for me. I looked down at myself and realized that I was nude. I cursed myself. I had slept the same way I always slept. Removing all of my regalia, everything down to my crown and then I would sleep peacefully with just the feel of the sheets and possibly the breeze on me. I turned to walk back into my room when my knees buckled and I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist. One of the arms moved behind my legs and I felt myself being lifted up into a carried position.

“Rough night Princess?” Thomas asked with a laugh.

“I.. I tried to make the connection with my magic… I finally did it,” I said.

My speech was slurred, I felt miserable, and his expression looked worried. He went from carrying me into my room to rushing me down stairs. I felt him lay me on something that felt plastic and then he was shouting at Alfie. The winged monkey seemed to be silently obeying everything he was saying, and moments later he had two bracelets that he attached to me. Then he slid a necklace on my neck. He turned on a strange machine and I felt the bracelets and necklace become warm.

“Well, whatever you did it was like you tried to starve yourself to death, and stayed up for a month straight. Okay, first things first we’re getting something into your stomach, and then we’re getting you back to bed,” he said.

“Thomas, are you trying to talk your way into sleeping with a princess?” I asked giddly.

I looked at him, and he was handsome, for a creature such as he was, but instead of answering me he took the bracelets and necklaces off of me. He then scooped me back into his arms, and I nuzzled against his neck. He felt good, and he smelled good. He carried me from that room to the table where he set on cutting apart several waffles he had prepared for me apart for me. He drenched them in honey, and then I felt him pushing the first bite into my mouth.

I chewed it, swallowed, but it felt like the bite was simply absorbed before it even reached my stomach. Another bite, and again simply absorbed before it even reached my stomach. Over and over again he did this. feeding me all of my breakfast, all of his, and then another two stacks of waffles along with a bowl of something called Super Crunch Rocks cereal. I finally felt something reach my stomach and my giddy mood began to leave me. Instead I began to take in the fact that I was sitting very unlady like, and nude, at Thomas’ breakfast table. I slowly started to stand, and instead I felt my head nearly bust open from the pain inside of it.

“Oh, that’s not nice,” I muttered.

“I think that you suffered magical fatigue, which is weird because I didn’t think that could happen,” he said.

“It can… It’s harder for Luna and I to suffer it because it’s very rare that we have to use so much magic. What’s truly strange is that this came on after I began regaining my magic… I do recall Starswirl saying that if a unicorn ever found themselves without magic they could pull it from the world around them, but… it’s something only in theory,” I replied.

“He might have been right. Here, let me help you up, and we’ll get you cleaned up and then back into bed,” I said.

He reached down to my arm, and I felt his hand brush beside my breast. He stopped and I looked up at him. It had been so long since I’ve been with someone. I leaned forward and kissed him. he returned it, and I felt him pull me up to him. Once more he lifted me, and I didn’t fight. I didn’t notice where he carried me to, but I noticed a bed that was different than my own. He laid me down in it, he leaned over, kissed me deeply, and then his hands moved down me as if they were mapping every inch of my form.

“Celestia, are you sure?” he asked.

“I… No, I’m not,” I admitted.

He smiled, nuzzled my neck, and instead slipped in behind me in a state of dress which contrasted my state of undress.

“Then, how about I just keep you company while you get some rest?” he asked.

I nodded, and I felt his arms around me. I felt safe, I felt loved, and perhaps sometime soon I would feel something else. For the moment, I simply let sleep surround me, and I accepted that even the Princess of the Sun needed a protector at times. As sleep took me, I thought about the sun. I gently concentrated on it, felt the connection to it, and then drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note

(And there’s the second chapter of Staring into the Sun. This was actually pretty fun to write. I have to admit that I do like playing around with Celestia.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

LF)

How the other half lives

Staring into the Sun

How the other half lives

A Celestia in the Vogonverse Story

I awoke to the sounds of chirping. For a moment I hoped that I was hearing real birds, but instead it was the recording that Alfie had set up for me. I let out a small yawn, sat up, and looked at my surroundings. I was in my room, on the water bed, as I learned it was called, and for the most part completely safe and bored.

I was bored enough that I would have given my entire right arm to hear a noble complaining about his gardener not growing his rose bushes fast enough. I was actually bored enough to wish for my day court.

“Alfie?” I asked.

“Yes your highness?” he asked.

“What is Thomas doing?” I asked.

“The Master is going to recruit laborers for his farms. Today he is set to visit the Southern Stacks,” Alfie said.

