Nine ponies and a dragon mingled awkwardly in the large, crystalline throne room of Ponyville’s new castle, streamers hung with Pinkie Pie precision around them as they resisted the delectable desserts and waited patiently for a certain purple princess to arrive to her own birthday party. The fact that the castle only came with seven chairs made the whole situation even more uncomfortable.
“Spike, Twilight did remember her birthday this year, didn’t she?” Princess Celestia asked, shifting in her lawn chair and doing an amazing job of ignoring its creaks and squeaks of protest, as well as the massive chocolate cake in the middle of the table-map. She had been offered a crystal seat by five of Equestria’s heroes, but refused, stating that the thrones were meant for them, and a spare would do just fine. “I remember her last letter mentioning a new project, and I’m sure we all know how she can get while pursuing academics.”
“Oh, she definitely remembers; Pinkie hasn’t let her forget for over a week,” Spike replied from his small throne next to Twilight’s. He had also made sure to go down to his surrogate sister’s new laboratory on multiple occasions to remind her himself of the upcoming festivities. In truth, he had only gotten distracted hums at the end of most of those trips as the alicorn continued to tinker at her desk, the guts of various foreign gadgets strewn before her, but that changed the day prior when she had become quite ecstatic by whatever she had been working on.
“She actually seemed really excited when I reminded her that you guys were coming today,” the little dragon added. “I think she wants to show us something while we’re all together.”
“Well, I hope she hurries it up already, this party was supposed to have started an hour ago,” grouched Rainbow Dash from above. She had forgone sticking to ground-level in favor of lazily flying belly up and bouncing a balloon between her hooves. “Whatever Princess Egghead has to show us better be totally awesome.”
“Do you have any idea what she’s been working on, Spike?” Cadance asked from Rainbow’s forsaken seat. “It must be something interesting to keep her like this; aunty Celestia, Luna, her brother and I rarely find the time to visit since the Crystal Empire’s return and her coronation.” Looking around at the former elements of harmony, she continued, “You girls have also been trotting across Equestria so frequently since this map appeared that it’s become even harder to get together.”
“Which is why I really wish Twili would just listen to me and form a royal guard already. She’s been putting herself in way too much danger lately,” muttered Shining Armor, earning an elbow to the side from his wife and a whisper about not ruining the party with arguing.
“Nope, she hasn’t told me anything,” the young dragon replied, frowning. “You’d think she’d tell her number one assistant this kind of stuff, but instead I’m left guessing and trying to make sure she remembers to eat instead.”
“I reckon whatever it is that’s got her tail in a twist has something ta do with our last adventure,” cut in Applejack before Spike could get any further into his grousing. “There was a gryphon settlement out in the west that had some bad apples stirring up a lot of anti-pony sentiment.”
Luna, who was sharing Fluttershy’s throne with the timid mare, looked up from her inspection of the holographic model to tilt her head. “As disheartening as that is to hear, I hardly see how such a thing would require scientific investigation; pony/gryphon relations have been strained since before the Nightmare, and only in more recent centuries been improving due to the more frequent intermingling between our peoples.”
“Oh, it was hardly those ruffians that brought on Twilight’s recent studying stint, your highness. It was more likely the myriad machines of gryphon-make that caught her attention,” Rarity piped in as she took a sip of tea and tried to be nonchalant about leaning away from the vibrating pink mass to her left. “Even I must admit they were quite curious; it’s truly amazing what can be done without magic… Pinkie, are you alright?”
“Oh, I’m super-duper, Rarity! My Pinkie sense is just going wacko!” the party planner explained with a grin, not caring one iota for the sudden tension her words dropped upon the group.
“Pinkie sense ya say?” Applejack stated slowly, looking to the pegasus above wearily in case she suffered a sudden wing cramp. “What kind, if ya don’t mind me asking?”
“Oh, it’s just a doozy, nothing special since Mr. Map started to DM our adventures,”
The odd statement was left unquestioned when a loud shout of, “It’s working!” rang from deeper inside the castle. “Spike! I need your help setting up a demonstration for when everypony arrives! Oh, this is so amazing!”
With his claw and face meeting, the young dragon groaned and hopped off of his seat. He was already shouting before he reached the door. “Twilight, everypony’s already here! We’ve been waiting for over an hour for you to show up at your own birthday!”
“What!?” A sudden bright flash made all but the day and night princesses see spots as Twilight tore her way through space and time to appear within the room, the bursting bubble of magic sending Spike tail over spine in the process. “I’m so sorry everypony! I didn’t mean to be late!” the newest princess exclaimed, her mane disheveled and the beginning of bags under her eyes. “I-I must have lost track of time and not-” she gulped as if she were going to be sick, “-not been paying attention to my schedule.”
“It’s alright, Twilight. There’s no harm done,” Celestia spoke up, quickly putting to use the long-developed skill to calm her former student. “Whatever it is you’ve been working on has surely been very important and well worth the time spent on it.”
“Yeah, Twilight! I bet it’s a real doozy!” Pinkie looked to the hologram in the center of the room suddenly and added, “Even if Mr. Map isn’t lighting the castle up.”
“It better be a doozy, I almost got put into a boredom coma from waiting so long,” Dash grumbled as she came to floor level. “But seriously, Twi, calm down, it’s not the end of the world.”
“I’m sure it’s going to be quite lovely,” whispered Fluttershy, breaking her silence to comfort her fretting friend.
“As long as this doesn’t end up being another portal to Tartarus like that magic fair fiasco when you were fourteen, then I can’t wait to see whatever your newest project is.” Shining said before a shudder ran up his spine and he whispered something about tentacles not understanding personal space.
As the rest of the ponies gave similar words of comfort and understanding, Twilight felt her worries dissipate and a smile begin to pull at her lips. “Ugh, no no it’s fine, no need to help the dragon,” a voice said from beneath the crystal table. Spike crawled out soon after, rubbing his head with a wince. “So, do you still need help with a presentation or whatever?”
Worries completely forgotten, Twilight grinned. “Oh yes, thank you for reminding me, Spike,” she said as she suddenly grasped him in her magic and brought him close. “Wait right here everypony! We’ll be back in just a moment!”
With that, she teleported, dragon in tow, and left her friends to wait for her once again. The voices of the purple pair reached their ears a few times when one of them raised their volume, but nothing could be discerned until the doors swung open.
“I just don’t see why you needed my help loading all this up, or even why you need a cart. You could have just levitated it all here or teleported,” Spike was saying as they entered.
“Because Spike, this is very arcane-sensitive equipment and I didn’t want to risk ruining the calibrations by exposing it to magic needlessly,” Twilight responded as she pushed a sheet-covered cart. “And as much as I’ve been practicing with my wings, I didn’t want to accidentally drop anything, so your claws were the best choice.”
