The Princess declined the offer of tea. Somehow with ponies staring daggers at her, it made her giddy. Mayor Mare still seemed to be in a daze as she hurriedly searched through piles of some crumpled pieces of paper. It was an understandable situation, as the meeting could've meant freedom for the ponies of Ponyville, and the other towns that were being held at the tethers by their new monarch.

In the room were a total of eight council members, including Mayor Mare, taking their seat on the circle table. No audience joined them, for it would've possibly be brought to Twilight's attention and without warning and possibly taking it as an attack or an act of vengeance agaisnt their "leadership", she would strike

Their eyes, they stared at Celestia with not only devastation for letting them become this way, for letting their city be torn apart in a way that no one has ever imagined, but.... with a ping of hope. Albeit a spark. But it was there nonetheless.

After awhile of Mayor Mare grumbling and scheming through the papers wildly, feeling nervous, sleep deprived and pressure from the thought of letting her folks down, Derpy stepped in, swiped a few papers away, and gingerly handed a script with a small paperclip on the top. "I reminded you already, peppermint paperclip," she whispered to the Mayor, who gave a reluctant smile and a thank you.

She turned back to Celestia, and gave another nervous smile. Celestia returned it, eager to start the meeting. She remembered the sorrowful yet doubtful faces she had passed on the way to the hall that day, and it pained her to think of it any further. But she has to. She knew it was just guilt eating her from the inside. And what was more troubling was what was to come of the meeting. What could she do for them?

A monarch fighting a monarch. For the rights of a town in her own kingdom. Yet that was how it worked there. Twilight practically owned Ponyville. It was too late to take back what she had said, what she had done to try and prove Twilight's worthiness as their ruler. How everything backfired.

"Our town," Mayor started, bringing Celestia back to her senses, "had been in a rather.... painful state. And we as a society has fallen into a pit of depression. While-"

She was interrupted by one of her other council members, Octavia. "You let our town be torn apart this way!" she shouted, slamming her hoof into the table. Celestia's guards tried to intervene, but she stopped them. She wanted to hear any criticism she could. She needed this. "After all these years, only now you decide to intervene! This is not an act of leadership, this is an act of a coward!" some of the other council members agreed and bickered amongst each other, slamming the table in the process and seemingly starting a debate of their own.

The Mayor interjected after a few seconds, ordering for peace and for the council to calm down. However, she didn't seem quite genuine. She just wanted the meeting to be over with, and just wanted to hear what the Princess had to offer. She didn't however wanted to possibly get on the Princess's bad side, risking her not to help. But she understood her member's resentment towards the Princess. "Order, order." she continued on, until the hall could finally be nothing but white noise. "My apologies, your highness."

"No need. Proceed," Princess Celestia had no other words to share. She felt herself inadequate to serve any words before everypony else had their say. And instead, she was left to merely listen and ponder on their words.

"...now, while our town had been severely affected by our new monarchy, we would like to share our....deepest devastation. Devastation that our true monarch, who we had always been loyal to, who we had cherished praised and trusted with our lives, left us to be succumbed to this. It was more devastating that we had to call you here for you to help," this time, Mayor gave the Princess a scornful and disappointed look. They met eyes for awhile, Celestia absorbing the look with her own. Mayor soon looked back at her script, clearing her throat. "We need dire help. And fast. Many had died, perished under the hooves of our leader herself. And..." she paused for a bit, "I don't think there is a needed specification needed for that. It doesn't matter who or which of our monarchs did it, we were all let down."

She paused again, and the council members gave each other tired yet understanding looks. "....We need your attention now more than ever, Celestia," she said finally. "I said it already, you were the leader we trusted. And we would like that leadership back. We..." she panned over to her members. "...we need a leader. And hope that we could live in harmony once more. This was what our first leaders meant when they formed Equestria. Instead, we are now segregated from the rest of the kingdom. From the rest of the world. We have only us to defend ourselves. And we can't do it forever."

Celestia pondered as the hall fell silent. They needed a leader they could trust. Yet both sisters didn't help them until now. Celestia had let her own fears get the best of her. Ignoring the town for so long. She wasn't only avoiding Twilight, she was avoiding her duties as Princess. Everything she did, she did it to serve herself, to pretend everything she did wasn't real. It wasn't happening. It wasn't. it wasn't.

She was selfish, and everypony in that room knew it.

"....I was selfish. And that selfishness and ignorance has brought my fellow subjects pain and despair. You've lost your friends, and family, and for that I am deeply sorry." The members batted no eye however. Celestia didn't mind, she understood. "I cannot go against Twilight, as she has her own rebellion that could attack back any time they want. Causing more chaos will not help." She lowered her head a bit, as if still pondering her steps of action. "...however I can offer a way to seek refuge in other towns." At this, some ears perked, however they were still skeptical.

"That's impossible," another council member, Bon Bon spoke up. Celestia recognized her of course, she was a part of the monster-hunting agency in Canterlot. Sweetie Drops, her real name was. She remembered. "Security is heavy, and guards are armed. Try to overstep their boundaries, and you're swiss cheese." Some of them winced at the phrase, but Bon Bon paid no mind. "The trains are impossible to board, the guards there find any possible excuse to stop anyone from boarding. Some were even conned. We have families in outer cities for God's sake! Ponies would do anything to try and leave. No one ever leaves alive."

"There was that one rebellion that tried to smuggle ponies out of town," Derpy said. "Some families managed. The Cakes, the Apple Family, but the rebellion "perpetrators" as they called it were caught and..." she paused, looking down at her hooves, "...they weren't seen again."

A chill went down Celestia's spine as she heard that. How dreadful everything was here. How dreadful lives were, especially after she abandoned them the way she did in their time of need. The time they needed a leader, she wasn't there. Looking at the faces in that room, the tired eyes of Mayor Mare, the giddiness of Derpy, the anger and despair the rest gave. It was....painful.

".....I see." Now, she had to think again. Trains weren't an option. Security is heavy. Not only did she have to think of an escape route, she had to keep herself from being seen as a "perpetrator". A clash amongst leaders could result in a bigger war than it already was, and by the looks of everypony, no one could be up for the task. As she gazed around the room, trying to think of a way, any way, that could possibly save the lives of hundreds of lives in this and their neighboring towns. Her eyes scanned the room. Dust was thick, litter was about. The paint was peeling off the wall.

Ponyville was no longer as cheery and beautiful as it was before.

Her eyes panned up to the windows. They were covered in what appeared to be soot. Some were even shattered, a few pieces remaining on the window frames but nothing more. But those that did remain, sunlight managed to shine through it, albeit through only small bits where soot did not cover fully. It was like marble. The pink stain of the glass can be seen slightly, and if cleaned would show such a beautiful window. How shiny and how clear the sun would shine, how pink the room would be from the light, one could even see their own reflection through it like a mirror.

And there it was.

She thought of it.

Reflection through it like a mirror.

Reflection.

Mirror.

".....I know what we can do."

Author's Note

Merry Christmas, guys. Hope y'all are having a good holiday. School finally ended a week ago so I'm now left to relax and rethink my life choices aaaaaaa

Side note, been watching podcasts and found some chill music. Search up "Yuri Honing and Floris - Phase Five" if you're into jazz. The album is soooo good.