My interest peaked as I thought about what that meant. Thomas was going somewhere besides this home, and that meant that I could also leave. I stood, quickly grabbed a dress Alfie had shown me, and dressed in it. The long flowing mulberry wine colored dress flowed down to just above my hooves. The silk of the dress felt wonderful against my coat. I looked at Alfie and noticed that he was pointing down. I wondered what he meant when I realized that I wasn’t wearing any panties. The dress, was fine as it was. It felt wonderful in fact, and my tail was comfortable through the adjustment that had been made to it.

Still, I needed to wear something under it, and I looked through the dresser finding a lacy white pair I had chosen, and quickly decided on them. I also noticed thigh high stockings, and for a moment I considered them. I decided not to, and I finished dressing myself. I walked out of my room and found Thomas dressed in a charcoal gray suit. He turned toward me and his eyes widened.

The last month and a half I had grown very close to Thomas, but today I wanted to see another part of his life. I walked toward him, gently touched his cheek and smiled.

“Alfie said that you were going out today,” I said.

He nodded.

“I would like to join you. Perhaps I can give some insight to what it is you are doing,” I stated.

“Are you sure ‘Tia? This isn’t something that I think you’ve done before. The place I’m going to isn’t known for being friendly,” he replied.

“I had to set over delegations at Trottingham Thomas. It is a city of orphans and broken dreams. Believe me, I can endure whatever this is,” I said.

He shrugged his shoulders and nodded. We walked out to a see an armored vehicle waiting. Alfie had shown me much about these cars, but this one didn’t look like it was meant for comfort. The guards saluted Thomas, nodded to me, and opened the side door for us. We stepped inside, and I felt the armored vehicle lurch forward. Thomas pulled a small tablet from his pocket and touched it.

“Master?” Alfie asked.

“Alfie, I want you activate the security protocol while we’re gone. Remember, no warnings,” he said.

“They will never know what hit them Master,” Alfie said before he disappeared.

I breathed in the filtered air, and then I coughed. The smell was becoming stale, harsh, and abrasive. I felt my eyes watering for a moment, and then we stopped. There was the sound of something pinging off of the side of the armored car, and then several loud pops from above us. It was quiet after a moment and then there was a knock.

“Sir, it’s clear,” one of the guards said.

Thomas stood, walked toward the door, and opened it. I stepped out behind him and saw three teenage foals lying in a heap together. I covered my mouth as I looked at what had happened. The foals looked sickly, terrible, and they had attempted to attack the armored car. Our guards had protected us by killing them. I looked away feeling sick.

“‘Tia, are you okay?” Thomas asked.

“Why?” I asked.

“They would have killed both of us, most likely they would have raped you several times before they killed you, and then they would have stripped anything they could off of our bodies, and took what organs they could from us for the black market. I don’t like killing, but there is a time and place for it,” he said.

I stood and shook my head.

“No, there is never a place for it,” I said.

He stopped, turned toward me, and looked me straight in the face.

“You’re a ruler. You know the weight you carry, and you’re telling me that if it came down to protecting your ponies, your home, and everything you cherish that you would not kill? ‘Tia, I’m sorry to sound like a dick, but I’m calling bullshit,” he said.

I shook my head.

“I’d try to find another way first,” I replied.

“That’s part of what we’re doing here. I don’t want to see more end up like those three. I’d like to give them a chance at a better life, and the farms I’ve got running would provide that,” he said.

“Sir, we should make our way toward the secure point,” one of the guards said.

“Of course, lead the way,” he replied.

I shook my head and followed them. This felt wrong. This felt so very wrong. I looked around me and I realized that I had been wrong. Trottingham wasn’t this bad. These homes were falling apart. There was screams of fear coming down from some point above me. I wanted to help them, turn this into something better, and perhaps I could. This could be a project that I could work on. I could make these… Stacks, into a better place for the ones living in them.

Author's Note

(And that’s where we’re stopping. Yeah, not a long chapter, but it’s starting with Celestia’s new project. She’s going to try to do some urban renewal on the Stacks. Maybe it will happen, and maybe not.

Anyway thanks for reading and commenting.

LF)

Of History and Projects

Staring Into the Sun

Of History and Projects

A Celestia in the Vogonverse Story

My eyes lifted up to see Thomas staring at me from across the room. The plans I had asked Alfie to find for me only stated the obvious. The Stacks were little more than a temporary way of fixing the overpopulation problem. Instead of creating a more stable home for those living in those terrible conditions the ones in charge had simply left them there. I wished that I could say that was the worst of it, but there was those who took advantage of the ones living there. Using the conditions they lived in as a way to convince them into a life that was only marginally better, and even that was a stretch to believe.