“They are pretty great, aren’t they? I don’t know how ponies live without them.”
“Tis a very nice linen, Princess Twilight, but I’d hardly say it was worth the buildup,” Luna jokingly interrupted. Her interest had been thoroughly peaked at the prospect of actually witnessing the dawn of a new-age marvel for once instead of trying to play catchup on a thousand years of advancement, and she hardly wanted the event delayed by the odd siblings’ bickering, no matter how entertaining it was.
“Huh? Oh no, it’s not the sheet Luna, it’s what’s under the sheet that will amaze you!” Twilight eagerly replied, bringing her forehooves together. Moving quickly to get the cart where everypony could see it, the purple alicorn spun around and cleared her throat; using her princess training to compose herself and keep her giddiness from bubbling over. “Ahem, before I delve too deeply into my newest creation, I feel I must give credit where credit is due, and explain my inspiration.”
The room went silent as the ponies and dragon focused on Twilight’s lecture. “On our most recent excursion to spread friendship throughout Equestria, my friends and I visited the gryphon settlement of Hightail, where I got a glimpse of technologies from outside our kingdom. Amongst these marvels was an invention that, while common place to the townsfolk, was amazing to me; the radio.
“A device that received messages sent from the distant gryphon kingdom, thus allowing the citizens of Hightail to keep up with the current events of their native country instantly. A truly miraculous invention to be sure; allowing news to spread across borders faster even than what we Equestrians are capable of within our own lands.
“Of course, being the princess of friendship, I wished to bring such a wonder to all of ponykind to better allow our citizens to connect with each other, and in this quest, I discovered something that had been mere science-fiction until now.”
Taking a deep breath, the purple princess tried and failed to remain professional as a large grin spread across her face. “Transmissions from outside our planet!” The exclamation made everyone’s eyes widen.
“That is quite the claim, Princess Twilight, though I’m curious on how your research into radios yielded such a result when the gryphons have yet to accomplish as much with their own invention,” Celestia found herself inquiring. In truth, her long life had allowed her to witness much of what many would consider impossible, and thus she rarely found herself shocked anymore. And yet, here her former student was, making a claim to have discovered something she had never encountered in all her thousands of years of life.
Needless to say, she was a fair bit skeptical.
“That’s because it’s not only the gryphons’ tech at work here, Princess!” Twilight said, still smiling broadly and unaware of the disbelieving looks. “The radio was already an amazing device, but I couldn’t help wondering what improvements could be made with the introduction of magic, and seeing as how it is my special talent, I of course delved wholeheartedly into the challenge.
“What I’ve managed to create exceeded all of my expectations though, and once I picked up the first fuzzy signal with no discernible origin on Equus, I knew I was onto something big.”
Turning abruptly and grasping a corner of the sheet, Twilight yanked the white fabric from atop the cart to reveal a strange contraption. To the rest of the former elements, the device was vaguely similar to the radios they saw in Hightail, but the lack of any outer casing and addition of large glass bulbs sticking out all over the place made the comparison difficult.
“I’d like to introduce you all to the first-ever magically-amplified radio and soon to be window into the cosmos!” Twilight stated proudly.
“It looks like junk,” Rainbow commented dryly.
“Junk!? This is a revolutionary device that will completely change Equestria’s view of the universe! It is most certainly not junk!” Twilight countered.
“That may be, but it’s far from aesthetically pleasing. Couldn’t you have at least made those unseemly bulbs symmetrical in the design?”
“Those ‘bulbs’, Rarity, are extremely delicate, crystal-filament, magic amplifiers imported from the Crystal Empire. They’ve been placed where they were needed to function, not to look pretty!”
“I think it looks cool! Like a super abstract piece of art!” Pinkie chimed with a grin.
Before Twilight could respond, Celestia intervened. “Visuals aside, this device is meant to create audio, yes? Perhaps we should focus on that aspect.” Giving her former student a gentle smile, she nodded towards the strange radio. “If you would, Princess Twilight, I’m quite eager to hear what this radio can pick up.”
Cheeks tinted red, the purple alicorn cleared her throat. “Of course.” Looking back to her creation, she reached out with a hoof and gently flipped a switch, causing the glass bulbs to slowly brighten. “I suppose most of you will probably not appreciate a full, technical break down of how it works, so I’ll make copies of my notes and the schematics for those interested.”
Using her right wing now, Twilight laid a primary feather on one of the nobs and slowly turned it clockwise. The hiss of white noise grew as the nob twisted, and soon started to jump and pop as Twilight moved onto the next dial. “Now, shifting through the frequencies as such, we should be able to discern something intelligible from amongst the background as long as we listen carefully. Keep those ears pointed everpony.”
Twilight hardly had to ask as everybody had gone silent and moved their ears forward as soon as sound began to pour out of the radio’s large speaker. After nearly a minute of the young alicorn fiddling with the nobs however, patience began to wear thin, and an anxious smile began to pull at Twilight’s lips.
She was just about to fire a quick apology when Fluttershy went rigid and called, “Wait, go back!”
“Huh? What did-?”
“I think I heard something!” Meekness forgotten, the yellow pegasus got up from her seat and fluttered across the room to land next to Twilight. “Go back please, I’m sure I heard somepony speaking.”
Somewhat surprised by her friends bolder-than-usual behavior, Twilight nonetheless did as she was asked and reversed her actions, making sure to go slowly so as not to miss anything. Sure enough, there was a noticeable hiccup in the static and Fluttershy’s ears twitched. “There, somepony’s speaking.”
Brow furrowed, Twilight looked between the pegasus and her creation, ever so slightly twisting the nob back and forth to see if she could catch what her friend had. It was faint, barely a hiss in between seas of nothing, but it rose and fell in what very well could have been speech. “Are you sure? I mean, I can barely hear anything at all.”
“Well, I guess I kind of developed a sharper sense of hearing. After all, a lot of my little animal friends really are little, so it was needed,” Fluttershy explained with a slight blush. “I… I can’t tell what’s being said here though. I’m sorry, but if you could maybe make it louder?”
Returning to the first nob, Twilight brought it all the way to the right , making it possible to discern that words were indeed being spoken. Her heart soared just as it had when she caught the tail end of her first ever transmission and she wrapped a hoof around an unsuspecting Fluttershy’s neck. “You’re the greatest, Fluttershy! I can’t believe you caught that!” Twilight praised as she hugged her friend, who in turn blush all the more intensely as the others in the room gave their own commandment.
“Not that Fluttershy isn’t awesome or anything,” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “But I still can’t tell what’s being said.”
Twilight, as well as the rest of the room was in agreement, and even the yellow pegasus with bat-like hearing shook her head. The youngest princess bit her lip and looked back at her device. “I think I can increase magically increase the volume with an amplification spell… but I’m afraid my magic will have a negative effect on the radio if any of the mana from the spell seeps into the internal workings.”
