Forty Minute Fantasies

“And see to it that this gets delivered immediately!”  Grand Duke Blueblood stared down into the face of the Earth Pony Red Tape.

“Of course, sir,” the bureaucrat said, in that tone of voice used to placate whining foals.  “I’ll make sure your package gets delivered to the Empress right away.  You just go on about your business, milord.”

Blueblood groaned in frustration.  “Blast you, man!  My steward’s life depends on this!”

Tape calmly glared back at him.  “And I suppose you think browbeating an honest Earth Pony just out to do his job will help?  You nobles are all alike.”  The Earth Pony turned back toward the pile of paperwork in front of him.  “Now go on, shoo.  I’ve got more important things to do than listen to your complaining.”

Blueblood snarled, then turned to walk out the door.  In his rage, he was unaware of the smaller form standing nearby until it collided with him.  “How dare you-!” he began, then stopped.  Easy, Blueblood, he told himself, don’t take your anger out on an innocent.  He reached out, helping the mare he’d accidentally knocked to the floor get back up.  “Forgive me, my dear,” he said, “just because that blasted dung heap of a stallion is angering me is no reason for me to mistreat you.  I apologize, most profusely, for my behavior.”

The mare, a purple unicorn in a maid’s uniform - and one who seemed vaguely familiar - gave him a tremulous smile.  “You’ve no need to apologize to me, milord.  I’m merely Twilight, not anypony special.  But… I thank you, and I do forgive you.”  She looked around, noting the papers Blueblood had dropped in the collision, and began to pick them up, magenta light outlining them.  “I am sorry myself, milord - it appears I’ve made a mess out of your things.  I hope I’ve caused no harm?”

Blueblood shook his head, still biting down on his anger.  “Not really; they’re only copies.  I just wish I could be sure that the originals were going where they needed to!”  He bit his tongue as he realized he was shouting again.  “My apologies again, miss Twilight.  No doubt you get yelled at by the nobility enough as it is.  I shouldn’t be adding to your frustrations.”

Twilight smiled at him again, a bit more firmly this time.  “It’s not a problem, milord, really.”  She floated the bundle of papers, now collected again, over to Blueblood.  “May I offer you my ear to listen, allow you to talk through your problems?”

Blueblood began to walk down the hallway, Twilight right behind him.  “It’s a couple of blasted criminals and an opportunistic rival of mine,” he said.  “The first are a pair of stallions calling themselves Flim and Flam.  The two of them were captured in the act of attempting to steal their way into the home of Lord Rich and Lady Rarity of Ponyville.  In exchange for clemency, they spun an absurd tale of their previous doings and supposed fellow criminals, culminating in accusing my steward, Silver Salver, of treason against Empress Celestia!”   He shook his head.  “It’s absolute nonsense, of course; all of my household are loyal to the Empress.  But with the bad blood between Lord Rich and myself, he’s perfectly willing to take it absolutely seriously, if only to slap me down.”

“Have you no proof of your steward’s innocence, milord?”  Twilight’s words caused Blueblood to turn, glancing back at her… there was some strange tone there, one he wasn’t sure he recognized, or liked.

He stilled the thought, though, answering her question instead.  “I’m holding it,” he said drily.  “Hence why I’m so desperate for the originals to reach Her Imperial Majesty before she declares Salver’s fate.”

“You may have a problem then, milord - Red Tape is known to spend his bits more freely than he should, and many of us suspect him of taking bribes to do - or not do, as the case may be - his job in ways pleasing to his, erm, ‘benefactors’.”  Twilight looked up at Blueblood, apologetically.  “And now, if you’ll excuse me, milord, I really must get back to my duties.”

“Of course, my dear.”  As she left, Blueblood headed for the dungeons, hoping to provide what comfort he could for Silver Salver… although after the maid’s words,  he had precious little to give.

“All kneel!  All kneel for Her Imperial Majesty Celestia Augusta, Empress of Equestria and Keeper of the Sun and Moon!”

At the herald’s cry, all those in the throneroom, Blueblood included, went to their knees.  He glanced out of the corner of his eye as the Empress took her throne, her flame-colored mane and tail seeming to stream in the wind, little loops occasionally popping out of it like the fires of the sun itself in bands of red and orange, gold and white.  Only one spot of darkness marred her appearance - a thin crescent of obsidian, nestled against the base of a carnelian Sun emblem on her torc.

