Mediator

Just as a heads-up, this chapter is incomplete, and is as far as I got. Even though I had a lot more planned, I am a fairly slow writer, and I sort of gave in around this point, intending to come back and continue later. However, as I am now working on 'Expectations', which uses some ideas planned for later on in this story, I shall now not continue, and instead focus on 'Expectations'. So as a fair warning, this chapter will cut off at the end of a scene.

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“WHAT!? No! No, no, you can’t be serious!”

“Twilight, please...”

“NO! This... this is crazy!”

Twilight stood her ground and bellowed at her tutor. She found herself shaking with emotion. Princess Celestia lay calmly in the middle of the throne room, regarding the young unicorn with those ancient eyes.

“Please, hear me out.”

“You’re... asking me to replace you?”

That weary smile graced the regal alicorn’s lips once more. “Luna and I are not long for this world, my faithful student. The throne of Equestria needs an heir.”

“But why me? Isn’t there anypony else more qualified? What about Prince Blueblood?”

Celestia giggled at this. “My dear, Prince Blueblood is not actually a prince. Technically, he is a duke, yet quite the boast. He is harmless, so I let the formalities slide. Don’t tell him I told you,” she added with a low voice and a sly smile.

Twilight simply stared at her teacher, her mouth agape. She was aghast at how casual the alicorn seemed to be handling what, to Twilight, could very well be the most important conversation of the young unicorn’s life.

“Plainly put, Twilight, Luna and I have no family except each other. There is no pony in line to inherit the throne. As such, we agreed it fitting to name a successor, somepony we believed to be most capable.”

“But I’m no leader! I can’t run a nation!”

“Believe me, I said the exact same thing. Leadership is something you can learn, something that comes with experience. No, I chose you because being an alicorn garners a much more important responsibility.”

The alabaster princess looked expectantly into her student’s eyes. Twilight hesitated, what in the world could be more important than running the nation...

“You... you want me in control of the sun and moon.”

Celestia smiled.

“You want me to control the night and day of Equestria.”

Her passionate defiance had all but faded. Twilight slumped back on her haunches, eyes unfocused.

“Princess, I...” She looked deep into those ancient eyes. “I can’t do this.”

Celestia shook her head, amused. “Twilight, my dearest student; do you trust me as your mentor and princess?”

Twilight looked down in defeat. She knew where this was going. “Yes,” she admitted.

“Then tell me; why would I ask of you something so important if I didn’t think you were the best pony for the task?”

No answer.

“Listen to me, Twilight,” the princess’ voice softened, “Every pony has a special talent that sets them apart from everyone else.”

Twilight glanced at the six-point star adorned on her flank.

Celestia continued, “I have power over the sun, Luna has power over the moon. But you, Twilight, you hold influence over both realms. The Princess of the Twilight, the one that divides and unites the night and day.”

This final statement seemed to reverberate through the empty throne room. The evening light streamed through the tall stain-glass windows, casting a calm orange glow about the room. The echoing rustle as Twilight stood was deafening in the silence of the hall.

Twilight addressed the carpet, “Princess, I would like to go home now.”

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“So she’ll jus’ be up in Canterlot for a while,” twanged the orange earth pony.

Rarity grumbled, “Ugh, why do we never get invited to Canterlot?”

Applejack cocked her head slightly. “Beggin’ your pardon?”

“Well, first we went to the Gala, which was a total disaster. Then last time, we wound up in labyrinth, and we all know how well that turned out,” the fasionista complained. “I want to look around the city and take in the culture!”

“Rarity, I don’ think Twilight’s been summoned by the princess jus’ to go sightseein’,” the farmer pony reasoned.

“Mmm, I know,” the unicorn admitted, tapping her chin with a hoof. “I just wish it wasn’t so sudden. We could have all made a day out of it.”

“Yea, t’aint fair,” Applejack replied mechanically, without a drip of sarcasm.

Rarity smiled at her friend, not hearing the unenthused tone. “Oh, thanks for letting me know, darling!”

Applejack tipped the weathered stetson. “Any time,” she responded cheerfully, before departing.

The air was cool and crisp for a midsummer’s evening. The sun was starting to graze the mountains in the west, casting a brilliant golden glow over the world. A light breeze graced the town, gently ruffling Applejack’s mane. It had been a truly beautiful end to the day.

The work pony trotted down the streets of Ponyville, drinking in the atmosphere. After Twilight’s impromptu departure, Applejack had taken it upon herself to spread the news to her friends in the unicorn’s place, given the urgent nature of the letter. Between Pinkie Pie’s insatiable thirst for information and Fluttershy’s offer to join her for tea, Applejack found herself spending most of her day since Twilight left spreading the news of the student’s absence, and was looking forward to returning home. Now that she had informed Rarity, that just left...

“Hey, AJ!”

Applejack sighed inwardly, casually stepping one pace to the side. Not a moment later, a colourful blur impacted with the ground where the farm filly had been standing, sending up a cloud of dirt into the air.

Applejack batted a hoof at dust, jadedly eyeing the blue pegasus at the epicentre of the crash. “What is it this time, Rainbow?”

The pegasus leapt to her hooves, shaking muck from her mane. “I saw Twilight earlier leaving Ponyville with some guards. What happened?”

Applejack held a hoof up to her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Dash shot her friend an annoyed glance. “What?”

The earth pony cleared her throat, putting that funny image aside. She could laugh later. “Ahh, yea. Twilight got a letter from the princess tellin’ her to high-tail back to Canterlot. Dunno what for, but it sounded mighty urgent.”

“Ugh, great...” Jumping up into the air, the pegasus beat her wings to bring herself into a steady hover. “Did she say when she’d be back?”

Applejack arched an eyebrow, smiling. “My my, Rainbow, you seem awful interested in that mare,” she teased.

Dash’s cheeks lit up, “No... I just... I need to talk to her about something.”

“Uh-huh, I bet you do.”

“AJ!”

Applejack chuckled. “Well, Twilight didn’ say how long she’d be gone, but I reckon she’ll be back in a day or two.”

The earth pony noticed Dash take a glance at the setting sun before replying. “Right... Thanks, AJ,” she muttered, before shooting off into the sky without a second look.

Applejack gave a casual salute to the rainbow trail grazing the horizon, smiling inwardly and wondering how long it would take her friend to notice the drying mud caked on the end of her blue muzzle. Summoning forth that image in her mind’s eye, the orange pony laughed quietly to herself, and started on home.

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Feel free to ask me anything about the story if you're interested in it, since this is as far as I'll take it. Cheers everyone!

-Beige