“Then let me do it, young Twilight. I have much experience with amplification spells, I will not lose control,” Princess Luna suddenly spoke, rising from her seat and walking over. Without waiting for a response, Luna’s horn glowed, and a barely visible blue sheen appeared over the radio’s speaker. Immediately after, the room was filled with a hard voice.
“-Victory shall come to the worthy. Today, liberty, democracy, and equality are words to fool the people. No nation can progress with such ideas. They stand in the way of action, therefore we frankly abolition them.
All ears were pointed towards the radio, focused on what sounded to be a political speech. Celestia was the first to register what was being spoken, and her head lowered in sadness. It seemed such dark beliefs existed even across the stars.
“In the future, each man will serve the interests of the state with absolute obedience. Let him who refuses beware. The rights of citizenship will be taken away from all Jews and other non-Aryans. They are inferior, and therefore enemies of the state. It is the duty of all true Aryans to hate and despise them.
Gasps of varying surprise came from the ponies, and Twilight listened on in horror of what was being preached. Hate and despise? How could anypony say such things as if it were only natural? The very notion went against the friendship she wished so badly to spread across all peoples.
“Hence forth, this nation annexed to the Tomainian Empire, and the people of this nation will obey the laws bestowed upon us by our great leader, the dictator of Tomainia, the conquer of Osterlich, the future emperor of the world…”
The radio joined its audience in silence as the cold, uncaring speaker presumably stepped down to allow his dictator the stage. Rainbow Dash was the first to voice her disbelief with an eloquent, “What the buck!?”
Fluttershy had sunk to the ground, hooves over her face while Pinkie’s hair had gone decidedly flat. The pink pony’s eyes were shining as she sniffled and commented her disbelief at how anypony could say such horrible things. Rarity simply held a hoof to her mouth and stared forward with wide-eyes as Applejack grumbled about low-down, goof-for-nothing snakes.
The royalty in the room were in similar states with Cadance burying her head against her husband’s chest while the stallion grimaced. This expression was shared by the Princess of the Night who looked as if she wanted nothing more than to find the speaker and have a less the friendly conversation with them. While Celestia had that same sad look on her face, Twilight wore one of grief. “I… This isn’t what I wanted at all. The radio was meant to bring beings of all walks of life together, not drive them apart with such- such…” The purple princess wiped a tear from her cheek as her mentor came to her side and rapped a wing around her.
“I know Twilight, and the things this creature was saying were atrocious, but it seems to be a fact of life that there will always be those who wish to cause conflict and pain, this does not lessen the potential for good your work still shows, however.” The white alicorn explained, lifting her former student’s chin to look at her. “If anything, we can still learn from the mistakes of these aliens to be better prepared for those with similar views on our own world.”
“A mistake it no doubt is,” Luna spoke up. “Tis no different than the rule of Iron Fist of the minotaurs more than a thousand years ago. His reign brought only suffering to his people, and they eventually rose up against him.” Jaw clenching, the dark alicorn continued. “It’s a pity though that we will not be able to lend aid in the unavoidable rebellion this alien tyrant will raise against himself as we did with Iron. We can only hope that those who stand against the injustice there will be victorious.”
Any more discussion was ended when the radio silence finally ended by way of a new voice.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible. Jew, Gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.
“Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost…”
Though hesitant to start, the speaker gained confidence, and the ponies and one dragon had once again been left speechless. Twilight was especially caught off guard by the swirling emotions within her. The sadness brought forth by the previous speaker was still there, but was giving way to hope, and more than a little intrigue. Her scientific mind was once again at work as it processed the information being fed to it.
She noted absently that these aliens were most likely tool users, but was more intrigued by the description of their culture. The young alicorn couldn’t help but notice parallels between it and her old self who had cared little for social interactions in favor of furthering her own knowledge. Looking back on who she was, she could not agree more with the sentiment of the speaker in his assertion that the pursuit of knowledge, while very important, was not as needed as the friendships she enjoyed now.
“The airplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men., cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women, and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.
To those who can hear me, I say, do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed; the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish…”
Fluttershy and Pinkie were openly weeping as the conditions of living beneath the so-called “system” were described, and only the oldest princesses and Shining Armor had entirely dry eyes now. Even the ever stoic Applejack had a sheen to her eyes as she felt the urge to buck some sense into the “men” who would do such atrocious things. She’d have to settle for believing in the speaker’s conviction that these villains would soon lose their grip on the power they obviously didn’t deserve.
“Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes! Men who despise you, enslave you, who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel! Who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men; machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!”
Shining’s heart went out to the soldiers of this alien world. He had never suffered the misfortune of having to choose between his fealty and his desire to protect the ponies of Equestria, and as long as the princesses remained in power, he doubted any Equestrian soldier ever would. Even so, he knew not every soldier had this luxury and found it hard to imagine what these man soldiers had to deal with; what they would and had been asked to do by a government that cared as little for them as they did the country they were meant to lead or a speck of dirt.
The stallion could only hope these men were listening as intently as he was to this supposed emperor’s words.
“In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man!” Not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power. The power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.
“Then, in the name of democracy, let us use that power, let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will!
“Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfill that promise! Let us fight to free the world! To do away with national barriers! To do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! In the name of democracy, let us all unite!”
Radio going quiet once again, the only noise left to bounce around the cavern of a room was the sniffling of two ponies. Suddenly, one of the many crystal filaments sticking out of the device chose to burn out, bringing the rest of them with it to darkness. “Oh my…” Rarity breathed, caring just as little as the rest of them that the radio just busted. “That was quite the impassioned speech… I hope that gentlestallion will be alright.”
“What do you mean? The guy’s totally awesome! What’s he got be worried about?” Rainbow Dash asked, punching a hoof forward. “You heard him; those bad guys are going down!”
“The very same ‘bad guys’ who are probably none too happy with the speaker for what he just broadcasted across their planet,” Cadance commented. “I can’t claim to know how he got into the position of emperor, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was through the scheming of those he just attempted to rally the people against. He claimed himself that it was their positions in the government that was causing so much suffering, so I doubt they would have chosen somepony righteous to join their ranks unless he was meant to cooperate with them.” She shuddered. “If they’re willing to torture their own citizens, I can’t imagine what they’ll do to him.” Images of King Sombra flashed through her mind, and she leaned into her husband.
“We can only hope that the soldiers of their kingdom side with the speaker then,” Luna said. “Power resides where the people believe it does; this has always been true, even here in Equestria. If our ponies, our militia turned against us, we would be powerless to stop them from stripping our rule away.”