I didn’t want to believe that Thomas was somepony like that, but I had watched him sell the idea of his privatized farms as a means of getting something better out of life. He told them that they would have a chance to live somewhere that wouldn’t collapse, to earn a decent wage, and to maybe find a scrap of happiness. I wanted to believe him. I truly did, but hearing the things I heard about the Corporate Farms, and then hearing that Thomas’ own far wasn’t that different… I had to remind myself that Thomas was like the well meaning nobles of Canterlot.

“What’s bothering you?” he asked.

“These living conditions those poor families are living in are terrible. There is no way they can truly protect themselves or find peace,” I replied.

“At least they have a chance with Rider Farms,” he stated.

“Thomas, are your farms ran like the Corporate Farms?” I asked.

He sighed, looked at the floor, and then back at me.

“I suppose they are similar to them. I try not to treat the employees I have on the farms like disposable tools, and I try to make my quotas reasonable, but it is hard work,” he replied.

“Do they pay rent to you?” I asked.

He stood up and looked away from me. I could tell by the way he was standing that he knew the question had a double meaning.

“What do you want me to say Celestia? In order to compete with the Corporate Farms I have to run things a certain way. I have to. If I don’t then I will fall behind, and Rider Farms will lose the foothold I’ve worked so hard to gain,” he said.

“Is having that foothold worth the suffering of others? Is that what you want your legecy to be?” I asked.

He turned toward me and I was reminded of General Hurricane. The Pegasus was bullheaded, sure of his actions, and certain that what he was doing was in the best interest of everypony. The fact that the Earth Ponies suffered for it was reasonable in his eyes because their suffering was ensuring a better world. It wasn’t until we had a very long talk that he reconsidered what he was doing.

I wondered if Thomas was more bullheaded than Hurricane.

“I’m providing cheap food for billions. Rider Farms are feeding billions of people who have to rely on Government handouts. My farms are doing more good than harm,” he said.

I walked toward him, my hand reached out, touched his cheek. He held it and I looked into his eyes. I could see the anguish inside of them. The knowledge that he was hurting so many was wounding him, but the comfort that he was helping so many more made it bearable. I didn’t like what I was going to have to say, but it needed to be said.

“Thomas, there could be a better way of doing this. You could offer them free lodging until they were able to earn enough to build their own homes, or rent their own homes outside of the farms,” I said.

“No, if I did that I would lose my foothold in days,” he replied.

I saw it there. The flicker of doubt. If I pressed, if I tried to reach him perhaps he could reconsider.

“What would it hurt to try? Begin with one farm. Chose one, just one, and see how it works. If it goes over well then continue it. If nothing else you could ease your burden,” I said.

He looked at me and finally he nodded. He leaned forward and I held him. I could feel how weary he was. The insufferable smartalic he had been was a front. One designed to keep others out. It was something I had seen in several of my subjects. I held his hand and walked with him to his room. Together we sat on his bed, and then I felt him put an arm around me. He pulled me to him and I felt his lips on my own. The action caught me by surprise. I felt my wings shootout and expand to their full length.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

