A Corrupted Princess

Twilight awoke early enough to raise the sun into the morning sky but she felt so exhausted that all she wanted to do was sleep but she just wanted to see how her friends were doing so she just needed a quick nap before heading into ponyville. She didn't even realize how long she had ended up sleeping, it was Spike whom woke her up.

“Twilight! You have an important meeting to attend today with the local ponies to address their concerns.” explained Spike as he managed to stir her awake. Twilight yawned but woke up stretching out her hooves and wings as she stood looking rather sleepy still and it was clear she had forgotten all about this.

“Meeting? I thought my schedule was all clear for today?” she asked towards Spike whom nodded his head that she was indeed misinformed on this manner. Twilight just hit her head on the floor in frustration.

“Ugh...why does this have to be so hard?” she questioned towards herself as she looked towards Spike. She just have to meet with the citizens of Ponyville and address their concerns surely that wouldn't take up the entire day and then afterwards she'd be able to see her friends again to see what they were doing.

“Come on Twilight, if there's anyone that can do this it's you. I mean seriously it can't be that hard to sit around listening to people all day.” smiled Spike thinking there really wasn't much too the job itself but he didn't realize how much Twilight needed her friends around.

Twilight knew Spike was doing his best to encourage her, he was right this should be easy in comparison to the many things she had accomplished so far, even managing to stop Starlight from ruining the time stream. She took a deep breath to compose herself and then she smiled towards Spike.

“Alright Spike I'm ready, I want you with me by my side after all every great leader needs an adviser and I could think of no one better than you to fit that role.” smiled Twilight softly.

“Aww shucks Twilight thanks I would love too!” smiled Spike as he followed her into the main court room where she sit down on her new throne and it still felt odd for her to be in Celestia's spot but she knew that Celestia had always planned for this to be her own future, as a ruler of Equestria, it was just so hard to believe and even harder to grasp but she felt she was making heads of it.

Twilight Sparkle sat down on the throne and had Spike go announce for the first of her many concerned ponies to come in. The first one was an earth pony and she couldn't help but think of Applejack and Pinkie and wonder how they were doing. This one was a old mare pony probably not quite as old as Granny Smith but it was very clear she was upset about something and had come all the way here to make her complaints known so that the Princess of Friendship might be able to help her.

“Why hello there my name is Twilight Sparkle how can I assist you today madam?” she asked softly but loudly enough for the elderly pony to understand what she was saying so that she wouldn't have to repeat herself as that would just waste more time that she could be using to spend with her friends and the people that were important to her, of course she wanted to help the citizens of Ponyville but she had learned that she wasn't a super pony she could only do so much before she had to sit down and take a break for herself.

“My dear Princess I think it's time you address the problems outside of ponyville just outside my orchard there's been a bunch of groundhogs tearing up my fields where I've been planting beautiful lilies to remember me of my dear departed husband and it's awfully upsetting for those animals to ruin it. You have to do something. Please Princess I just don't know what else to do.” spoke the female earth pony.

“Oh course don't worry Ms, I will be sure to send someone excellent with animals, there's no one better to help you with your problem.” smiled Twilight Sparkle. And with that she gave Fluttershy's name and where she lived and the lady thanked her for her time, perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all but as the day dragged on and with each ponies problem it got harder and harder to please everyone and she had some that didn't agree with her decisions and she had to force them out of the door. She was beyond frustrated but she knew she could handle it as long as she at least had Spike by her side.

She did get one surprise that day though, Rarity came all the way up to Canterlot just to see her, she was beyond overjoyed to see her that she leaped into the air and tackled her into a big hug.

“Rarity! It's so good to see you what brings you to Canterlot?” she asked curiosity.

“Well, you see darling Coloratura or Ra Ra as Applejack calls her needs some new wardrobes for her next show and she has a deadline she needs to make and I'm the pony she trusts with all her orders now and I was wondering if Spike wasn't horribly busy if I could borrow him for the day, it would be useful to have his help around the shop, you know the smaller details, while I focus on the outfits.” explained Rarity calmly seeing this as a perfectly reasonable request.

“Oh well sure go on Spike.” smiled Twilight waving him towards Rarity.

“So do tell me dear are you handling this okay? You seemed well...stressed.” admitted Rarity not wanting to upset one of her friends. She also knew how daunting it must be to be the ruler of all of Equestria but it was just such an honor as well.

Twilight Sparkle knew she didn't want her friends to worry about her and it was so nice to see Rarity and have her ask how she was doing. She composed herself before she answered.

“Well I'm sure I'll get more accustomed to it with time and if I work with my scheduling more I can get away from this castle and see what you guys are up to and even hang out again.” smiled Twilight softly.

“That's good dear, I just want you to know we are all routing for you and we are all so proud of how far you have come. It's seems like just yesterday I was fitting you in a saddle so you would give me your ticket to the gala or how we defeated Nightmare moon and I helped that serpent to feel like himself again.” smiled Rarity softly. She knew Twilight Sparkle didn't have it easy and this job was certainly far from simple but if anyone could do it, it had to be Twilight herself, she was capable of doing amazing things without evening knowing it.

“Alright thank you Rarity, I hope I will see you and the others soon.” smiled Twilight as she waved her and Spike off and then she sit there all alone with the only thing to keep her company was the citizens of ponyville with complaint after complaint after complaint. It began to feel like it dragged on and on and by the end of it she just wanted it to all end and only an hour or so had passed. She face planted her face against the side of the throne whenever she had a spare moment's rest. She missed Spike already, she knew how much time he enjoyed spending with Rarity but right now she really wished he would have been here with her, but she didn't want to be selfish and even though she had to be locked up in this place, that didn't mean Spike deserved the same. Only she had to endure this, she was the one who had to raise the sun and lower it to raise the moon, meet with nobles and listen to complaints all day long and yet not a single one ever asked her how her day was? It was almost like the only thing that was on their minds was themselves, they were just so thoughtless and selfish she thought. No she couldn't think like that, they were depending on her and had no one else to turn to, she had to stay positive and not blame them for her own inexperience as a ruler.

Finally the last pony left for the day and she had some peace and time to think. She couldn't help but wonder about her friends and being worried that Spike still hadn't come back, maybe Rarity's work was taking longer than she thought it would. She went outside to the balcony to see where the sun was and just like she thought it was already getting to the point where most of her friends would be calling it a day and going to bed, she had a feeling Rarity would be up all night working on her project but the rest of her friends would be sound asleep. She looked up to the balcony, a sad expression on her features.

“It isn't that I'm not grateful for all the things I've learned but now as a leader I feel lost and don't know what to do. I've always had my friends by my side, and now it seems like they are always a thought of the past. What can I do to fix this without you to lean on? I'm not as strong nor fast, my magic is far more than acceptable but this lonely heart aches so much for the life I had before. What should I do now?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she looked up towards the sky, it was almost like she expected Celestia to descend from above and give her guidance but she knew she wasn't coming, no one was coming. No one at all, wasn't she important? She felt this dark feeling in the back of her mind, she wanted them to know her to remember her but yet her heart knew it was wrong but she couldn't stand the way things were going now. She had to remain strong but yet she felt so weak and vulnerable, she went to lower the sun to raise the moon just like she had done before and well she realized Spike still wasn't back in the morning, she truly had had enough of this.

“First they took my castle, then my time, then my friends and now Spike too! It's not fair, it's not right. I don't deserve this and I won't allow this to happen anymore. I'm going to do something about it.” announced Twilight Sparkle to herself as no one was around to listen to her but it was almost like she was imagining her friends there with her, and even thought it was unaware to her at this point, she had reached the breaking point.