“His enemies most likely lack any true power beyond their political standing as well,” joined Celestia, quick to negate the growing worries of her subjects and friends. “As my sister says, enraged as they may be, all those who wish him harm can do is order another to do the deed, and if the one given the order refuses, the speaker will remain safe.”
“Then we have nothing to worry about!” Pinkie exclaimed, some of the bouncing coming back to her mane. “Why would anypony listen to what those big meanies told them to do anyway? Mister Stache is super nice and I bet if he’s not going to be king, than he’ll throw a big party instead to make everypony happy.” Frowning slightly, she added, “I would do it myself, but I haven’t worked all the kinks out of making my Pinkiecopter deep space worthy yet.”
“Mister Stache?”
Pinkie shrugged. “He sounded like he had a mustache; a little postage stamp one.”
Shaking her head, Twilight looked to her friends and family with a smile. “I don’t think we have anything to worry about; if the people there unite in friendship like the speaker said, then everything will work out.” A distant look came over the purple princess as she mumbled, “Making a world of science.”
“A world of eggheads? Hey Shining, you sure your parents didn’t find Twilight in a space pod? Because I think she may be on the wrong planet,” Rainbow snarked as she tapped Twilight’s head from above. As the birthday mare swung up in retaliation, the tension within the room was broken and the ponies began laughing.
“Hey, does this mean we can finally cut the cake?” Spike piped up. “All this alien talk has gotten me hungry."
“You are still thinking about what we heard,” Luna stated as she approached her sister. She stopped next to the white alicorn as she lowered the sun, prepared to raise the moon as soon as the fiery orb dropped below the horizon.
“Yes,” Celestia responded, her horn dimming. She had wished to listen more to the magic radio her former student created, but was told that there weren’t any replacement bulbs and that more would have to be ordered from the crystal empire. The assurance by Cadance and Shining Armor that they would donate a crate full did little to quell Celestia’s disappointment, but she enjoyed the festivities anyway… And maybe ate a little more than her fair share of the cake before she and her sister had to return to Canterlot for their celestial and royal duties.
“It was surprising to be sure, which, for ones as old as us, is quite the feat,” said Luna as her horn glowed in tandem with the moonrise. “… Are you worried for them, sister?”
Celestia sighed and shook her head. “I know it’s foolish to burden myself with problems beyond my influence, but the thought that out there, innocent creatures are suffering under such a discordant and cruel reign… I feel as if I’m failing them somehow.”
“Discordant, huh? Mayhap you are remembering Discord’s reign?”
“I suppose I am,” Celestia returned with a small smile before letting it drop again. “Our little ponies suffered so much in those days; I can’t even bare to imagine what Equestria would presently be had we failed to dethrone him. Now, there’s another species out there enduring hardships of a similar nature, and we’re powerless to help them.”
The dark alicorn didn’t respond, and when Celestia looked to her, she saw a ponderous expression. “… maybe not powerless,” Luna muttered.
“I hope you’re not planning on asking Discord for help, sister. Even if he did have the ability to find and go to that world, I hardly think his brand of ‘help’ would be appreciated.”
“Do you think me daft, Tia? We barely manage to rein the draconequus in as it is; I wouldn’t dare let him loose on an unsuspecting civilization,” Luna responded, shoving her sister slightly. “No, I was thinking of a petitioner of my night court some months ago. You remember the one I told you about? Star Shot I believe her name was.”
Celestia’s brow furrowed. “I think so. If I recall, you turned down her request for funding as the project was too far out of the realm of possibility. Why are you bringing her up now?”
“Because, after what Twilight has shown us today what technology is capable of, I’m beginning to think Star Shot’s ambitions are not as outlandish as I once thought.”
“And what were these ambitions?”
“She wishes to reach the stars.”
To my fellow princess, Twilight Sparkle,
I hope this letter finds you well and that you have not allowed yourself to become too sleep deprived since getting your radio operational again. That being said, I’m looking forward to another visit so as to give the device another listen myself.
Scheduling another meeting is not the purpose of this letter however and there is something of great importance I would like to discuss with you. At such a time that it is convenient, I would like for you to come to Canterlot and give your input on a very intriguing proposition made by one of our little ponies that I feel your technological and magical knowledge would give you a keen insight into.
If you become as interested in the idea as I imagine you will, you’ll no doubt wish to oversee the project personally, and I feel you will get along swimmingly with the pony who desires to spearhead the operation, Star Shot. She’ll also no doubt be ecstatic to see your creation as well; I’m sure it would provide more than simple scientific interest to the mare, after all.
Hoping to receive your response soon,
Your friend, Princess Celestia.
Author's Note
What can I say? The Great Dictator was a good movie. Maybe if the mood hits me, I'll do an alternate story based off of this one where they get musical transmissions instead. Those are fun and ever since the main provider for this type of story went on their own hiatus, there's been a demand for more that I feel must be filled soon.
P.S.
Griffonstone was kinda stupid, so I ignored it.
[1000 Up-Vote Bonus] After Party Talk
Author's Note
Don't be afraid to point out any errors you find. This hasn't been gone over by a proof-reader.
This is a thank-you to all those who up-voted the original one-shot and I hope that those people like it. I tried to cover some points of discussion that had been left out of the initial chapter in the most natural way I could manage, which is a lot tougher than it sounds. You'll probably find that not every avenue of discussion is touched upon by the ponies here, which I hope isn't too much a problem. Like I said, I was trying to make the dialogue feel real, and was already feeling some topics were being shoehorned in as it was.
Well, enough of that, Enjoy the reading. *Places needle on record; Moves Like Jagger starts playing* Wha-? That's not right! It was suppose to be smooth jazz! Who's been touching my records!
[1000 Up-Vote Bonus] After Party Talk
After hours of fun, the party was slowly winding down for the group of friends and family, and Pinkie was quite pleased with the results. It may not have been the biggest party the pink mare had thrown, but the content smiles all around was what counted. The knowledge that she had once again helped her friends feel happy, especially after the emotionally heavy event of earlier filled Pinkie’s heart with joy.
The small get-together was perfect for a recently ascended princess still trying to get used to the sudden change in her social life. Her time spent in Canterlot had been of voluntary solitude, and even after finding the magic of friendship, that lifestyle was not one that could be shaken completely. The life of a small town librarian had been the perfect transition from recluse to social scholar.
The transition to royalty however, had not been as smooth, and Twilight still found herself struggling with the change. Saving the world was one thing, but settling lawn gnome disputes in accordance to property lines was on a whole other level of stressful. Having the welcoming smiles of her fellow Ponyville ponies become bows of respect was none too comfortable for the alicorn either and she was beginning to understand why Celestia had constantly reminded her that there was no need for formalities between them when she was still her student.