I gave him a small smile and returned the kiss. It was soft, sweet, and loving. I also felt myself doing something else I hadn’t done in so long. I felt myself going into estrus. I could feel my need clouding my mind. I liked Thomas, and I was beginning to trust him. With no other recourse, and with no other options I kissed him harder. I felt his lips open and I dove into them. I drank from his taste like a mare would drink from a creek if she had been dying of thirst. My need commanded me, and at this moment I was little more than it’s slave.

~~~~~Clop Starts Here~~~~~

My hands went to his shirt, working it up and off. I took in his scent. The smell of his bodywash, the natural musk he had, and then the rich scent of him being male. I felt his hands grasping my breasts. Without any hesitation I removed the silk blouse and bra. I felt his hands going down to my pants and I allowed him to take them down. He kissed down my neck, his teeth lightly grazing my fur covered skin, and then his wonderful hands caressing my cutie marks.

He gave me a slight squeeze. I let out a soft moan as I felt his lips touch a nipple. He sucked it in, and I held his head there.

“Thomas,” I whimpered.

He pulled back, and I looked down into the eyes looking back at me.

“I want you,” he said.

There was no hiding what was there. There was no denying that we cared for each other, but this wasn’t about love. This was about need. I needed to satisify my urge, and Thomas needed help to be healed. Perhaps we could do this for each other. Perhaps we could find a way of helping one another. His lips moved further down me, and I felt the first flicker of his tongue inside of me.

“Please,” I asked.

He obeyed the mostly wordless request. His tongue working into me, licking me, suckling from inside of me like a starved animal. My hands found his head, pushing him harder against me. I let moan after moan escape me, and a moment later he was above me. I felt him pressing against me.

“Do you want it?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Tell me,” he said.

“I want it. I want you. I want to feel you inside of me, I want to be ravished by you, I WANT YOU!” I said in the royal canterlot voice.

If the voice bothered him he showed no signs. Instead he pressed into me. A moan escaped me as I felt him pushing into me, and then there was something there that shouldn’t have been. I felt him press completely into me, and part of me realized that I had lost my virginity. It was gone, forever lost, and another part of me looked at this human stallion with so much need. I rolled my hips forward. My thrusts meeting his, and soon the sounds of our mating echoed through the room.

He turned me over, having me rest on my knees, and in that moment I was just a mare. A mare being taken by a stallion. There was no royal agendas, no need to impress anyone but the stallion that was driving into me. I lifted my head and moaned out his name.

“You feel so good,” he said through huffs, grunts, and moans.

“More, I desire more!” I cried.

He lifted me against him. His hands covering my breasts, his mouth biting on my shoulder.

“Do you love me?” I asked.

“Yes!” he cried.

“Will you do anything for me?” I moaned.

“Yes!” he cried out again.

“Then fill me,” I moaned out.

He felt him thrust hard into me. For a moment there was only the twitching of his stallionhood, but soon it exploded inside of me. We fell forward. Both of us breathing hard.

Author's Note

(And that’s where this is stopping. Yeah… For those of you were wondering… Celestia and Thomas are pretty much that kind of couple. The kind who like each other, and maybe even have a few good shaggings together, but you kind of wonder if that’s all that there really is between them. It could be, or perhaps it will be something more.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

LF)

Love and Politics

Staring into the Sun

Love and Politics

A Celestia in the Vogonverse Story

“It’s just like dealing with the nobility, it is no different,” I thought as I walked toward the large room.

Barely a year, a year, since I convinced Thomas to begin helping his employees, and things had turned around. Already Rider Farms was higher in profits than our Corporate competitors. Of course during that time I had other things come about. Seeing my favorite pupil was here had been a blessing, and getting to officiate over the wedding for one of the elements had made me smile. Still, I was going to do something I had done while I was a ruler of Equestria. I was walking into a political arena, and I was going with little more than my wits, and well over a thousand years of experience.

“Celestia Rider, Co-owner and proprietor of Rider Farms has the floor,” a stable colt said before he took a seat.

“Ah, the Pony wishes to preach friendship, rainbows, and sunshine to us terrible, greedy, and horrors of the human race does she?” a familiar voice said.

I looked at the one speaking. Teresa Trump looked smug as she leaned back in her chair. I had learned, from Thomas, that while there was a ruling government body most of the arguments that happened included selected members of various businesses that had been elected to public office. Teresa Trump was such an official, and I had dealt with her kind before.

“Perhaps the pony wouldn’t be preaching it if it didn’t seem to work,” I replied.

I knew she understood what I was implying. One didn’t deal with the Canterlot nobles trying to get public funding redirected so they could get have cute pool colts, private pools, and mares of the night gracing their homes at all times. The fact that Rider Farms had become more productive, and was out selling Glossman was proof that being kind, giving the working ponies that worked for Rider a living wage, and helping them move into their own homes was more proof than any of them could deny.

“Ms, Rider, we all have very busy schedules. Would you mind presenting your motion of action before the floor?” Douglas Walton said.

I looked at Douglas and considered how I wanted to start. Douglas, Douglas was somepony who could be an asset, or he could be the biggest roadblock. More than anything Douglas followed what he believed would be in the best interest for the economy.