“We are here today,” cried the Empress, “that We may administer justice within Our lands.  Guards, bring forth the accused.”  At her words, several royal guards brought forth Silver Salver, bound in chains and covered in bruises, and at the sight of those wounds, Blueblood felt his stomach lurch.

Empress Celestia, however, seemed to have no issue with those signs of foul treatment.  Instead, she glared down at Salver, whose shaking form looked as though it was about to collapse.  “Silver Salver,” she said, finally, “you are here on a charge of treason against Ourself and Our throne.  Having reviewed the details of the case in hand, We have come to a decision - you are declared guilty, and sentenced to death.”

“You can’t-!”  The words were out of Blueblood’s mouth before he could stop them, and all heads in the throneroom snapped toward him as he frantically tried to will them back.

Empress Celestia stared at him with her dispassionate gaze, then nodded.  “We understand his value toward you, Duke Blueblood, and We have found no sign that you yourself were involved in your steward’s wrongdoing.  Therefore, We are willing to overlook this outburst.  But know this - We are the Sun, and the Sun will not be moved.  His sentence stands.”

“Even if it is an unjust one, your majesty?”  Once again all eyes turned, this time to the front of the throne room, where a mare had just walked in.  She was a unicorn; barring her lack of wings and height, her white hide and the flames forming her mane and tail might have made it difficult to tell her from the Empress herself.  This was one of the Empress’s Solata - her chosen personal servants, empowered to speak with her voice in all matters.

Empress Celestia stared down.  “Favored,” she said, “explain yourself and this interruption.”

The Solata bowed, then lifted up a packet of papers in a burst of magenta telekinesis.  “Most gracious majesty, I simply request that you look upon the information within these.”

Yellow magic overrode the magenta, and Empress Celestia looked over the papers.  When she was done, her eyes snapped up, glaring down to where Red Tape stood in the crowd.  “Why,” she asked, her voice dangerously low, “were these not brought before me?”

As Tape stammered and stuttered, another magenta glow appeared, this one gripping a small notebook.  “I believe you will find the answers within, Majesty.”

Empress Celestia took the notebook as well, fire rising within her eyes as she read it.  Once done, she allowed the notebook to drop, her gaze seething as she lifted her head.  Instinctively, everypony near her backed away, and it was well that they did.  The Empress’s mane and tail had merely been flame-colored before; now, they burst into full flame as her fury made itself known, and she turned the full power of that wrath down on the hapless Red Tape.  “You would dare seek to pervert Our justice, merely to fill your own purse?  Never Again!”

A beam of light, no thicker than the shaft of a quill, burst forth from the Empress’s horn.  It struck Red Tape, and within a few seconds only white ash wafting on the sudden updraft remained.  The Empress wasn’t finished yet, though; her gaze turned toward Lord Rich, who fell back, cowering.  “And you would seek to purchase such perversion, Rich?  No.  Such is treason, and will be dealt with as treason deserves.”  A glimmer of light began once more to grow on her horn.

Lord Rich fell to his knees.  “Please, your Majesty!  I beg of you, show mercy!”

“As you did, false-hearted one?  As We said when We falsely condemned a stallion by your malfeasance, the penalty for such treason is death - and the Sun will not be moved by your pleading.”  The beam lashed out, and once more only ashes remained.

Empress Celestia pointed a wing down at Salver.  “The prisoner is innocent; strike his chains.”  She then turned her attention back to Blueblood.  “Duke Blueblood.  We give Lord Rich’s former lands to you in reparation for the harm We have caused; We would suggest setting Silver Salver in charge of them.  Rule them well.”  Finally, she stood, flaring her wings wide.  “And now, Our Court of Reckoning is adjourned, until We have determined the full extent of Red Tape’s villainy and the truth behind those cases he brought before us."

Within his chambers, Duke Blueblood turned toward his Steward, now bearing the Duke’s own second-best cloak.  “Welcome back, old friend,” Blueblood said.

Salver turned toward him.  “Thank you for not giving up on me, milord.”

Blueblood shook his head.  “I never would… but I suspect there’s somepony else you need to speak with.”  His eyes went a bit distant as he continued.  “If you happen to see a purple unicorn mare among the palace staff, give her your thanks instead.”  Then, to himself, “and so the Sun can be moved, after all.”