For the rest of the royalty, as well as Applejack and Rarity, the party had been an excellent reprieve from work and duties. Celestia and Luna were always glad to get away from the whining of nobles as their attending of Matilda and Cranky’s wedding attested, and they were doubly glad that they could spend time with their shared friends and each other in an informal setting. As for Cadance, she lacked a sister to share her duties with and Shining, bless his loving heart, was still a soldier and couldn’t offer much more than moral support in the arduous task of catching a millennium-long lost kingdom up with modern society.
Rainbow Dash was unceremoniously sprawled across the floor with a distended stomach and a worried Fluttershy hovering over her. “Oooh, you’re as bad as Pinkie. How can anypony eat that much cake?”
Gracefully popping the final bite of her thirteenth slice of triple chocolate cake into her, Celestia levitated a napkin to dab at her lips before responding, “With many, many years of practice, my little pony.” Opening her eyes to look down at the pegasus as she tried to stagger to her hooves, she asked, “I take it I’m the victor then?”
“Yeah, whatever, you win. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat cake again.”
“Don’t say that, Dashie!” Pinkie gasped, rushing over to grab her blue-green faced friend. “I’ve been where you are now, and believe me, no matter how sick you feel, you’ll get through this and be ready for more dessert in no time!”
“P-p-p-pinkie! Stop shaking me! I’m gonna hurl!” Dash pleaded as she pulled away to fall on her rump.
Ignoring Rainbow as her cheeks bulged, Pinkie turned to the other pegasus. “Fluttershy! You’re a doctor, do something to help Dashie feel better!”
“W-what? I’m not a doctor, I just take care of the-”
“Less talky, more docty!” exclaimed the party pony as she shoved Fluttershy towards Dash, who barely avoided being bowled over when she caught her.
“Oh, um, okay then,” the yellow pegasus mumbled as her eyes darted about in search of an idea. With a shrug, she pulled her friend closer, rested Dash’s head over one shoulder and started to pat her on the back.
Red now added to her multihued cheeks, Dash feebly tried to pull away. “Augh, I’m not a foal with gas, Fluttershy. I have to hur- Belch!”
The room fell silent as all eyes turned to the furiously blushing Rainbow Dash. It was Applejack who laughed first, a snort followed by uncontrolled guffaws that nearly had the farm mare falling out of her throne.
“Oh Celestia just strike me down now,” Dash mumbled as she slid to the ground and covered her face. For her part, Fluttershy gave a sheepish smile and, after another pat upon her friend’s back, returned to her seat with Luna to hide behind the billowing nebula of the princess’s mane.
Luna rolled her eyes and commented with a smirk, “I told you ‘twas foolhardy to challenge Sister to a cake-eating competition. There’s not a pony alive who can match her gluttonous appetite for the dessert.” Without even looking to the pink mare who had just opened her mouth, Luna added, “Not even Miss Pie.”
“Are you throwing my cake consuming capabilities into question?” questioned a very serious party pony before she zipped over to the solar alicorn, throwing a hoof over her shoulder. “You better be careful before your mouth writes a check that your sister’s tummy can’t cash!” Turning to look at Celestia who in turn stared back with a raised brow and humoring smile, Pinkie issued her challenge. “Come on, Princess, let’s settle this right now, stomach versus stomach!”
Chuckling, Celestia pulled the pink foreleg from around her neck and said, “I would, Pinkie, but I’m afraid the challenge between Rainbow Dash and I have left the party’s supply of cake quite depleted.”
“Yeah, thanks for that,” Spike grumbled. “Guess there’s not going to be any cake for breakfast tomorrow.”
“Oh shoot,” exclaimed the party pony once she set eyes on the dessert-bare table and mysteriously snapped her hoof. “And I don’t have nearly enough baking emergency ingredients hidden away to make enough cake, either… Maybe if I can find Discord, he can make us some…”
“No!” Twilight shouted before reining in her outburst. “I mean, the party is just settling down. I’m sure Discord wouldn’t appreciate being invited to the tail end of it just in time to help cleaning.” Mumbling, the smallest princess added. “If he does show up, the mess would only be made bigger, anyway.”
“Apologies, Pinkie, but I’m in agreement with Twilight. It is starting to get late and my sister and I will have to be leaving soon to manage our celestial duties and to ensure that the nobles haven’t made too much of a mess while they’ve been in charge,” Celestia explained to the downtrodden mare next to her.
“Yes, no doubt a few laws will have to be revoked upon our return,” Luna agreed with a nod. “Blueblood does well enough in managing royal business, but he has a weakness for self-indulgence. Remember when he tried to change the zoning laws so he could expand his mansion into his neighbor’s yard? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Fancy Pants so furious.”
Celestia chuckled at the memory. “Yes, Blueblood can be more than a bit selfish at times, but his heart is in the right place… usually.”
“That snotty prince?” Rainbow inquired as she pulled her hooves from her face. “The way Rarity talked about him after the Gala, you’d think the guy was the biggest jerk in Equestria.” The pegasus snorted with humor. “It was pretty funny seeing Rarity covered in cake though, right Rares?”
The unicorn in question looked up and blinked rapidly. “I’m sorry, what was that, dear? My mind was wondering.”
“Are you okay, Rarity?” asked Twilight. “You’ve been quiet for the last ten minutes. Do you have a lot of orders to fill or something?”
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry, Twilight. How rude of me to be ignoring the guest of honor on her birthday,” Rarity responded. “I’ve just been ruminating on something which has taken over my thoughts.”
“Somethin’ kept Rarity from tearin’ Blueblood a new one?” Applejack wondered. “Hoo-boy, them must be some world endin’ thought’s bouncing around in that gussied up head of yours.”
“Augh, Blueblood,” the unicorn groaned. “I almost wish I’d have remained distracted.” With a shake of her head, Rarity gave a meek smile. “As for my thoughts, it’s really nothing, dear. I don’t want to ruin the night by souring the conversation.”
“Don’t be like that, Rarity. If something is on your mind, tell us. It doesn’t matter the time or occasion when it comes to friends being open with each other,” responded twilight. “Besides, like, eighty percent of our problems before I became a princess were from us not communicating properly with each other. Remember when Fluttershy became a model?”
Both Rarity and the yellow pegasus flushed at this. “Yes, I see your point,” mumbled Rarity before clearing her throat. “While I can’t see how this would be the cause of any trouble, I’ll accede your wish since you are the birthday girl… I was thinking about the transmission from earlier. Some of what was spoken about had me quite shaken, as is true for all of us, no doubt.”
The room became deathly silent. “Oh why did you have to bring that depressing stuff up?” Rainbow practically whined, causing a blush to once again invade Rarity’s face.
“I told you I didn’t want to talk about,” The unicorn defended. “Why don’t we forget I said anything and return to enjoying the last of the party?”