It meant that if I could show him that doing right by their employees, doing what was the best for them would help the economy then he would be a huge supporter. I would have the Walton family behind me in support. There was no doubting that this was making a deal with the devil, but it was a deal that needed to be made. Thomas’ own clout and power in the business world had brought us this far. The evidence of what we’ve done was real, but now I needed to explain it in terms that they would understand.

For once I wished that Blueblood was here. Despite everything my nephew was very skilled at showing the nobility what he wanted them to see. He had proof, but there was more than that. It was his special talent, and I would be wrong to say that Blueblood wasn’t good at it. He had, successfully, worked to get the servants in Canterlot higher pay, better living conditions, and to be treated with more respect.

I was proud of my nephew, but I knew the reason he had done what he did. It wasn’t because he felt it was right. Instead it was because of my head maid, Honey Pot. I knew that he fancied her, quite a bit, and he was trying desperately to impress her. Still, even if his actions were born out of self interest I couldn’t argue with what he had done. Blueblood had managed to convince the Canterlot nobility that doing these things for the servants would help the economy, it would make the servants more productive, and it would make all of them happier.

I knew that I could use Blueblood’s silver tongue, but at the moment I would have to use my own. I had done what Blueblood had done before he was born. I had played the game the nobles had set up, and I had won, several times over. For me it was experience, trial and error, that helped me. And right now I was going to set what I had learned in my own rule to play here. I looked at Thomas who nodded, turned on his tablet, and instructed Alfie to pull up the presentation that he had helped me prepare.

Behind me I heard the sound of the council’s holoprojectors starting up. The gentle whine before the lights began to form the pictures being projected from the tablet.

“Mr. Walton, other members of the economic board, what I present to you is a viable study that Rider Farms has done since our changes,” I said as I pointed to the charts, “As you can see once we began to change the way we dealt with our employees there was a small boom in the local economy.”

I turned and pointed at the various pictures of the businesses that had been impacted by the surge of economic growth since the changes, “The employees now having the ability to buy more than just the staples needed for everyday life have begun to purchase other goods and services from local businesses. Businesses that purchase the materials they need from larger corporations.”

I looked to see Douglas paying close attention. I could see his interest, and I knew that I was heading down the right track.

“By reinstating the middle class, at least in our region, we’ve seen a huge economic growth that from my research hasn’t been seen since the early two thousands. I’m certain that some of you have noticed a large influx of orders coming in from this region as well,” I said.

“This is all well and good, but how does it affect our bottom line?” Teresa Trump asked.

“It effects, Teresa, effects, it in a positive way,” Douglas said, “I saw him stand, walk down to where we were, and pointed to the various businesses.”

“We’ve hit a stagnation. There has been change in our economy, nothing major anyway, since the creation of the immersive technology. It’s been stable enough, but is that the best that we want? Do we simply want a stable economy? There was a point in our history where the economy was booming, we were on the edge of seeing an economic super giant the world has never known, and then things began to fall apart,” he looked at the other council members, “What we have here is a real chance to bring back the economy and make it something powerful again.”

“It’s going to cost us millions, perhaps billions of credits to put something like this in place,” Teresa Trump replied.

“Yes, it will, but the economic surge we’re going to witness is going to pay us back with interest. Mr and Mrs Rider have my vote. I will support the changes needed,” Douglas said.

There seemed be a mummer among the council. For a moment I held my breath, not daring to breathe until one of the other members nodded.

“Let us take a vote. All who agree with this plan of action, say Aye, those opposed say Nay,” the human mare said.

A large group resounded with Ayes, and after a moment there was only two Nays. I looked to see Teresa Trump looking defeated, angry, and glaring at me.

“Very well, it has been motioned, and approved, that we begin working to improve the lives of those employed as unskilled labor. Upon review of how this will affect the economy we shall see about extending it out to other branches of labor and service industries,” Douglas said.

The council was adjourned shortly afterward, and I walked out with Thomas. I felt hope, real hope, once more blossoming in my heart. I had helped so many, and if things went well there was a real possibility that I could help even more. I thought about my other little ponies here in this place. Twilight, who had grown into a wonderful princess in her own right, was now running a school that taught all species how to deal with their magic. I felt so proud of her, so very proud of her. The last three years had truly shown how much the world could change.

The Element of Laughter and her husband also came to mind. I had seen what he was doing. Attempting to convince everypony that all of us needed the same rights as each other. It was noble, and something that I’ve noticed was certainly gaining more and more attention. I felt Thomas’ hand squeeze my own, and then I felt his lips on my neck.

“What do you say we head home and celebrate?” he asked.

I tittered, and I let my tail lightly slap him on his rump.

“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea,” I said.

Author's Note

Well, this has been awhile hasn't it? Okay, the next chapter is pretty much going to be a clop chapter. A little forewarning about that for everyone reading.

Thanks again for reading.

RJP