The computer screen seemed to flicker a little more than normal at four a.m. Either that, or Slide Show was merely more observant. It was a wonder what caffeine could do.
He sat back in his chair and blinked hard a couple of times. The morning presentation had to be ready to brief by six. It was mostly done, but he would continue checking the news for last minute updates right up until brief time.
Slide Show was punctual. He had to be. Princess Twilight Sparkle was perhaps the most methodical pony in all of Equestria. If she wanted the brief at six, then Slide Show would present it exactly then.
Time did not affect alicorns like everypony else. Princess Twilight’s age was probably a matter of public record, as she would want it, though Slide Show had never looked up the number. It wasn’t relevant to the daily intelligence briefings he provided her. Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Castle in Ponyville was smaller than the castle in Canterlot, but Princess Twilight still needed a staff to keep her up to date on important matters around the country.
Slide Show lifted his coffee cup and took a sip. The ceramic was stained with old coffee and had “staff” printed on it.
Despite the fresh brew, he yawned and checked the time again. This morning’s brief would begin with the weather forecast for all of Equestria, provide an overview of griffon troop movements along the border, discuss crop reports for the fertile regions of Equestria and the countries they traded with, and include a brief biography of candidates in the upcoming minotaur election.
The Princess didn’t seem to enjoy the briefs. She was always in her seat promptly at six, and took a great interest in the goings-on, but the slide shows seemed forced on her. Slide Show didn’t take it personally, and he was sure that she didn't either.
To make the briefs more palatable, he might modify the presentation. He had a dusty binder of notes from the Princess’ friends. Rainbow Dash had insisted on “faster and funnier.” Applejack said not to cram words onto each slide. Rarity had wanted some color. Pinkie Pie suggested special effects. Fluttershy had mentioned something vague about emotion.
But until the Princess told him what she wanted, he couldn’t very well adjust the formula. He could tweak here and there when an idea came along for improvement, but she hadn’t yet indicated that Slide Show himself was doing anything wrong.
Slide Show looked at the clock in the corner of the computer screen. Five a.m. He got up from the computer and went to get the morning newspaper. He also checked the classified communications that were dropped in his inbox by the royal messengers.
Reviewing the messages and reading the paper, he saw that there was nothing new. Slide Show got another cup of coffee.
He went to turn on the projector and check that the Princess’ seat was positioned in front of the screen. He picked up the clicker and checked that the batteries worked.
One final review of the brief convinced him that there were no problems. The slides were ready.
A few minutes passed. Slide Show shifted his weight from hoof to hoof and flicked his tail. The computer went to screensaver. He clicked it back to life.
A minute before six, the door opened and Princess Twilight entered. She was always almost exactly one minute early, as if making a rehearsed appearance.
She glanced around the room as she came in and walked over to her seat. Even with her polished jewelry, the sound of her hooves on the floor was surprisingly subtle.
Slide Show said, “Good morning, Princess.”
“Good morning, Slide Show.” She gave him a quick smile and sat, folding her legs and arranging her wings.
Slide Show glanced at the clock as the final seconds ticked away, pausing until the Princess looked up. She gave him her attention.
He cleared his throat and clicked his clicker. “Welcome to this morning's brief, Princess. Weather today for Ponyville will be clear with predominantly westerly upper level winds ranging from five to twenty knots. Weather for Canterlot will be…”
Slide Show spoke. The Princess listened.
He told her what he thought was important, things that she would want to know, occasionally using the laser pointer in the clicker to highlight a point or a location on a map.
The Princess’ eyes focused on the slides and her ears concentrated on Slide Show’s voice. She paid attention. Even when her friends had joined her for the morning brief, she had always been focused.
Slide Show periodically took a breath before going to the next slide. The natural pause was a subtle way of asking if there were any questions. The Princess sometimes asked for more information. “When was the last time it rained in Trottingham?”
“Six days ago, Princess.”
“What sort of weapons are the griffons using?”
“Only small arms, Princess. It’s unlikely they will make any movements without heavier support.”
“Who is predicted to win the election?”
“As you know, Princess, minotaur elections are historically close, but I assess Copper Kettle has the lead.”
The Princess was likely the most intelligent pony in the country. If she asked about something on a slide, it was Slide Show’s obligation to know it. He answered all of her questions precisely.
He clicked to the last slide, showing a plain black screen. “Do you have any final questions, Princess?”
She paused, looked up, hesitated again, and asked, “Can you tell me a joke?”
Slide Show’s mind went blank. He stuttered, “I-I’m sorry Princess. I don’t have a slide for that.”
She laughed and Slide Show blushed. The Princess said, “I liked that, Slide Show. Thank you.”
She stood up, glancing around. The room was empty save for the two of them.
“See you tomorrow.”
“You too, Princess.”
Author's Note
This started off as a comedy called Death by PowerPoint.