“I’m afraid I have to agree with Twilight on this one,” Celestia cut in. “While the party did well to distract us from it, I have no doubt the speech we heard will be weighing heavily on everybody’s mind tonight. It’s best if we talk this out now rather than suffer through a restless night, don’t you all agree?”
“I reckon that’s right, Princess. I wasn’t gonna say anything, but I’m still a bit shaken up by all this,” agreed Applejack.
“Well, parties are supposed to be for happy thoughts, but helping friends is more important,” Pinkie assented.
Similar words were spoken around the room until Rainbow was the only one left with a sour look still on her face. Flapping her wings harder than usual to lift her cake filled body off the ground, the cyan pegasus crossed her hooves and looked away. “I guess you’re all right… Thanks, Rarity, for bringing it up.” A small smile graced the mentioned mare’s lips and she nodded her head in gratitude.
Twilight spoke up. “So, was there anything specific from the speech that’s bothering you?”
“Well, it was all quite shocking,” Rarity began, bringing her forehooves towards her chest in an uncharacteristic show of self-consciousness, “But yes, there were some parts that impacted me more than others… The greed to be precise.”
There were sounds of understandings from the eldest princesses and a few others while Applejack quirked an eyebrow. “I reckon it would make sense that would bother ya, what with being the Element of Generosity and all, but it’s not like we haven’t seen greed before. As a business mare, I’m sure you’ve had more than a few experiences with it yourself.”
“Yes, that is true, but we’re not talking about cut-throat business tactics meant to line ones pockets with a few extra bits, what was mentioned here was far more…” A shiver ran up the dressmaker’s back. “Sinister. This was on an entirely different level of despicable then anything even the likes of the Flim Flam brothers could cook up, and it was disgusting.
“What that brave, man, I believe was speaking of- speaking against, was imprisonment of the innocence for the sole purpose of gaining power.” A grimace came over the mare’s pretty features. “What sort of power they believe that is, I’ll never understand.”
“I get where you’re coming from,” Rainbow spoke. “But still, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like that. You all remember Sombra, yeah?”
The mood darkened considerably and the Princess of Love lowered her head. “Yes,” Cadance all but whispered before looking up again. “It’s true that the Mad King ruled the Crystal Empire with an iron hoof and dark magic; going so far as to force what were meant to be his subjects to mine crystals for his collection.” She leaned into her husband and continued. “Even to this day, Sombra’s motives are unclear to even the eldest of crystal ponies who bore witness to his rise and rein in its entirety. He seemed to have wanted power for power’s sake, and the crystals were his obsession.”
“Such souls will always exist, sadly, but even I admit the conditions of the alien world are frightening to imagine.” Celestia began then, taking the conversation from her fellow ruler as the pink alicorn had been growing noticeably shaken with rage and sadness. “Sombra was powerful, yes, and had more than enough ambition to fuel his conquest of the Crystal Empire, but not even he would have succeeded as far as these alien tyrants apparently have.”
“What do you mean, Princess?” Twilight asked.
“Have you ever wondered, Twilight, why Sombra ruled only one small province if he wielded such power?” Luna cut in.
Twilight pondered this for a second. “Well, I imagine it’s because you and Princess Celestia stopped him before he could spread his influence any further.”
This earned a chuckle from the Moon Princess. “While I’m flattered you’d think our intervention alone was the sole barrier protecting the rest of Equestria, the truth is Sombra would not have been able to take over much of anything even had we left him be.”
Disbelief was clear on many faces save one. “It was his lack of loyal soldiers, right?” Shining Armor asked. “Sombra had plenty of slaves, but no soldiers willing to fight for him. Even if he had managed to take over another kingdom, he wouldn't have had any way to keep it occupied without leaving the Crystal Empire liberated.”
“Very good, I’m glad to see you’ve not let the life of royalty dull your sense of tactics, Captain,” Celestia complemented.
“Just because he’s my prince doesn’t mean he’s still not a soldier,” commented Cadance, the pride in her voice covered with mock annoyance. “Believe me, I’ve tried to get him to lay down the shield, but he still spends the bulk of his days planning out the guard patrols or drilling our soldiers until they can barely walk.” A seductive smile came to the pink alicorn’s face as she wiggled her rump against her husband’s and added, “I’m quite envious of them in fact; he’s often too tired by the time he returns to our chambers to provide me the same treatment.”
A luminous blush came to the stallion’s face when Rainbow burst into uncontrolled laughter. While Applejack and Fluttershy hid behind their hat and mane respectively, Twilight was glowing red herself and dry heaving. “O-okay! I get it- about Sombra I mean! So he didn’t have an army, but if he was powerful enough to take the Crystal Empire, surely he would have still threatened the rest of Equestria in some way, correct?” The youngest princess asked, though her tone was more pleading than inquisitive.
Without missing a beat, Celestia answered. “Perhaps, but his powers were not nearly as substantial as they would seem. In the Crystal Empire, he was king because of the nature of his magic and its symbiosis with the Empire itself. His specialty was a unique form of geomancy amplified through dark magic, thus making a city such as the one in the far North, which was entirely built of magical crystal, the perfect stomping grounds for him. Add his mastery crystallomancy which allowed him to send his consciousness through the very architecture, and it becomes no small surprise that he was able to take hold of the empire the way that he did, just as it is no surprise that he could not replicate his success anywhere else.”
Turning to Rarity, the solar princess gave a sad smile. “Though, I believe we’ve gotten quite off topic, haven’t we, Lady Rarity. I’m afraid that there is little in the way to comfort you about what we heard other than saying that, from the sounds of it, those greed-fueled beings aren’t unopposed in their schemes and that they may fall just as Sombra has.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what kind of lies have kept them in service to such dishonorable leaders, but hopefully that speech opened their eyes.” Shining chimed. “Any soldier worthy of the title knows that they fight for their people, not against them.”
A wane smile came to Rarity’s face. “I suppose you’re right, I’m sure I’ve let my worries get out of control.” She laughed breathily. “Really, I shouldn’t be here worrying about such things anyway. It doesn’t help anypony when I’m on an entirely different planet.”
“That’s not true,” Fluttershy said, bringing her head into view, a steely look in her eye. “Just because we can’t help them doesn’t mean they don’t deserve our sympathy.” With all attention on her, Flutter’s confidence wavered. “…Right?”
It was Luna who answered. “Indeed, Fluttershy. To not feel for these aliens, to lose our empathy would be the first sign of calloused hearts.” Looking at the pony’s and even dragon in the room, Luna continued. “Callousness is in direct opposition to Equestria’s very way of life, and for anypony here to feel as such would be an ill omen indeed. I know some of you may believe the contrary; be humble and feel that you are nothing special, but gathered here are Equestria’s leaders and guardians. For us to let our compassion die would signal only the end of the morals our kingdom was built upon.”
