Both Sides Now

The doors to the auditorium seemed so boring, Twilight thought. This was a big and important event. She had put a lot of work into helping arrange it, and even more preparing for it. And all that kept her from a room full of the most important and influential ponies in Equestria was these mundane doors.

There could at least be a nice color on them, she thought. Something more interesting than dishwater grey.

"Are you ready, Twilight?" Princess Celestia asked, leaning down from behind her.

"Yes," she said, pushing open the doors, quieting the crowd that waited behind them.

-/-

Twilight recognized the next speaker to address the panel as she stood. "Sunbeam, Mayor of Las Pegasus," she said, her voice languid despite its intensity. "A question for Princess Twilight."

Twilight sat at attention, this having been the first question aimed directly at her. "Ask away," she said.

"If a mayor wishes to govern her city in opposition to the law set by one of the princesses for Equestria as a whole, how much leeway would she be given to accommodate the city's specific needs?"

It felt like a trick question; Twilight was sure there would be a follow-up, since as it stood this was definitely more of a question for Celestia. "A lot. Each city and town in Equestria is unique, and so can't possibly be governed by one universal set of laws. We intend any law set by one of us to be malleable and available for challenge, either in specific or broad application. I believe there's already a long list of precedents where Princess Celestia's decrees have been amended in the past--"

"I am aware of them, yes," Sunbeam said.

"Is there a situation you had in mind?" Twilight asked, then added with a smile, "Perhaps we could sort it out now."

Light general laughter rippled through the auditorium. Sunbeam didn't join in, but Twilight suspected she was a pony for whom laughter didn't come easily; her serene mask hadn't faltered the whole time she had spoken.

"Las Pegasus derives a large portion of its income in trade with many Zebrican states," she said. "If Equestria were to go to war with Zebrica, assuming I could maintain a civil relationship with the Zebrican leaders I know personally, would I be forced to let Las Pegasus suffer economically without a flow of exports and imports, or would I be free to instruct cargo ship captains to break the war blockade?"

Twilight blinked. "Are you expecting Equestria to be at war with Zebrica any time soon?"

"It was just a theoretical scenario. Wartime forbids trade to any aggressor nation."

"I am aware. Though Equestria has not been at war in over seven centuries."

"Perhaps a more peaceful example: the Zebrican caliph has grievously insulted you in some way, and you decree a moratorium on trade until they apologize."

Now she smiled, a thin curve of her mouth, and the collection of mayors and nobles laughed, and Twilight smiled. This was good. This was what the open forum was meant to promote, the breaking down of the barriers that so many ponies saw around Equestria's princesses.

"Well," she said, "one of those situations may be handled with a slightly more open mind that the other." More laughter. "In the case of war, it might be possible to transport strictly non-combat goods, provided both incoming and outgoing cargo is thoroughly inspected and the nature and scale of the conflict allowed oceanic transport to continue. Lost revenue could be compensated through royal appeal after the cessation of hostilities.

"In the case of me being theoretically insulted by the caliph, I might see fit to allow trade to some areas, provided individual Zebrican leaders wrote to me to decry this terrible insult, saying that they do not agree with the caliph one bit, and also that I am their favorite princess."

Twilight intentionally paused for the crowd to laugh.

"But this just illustrates my point: each situation is unique. We are always striving to make life the best it can be for the most amount of ponies, and that is a large task even for four princesses, so please, do not hesitate to convince us of ways we could be doing things better."

Sounds of general approval. Sunbeam also seemed satisfied, as she resumed her seat.

Twilight took a sip from her water, and found to her surprise that her hoof was steady and stable in holding the glass. Public speaking used to terrify her. She'd dreaded every presentation she'd ever given in front of a class, and one of her favorite things about being Celestia's personal student was no other students in the room (and Celestia was much more interested in pouring over papers than listening to Twilight stammer through a talk while fumbling at her notes, thankfully). Maybe she'd faced enough dangerous situations that might have actually killed her to have internalized that speaking in front of a crowd wouldn't. Maybe she was finally comfortable with being the pony other ponies looked to in crisis, for guidance. Comfortable with being a princess.

It had taken its time, but maybe Twilight had finally managed.

Twilight smiled into her glass, thinking of how Rarity would look when she told her about how she had handled herself, how she filled a princess' horseshoes. How Rarity would smile.

-/-

When the day was over, and there were only the four princesses left in the auditorium, Twilight looked out over the rows and rows of empty seats. It wasn't that much different from a stage. She hadn't done something that much different from a performance.

"I think that went pretty well," Cadance said, breaking the silence.

"I look forward to the next Forum," Luna said, "a year from now."

"Do you think you can cause an even bigger commotion next time?" Celestia asked, a playful note in her voice.

"Sister," Luna said gravely, "I have a whole year with which to plan."

Twilight glanced back at the three of them, still behind the panel. "I think I'm going to go," she said. "I, uh, have somewhere I need to be."

"Of course, Twilight," Celestia said.

"Do not let us keep you," Luna added.

Twilight smiled at them. Then she saw Cadance, who was smiling too, an all-knowing, encouraging smile. She had known all along. She had known the whole time. But that was only fitting.

"Good luck," Cadance told her.

Twilight didn't need it.