“…Wow, that was heavy,” Dash stated. “And totally nothing to worry about. We’re all way too awesome to be callous or whatever.” The utter seriousness of the rainbow-maned pony earned chuckles from the others.
“Indeed, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia agreed. “There are no ponies, or dragons, I’d trust the integrity of Equestrian values to more than those in this room with me now.”
“Aw shucks, I hate to argue with Princess Luna, but Ah really am nothin’ special, just one of the best darn apple farmers in Equestria is all,” Applejack said with a wave of her hoof. The limb stopped midair and began rubbing her chin. “Actually, I hope you don’t mind me changing the subject like this, but there was somethin’ other than all the nasty stuff that the speaker fella talked about that has me a might curios. Is anypony else wonderin’ about them machines he mentioned? The ones that give abundance? Sounds to me like some fancy farmin’ equipment or some such thing.”
“Maybe like the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 9000®!” Pinkie suggested. “Boy did those Flim Flam Brothers know how to name stuff or what!? You know, if they hadn’t been meanies that tried to trick the Apples into losing their farm, I would have asked them to help me market my ChimmiCherryChanga™ and made enough bits to fund a never ending party!”
“… Riiight,” Twilight began, slowly turning her gaze from Pinkie to her orange friend. “That very well could be what they were talking about. Actually, from the sound of things, these aliens are tool users, much like the gryphons who I based my radio off of or the minotaurs.”
“But surely they must have some form of magic, yes?” Cadance asked. “Technology is useful to be sure, but how could machines help grow food in quantities large enough to feed an entire planet? I mean, I can’t imagine where Equestria would be without earth pony magic to rely on.”
“I reckon she has a point,” agreed Applejack. “My cousin Windfall Apple and his young’uns are all pegasi and they have a fair bit of trouble growin’ their own crops. Sure, being able to control their own weather is nifty and they’re always ready to help out when a kin’s farm gets a drought, but at the end of every winter some of us earth pony Apples have to pay them a visit and help them get the soil ready for growin’.”
Twilight appeared deep in thought. “Hmm, while it is true that, on average, farms run by non-earth ponies have a thirty percent lower yield than those that are, I know there's work being done to lessen this margin, both within and without Equestria.” Pointing at Applejack, she added, “Why, that farming magazine you asked the library to get a subscription to had an article about work with soil treatments being done by the minotaurs that has been showing promising results.”
Applejack’s reddened. “I guess you got me there, I remember readin’ ‘bout that now that you mention. Guess it didn’t stick too well as account of it not affecting my family much. Though I guess I should be payin’ more attention to farms outside of Equestria, if anythin’, it’s competition in the market.”
“Well that’s an… interesting way of looking at it,” Rarity said. “While it’s true that, in the cut-throat world of fashion, foreign designers are my competitors as much as those within the kingdom, they warrant my attention for more than just that. Why, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been inspired by Saddle Arabian fashion.” The unicorn put a hoof to her head and swooned. “Their incorporation of bits and bridles alone in designs meant for, well, non-bedroom activity is just fascinating.”
“Still not gonna be caught wearing that ‘evening’ gown you think will be all the rage,” Rainbow mumbled under her breath. “I’m awesome, not a pervert.”
“Lady Rarity has a very good point,” Luna stated. “Why, I imagine if you could combine these treatments the minotaur have been working on with earth pony magic, it would create an agricultural force never before witnessed.”
“I’ll actually have to look into that. I’ve been hoping to find a way for the Crystal Empire to grow more of its own food to reduce the need for imports. Maybe magic alone isn’t the answer and the non-pony races will hold the key to solving the conundrum of developing agriculture in a frozen tundra.” Cadance added.
“Well shoot, I guess I cracked my own hoof there,” Applejack said, face heated again and baring a frown. “That came out wrong, I don’t got nothing against those other races. If anything’ I’m proud to count them as farmers; it’s real clever how their workin’ around limitations ta fill more bellies… Actually makes me wonder exactly how them jerks on the other planet are starvin’ folk if’n they got ways to provide for everpony.”
“I’d imagine the same way it happens here,” said Celestia as she looked down into a glass of punch. “It’s the same for our world; there’s more than enough land and resources to go around and have everyone live comfortable lives, but the greedy, and even some aspects of culture in general have created all sorts of restrictions. From buying up land and keeping it from being worked or simply being wasteful, I admit not even the living standards in Equestria are where I wish they were.”
“But Equestria has the lowest poverty rate of any country on Equis,” Twilight protested.
The solar alicorn smiled sadly. “Perhaps, though that's still not as good as it could be. Even after a thousand years, there are ponies living impoverished lives, and that’s not addressing all those outside of Equestria who struggle merely to stay alive.” A cool presence brushed against Celestia’s aura and she looked up to see her sister staring at her with sympathy as well as many downcast eyes.
“T’was a battle being fought alone, Sister,” Luna all but whispered before looking around. “A millennium may not have seen the results you wished for, but now you have three more princesses to aid you as well as five of the greatest mares to grace our kingdom since its formation.” The blue alicorn chuckled. “Why, you even have a young drake who I’m sure will be quite useful.”
Spike’s eyes widened at this before he grinned and his chest swelled in pride. “Yeah, Princess Celestia, you can count on us to fix things!” Tapping a claw against the table, he added, “Hey, Maybe even the mystery map here will be able to help once Twilight figures out how it works.”
“Still haven’t made any progress on that front,” Twilight mumbled with a half-hearted glare at the holo-map. The thing was like one big black box after another with every sign of progress merely revealing how much more there was to understand. Blinking rapidly, the young alicorn looked up. “But I agree with Spike and Luna one-hundred percent on this. If we all work together, there’s no doubt that we can make the world a better place.”
There were nods and words of agreement from all around the table, and Celestia’s once-sad smile became genuinely joyous. “Thank you, all of you for your words,” said the solar alicorn before a short burst of laughter escaped her lips. “Here I am telling you all how important it is to be open and honest with each other while I myself am still in the habit of keeping my thoughts hidden away. It’s been a difficult transition to make; ruling alone for a thousand years then to suddenly gain so many to share the burden with.” Her warm aura sought out Luna’s for comfort. “Sometimes it’s so surreal to not only have my sister back, but two other alicorns- other friends as well.”
With a slight shake of her head, Celestia asked, “Is there anymore any of you wish to discuss before the night is out? We seem to have gotten somewhat off topic.”
The first response was that of a yawn as Rainbow Dash stretched out her wings. “Actually, it’s not that I don’t want to keep talking, I mean, there’s still a lot of stuff from Twilight’s fancy radio that were confusing, but I’m getting pretty tired and I do have work in the morning prepping a big storm. Maybe we can take a rain check?”
Fluttershy nodded. “I have to leave soon, as well. The animals need their before-bed snacks and Angel can’t get a wink of sleep if I don’t tuck him in and give him a goodnight kiss.” Her eyes went wide. “Oh, please don’t tell him I told you about that. He would be really embarrassed.”
“Your secret is safe with us, Flutters!” Pinkie chimed as she motioned zipping her lips. “And I gotta go soon too. I like to be there in case the twins wake up in the middle of the night so Mr. and Mrs. Cake don’t have to get up to put them back to sleep. I have lots more energy than them after all, and they need all the sleep they can get to run the store.”
Another, louder yawn followed Pinkie’s ramble as Twilight rubbed at her eyes. “Sorry, Princess, but I didn’t get much sleep last night on account of working on the radio, and after that party, I’m about ready to pass out.”
“You know us farmers, early to bed, early to rise.”
“I myself have a dress commission due tomorrow and I still have to finish the gem placement.”
“Our train back to the Empire leaves early in the morning, and I have papers that need reading on the train ride back, so I need to get my rest in tonight,” Cadance explained with a sigh. “Being a pony princess isn’t nearly as fun as I thought it would be when I was a little filly… but it is quite satisfying.”
“Yeah, it’s been fun but those cadets aren’t going to drill themselves, and I have a policy to only make them do what I can handle by training right beside them. Definitely need a good night’s sleep for that,” said Shining.
“It looks like it’s time to head back to Canterlot then,” Luna spoke as she stood and stretched her legs. “Ponies will start falling asleep soon, and I’d like to get some nightmare patrol in while the night is still young.” Walking over to her sister and dodging the other ponies as they too straightened out cramped legs, she nudged the white alicorn with a wing. “Besides, it’s time for you to turn in as well while I take up the reins. All that cake needs to migrate to your flanks, after all.” The lunar alicorn stumbled from the hit of a large, white wing and chuckled.
Celestia gave a mock glare. “You’re just envious of my mareish figure. Don’t worry Luna, I’m sure you’ll fill out someday and stop looking like a colt.”
Gasping, Luna returned the glare. “Nice try, tubby. You’re the one who’s envious of my svelte, sexy form.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah!”
“I do believe I hear a challenge.”
“Your ears do not deceive, Sister.”
“Shall I assemble the guards as judges?”
Luna rolled her eyes. “Your day guard is larger than my night. The vote would be biased.”
“An issue to Equestria Daily and all newspapers then. We shall let the ponies of Equestria decide who the most beautiful princess is.”
“Well that’s Cadance, obviously,” Shining chimed, earning twin daggers from the eldest alicorns and a bashful punch from his wife.
“What about Twilight, she’s a princess too, and she’s absolutely adorkable!” Pinkie shouted, indignant on behalf of her excluded friend. “I’ve seen a bunch of stallions and even some mares eyeing her when we’re out on adventures!”
The alicorn in question blushed, gaping like a fish. “Okay! It’s getting late! Goodnight everypony! We’ll discuss this again never! Bye!” she finally managed as she magically began pushing ponies towards the door, which was quite the feat considering there were nine of them spread throughout the room.
“Alright, alright, we get it,” Celestia chortled. “We’ll talk to you soon, Twilight. After all, your organization skills will be quite useful for setting up this competition.”
The force increased and all the ponies soon found themselves flat on their flanks with the doors to the castle’s main entrance slamming behind them.
“…I’m gonna have to remember that next time I want to mess with Egghead. That was the best reaction I’ve seen from her that hasn’t involved a disaster,” noted Dash as she got up.
“Um, that’s not nice, Rainbow Dash. She seemed really embarrassed. She didn’t even let us help clean up the party,” spoke Fluttershy.
“You don’t have to worry about that, a true party pony never leaves a party un-tidied,” Pinkie declared as she slipped into a black body suit from who knows where.
Uh, I don’t think that’ll be necessary, sugarcube,” Applejack said, a tinge of nervousness in her voice as she trotted over to pat the pink mare’s back. “How ‘bout you and I come over in the mornin’ and help her clean up then, eh? No need to go breakin’ into anymore palaces.”
“Besides, if I know my little sis, she’ll want to do some organizing to steady her nerves before she can get any sleep,” Shining added. “The party will be a great distraction for her. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was already cleaned up by the time you got here.”
Pinkie’s face scrunched up for a moment before released a puff of air and kicked at the ground. “Fine, I guess you’re right. I’ll go home for now. But I will be here first thing in the morning or my middle name isn’t Party!”
“Um, I thought your middle name was Diane?” Fluttershy whispered. She was ignored and left confused however as was the norm when hanging around the pink wonder, and the ponies soon dispersed, their minds put at ease by the levity of the situation. No doubt they would all sleep soundly that night.
It wasn’t long at all after Celestia sent the signal that their chariot had arrived, pulled by a pair of bat-winged ponies, and the pair of sisters were on their way back to Canterlot. Celestia yawned. “Hmm, that party took more out of me than I thought it would. Perhaps the years are finally catching up to me?”
“Pfft, that’s highly doubtable; you and I both know we are still in the prime of our youths. It’s probably just lethargy brought on by the over consumption of baked goods,” Luna returned with the roll of her eyes.
“The other ponies aren’t around, sister, there’s no need to bring up my eating habits,” said Celestia, giving the other alicorn a small shove with her shoulder, earning a confused look that she failed to notice. “I must admit however, that that was quite clever of you. The fake argument and challenge was an excellent way of getting the others to stop thinking such heavy thoughts for the night.”
She chortled. “And I must say Twilight’s reaction to Pinkie’s exclamation was wonderful. Very adorkable, as Pinkie would put it. I haven’t see Twilight that flustered since she was just a little filly who thought she had wet the bed when it was only spilled tea from studying late. Catching her trying to sneakily drag her bedding down to the laundry room was hilarious. She honestly thought I’d drop her as my student because I couldn’t possibly want a bed-wetter as my pupil.”
“Okay… Perhaps the years have not been kind to you, after all,” Luna mumbled.
“Hmm? What was that, sister?”
“Oh, nothing, I was just commenting on your story. T’was quite entertaining.”
“Come now, Lulu, you know I can always tell when you’re lying to me.”
“Apparently not,” Luna said under her breath, though not quiet enough for her sister not to hear.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Celestia asked with slowly narrowing eyes.
The smaller alicorn adjusted in her seat to better meet Celetia’s gaze. “What I mean is that I have no idea what you are talking about, sister. I didn’t fake anything during the party.” A smirk came to her lips. “… Fat Flanks.”
Gasping loudly, Celestia’s face shot forward until her her nose was touching her sister’s and she practically snarled, “Oh. It. Is. ON!”
(Really wanted to go back and put in talk about Democracy versus Mon/diarchy, but oh well. For another day, as they say.)
